Meet the Member: Lucy Linn

Image Credit: Fran Minifie Photography

Today I would love to take the opportunity to shine a light on another of our online coworking members, Lucy Linn. Lucy has recently launched her own coaching and consultancy business and I have had the pleasure of following her journey since we first met back at the end of February. Lucy is on a very exciting journey and I am so pleased to be able to offer her support so that she doesn’t have to make that journey alone. So let’s find out a bit more about Lucy and her business.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m Lucy, I was born and bought up in Coventry, although my mum was from Plymouth, so we spent many a school holiday there with family.

I made the decision to move there when my daughter was about 18 months old, I was a single mum and wanted to be closer to family and to give us a better quality of life. So, I packed us both up and moved down south, simultaneously starting my first Senior Leadership position. It wasn’t easy but was the best decision I ever made, that was over 8 years ago now.

I met my now husband, and we expanded our family with a cockapoo named Scout. We love taking him for walks and are so fortunate to have the sea and lots of greenery on our doorstep.

I’m hugely passionate about personal and professional growth so I read a lot, I study, listen to podcasts, watch webinars. I have a thirst for knowledge when it comes to developing as a person, as a coach and as a leader.

I’m also a little too partial to a glass of wine, a G&T and Cadbury’s chocolate!

And what about your business?

I officially launched on the 5th of June 2023, having left my corporate role at the end of February, so it’s very new.

I’ve always had a passion for leadership. I can’t just stand still and accept things as they are. Whenever I’ve gone into a new role, I would always be challenging the status quo, moving things forward, asking questions others didn’t ask, wanting to make things better. This is why, when I obtained my first leadership role 15 years ago, it was a natural fit.

I’ve always been a high performer too (it’s taken me a long time to be able to say that, we’re not allowed to say things like that are we, not as women? We are expected to downplay our accomplishments, always be modest!)  I’m getting more comfortable to say, ‘I’m really good at……..’ and for me that’s creating a safe space, earning trust, inspiring people, empowering them, and supporting their growth and development through coaching, mentoring and education. I’m good at leading the way, making a difference and delivering results. So, I decided to turn that into my business. Helping others to be their best and achieve their best in their life, their careers and as leaders.

Over the last 15 years I’ve had some great leadership outcomes, often delivering over and above expectations, I have worked in both male and female-dominated environments, meaning I’ve developed a diverse and agile skill set, able to lean into both feminine and masculine leadership traits as needed, which I’ve come to realise is quite rare but also critical to leading a more modern workforce.

Who do you help?

I have two parts to the business, that is 1;1 coaching for personal and professional growth and the other is specifically tailored for leaders (or aspiring leaders) and their leadership development.

My ideal coaching client is anyone who feels stuck, confused, conflicted and in need of change but is coachable (this means wanting to change, coming to coaching with an open heart and mind and being prepared to do the work – you wouldn’t expect a PT to get you fit just by turning up, coaching is no different)

My Conscious Leader Programme is really for anyone in leadership (or influence) that wants to develop their leadership capability and impact.  Enabling them to lead more consciously, with self-awareness and emotional agility. I meet leaders where they are at and take them where they want to go by having inspiring, empowering and honest conversations. I use coaching, mentoring and training tools and techniques and provide resources relevant to their journey. It’s a very special and unique personalised offering (even if I do say so myself)

A fellow leader and ex-colleague commented on my LinkedIn post recently and he said that anybody working with me would get (and I quote) ‘A pinch of Lucy – fun, honest and challenging’.

Image Credit: Fran Minifie Photography

What has been your biggest achievement so far in your business journey?

Choosing courage over comfort to really live my values and not just profess them – I made a conscious decision to leave a well-paid job, a decent pension, a company car, great benefits and security for passion and purpose. The chance to be able to create something I truly believe matters and will make a difference.

Having the courage to do that makes me feel proud of myself, whatever the outcome.

What is your aim for your business? Your big dream scenario?

To make work and life better and more equitable for everyone.

Too many mums are exhausted from doing too much and too many dads are missing out on so much. There has got to be a healthier, happier and more sustainable way of living and working, right? One that works better for everyone and not just the few.

‘Creating Coaching Mindsets and Conscious Leaders’ is my tagline – why?

Because I genuinely believe that these two things can help create a happier, healthier and more sustainable way of living and working.

Leadership ripples, it affects individuals, families, communities and society.  Leaders need to be role models, they need to lead more consciously – with more personal responsibility, and self-awareness, making good ripples or even waves – depending on your sphere of influence.

As individuals, we cannot expect ‘leaders’ or ‘others’ alone to fix our problems and achieve our goals for us. We too must take responsibility for ourselves and our futures.

Having a coaching mindset means showing up to yourself, to others and to the situations you face with an open heart and mind. It means showing empathy, compassion and curiosity rather than assumption, bias and judgement. Having a coaching mindset makes you a better friend, partner, person and colleague. It helps you to feel more empowered, more resourced and more resilient. You can make more informed decisions and build better relationships.

The more coaching mindsets and conscious leaders I can help develop the bigger the ripple.

What is the biggest challenge you find in running your own business?

Visibility and getting known. It’s like starting all over again – despite having 22 years of experience! You had the know, like and trust factor but now you don’t.  You’re an unknown and you have to build that up again, which takes time, it’s a long game but yet you still have bills to pay and mouths to feed, it’s not easy but nothing worth it ever is.

I read something the other day, where it talked about how if a multi-billion-pound company like Apple launch a new product we’re quick to talk about it, promote it and share it but if your friend or family starts a business we don’t always do that. I don’t think it’s intentional, people are busy and they don’t realise just how much a ‘like’, a ‘share’, a ‘positive word’ can make a difference, but it does.

So, a polite ask for my fellow business owners – starting a business is hard and it takes guts, if you know someone that has had the courage to put themselves out there – visibly support them, you have no idea how much we appreciate it and the difference it makes.

What is the best bit of advice you have received with regard to business?

You get lots of opinions and feedback and that can be useful but at times it can also be overwhelming. It is impossible to incorporate everything, we all have different wants, needs, views etc. and you can end up tying yourself up in knots trying to please everyone but end up losing sight of yourself and your purpose.

So, accept any feedback with good grace knowing it is well-intentioned, take what is strategically helpful for you and let the rest go. Always keep your ‘Why’ at the core.

Can you name an inspiring female entrepreneur/woman in business and tell us why/how she inspires you?

Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was an extremely inspiring woman.  A few of her words that hugely resonate with me are  ‘women belong in all places where decisions are being made’, ‘fight for the things you care about but do it in a way that will lead others to join you’  and ‘It’s not women’s liberation, it is women’s and men’s liberation’.

For me, she was the epitome of ‘know the way, go the way, show the way’.

What made you decide to try coworking?

Whilst I enjoy working for myself, having my own vision, having autonomy and flexibility, I knew that I would also need some connection, so I began looking for somewhere to co-work. There are places nearer to me in Plymouth but when researching, I kept being pulled back to the Tribe website, so I decided to visit, and I haven’t looked back. I travel from Plymouth to Totnes to cowork once or twice a month, I may also attend other events and I am part of the online community.




What have you found most useful about being part of a coworking community?

I find going there really inspiring (even the drive there and back gives me space and time to think so I don’t mind it’s a little further away) I get a good mix of getting stuff done but also usually come away with new ideas through the conversations.  The online community also gives me a quick and easy way of being able to share – be it a quick question, get some feedback or just celebrate a win I’ve had as well as give me an opportunity to help, support and celebrate others.

Thank you so much Lucy for sharing yourself so openly with us!

Click here for Lucy Linn’s website to find out more about her services and how she can help you.

You can connect with Lucy Linn on LinkedIn too.

You can also follow Lucy Linn @empowercoaching9 on Instagram.

---

If you would like to become part of our online membership, come along to any of our small and intimate networking events and workshops or simply want to book a desk and try coworking for female entrepreneurs, self-employed women, remote and hybrid working women, sign up to our mailing list below and email Stacey@thetribecoworking.co.uk for details.