Coaches Corner with Sonya Shellard and Lucy Mullins

Sonya Shellard

1. Who or what inspired you to do what you do? 
Well amongst others, a wonderful mentor, Alistair Wood, who displayed all the values that I care deeply about, whilst helping individuals and organisations overcome challenging obstacles. Helping others to succeed has always been a real passion of mine and he showed me how becoming an external consultant could bring real difference to others.

2. What do you find the most challenging about your work?
I think right now I have to say it is keeping my own resilience and optimism raised when world leaders fail to do the right thing. Staying strong as a leader, coach, parent, friend, and family member, to be in a position to help those struggling mentally, physically or spiritually during tough times. My Coach Supervisor, Moira Halliday, has been an invaluable guide, mentor, and support to me throughout the years.

3. What's the biggest lesson you have learnt in recent years?  
That having a purpose is essential for our wellbeing. Often, we need help to discover what that means to us individually. At times it can be extremely short-term, for example on days when everything feels sluggish and foggy, simply choosing to walk for 15 minutes or answer 3 emails or make 1 phone call might be sufficient to motivate ourselves. On other days we can start building castles in the sky and creating inspirational futures for ourselves and others!   

4. If you could wave a magic wand and have one wish for you or your coaching practice, what would it be and why?
I love using the imaginary wand! I would wish for #RideTheWave Training to be today running programmes widely throughout the world, accessible to many, providing people with the knowledge, resources and support required to ride the waves of life (of which there are many both uplifting and engulfing). My talented co-director, Lucy Mullins, and I are currently working on this, but a wand would help, for sure! 

5. Tell us a fact that not many people know about you ... 
I was Women’s Football Captain at University between 1988 – 1991, back in the days when women playing football was a bit of an oddity. I wrote a letter (yes paper, pen, envelope and a stamp needed!) to QPR FC to send us football kits; they did; we looked like we knew what we were doing and so won the League each year! This taught be the importance of self-belief and the power of strong teamwork. Never forgotten.

Lucy Mullins

1. Who or what inspired you to do what you do? 
Jane Fonda was my original role model and idol and the reason I started my career in the fitness industry challenging and cheerleading people to reach their goals!I was then introduced to the wonderful world of professional coaching by the fabulous Professor Dana Brown when I was studying for my MBA, who inspired me to use my coaching skills from the fitness world in other settings.

2. What do you find the most challenging about your work?
Social Media…For sure!I know we need to tell the world what we offer at #RideTheWave but I didn’t grow up using social media, so it doesn’t come naturally to me. I find it a big effort and quite uncomfortable putting content out to engage people digitally, and at scale. I prefer personalised 1:1 and small group interactions, but you can’t scale a business that way.Thankfully we’re now working the superb Cross Productions Team who are helping us with social media.

3. What's the biggest lesson you have learnt in recent years?  
Three things underpin almost everything: sleep, water,and movement.Without good sleep, staying hydrated and exercise, our bodies and brains simply don’t function properly.Rather than working longer and longer hours to solve a problem, I take myself off to bed, have a hydration break or go for a walk to get the ideas flowing and lift brain fog.

4. If you could wave a magic wand and have one wish for you or your coaching practice, what would it be and why?
To make our “How to Ride the WAVES” book an international bestseller!Not because I want to go to New York on a glamourous book tour (although that would be fun!), but because I’d love for more people to reframe how they think about challenges, and help them build resilience to ride the waves they face using the #RideTheWave toolkit and questions we share in the book.

5. Tell us a fact that not many people know about you ... 
Ok so this is quite embarrassing… the first time I put on a wetsuit it took me half an hour, I broke 4 nails, and when I finally emerged it turned out I had it on the wrong way round and had to start again!