Boost your performance, resilience and productivity in 12 weeks, by mastering mental toughness.
As a leader in the world of retail, you’re under constant pressure to deliver results in a fast-paced, ever-changing industry.
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Juggling big strategic decisions with the daily challenges of leading your team can leave you feeling stretched too thin, wondering if you’re making the impact you truly want.
Or maybe you’ve found yourself caught in the cycle of believing that working harder and faster is the only way to achieve the success you’re striving for.
Retailers are naturally resilient, but today, grit alone isn’t enough. The Thrive and Lead coaching program supports you to level up in a demanding and ever-changing industry.
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Join me for a 12-week transformational personal development experience powered by understanding your mental toughness, suitable for individuals and teams.​​
What is Mental Toughness?
Mental toughness is how we handle pressure, stress, obstacles and challenges that get in our way and hinder our success.
It's our unique combination of confidence, control, resilience and our ability to see challenges as opportunities rather than threats.
Thanks to extensive research by leading phycologists to define mental toughness, we can now measure mental toughness and mental sensitivities using a proven framework. This comprehensive framework and method of assessment provides the foundation for the Thrive and Lead coaching program. ​All participants complete the MTQ assessment to understand their existing mental toughness and with this new self-awareness the coaching journey begins.
Building mental toughness isn't just about pushing through challenges—it's about unlocking your full potential. While mental sensitivity and mental toughness may seem like opposites, the real power lies in understanding and balancing both. Through self-awareness, you can harness this dynamic to elevate your performance and well-being. My coaching helps you identify that balance and take purposeful action toward sustainable success.
Discover how to boost your performance, resilience, and productivity for you or your team by mastering mental toughness.
Why is mental toughness important?
Performance: Studies have shown that a higher level of mental toughness can allow for up to a 25% variance in an individuals performance.
Wellbeing: While being mentally tough does not mean you won't ever be stressed or anxious, research has shown that those who are mentally tougher are better able to deal with stress and anxiety and are more positive.
Dealing with change: Understanding your mental toughness enhances your resilience and ability to handle change. It helps you recognise opportunities and view challenges as solvable. Those with mental toughness adapt quickly and move forward more easily.
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​Creativity: Both the mentally tough and the mentally sensitive can be creative, however, their creativity usually presents in different ways. While not always, the mentally sensitive can be more intuitive and the mentally tough are innovative in a more structured way. It can be the case that the mentally sensitive can be overwhelmed by creativity and the mentally tough can face blockages. With awareness, both sides can chart the course to optimise their performance.
Team Work: Mental toughness has a key role in interpersonal relationships- evidence suggests that teams who display greater mental toughness function more effectively
By understanding your mental toughness, you uncover the thoughts and habits that influence your thinking and behaviour, empowering you to achieve peak performance with ease.
What does the Thrive and Lead Challenge involve?​
The Thrive and Lead challenge is a transformational process involving a full assessment of your mental toughness and mental sensitivities plus personal development coaching so you can chart your course to peak performance. Thrive and Lead is suitable for teams and individuals. There are 5 key stages:
For individuals:
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Online mental toughness assessment to analyse current mental toughness and mental sensitivities.
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Interactive session developing your understanding of mental toughness for peak performance and your results- 90 mins.
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1:1 personal development coaching- 4 x 60 mins.
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12 weeks later retake the mental toughness assessment and a new result is generated.
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Measurable development of mental toughness shared in final debrief session- 90 mins
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TOTAL INVESTMENT: £2997
For teams:
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Online mental toughness assessment to analyse your team's current mental toughness and mental sensitivities.
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Debrief of aggregate team results and overall trends within the team for your leadership.
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Team Interactive workshop developing your understanding of mental toughness for peak performance and your team’s mental toughness score revealed plus individual results shared privately.
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1:1 personal development coaching- 3 x 60 mins.
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12 weeks later Mental toughness assessment is retaken.
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Measurable development of mental toughness shared virtually for your team as a whole and also for individual members.
PRICE QUOTED ACCORDING TO GROUP SIZE.
During our time together I will guide you step-by-step through the Thrive and Lead sequence. Imagine how understanding your mental toughness will give you the renewed focus and determination you’ve been looking for to navigate challenging times in your business.
You’ll go from the feeling of uncertainty of not understanding how to improve your performance to experiencing more clarity and confidence with the expert coaching support, you’d wish you’d known about sooner.
About Me
I’m a certified executive and performance coach for retailers, brands, and SMEs. With over 25 years of experience as a retail buyer for market-leading companies such as Disney, Waitrose, and Paperchase, I leverage all of my experience into my coaching practice. I deeply understand the world of retail and how tough the industry is right now against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis and ever-demanding customer expectations. I am trained and licensed to use the MTQ suite of mental toughness assessments and specialise in mental toughness in the context of retail as well as being a certified coach with the ILM 5 in Effective Coaching and Mentoring.
What do mental toughness and high performance have in common?
When we talk about performance at work, we often focus on outputs and achieving our goals. While hitting targets is crucial for business growth and stability, it’s also vital for our psychological well-being. Thriving in the workplace and reaching our goals contribute significantly to our sense of satisfaction and personal fulfilment.​​
Research and case studies show that mental toughness can explain up to 25% of the difference in performance. What could that 25% mean for you?
It's important to note that these studies often measure mental toughness without any follow-up action. Being unaware of our mental sensitivities can be just as impactful as the sensitivities themselves. This lack of understanding could be holding you back.
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​By investing in understanding your mental toughness through improved self-awareness, you can identify gaps in performance and take meaningful action to address them. While other factors like resources and training also play a role in performance, using mental toughness assessments provides a framework and language to pinpoint key development areas. This approach allows you to break down obstacles into manageable steps, building the momentum needed to achieve peak performance and success for both you and your team.
I’m feeling excited for you right now and where the Thrive and Lead challenge could lead you and your team!
FAQs
How reliable is the mental toughness evaluation?
The mental toughness assessment is a form of psychometric testing based on a 4 pillar structure; confidence, control, commitment and challenge. The model has been extensively researched and there are over 80 peer-reviewed academic papers supporting the mental toughness concept. It is estimated that 75% of all research worldwide on mental toughness now focuses on the 4C's model.
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What is mental sensitivity, and is it a negative?
Mental sensitivity is not a weakness; in fact, it can be a strength. Those who are more sensitive often excel in areas like empathy, creativity, and adaptability, which are valuable in retail environments. While mental toughness helps with resilience and decision-making, it’s important to recognise that an overly tough mindset can sometimes lead to burnout or a lack of flexibility. Both mental toughness and sensitivity have their place, and balancing the two can lead to sustainable success.
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What if the answers on the assessment don’t reflect where I think I am?
In my experience, with honest reflection, all of the assessments I have conducted have aligned with the coachee's expectations. It would be very unlikely for the results to differ significantly. However, as psychometric tests are deeply personal, the results can be interpreted differently depending on your perspective. There are no right or wrong answers. The MTQ assessment offers a framework for your own journey and personal growth.
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How are the assessments conducted? Are they digital or in person?
The assessments are completed online and take about 10 minutes.
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Can I measure my mental toughness myself?
No, to use the MTQ assessments, I have undergone specific licensed training to qualify me to understand the mental toughness framework and its interpretation.
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Isn’t mental toughness just for athletes?
Mental toughness impacts how we behave, perform, and manage ourselves in both business and personal life. While it’s used in sports, it has a huge application beyond athletes.
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What is the difference between the Mental toughness questionnaire (MTQ48) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)?
The MTQ48 measures mental toughness. Mental toughness is how we handle pressure, stress, obstacles and challenges that get in our way and hinder our success. It is a psychometric measure that takes 8–10 minutes to complete.The MTQ48 measures mental toughness in terms of four core components: control, challenge, commitment, and confidence.
The MBTI centres on helping people understand their personality differences and strengths. It is a self-assessment that takes 20–30 minutes to complete. The MBTI categorises individuals into one of 16 personality types based on their preferences in four dimensions: extraversion/introversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving.
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Is it realistic to see results in 12 weeks?
Yes, although it depends on the coachee and/or team in terms of actual outcomes. There could be immediate clarity and awareness from the assessments, leading to changes in behaviour, actions, and results. Some softer skills may take longer to develop, but it ultimately depends on your outlook and situation. There will always be a unique combination of short- and long-term results based on the assessment.
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Can I see an example report to better understand the mental toughness assessment process?
Yes, please contact me, and I’ll be happy to explain the process and share an example assessment to clarify what to expect
As a newly appointed director in a small retail business, I wanted a coach with retail experience to help iron out the issues I was facing in my new role. I gave Cara the background to my role and my personal struggles and together we highlighted where she could support.
Each session gave me so much motivation and clear direction. The coaching sessions were like relaxed and organic conversations with a friend which helped me open up more. I hope to work with Cara in the future.
Jordan, Marketing Director
Cara was an incredibly supportive and skilled coach. She gave me some fantastic advice which I have since actioned in my business which has improved things greatly.
Emer, Founder and Design Director
