Feminine Leadership & Maternity Coach | Gender Diversity & Inclusion Champion
I help develop strong feminine leaders to ensure our businesses realise greater commercial success and women advance their leadership potential before, during and after the pregnancy journey.
I will ensure your pipeline of female talent continues to grow and your workforce includes leaders who bring a wealth of wisdom, emotional intelligence and diversity of thought to deal with the complex problems and competitive nature of business today.
My work blends 15 years of evidence-based therapies underpinned by intuitive coaching skills and 20 years business experience which has evolved to create a unique process and range of services which offer support before maternity leave starts, during early motherhood and throughout the return to work period.
What makes me different to other leadership and maternity coaches and consultants is having supported many women from conception through to birth and beyond is I see pregnancy as a hugely positive and expansive experience – for women, their partners and business.
Many women I work with have discovered their pregnancy unlocks greater creativity, passion and purpose but can leave them feeling at odds with the masculine-focused corporate environment or work persona they have adopted. Unconscious biases and beliefs around their role as a parent and what remains possible for them can create conflict so I help women and the businesses they are a part of, to up-skill effectively and find sustainable ways to thrive and grow.
I work with fathers to help them be part of a diverse and inclusive working environment, develop more emotional intelligence, co-parent effectively and lead collaboratively.
I work with CEO’s, leaders, managers and teams to help ensure female talent is nurtured whilst understanding the ongoing needs of the business.
Can you afford not to hire me?
My exit from corporate life to clients calling me their bumpsnbabyguru and creating Bumps and the Boardroom to inspire women to realise their full potential can be read below.
In the beginning..
Growing up my parents juggled childcare between each other. They both turned down more senior roles to maintain flexibility to care for my sister and I. They set a great example of shared parenting but I grew up wanting a high-flying career and a family.
9 years in the luxury hotel industry gifted me some amazing experiences – and great training – but I lacked great female role models who were feminine, likeable and supportive. Although I had a lucrative path mapped out in front of me I wasn’t happy and didn’t quite fit into the corporate mold. I won new business easily, but the pressure to compete with my peers felt at odds with my urge to lead collaboratively and inspire others.
Next steps..
In 2006, I created SW London’s first clinic dedicated to the pregnancy journey and transition to motherhood. Located opposite Chelsea & Westminster Hospital we supported close to 10,000 women and their families with high quality evidence-based therapies and I was asked to run a second change management program – this time for the NHS. By 2011 my business focus and personal needs started to shift. I no longer wanted a fixed clinic location. Managing my team stopped feeling fun and I wanted to work more intimately with my clients. I let it all go and developed a simple, bespoke at-home offering. A sense of freedom emerged alongside a more personalised service aimed at supporting high-potential women over a 12 – 18 month period as they became mothers. I realised I had a natural ability to coach and teach which went way beyond the standard role of a therapist.
I moved in with my then partner who held a senior position within a private global hedge fund which helped me fast-track an understanding of the demands and complexities of working in the mainly male-dominated energies of the City of London. A pregnancy was short lived and instead his teenage daughter moved in with us and two became three, literally overnight. Balancing work and family were skills I learnt – fast.
Today..
Many of my clients initially see pregnancy and motherhood as a crossroads and choice to take one path or another – rather than a catalyst for career advancement and personal growth. My vision remains to educate and influence corporate industry leaders to help business see the positive aspects of change and embrace a diverse and inclusive workforce which allows all talent to rise. I am passionate about sharing the insights I have around feminine leadership and how the transition to motherhood naturally helps women to lead. I believe we can re-shape the way business looks and feels so we can all reach our potential.
I have been featured in the press and chosen by celebrities and journalists as their maternity specialist of choice and work closely with many medical professionals, physiotherapists, midwives and consultants.
I am available for speaking engagements and networking events. For press and business enquiries please contact lisa@lisabarnwell.co.uk
Connect with Lisa
- Complete our our quick contact form by clicking the Contact Us button
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