April 20, 2020 | 5 min read

Written by: Lauren Cartigny, Leadership Trainer, Executive Coach

We are coming to the end of the third week in isolation.

Many of us are experiencing negative thoughts, anxious feelings, high levels of stress. As we learn to accept that this new reality is here to stay for a few months, we're learning to adapt and find new ways of functioning …

March , 2022 | 5 min read

Written by: Lauren Cartigny, Leadership Trainer, Executive Coach

I used to think stress was just part of being successful.

The tight chest before meetings. The racing thoughts at 3am. The constant low-level anxiety. I wore it like a badge of honour, proof I was working hard, achieving things, pushing boundaries.

Then my body gave me an ultimatum: slow down or shut down.

Feb 2, 2022 | 5 min read

Written by: Lauren Cartigny, Leadership Trainer, Executive Coach

I caught myself doing it again yesterday.

A small mistake in an email. Nothing major. But the voice in my head was brutal: "How could you be so careless? You should have caught that. This is so unprofessional."

Then I noticed something: this is exactly what I used to think when colleagues would make mistakes. Not out loud, of course. But the energy was there. The impatience. The judgment.

Here's the truth I learned the hard way: …

Aug 7, 2020 | 7 min read

Written by: Lauren Cartigny, Leadership Trainer, Executive Coach

I used to think my job as a leader was to get my team to adapt to me.

To understand my communication style. To match my pace. To operate the way I operated. After all, I was the one delivering results. If they could just align to my approach, everything would work smoothly.

Then I had a revelation: …

July 10, 2020 | 5 min read

Written by: Lauren Cartigny, Leadership Trainer, Executive Coach

Today someone asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks.

"How can you perceive so much about someone's personality and internal wiring in such a short conversation?"

March 27, 2020 | 8 min read

Written by: Lauren Cartigny, Leadership Trainer, Executive Coach

The current global state of affairs due to the coronavirus pandemic is one most of us never imagined having to face.

The risks of being isolated in a room in your own house, ill for two weeks. Social distancing from friends and family. Uncertainty about food supply chains. Schools and social establishments are closing. Small businesses at risk. The corporate world working from home.

Life has changed forever. Things will never be the same again.

March 17, 2020 | 3 min read

Written by: Lauren Cartigny, Leadership Trainer, Executive Coach

It is not what happens to you, it is how you respond to it.

We will all experience testing times in our lives. That is a fact. I know, I certainly already have! Over 18months ago, I found myself responding to a personal crisis with severe anxiety …

March 11, 2020 | 5 min read

Written by: Lauren Cartigny, Leadership Trainer, Executive Coach

Resilience has served me well in many ways. It's also nearly destroyed me.

This article is about the dark side of resilience that nobody talks about, and why being "too strong" might be the most dangerous thing about you.

Feb 2, 2020 | 5 min read

Written by: Lauren Cartigny, Leadership Trainer, Executive Coach

"Why have I got everything under control at work, tolerating difficult people and situations all day, and then go home and find myself raising my voice at my sweet 7-year-old son for no real reason?"

A sales leader asked me this question, and it broke my heart, as I had an idea of what he was living.

The Success Paradox: performing brilliantly at work while slowly falling apart inside without knowing why.

Jan 31, 2020 | 5 min read

Written by: Lauren Cartigny, Leadership Trainer, Executive Coach

I was exhausted from fighting.

Fighting to save my marriage. Fighting to meet impossible standards. Fighting to prove I could handle it all. My body was screaming at me through chronic pain, weight loss, and digestive issues, but I kept pushing.

Because that's what I'd always done. Never give up. Push through. Persevere.

Until the day I realised: …

Nov , 2019 | 5 min read

Written by: Lauren Cartigny, Leadership Trainer, Executive Coach

"Coaching" is an overused word.

Most people have heard of it. Few people truly understand it, unless you have experienced Professional Coaching first hand at work.

For many, coaching conjures images of sports. Others may think coaching is therapy dressed up …