Coastal Coaching Adventures for Leaders.
4th December, 2025
Why the Coast?
This week I was super l
ucky to be invited by a couple of fellow coaches and friends in London (Ellie and Jonathan), to join them in celebrating the launch of their new book on Outdoor Coaching at the Ezra office. I was there with Paul and Anna Marie to each share our perspectives on coaching in partnership with nature. Unsurprisingly I talked about coaching with, for and as: blue space.
It was a joy to also connect with a couple of blue health coaches whilst I was there (Juliet and Sarah).
In smaller doses the city is vibrant and energising and it’s true London has pockets of calm which (mostly) mask the vibration of the underground. In fact “urban water” is one of the “8 Channels of Water” we explore as Blue Health Coaches… and I would advocate ALL Leaders in built locations find an oasis of peace near them and schedule time out daily.
Without intentional nature-connection, city life can be frenetic and travelling from place to place carries an erratic resonance that is palpable. Like a collective heartbeat there is a vibe of race and rush, eyes down, pushing past one another, to get from A to B as fast as possible.
It isn’t hard to “sea” how execs burn out, with the pressure to impress, through: not only delivering work responsibilities and meeting deadlines; but seeking to exceed client expectations – with “competitive-edge” front of mind.
Perhaps it’s the taste of carbon in the air, or artificial light and a volume that is turned up to 11 – it’s like people forget to take a breath – an exhausting, strange and disconnected existence.
It is unsurprising that there is a big sigh of relief when I see the “nearly home trees” which will be familiar to many who travel the A30 West.
For me the Ocean brings a reassuring sense of place, where the shoreline clearly illustrates that “collective advantage” allows species to thrive and “disconnect” is a sure-fire source of decline.
I invite execs to join me at the coast and step out of the city not as an act of “adventure tourism”… but more as a “life support intervention”… and no I am not being overly dramatic and if you are coming from the city it makes sense to spend a whole day together.
A trophic cascade is an ecological concept relating to the ripple effect of changes within one part of a system that can dramatically impact the wider ecosystem for good or bad. An ill thought through decision from a keystone leader can have catastrophic results and the law of unintended consequences shows that we don’t make our best decisions when we are disconnected and dysregulated.
Clean air and the beauty of wild blue space moves us from “transmit” to “receive” compelling us to pay attention (both internally and externally) – a shift from “waiting to speak” to truly “listening”… and yes these are very different things.
Reflecting is often seen as something you do AFTER an event… when in fact reflection is something required in order to know if we are even asking the right questions… let alone making a judgment upon our answers. With too much noise on the line “clarity” is hard to discern and time at the coast offers the change to finally hear yourself think.
So blue health coaching isn’t about leaping into Atlantic swells dressed in a coasteering wetsuit and helmet (unless you genuinely want to) and joining me for a coastal coaching shore walk is not going beat any PBs in terms of your fitness goals – in fact I will be asking you to actively slow down.
We’ll take time to regulate your nervous system (embodied water) and to connect with “wild water” (the planet’s life support system) – giving you the opportunity to breathe and “orientate”, since only from a place of coherence and alignment can we then “navigate”.
Together we’ll explore inertia and momentum and move from trying to control the entire ecosystem to recognising that you are in fact participating within it.
The coast is exceptional at representing any business model and illustrating the archetypical characteristics that allow you to progress. Physically moving around within the system allows you to explore the inter-relationships that (when nurtured) create flow.
Whilst there is beauty to soak up at the coast and having published a poetry book I can attest to the fact that there is poetry in every wave – finding balance isn’t poetic, it’s “operational ecology”. And when I say balance I mean “dynamic equilibrium” – a sense of stability responsive to a shifting world.
This isn’t a break from leadership it’s a reduction in turbulence to allow your nervous system to dial out of emergency mode. Whether you arrive alone or bring your leadership team for group coaching with me – expect:
- Exceptional space with a felt-resonance you can’t AI, for horizon scanning literally and figuratively
Deep conversation beyond the “pedestrian”, yet uncomplicated, grounded reflection. - Humour and great coffee with wind that will very likely reorganise your hairstyle
- The chance to navigate mindfully, rather than accelerating mindlessly
- A 2 minute mini beach clean – because reciprocity matters (don’t panic sanitiser is provided and we are not extreme beach cleaning – you can leave that joy to us locals on another day!)
My 2026 Coastal Coaching Adventures are now available – these tend to be Fridays and we work with the tide and weather.
Once you have committed and paid for your coastal coaching day we will have a short discovery call to connect and initially explore your aims and plan your trip.
Why Fridays – Because Cornwall is too beautiful to spend only one day. Many people make a weekend of it often treating their family to a hotel / spa break.
Let’s walk the tideline, not to get away from work, but to return to it with clearer judgement, lighter shoulders, and decision-making that’s clearer AND more fluid.
This post is for those who might not be aware that I have been running full day coastal coaching adventures for leaders and individuals from all walks of life since 2009. Is it time for you to get salty? For more info see my previous 2010 post on Coastal Coaching Days
