Helen speaks to Sue Finch, EMCC accredited coach, poet, and host of the podcast Singing as the Darkness Lifts, and author of two poetry collections: Magnifying Glass and Welcome to the Museum of a Life.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How a 30-year career in education led Sue to pursue an MA in Creative Writing and why building a structured commitment around her studies was the key to making time for her writing.
• The rejection that sent Sue back to the drawing board, and how a single poem called Museum of a Life unlocked an entirely new way of thinking about what a poetry collection could be.
• What the curation process for a poetry collection actually looks like, from organising poems into themed galleries, to working with an editor in a Zoom room reading poems aloud, to the moment a handmade blue apple became a book cover.
• How Sue weaves poetry into her coaching practice, and why she believes that hearing your own thoughts out loud is at the heart of both disciplines.
• Sue's advice for coaches and aspiring poets who want to start writing: splurge first, find your tribe, and choose wise people to help you edit. (Brilliant!)

Connect with Sue:

Website: https://suefinch.co.uk/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/suefinchcoachpoet

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@poetsuefinch

Blue Sky: @suefinch.bsky.social

X: @soopoftheday

Podcast: https://suefinch.co.uk/singing-as-the-darkness-lifts-podcast/

Book: Welcome to the Museum of a Life: https://amzn.eu/d/03gMpUqT

Connect with Helen:

Free newsletter: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk/reflections

Coach Write 90: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk/coachwrite90

People Who Pivot: https://amzn.to/4dfSqh0

People and Resources mentioned:

Anna Saunders Cheltenham Poetry Festival https://cheltenhampoetryfestival.co.uk/meet-the-team/

Arvon: https://www.arvon.org/

Queer writers for a brave new world https://www.queerlit.co.uk/products/queer-writing-for-a-brave-new-world

Black Eyes Publishing https://www.blackeyespublishinguk.co.uk/

Jason Conway cover designer https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonleeconway/

Josephine Lay – editor at Black Eyes Publishing

In Good Company – Jo Hawkins and Zoe Hawkins https://www.igcompany.com/

The Table by Edip Cansever https://www.sharonsinger.ca/poem-of-the-week/table-by-edip-cansever

52 Write a Poem a Week. Start Now. Keep Going by Jo Bell https://amzn.to/4bEqanb

Pride in the Park https://prideonthepark.co.uk/

Gloucester Poetry Society https://www.thegloucestershirepoetrysociety.co.uk/

The Air Year by Caroline Bird https://amzn.eu/d/027OCLkj

Simplifying Coaching by Claire Pedrick https://amzn.to/48cHJIy

The Human Behind the Coach by Claire Pedrick https://amzn.to/4uWmVPj

The Coaches Inn Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/3LLZFrIkNrtUDLdukZe8iX

Dream More by Dolly Parton https://amzn.to/4vf2sFV

Nebula Awards https://nebulas.sfwa.org/about-the-nebulas/how-to-participate-rules/

Helen speaks to Claire Turner, EFT practitioner, founder of Abundance Alchemy, and author of Tap Into Your Happy and Tapping Scripts for Entrepreneurs.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How Claire went from stressed corporate employee to EFT practitioner and why tapping was the turning point that changed everything
• What EFT (or tapping) actually is, how it works physiologically, and why it’s so effective at removing the internal blocks that stop coaches and entrepreneurs from taking action
• How Claire simplified the writing and publishing process to get her words into the world quickly and affordably
• How she uses her books strategically as lead magnets and as part of a “shock and awe” welcome package for new clients
• Why overcomplicating your publishing journey is often a protection mechanism in disguise — and the simple question to ask yourself to cut through it

Connect with Helen

Website: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oneillhelen

Join the next cohort of Coach Write 90 starting 20th May 2026: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk/coachwrite90

Books: https://amzn.to/3MPS2Lq

Connect with Claire

Website: https://claireturnereft.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claireturnereftuk/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@claireturner-eft886

Email: info@claire-turner.com

Books:

How to Tap Into Your Happy: https://amzn.to/3P2FDEJ

Tapping Scripts for Entrepreneurs: https://amzn.to/3P2FDEJ

People and resources mentioned

Coach Write 90: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk/coachwrite90

Prowriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=15255

Brad Yates: https://www.youtube.com/@tapwithbrad

Louise Hay: https://www.louisehay.com/

Fivvr: https://www.fiverr.com/

KDP: https://kdp.amazon.com/

Molecules of Emotion by Candace B. Pert, Ph.D. https://amzn.to/4blN2WV

Terry Pratchett: https://amzn.to/3P3B9O8

In this episode, Helen speaks to Katharine St John-Brooks, leadership coach and author of Internal Coaching: The Inside Story, released as a second edition in November 2025.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why a second edition is never just a few tweaks, and how Katharine and co-author Julia Duncan turned a 10-year-old book into something that feels completely new
• The co-authoring ground rules that made the collaboration work: who holds the final say, how to preserve a consistent voice, and why mutual accountability is one of the most powerful writing tools available
• What the traditional publishing proposal process really involves, and why coaches with research or academic work behind them still have significant work to do to reach publication
• Why evaluating organisations internal coaching programme isn't optional, and why ROI is such an important metric.
• The value of having a dedicated writing space, wherever that might be (although trendy parts of London are recommended!)

Connect with Helen:

Website: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oneillhelen

Join the no commitment wait list for the next cohort of Coach Write 90: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk/coachwrite90

Books: https://amzn.to/3MPS2Lq

Connect with Katharine:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharine-st-john-brooks-1a07b/

Book: https://amzn.to/4tZtbpb

People and Resources mentioned:

https://vivalacoaching.com/ai-in-coaching-glossary/

Global Code of Ethics https://globalcodeofethics.org/

Carol Hart https://coralhart.com/coral-method/

coachwrite.co.uk/blog

Insead training https://www.insead.edu/

Miles Downey https://mylesdowney.com/

CIPD https://www.cipd.org/uk/

Oxford School of Coaching and Mentoring (OCM) https://www.theocm.co.uk/educate/coaching-supervision/supervision-coaching-and-mentoring-certificate

EMCC https://emccuk.org/

David Lane Personal Development Foundation https://www.pdf.network/

Julia Duncan https://the-dp.co.uk/our-team/julia-duncan/

Royal Overseas club https://rosl.org.uk/

Paul Herdman

A Room of One’s Own Virginia Woolf https://amzn.to/400mcyw

Cheshire Novel Prize https://cheshirenovelprize.com/