Charlie (the glue guy) is reading a book right now about homeschooling. It’s called The Call of the Wild and Free. I bought him it for Xmas as it sounded like the type of thing he’d like (I was right, he does!) 

Anyway, we got to chatting about a point made within the book about the rationale or need for kids to receive homework, something neither of us had thought to question until now. *Warning - personal and possibly controversial viewpoints coming up!*

The point made within the book was why would you need to give children more work to do at home in their own time when they spend 7 hours a day, 5 days a week at school learning? 

Hmmm - indeed when you stop to consider the rationale it doesn’t make sense… 

It immediately started a lively conversation in our kitchen - 

• Was the teaching system so inefficient that they couldn’t fit all of the education into the allocated time?

• Why would you expect small children to do more than 7 hours a day of focused, con...

So why are you setting for less?...

A mentor once told me your fears are the gatekeepers to your greatest gifts. 

It resonated somewhere very deep within me - the way a truth you already know always does.  Stirring an awakening in my restless soul.

Bit by bit over the last 5 years I have worked each and everyday to release the grip my fears used to have on me and watched in wonder as my life has completely transformed.

I’ve cried countless rivers of tears.

Let go of the people that I loved the most.

Become a mother to my incredible son.

Created a business that provides me with freedom AND enables me to do important and necessary work in the world.

And chosen ALWAYS to lean into my pain and discomfort in a bid to learn from it, understand it and through this process trust that it will pass.

I can confirm with confidence that it ALWAYS does. And leaves precious jewels of wisdom and guidance in its wake.

Who knew the darkest times could lead to your...

I'm off to Paris on Thursday to meet a client and spend the day strategising for her new business  🤩

And I'm feeling a bit nervous. 

There. I said it out loud. 

It's taken me completely by surprise. 

I LOVE solo travel. 

But I haven't done it much AT ALL for over 3 years as I have been focusing my energies on becoming a Mum and learning how to run my business at the same time.

Confidence is what I do well. Confidence is what I help others do well.

Yet here I am - feeling the all too familiar butterflies in the tummy and wondering why?

And through a short walk out the house to Costa for some fresh air and headspace here’s what I’ve discovered/been reminded of. 

In Paris without the safety blanket of my partner Charlie and my little boy Maximilian I will be more exposed.

Without them to focus my energy and attention on I will be left to my own devices. 

And it’s been a loooooong time since I was left to my own devices with only myself to take c...

One of the habits that is now hardwired into my life and my business is taking time at the end of the year to reflect. My natural tendency is to 'do do do' and not take a lot of time to reflect but it’s a skill I’ve forced myself to learn over the years and something that I now really enjoy and benefited from massively. 

I love taking time out to think back on each month and recognise what happened, what I accomplished and what we experienced as a family. 

I am always blown away by how many gifts the year provided us with - even in the hard times, there are so often little nuggets of wisdom or lessons that have developed a deeper significance as time has progressed. 

This process of reflection helps me to notice and find these gifts in amongst the noise of life and is such an important ingredient for building a strong sense of confidence in who I am and what I do. It’s also something I encourage my coaching clients to develop as a habit too for exactly the same reasons. 

 ...

As a Women's Leadership Coach my mission is to empower women to overcome the fears and doubts and lies that keep them feeling small and insecure and to 'do the work' to rise into their full potential and fulfil their purpose during this lifetime. 

4 years ago I took the leap to set up my own business with absolutely no idea what i was doing or how I would make it work - but with a burning desire to be of service to other women who found themselves feeling burnt out and unfulfilled and a deep knowing that I would work it out - no matter what it took. 

And I could never have anticipated the rich rewards I would find on this journey - the joy of service, deeper meaning and fulfilment, creating a powerful positive impact in the lives of others, and so many new relationships and connections with amazing people. And the freedom to live my life dancing to the beat of my OWN drum and not a corporate beat that never felt like my rhythm. To say I have no regrets is an understatement! 

 ...

This guy is the glue that holds it all together.

He's my baby daddy, my life partner, my business partner and previous party partner! (We used to ALWAYS be the last ones standing!)

He's my sounding board, my shoulder to cry on, my safe port and my anchor in a stormy sea.

He's seen me at my absolute best. My absolute worst. And my most vulnerable.

He's seen me cracked wide open with a river of grief and unending pain flowing from me that terrified me more than anything else in my life because I didn't know if it would ever stop. (It did :-))

I used to try SO HARD to hold it all together.

To be the 'strong' one.

To fix everything for everyone else.

I found it very hard to accept help, to show my perceived weakness. To let people see if I didn't have all the answers.

I had a warm heart and cared deeply for others and was always running to everyone else's aid - little did I know I was really living from a place of the ego and not being true and authentic to...

There's only 10 more Mondays left this year! 

How's yours going?  

I've been thinking of you and rooting for you <3   

I'm off to USA this week to work with my mentor which feels like the right decision but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling anxious and a wee bit emotional about leaving Maxi behind.  

It's my first time leaving him for more than a day since he was born 21 months ago and it was a big decision to make - but I know deep down its the right one for him and his future and for Charlie, Maxi and I as a family.   

Because isn't that the way it goes sometimes? You need to do the thing that feels scary and uncomfortable to reach your next big breakthrough. I need to trust my gut feeling that although there will be tears and separation in the short term, this is the right move to create a future where I have even more time being truly present with my little man.  

When I am in Orlando, Florida this weekend I won't be at the theme parks, I'll be mostly indoors for 3 inte...

Are you one of the few of committed individuals who see their New Years' Resolutions through?

Would you like know the key to creating life changing habits and making them stick long enough for you to see the change?

With only about 2% of people who make resolutions seeing them through - and an estimated 80% of people having completely abandoned theirs by February - I thought I'd take this time to encourage you to make a New Year Evolution Commitment and forget the same old tired Resolutions which are doomed to fail as soon as that brief burst of motivation wanes and life takes over.

First a recap - last week we talked about Becoming Wildly Authentic. Thank you for sharing how much that message resonates with you! It's my passion and mission to help you know exactly what steps you can take to create whatever changes you dream of in your life through being you with brilliance, skill and insight :-) 

The coaching tool I shared 'Why Success Doesn't Have to Mean Working Harder.' Five St...

Hi, it's Mel MacIntyre from Mel MacIntyre Coaching here, and this is the very first Real Talk with Mel - my new video blog series.

I am really excited to be here - this is something that has been brewing in me for some time now!

In Real Talk with Mel, we take a subject, and I share my musings, my insights, some challenges and ask questions that will help you to gain clarity and take action. 

The very first topic is incredibly close to my heart and really defines my calling and the work I am here to do in the world - 'Becoming Wildly Authentic'.

I am really excited to share my new website with you www.MelMacIntyre.com.

I have poured my heart and soul into creating it and used the inspiration and experiences I have gained serving my amazing coaching clients over the years. 

Through sharing it I am also giving you a challenge - I want you to decide if it's YOUR TIME to Become Wildly Authentic.

What does that mean?

It means redefining success on your terms.

It means not being the...

Having a clear vision and strategy in place is essential for any business owner or senior leader in business. It’s not something to be debated, it’s a given that you create this clarity and direction and that it guides your daily, weekly and monthly activity.

But how many of us take the time to have a clear strategy and vision for our wider life, our relationships, our health and career? If it’s a tool that works well in helping you to be successful and achieve relevant progress – why not apply it across other areas of your life that matter?

As leaders acquire more responsibilities and become more in demand, this often goes hand in hand with more plate spinning, juggling of priorities and busywork. Taking the time to get off the hamster wheel, invest in yourself and your vision for your future seems too indulgent, or something you think about doing but never get round to prioritising.

My coaching clients often say that taking the time to step back and think creatively about wh...