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/

In this episode, Helen is joined by Ross Nicholls — coach, mentor, ICF approved coach educator, and the author and editor of Poetry for Coaching: Transformation Through Verse — to explore the surprisingly powerful role that poetry can play in the coaching room.

Helen and Ross discuss:

• How poetry works as a coaching tool — from evoking awareness and reframing perspectives, to helping clients find clarity, affirmation, and a sense of not being alone
• The nine ways coaches can use poetry with clients, plus a tenth use: reflective practice for the coach themselves
• Three poems read live from the collection, chosen for coaches and clients navigating overwhelm
• The reality of producing an anthology — the stakeholder management, the emotional demands of editing creative work, and the power of a clear vision to keep a collaboration on track
• Working with a partnership publisher and what that support made possible

Connect with Helen

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

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

Connect with Ross:

Website: https://www.poetryforcoaching.org

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/990933051982492

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-nichols-pcc-mba-535b4018/

Book: Poetry for Coaching https://amzn.to/4ai2AMk

People and resources mentioned

The Dip by Seth Godin https://amzn.to/4ae8E8w

Rumi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumi

Leisure by W.H, Davies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leisure_(poem)

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman https://amzn.to/3OnWrpa

Swatt Books https://swatt-books.co.uk/about/about-sam-pearce

*some of the links above are affiliate links

In this episode, Helen O'Neill speaks with Dr Benita Mayhead, Executive Coach, Coach Supervisor, and Director of Coaching Practice at EMCC UK, and author of ‘Duty of Care in Coaching: A Comprehensive Approach to Navigating the Complexities of Contemporary Practice.’

Benita shares her experience of following a wobbly path to academia that resulted in her completing a doctorate in coaching and mentoring at Oxford Brookes University. She reveals the challenges and insights from transforming her doctoral research into an accessible, practitioner-focused book that serves both professionals in the field and academic programs.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The unexpected path from thesis to published book and why it's not as straightforward as it seems
• How to unlearn an academic writing style and find your voice
• The usefulness and discomfort of feedback
• Choosing a book cover that represents the message within the book
• Why it's never the right time to write a book; and why you should do it anyway

Connect with Helen:

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

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

Join the waitlist for Coach Write 90: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk/coachwrite90

Connect with Benita:

Website: https://benitamayhead.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benita-mayhead-840ab95/

Book: https://amzn.to/4qT7Pb9

In this episode, Helen ONeill sits down with Wendy Keir, coach, mentor, and founder of Empower AI, to explore the fascinating intersection of book writing and artificial intelligence.

Wendy shares her journey of writing her book #BeMoreWolf: A Survivor's Story, Breaking the Trauma Cycle over eight months, and we debate whether that’s a long time or not!

We discuss:

• Navigating the emotional challenges of writing about personal trauma
• Her experience of being a writer with dyslexia
• Lessons learned from self publishing on Amazon
• How Wendy has transformed her book into an AI agent
• Ethics and being human in an AI agentic world

Connect with Helen

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

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

Join the January 2026 cohort of Coach Write 90: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk/coachwrite90

Connect with Wendy

Website: https://wendykier.com/

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

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

Resources mentioned

The Creative Penn Podcast https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2026/01/05/2026-trends-and-predictions-for-indie-authors-and-the-book-publishing-industry-with-joanna-penn/

In the first episode of 2026, Helen speaks with Kenny Archer business coach and founder of Archer Inspirations. Kenny shares the deeply personal story behind his book, The Story Behind the Coach.

We discuss:

• How to discover your authentic coaching identity.
• How writing can become a tool for healing
• The practical approaches that simplify self-publishing
• Writing from the heart

Resources mentioned:

Free weekly newsletter from Helen: https://www.helenoneillcoaching.com/signup

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

Coaching services: https://www.helenoneillcoaching.com/services

Connect with Helen:

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

Instagram: @helenoneillcoaching

Connect with Kenny:

Website: www.archerinspirations.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennyarcher-business-coach/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inspirationsarcher

Book: The Story Behind the Coach: https://amzn.to/4pkhmX2

*some of the links above are affiliate links

In this minisode, Helen shares her top 10 tips for making your non-fiction book un-putdownable.

Connect with Helen

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

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

Join the January 2026 cohort of Coach Write 90: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk/coachwrite90

Resources: People Who Pivot: https://amzn.to/4pdLXFO

EMCCUK Events: https://emccuk.org/groups-and-events/events/