Hey loves,
I have been overthinking this newsletter since the start of the year and so I have put all those whirring and wholly unhelpful thoughts aside and started writing to you as though you were sat here with me on my sofa.
Its what I would say to my clients if they were feeling stuck with using their voice, yet in the noise of my own thoughts my brain forgot. So this is a catch-up, a check-in and a mash-up of what is on my heart to share right now.
2022 saw me being quiet publicly but really loud personally. After a year of what can only be described as deep pain and deep joy, I'm stepping into 2023 with these words forming my intention for the year…strength, simplicity and love.
I do enjoy choosing a word (or words for the year), if you have done yours, what did you go with?
Using my voice looked very different for me last year and on entering 2023 I'm being invited to find a new rhythm. I've been a little more visible on Instagram, even showing my face to camera which is something that hadn't happened for agggeeess.
Considering that used to be my bread and butter way of communicating, deviating away from it had felt weird and feeling myself returning to it felt like a step-change.
I'm experimenting with a soul-driven strategy which allows for structure and spontaneity and is underpinned with branding/marketing methodology. There's a highlight on my Instagram that I've created, where I'll share as it happens, as well as giving more extensive insights here in this newsletter.
My New Year really starts in the Spring when the warmer weather, lighter nights and longer days become the norm but there is something about harnessing the energy of the calendar flip from one year to another that I really do like.
The tone was set when I attended my gorgeous friend
Tamu Thomas' Indigo Monday event last month. It was wonderful, grounding and fun!
Since the event I've been intentionally bringing in practices and ways of being that bring my nervous system into ventral and I've really felt the difference. If you don't know what I'm talking about then go follow Tamu's work and learn how to make Poly-vagal Theory and Somatics integral to your everyday life.
One of my big work things for this year is adding Coaching Supervision to my work/revenue cake.
That's how I think of my money and income streams by the way. Its a cake. With different slices denoting different pieces of the pie so to speak.
This multi-hyphenate creative loves variety so doing the same thing every day is not.going.to.cut.it AND I like my money coming from different places too. If multiple streams of income was a love language, it would be mine.
So in comes Coaching Supervision which was a decision born of…
1) Seeing a need and gap in the market. When I was looking for a Supervisor I wanted a black woman and was struggling to find one. Your girl loves a gap in the market and so my interest was piqued.
2) It fitted my mission of helping to raise standards in the coaching industry. Very early in my self-development journey I encountered a ‘coach’ who inadvertently caused harm by brushing off my very real lived experience as a black woman as a ‘limiting belief’, if she had been in Supervision (and was an Accredited Coach, yes I am throwing a little bit of shade) then this wouldn't have happened.
3) I love to go deep with my clients so the opportunity to extend the way I support the coaches in my community with this reflective exploration to support their practices…sign me the F up.
4) I adore learning and so getting to spend 9 months doing so is a very happy place for me, its been a wonderful anchor and addition to the web of support I have underpinning how I exist and show-up in the world.
2023 Nicola who signed up for the course is thanking 2022 Nicola for making that investment into herself and her work.
I am LOVING the learning, the doing, the growth. All of it.
Our brains really do like a negativity bias and so it can be easy to always use the gift of hindsight to focus on the decisions we wish we hadn't made or the things we would have done differently, rather than celebrating the decisions we're glad we made.
So I'm leaving you with this question to ponder on…- what is 2023 you, thanking 2022 you for? Feel free, to hit reply and share with me.
Wishing you a fulfilling week ahead.
Sending love
