Back in your inbox today with some insights into how Authority gets built, in practice.

Excited to share Kate Hurst’s Authority Story as well as an (edited) coaching conversation.

I hope the guidance and the inspiration are helpful to you but as always, if you crave personalised, deep support you can apply to work together, here.

From The Coach’s Chair

This [edited] conversation came from a client looking to understand if they needed to reposition, following enquiries from lots of non-ideal clients.

Ellen, what if my offer isn’t the problem, my entire positioning is?

Your people are trying to answer one simple question: is this for me?

And if your messaging makes them work too hard to figure that out, the wrong people drift in, the right people drift past your offers.

So very often, the real problem is that your positioning. If it’s hard to place you, enquiries get messy, and you yourself become confused about who you’re helping because the conversational remit you’re having is so broad.

What to focus on first: The clearest, most urgent problem you want to be known for solving. There are, of course, many problems you can solve, but what is the one you want to lead with? What of all the various conversations you’re having gives you the most energy?

Because positioning comes first, and the offer should feel like the natural next step from the problem you’ve identified. They should go map together perfectly.

Try this test to know where you sit:

• If people are curious but not committing, your positioning may not have landed on a timely, urgent need.

• If people understand what you do but still don’t buy, the offer itself (or how show up when you sell it) may need work.

• If the wrong people keep enquiring, your positioning is probably too broad or misaligned.

The decision to choose something clearer, for many, can at first feel restrictive, but it’s what makes the right people recognise themselves. Be okay with magnetising the right people and repelling the wrong ones.

Takeaway: If your enquiries feel off, don’t rewrite the whole business. First, check whether your positioning is trying to say too many things at once and get an external eye on it. Then tweak the offer after that point.

If anything struck a chord with you reading this, I’d love to hear your own take or questions.

Authority Stories

From NHS to mindset coaching, meet Kate Hurst

Hear from an entrepreneur who experienced coaching and went on to grow their Authority and business in a meaningful way.

Kate’s coaching engagement took place across most of 2024, not long after Kate started her practice. Since then, she has gone on to operate a fully booked business and deliver talks focused on making mental fitness mainstream.

Read Kate’s coaching experience, what she’s gone on to achieve since, and her advice for anyone wanting to grow their own Authority.

Enjoy!

Kate Hurst is a London-based NHS Psychologist and Life Coach.

She holds an MSc and Doctorate in Health Psychology and has spent nine years in specialist psychological services in the NHS - supporting patients across anxiety, phobias and illness recovery and providing training and publishing research that advances evidence-based practice.

Alongside her NHS work, Kate runs her own Psychological Coaching business, blending psychological expertise with an action-oriented approach. Kate also delivers interactive, practical talks and workshops, teaching evidence-based strategies to help people build mental fitness, apply mindset tools to everyday life, and step into the best version of themselves.

Q. Tell us about your business, your mission and Authority area?

I’m an NHS Psychologist and Life Coach. Through my clinical training and experience, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful it can be when individuals begin to understand and manage their own thoughts, emotions and behaviours, and learn practical ways to work with their mind rather than against it.

Over time, I also became increasingly aware of something that felt slightly unbalanced. Physical wellbeing has (importantly) become very normalised and accessible - we talk openly about strength training, protein intake, step counts, run clubs and supplements. But the mental side of wellbeing often remains reactive rather than proactive.

Many people only seek psychological support when they are at breaking point, or when they meet criteria for clinical services. I believe we can have all the ice baths and green juices we like, but if we don’t know how to manage our own minds, build self-trust, get clear on our values, and consciously choose how we want to show up each day, we will struggle to feel truly fulfilled. Mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness, yet it isn’t treated in the same way.

Without it, we can go through life on autopilot, reacting to situations rather than responding intentionally, feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from what truly matters to us. Mental fitness gives us the tools to handle stress, make values-aligned decisions and create a life that feels energising and purposeful.

This belief is what led me to start my own business. My Psychological Coaching helps people build confidence and self-trust, reconnect with their values, and create lives that feel fulfilling and aligned rather than living on autopilot.

I also deliver interactive talks and workshops to provide evidence-based tools that can immediately be applied in people’s everyday lives to feel calmer and more in control.

My mission is to make training your mind as normalised as training your body - helping people understand themselves more deeply, strengthen their mental fitness, rebuild confidence and feel aligned and excited about the life they are creating.

Q. How has your Authority evolved since your coaching with Ellen?

I reached out to work with Ellen at a pivotal point in my career. At the time, I was working full-time in the NHS and coaching a small number of clients in the evenings and weekends. I knew I wanted to take my coaching into a more central role in my career rather than it being something I squeezed into the margins of my life but I couldn’t fully see how that would be possible.

What mainly shifted through our work together was clarity in my direction, mission, and (most importantly) my unique standpoint. I had the qualifications, experience and passion, but I hadn’t fully articulated what differentiated me or how to confidently position myself. Ellen supported me to define a genuine point of authority and the brand that best represented my mission and approach.

With that clear, I took practical, step-by-step action to build momentum in my business with far more confidence. That clarity has allowed me to support my 1:1 clients at a much deeper level, resulting in powerful and lasting transformations.

I’ve now transitioned to working part-time in the NHS and part-time in my coaching business - something that once felt unrealistic.

It’s also enabled me to be consistently fully booked with 1:1 clients and to be invited to deliver talks and workshops focused on making mindset work and mental fitness more accessible, empowering and engaging - which I feel very grateful for!

Q. Why did you choose to have coaching with Ellen, specifically?

After reading Ellen’s newsletters for years, when I knew I wanted a coach, she was the first person I thought of. Her approach always felt focused, actionable and clear, but also relatable and grounded, which aligns closely with how I like to work myself.

I had a quiet but consistent glimmer of a dream that one day I could create a working week where I continued practising as a Psychologist and also built a successful coaching business alongside it. I wanted to do both! But I had no idea how to make that work in reality, structurally, financially or practically.

Our work together helped me turn my idea into something concrete. Ellen helped me draw out my ambition, capability and ideas clearly enough to act on them and I don’t think I would have accessed that level of clarity or momentum on my own.

The structure and strategic thinking was missing, I had authority in my field - years of training and NHS experience had given me that - but I didn’t know how to communicate it confidently within the coaching space.

I gained both strategic direction and confidence to step into that version of myself. I got clearer in my mission, more decisive in my direction and more willing to take action rather than staying in overthinking. At the time, some of the questions and pushes felt uncomfortable but looking back, they definitely pushed me to think bigger, get more clarity in the long-term and act more decisively.

Q. What was an unexpected takeaway from the coaching?

One unexpected takeaway was how much I valued the accountability and structure which created a consistent space to think strategically.

I always genuinely looked forward to them because I knew I would leave with more clarity, direction and energy than I arrived with. It was so powerful having that dedicated time to think properly, and rhythm helped me build momentum.

I also really appreciated the introductions Ellen made to other clients she felt I’d connect well with. Those conversations became more than just networking - they were supportive, like-minded relationships with others building their own businesses. Some of those connections are ones I still value and stay in touch with today!

Q. What are you proudest of in your business since coaching?

The feedback I receive from my clients will always be what I value most in my business. It’s the most rewarding part of the work and the reason I do what I do.

Of course, there are the big, visible shifts like career changes, promotions, starting businesses, moving and starting a life in their dream country, finally pursuing something they’ve always wanted to do.

But often it’s the quieter, daily changes that mean the most: a client noticing they feel more energised on a daily basis, someone realising they can set boundaries without guilt, being able to manage stress in the moment rather than letting it take over their whole day, speaking up in a meeting or conversation they would normally have stayed silent in, choosing to spend their time in ways that truly align with their values or feeling confident enough to put themselves forward for opportunities they previously avoided.

I’m also really proud of the fact that in my business, everything starts as an idea, and I now trust myself to bring those ideas to life. It still feels slightly surreal to go from a concept in my head to something tangible and impactful, and it’s something I don’t take for granted! A big example of this is creating 'Mindset Reset' sessions within a yoga and Pilates studio - a weekly space where people can book in to work on their mind in the same way they book a Pilates class.

I guide the group through reflections and evidence-based tools like breathwork, visualisation and intention-setting, helping them tune in, get clear on who they want to be and take aligned action. They leave with strategies they can apply in their daily lives. The sessions are fully booked each week, which feels like the start of a movement making mental fitness accessible, proactive, and part of everyday wellbeing. I’m excited to continue expanding this into more spaces!

Q. What's your vision for your business in the next few years?

My vision is to make mental fitness as normalised and accessible as physical fitness.

I want to create more spaces where people can actively work on their mindset, build confidence, learn practical tools, and create a life that feels genuinely aligned and energising - with incredible 1:1 clients, talks and workshops and partnerships.

And this year, I’m planning to launch my own community membership platform, where people can learn more about themselves, build self-awareness, and feel empowered with tools and strategies to reset their own mindset and build mental fitness into everyday life through evidence-based practices, psychoeducation, workshops, real conversations, events and accountability… watch this space.

I’m also committed to forever learning so I have more to give my clients by way of evidence-based, practical and impactful support.

Q. Any advice you might have for someone reading this, who wants to become an authority in their space?

1. Get really clear on your core values (what truly matters to you and what you stand for), and then make your decisions and take your actions from that place, because when you operate in alignment with your values, you rarely find yourself second guessing or questioning what you’re doing because it is true to you

2. Confidence doesn’t just appear on its own - it’s something you build over time through taking action. Action = momentum and momentum naturally builds a sense of confidence and clarity in what you’re doing

3. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. People aren’t going to know who you are or what you do, or an idea you have unless you put it out there. Opportunities rarely land in your lap - you need to make them visible, start the conversation and take small steps to invite them in.

4. Patience and consistency are everything. You plant a seed, nurture it and give it space to grow. Progress often feels slow - but small, consistent actions compound over time in ways you can’t immediately see. Results often show up in unexpected ways, so stay committed and keep showing up - even when it feels uncertain or like you aren’t moving forward, because trust me, you will be!!

Connect with Kate Hurst and check out her work:

Instagram: @katehurstcoaching_

Website: www.katehurst.co.uk