You built the business. Now too much of it depends on you.
You're still the person people turn to for the difficult decisions.
You're involved in the deals, the team and the plans for growth, often while trying to find enough space to think about any of them properly.
I work with founders and business owners who want to change that. My approach combines executive coaching, psychotherapy and work on the direction of the business, so we can address both how you're leading and what's happening around you.
Does too much come back to you?
It makes sense that you became so involved.
In the early days, you had to make the calls, carry the risk and keep standards high. Those habits helped you build the business. As the team grows, they can also make it harder to share responsibility.
And it can be tiring to be the person who never quite switches off.
We work on you and the business together
There may be practical decisions to make about your team, your priorities and where the business is going. There may also be reasons it feels difficult to hand over work, trust someone else's judgement or step away.
We look at both.
Burnout and the pressure of ownership
Understanding what's wearing you down and finding a way of working you can sustain.
The business's dependence on you
Identifying where decisions keep coming back to you and what would help work move without your involvement every time.
Your leadership team
Looking at the responsibilities they hold, where they need more room to act and what makes it difficult for you to let go.
Business growth strategy
Getting clear on the direction you want to take, the priorities in front of you and what may need to change in how you lead to support that growth.
Decision fatigue
Working through the decisions you're carrying and the habit of revisiting them afterwards.
Life beyond the business
Making room to switch off and be present outside work.
The work is shaped around what you and your business need. We can start with the issue creating the most pressure and follow it through to the decisions you make day to day.
I came to Nicola because I was heading straight for burnout. I was putting in 70-hour weeks and had nothing left for anyone, including myself. Six months later the business had grown 40% and I actually had a life.LBLaura B.Entrepreneur & Investor
I understand the person and the business
I've worked with founders building their first leadership team and business owners working to reduce their company's dependence on them.
I also run my own business, so I know the pull between the work in front of you and the work of growing it.
Before this work, I spent more than 15 years in senior leadership, leading large teams. I've seen from the inside how much changes when the number of people relying on you grows.
That means we can talk about your pricing, your structure or your next hire, and also about why letting go of any of it feels so hard.
What changes in practice
From control to delegation at scale
The situation. A founder brought in professional management as the business scaled but struggled to trust them. Micromanagement took over, talented people left and the team waited for approval.
The work. We looked at where the need for control came from and the belief that his value depended on being in every decision, then put delegation and accountability structures in place.
What changed. The executive team is empowered, trust has replaced control and the business is scaling with the right structure.
"I thought being involved in everything was what kept the business safe. Nicola helped me see it was what was holding it back. My team runs things now, and the business is growing because of it."
Leading through cultural change
The situation. After a significant restructure, trust in leadership had broken down. Staff were disengaged and resistance to the new direction was visible across the business.
The work. We looked at how the restructure had been experienced, where trust had fractured and how to rebuild psychological safety through open, transparent leadership.
What changed. Engagement improved, communication opened up and the culture settled around a shared direction.
"After the restructure, I knew trust had gone but I didn't know how to rebuild it. Nicola helped me understand what my team had been through and lead more openly. People are talking to each other again, and we're moving in the same direction."
From carrying everything to enjoying the role again
The situation. A successful, capable and trusted CEO was living with high-functioning anxiety. Only excellence felt good enough, so she struggled to delegate, avoided difficult conversations and quietly carried far more responsibility than anyone realised.
The work. We looked at where those patterns came from and how they were shaping the way she led, at work and at home.
What changed. She began trusting herself, delegating with confidence and having the conversations she had avoided. The shift in her thinking changed how her whole team operates, and the business has gone on to close deals she wouldn't have thought possible.
"The shift in my own thinking changed how my whole team operates. We've gone on to close deals I wouldn't have thought possible, but more than that, I actually enjoy the role now."
Details have been changed to protect client confidentiality.
What we're working towards
Your team makes more decisions without waiting for you.
You spend less time firefighting and more time on where the business is headed.
You build a leadership team you trust.
You can step away and the business keeps moving.
You have more energy for your life outside work.
Growth feels possible without taking all of you.
We'll get specific about what needs to change for you.
Two ways to work together
Both programmes cover the pressure of ownership, burnout, the business's dependence on you and business growth strategy. The focus within that is shaped around your circumstances.
Elevate
Three monthsA focused period of work if you want to concentrate on one or two priorities and begin changing how you work and lead.
- Weekly 1:1 sessions for three months
- Focus on one or two priorities
- Online across the UK, Europe, UAE and USA
Elevate Premier
12 monthsOngoing support if you're navigating a period of growth and want time to work through changes in your leadership and team as the business develops.
- Weekly sessions for three months, then fortnightly for the rest of the year
- Two in-person visits
- Support with building and expanding your leadership team
Payment plans are available for both programmes.
Before you book
Is this business coaching or therapy?
It brings together psychotherapy, executive coaching and business strategy. We can work on the patterns affecting how you lead alongside the decisions facing you and your business.
Will we talk about the business or about me?
Both. We might discuss a decision about your team, then explore why it feels hard to share responsibility. The balance depends on what's happening for you.
Which programme is right for me?
Elevate offers three months to focus on one or two priorities. Elevate Premier offers 12 months of support through a longer period of growth, including work on building your leadership team. We can talk through the fit on a free call.
Where do sessions take place?
Sessions are online across the UK, Europe, UAE and USA. Elevate Premier also includes two in-person visits.
Let's talk about what's happening in your business
You don't need to have a plan worked out before we speak. A free 30-minute call is a chance to tell me what's going on, ask about the work and see whether it's the right fit.
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