Rachel Burlton

Hello and welcome.

If you're here, you've already taken an important step in your personal, professional, or leadership development journey. With over 25 years of experience as a women's coach, I've had the privilege of helping women find greater happiness and wellbeing, improve relationships, navigate life's challenges, and create more fulfilling and sustainable careers.

My role is to provide a supportive, empowering space where you can gain clarity, build confidence, and create meaningful, lasting change.
With love & strength, Rachel   

How I can support you to reach your goals:
I specialise in supporting women to thrive, rather than just survive, in a man's world. I draw upon a wealth of experience including:

• International Coaching Federation accredited Women’s Coaching training from One of Many (www.oneofmany.coach)
• Master’s level training in Executive Coaching and Mentoring from ILM & City & Guilds Institute (www.i-l-m.com and www.cityandguilds.com)
• Ongoing CPD as a member of the Association for Coaching and Institute of Leadership (www.associationforcoaching.com and www.leadership.global)
• facilitation with the Fair Play Method (www.fairplaylife.com) from the Fair Play Policy Institute (www.fairplaypolicy.org)
• facilitation with #IAmRemarkable from The Rmrkblty Foundation (www.rmrkblty.org/iamremarkable)
• volunteering with Young Women’s Trust as a Job Application Mentor for women aged 18 – 30 and supporting 1,000s of young women to apply to university and degree apprenticeships as a tutor (www.youngwomenstrust.org)
• teaching Feminism through Politics and Sociology and much more

This in-depth female focused knowledge and skills base, combined with my extensive coach training and experience, enables me to help clients to change things for the better. I help clients to understand what is holding them back from achieving what they want, and why. Then, I support clients work on the ‘how’, what actions to take in order to make change happen and achieve the life they want and deserve. 

Tammy Wynette sang, 'Sometimes, it's hard to be a woman'. I'd argue it's not sometimes, it's most of the time. It's the little stuff, like sexist assumptions & microaggressions, and the big stuff, like gender bias, sexism and misogyny.

Things like...

• gendered roles (and workloads) in the family, i.e. Mums do the majority of domestic and emotional work in the family, still. The mental load and invisible labour take their toll
• sexism in the workplace, i.e., The Old Boys Club, The Hidden Rules of Work, 'The Motherhood Penalty', Gender Pay Gap, Gender Pensions Gap, etc
• gender bias in the media, i.e. persistent harmful gender stereotypes, deeply entrenched double standards in reporting, victim-blaming and misogyny, under-representation of women amongst experts quoted)
• male-dominated leadership, i.e. despite women making up 51% of the population and 48% of the workforce, men still dominate senior leadership across the private, public and third sectors
   

Over time, this stuff takes a toll on women. Then, factor in the 'busy-ness' of our modern lifestyles. Many women need help with issues with self-esteem, imposter syndrome, anxiety, stress, depleted energy & motivation, burnout, poor health, depression etc. For many women, coaching is the positive space that enables and empowers them to address 'the overwhelm' and refocus on their purpose & values, and what they really need and want.

Why woman-centred coaching works helps women to thrive, not just survive, in a man’s world.
Many of the challenges women face are universal, but, every woman is unique. Thus, I take a ‘pluralistic approach’ to supporting individual clients. This means I offer a collaborative, flexible coaching service using techniques and tools that respond to the unique, intersectional, needs of my female clients.

Specifically, I:

• Prioritise shared decision-making, we will determine goals and coaching methods together, acknowledging that multiple methods can be effective at different points in the coaching relationship
• Take an evidence-based approach, drawing upon the latest academic, societal and workplace research to underpin my conceptual framework and coaching methodology
• Foster client agency and autonomy, developing clients’ capacity for self-efficacy and self-coaching

Coaching For Women, designed By Women, About Women’s Issues
That said, there are common issues that women are likely to bring to coaching. You are likely to be experiencing some of these yourself. Some common challenges women explore with me are:

• Be authentic. But, fit in. And don’t rock the boat! I support women to recognise that the male-dominated system is the problem, not them, and to show up authentically, but safely and sustainably, while working with others to change the system from the inside out.
• 'Imposter syndrome', Perfectionism and Burnout. I work with women to acknowledge and understand the societal origins of 'imposter syndrome' & 'perfectionism', and support clients to develop more positive and supportive thoughts, behaviours and habits to avoid burnout.
• Gendered roles in family leading to an inequitable workload. I support working mums with overwhelm and burnout to identify and renegotiate the ‘The Mental Load’ and ‘Invisible Labour’ associated with managing the domestic and emotional lives of their families  
• Gendered roles in the workplace leading to inequitable workload. I help women with workload and career progression issues to spot and stop low value, high investment ‘prosocial behaviour at work’. (Gendered unpaid, invisible 'office housework' / workplace 'emotional labour'.)
• The value of a 'non-linear career' ('squiggly career' / 'zig-zag career'). I help women to identify, articulate and sell their unique, transferable experiences and skills to their ideal job, career, leadership position or organisation.
• Being the only one. I coach women to navigate being the only woman in the room, to take up space, make themselves be heard & recognised, and successfully handle male-centric social & organisational norms, values, behaviour and culture.

Coaching Support for Women at Different Life and Career Stages
Also, women often experience similar issues at specific life stages or career stages. They bring these to coaching, too.

I help Early Career Women in their 20s with 3 things:

• How to stop being 'The Nice Girl' and ‘Get that Corner Office’. No more 'people-pleasing'. More confidently saying ‘No'. Developing and maintaining 'healthy boundaries', i.e. switching off "Always On" culture. Assertively self-advocating* for a better working conditions / pay rise / promotion / development opportunities.
  (*I offer free, online, ‘self-promotion at work’, group workshops. They’re called ‘#IAmRemarkable’. Get a group of female friends together and I’ll run it for you. For free. Minimum group size, 8 people.)
• Finding your purpose and developing a sustainable, future-proof career. Getting the first, and future, promotions. Making ‘job leapfrogging’ work for you. Developing your 'Personal Brand for Work'. Networking for success, including finding the right sponsors & mentors.
• Successfully navigating The Quarter Life Crisis. Imagining, planning and implementing major ‘life changes  and/or ‘career changes' before turning 30, i.e. relocation, job change / sector change, grown-up Gap Years & sabbaticals, moving in with partners / getting married / starting a family, etc 

I help Mid-Career Women in their 30s or 40s with 3 things:

• Making 'The Mental Load' manageable. Making ‘Invisible Work’ Visible*. Identifying and reducing the mental strain of juggling of jobs / careers / partners / kids / friends / elderly parents, etc. Raising awareness of and renegotiating the invisible workload in families. 
  (*I use the Fair Play Method® to support clients with this.)
• Successfully overcoming the Mid-Career Slump. Carrying out a Mid-Career Audit (Where am I vs Where do I want to be on the 'Career Ladder'?). Developing a career plan to shift from 'Doer' to 'Thought Leader'. Imagining, planning and implementing a 'Career Pivot', i.e. a major 'job change' / 'career change' / making a success of a 'portfolio career'. Selling your 'non-linear / squiggly career' to recruiters.
• Mid-Life Self Re-Discovery. Remembering who you are outside of being a _______ to other people, i.e. Mum, Wife, Carer, Manager, Leader. Catching and killing the 'Shoulds', the 'Guilt' and the 'Shame' that cause clients to live inauthentically. Realigning how clients allocate their time and energy to enable better wellbeing, relationships and careers.
   

I help Late-Career Woman in their 50s or 60s with 3 things:

• Gendered ‘Ageism is Never in Style’. Dealing with systemic 'gendered ageism' in the workplace. Pushing back against the sexist and ageist stereotypes and clichés. Overcoming the invisibility of 'The Grey Ceiling'. Self-advocating as a 'Modern Elder'.
• Later Life Self-Discovery. Planning and preparing for ‘The Empty Nest’, when children become adults and motherhood radically transforms. Renegotiating family, friendship, workplace expectations, boundaries, roles & relationships. Investing in yourself and your joy.
• Successfully making the 'Second Act / Third Act' count. Imagining, planning and achieving in the final stages of clients’ primary careers. Planning and creating legacy in the workplace, i.e. ‘will what you leave behind make a positive impact? Planning and implementing ‘Pre-tirement’, the transitional phase between full-time work & retirement, i.e. reduced hours, part-time work, consulting etc. Planning and embarking on ‘Encore Careers’, paid or unpaid voluntary careers after a primary career ends.

I can help... 
If you are experiencing any of these challenges women-centred, empowerment coaching can provide a safe space for you to explore these issues.

If any of this resonates with you, contact me for a free, no-obligation, 30-minute Discovery Call to talk through how I can support you to achieve the life, family and career you want :

• Message me via the Life Coaching Directory (top of the page)
  Or
• WhatsApp me on (07902) 213608

(I will respond within 48 hours. Sometimes I'm out of the office, on site with organisational clients.)

I specialise in Gender Empowerment Education (GEE) and Gender Empowerment Coaching (GEC), supporting women and girls to thrive, not just survive, in a man's world.

I help clients through Women's Coaching / Coaching for Women. Here's a breakdown of common issues clients bring to coaching with me:

• the Quarter Life Crisis, Mid-Life Crisis or Later-Life Crisis
• overcoming anxiety, confidence-building, imposter syndrome, self-worth & self-esteem
• people pleasing, perfectionism, resisting the 'Shoulds' and She-Faults, releasing the guilt (especially, 'Mum Guilt') 
• identity & purpose, values-led leadership / authentic leadership
• building a personal brand, developing presence, self-promotion / self-advocacy, curating your network
• life and career audits, career planning & securing promotion, constructing a portfolio career, making the most of zig-zag careers (aka  squiggly careers / non-linear careers)
• navigating toxic work environments, managing difficult people, surviving negative workplace culture
• the mental load, overwhelm, burnout (especially Caregiver Burnout), wellbeing
• invisible labour, the double day, the triple shift, the resentment ceiling, maternal gatekeeping, partner parenting
• saying No without guilt, setting boundaries / maintaining boundaries, managing relationships
• perimenopause, menopause, post-menopause 
• Pre-tirement, Encore Careers, Retirement planning
• navigating Empty Nest syndrome,  planning and preparing your legacy

Book a free, no-obligation, 30-minute Discovery Call to find out more. If you would like a more bespoke programme, get in touch to co-design your coaching programme. I'd be happy to support you in this way.

My 1-2-1 Coaching Offer for Individual Clients
I offer 1-2-1 coaching for individual clients - details below.
(I also offer group coaching programmes several times a year for specific cohorts, i.e. 'Fair Play® for Women at Home'.) 

Tier 1 - Bronze - £300
A 30-minute scoping call to diagnose current challenges and objectives, plus a 90-minute coaching session to dive deeper.

Tier 2 - Silver - £600
A 3 - 6 month coaching relationship consisting of 6 coaching sessions of between 60 - 90-minutes each.

• Sessions 1, 4 and 6 are of 90-minutes to enable reflection & discussion about overall progress in addition to the usual coaching conversation.
• Sessions 2, 3 and 5 are 60 minutes.

Clients can choose the timeline for our coaching relationship according to their needs: a 3-month coaching programme means fortnightly coaching meetings, whereas a 6-month coaching programme means monthly coaching meetings.

Tier 3 - Gold - £800.00
A 3 - 6 month coaching relationship as above for the Silver Tier, PLUS up to six 15-minute 'Quick Conversations', bookable flexibly in between coaching sessions.
'Quick Conversations' give clients access to short, 'booster' coaching conversations when they just need to talk through something pressing in relation to their challenges, goals or actions. 

If you're interested in finding out more, please get in touch to book a free, no-obligation, 30-minute Discovery Call.

• Message me via the Life Coaching Directory (top of the page)
  Or
• WhatsApp me on 07902 213608

I will get back to you within 48 hours. (Sometimes I'm away from the office, on site, with organisational clients.)

Support for Groups & Organisations through Coaching, Facilitation and Training

In addition to my 1-2-1 coaching for individuals and group coaching programmes, I offer a keynote & panel speaker service for corporate/organisational events, conferences, or seminars.

Plus, more informal, intimate talks and workshops for groups, e.g. women's groups, local networking groups, social clubs, etc.

I also offer curated and facilitated Circles from the Lean In® Foundation (www.leanin.org/circles) to support specific employee demographics, i.e. Early Career Women, Mid-Career Women, Late Career Women. 

Support for Schools & Youth Organisations through Coaching, Facilitation and Education
For schools and youth organisations, I offer two Gender Empowerment Education (GEE) programmes:  

• The Fair Play® Policy Institute's 'Home Equity programme’, focused on supporting Gender Equality by closing 'The Chores Gap' for girls (https://www.fairplaylife.com/home-equity-curriculum)
• The Lean In® Foundation's Girls' Leadership Development Programme (http://www.leaningirls.org)

I also offer a bespoke consultancy service.

Please contact me for more information about any of these options. You can: 

• Message me via the Life Coaching Directory (top of the page)
• WhatsApp me on 07902 213608

(I will respond within 48 hours. Sometimes I'm out of the office, on site with organisational clients.)