this world needs brave

Three ways you’re stuck

A feeling of being “stuck” is one of the most common reasons people start working with a coach. Three frequent causes: You’re asking the wrong question I get clients all the time who feel stuck; they desperately want to do […]

People are on your side

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| finding your brave

Well, real life people are, anyway. I was helping a friend do job interviews for her NGO last week, and we wanted every candidate to me amazing. We wanted them to come in and blow us away with their competence […]

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photo of brick wall with barbed wire across the top

In praise of difficult conversations

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| finding your brave

In my coaching practice, I get a lot of versions of this question: how do I talk about something unpleasant without upsetting the person I’m talking to? The answer: you can’t. There is no perfect language that will make a […]

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Back when I worked humanitarian relief

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The start of my very first overseas trip as an aid worker, in 2007. I’d done plenty of development work at that point, but this was my first foray into humanitarian response. This is an excerpt from my journal at […]

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What’s coaching, again?

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| finding your brave, front

I wrote about coaching for the TED fellows blog. Fun fact – the TED Fellows blog is on Medium, which is usually blocked in Egypt. So I haven’t actually seen the post. Here’s hoping they didn’t do anything crazy to […]

photo of Ibtihaj Muhammad wearing a red white and blue headscarf

Mental Health and Bravery

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| brave people, front

Ibtihaj Mohamed reminds us that bravery and mental illness (and world-class athletic success) are not mutually exclusive.

“Alanna’s direct yet humane approach comforted me. Her knowledge helped me understand my behavior. Her concrete advice helped me develop actionable steps towards managing my emotions and becoming more assertive.”

“I approached Alanna to help me make a decision at a major professional crossroads. I was ready to leave the organization where I had spent all of my public health career, but I wasn’t completely sure what I wanted to do next, or frankly even how to make that decision…Alanna’s direct yet kind approach helped me discard some of my own deeply entrenched ideas about what the “right” move for me would be, and on a more tactical level helped me quickly eliminate some options that just wouldn’t be a right fit.

My sessions with her helped give me both the clarity to pursue a new professional opportunity, as well as some concrete tools to help me manage the difficulties I faced as I wrapped up my former role.”