Happiness Express

17/03/2026

Do you sometimes hold yourself back because you dont feel 'enough'?

I just caught myself doing exactly that.

Having been invited to put myself forward for the chance to facilitate a one-day meeting for a group of senior leaders, I read the list of 'ideal' experience and instantly dismissed it because I don't have everything they'd really like.

Er, hang on, isn't this a theme that comes up time and time again when I'm coaching female leaders?

Staying where we are until we can tick every box? Waiting for that day when we'll suddenly have it all figured out, striding into every opportunity with unbridled confidence?

And isn't this something I coach these female leaders through, so they emerge bolder, more confident, playful, and open?

Time to step up!

So, I've submitted my proposal🤞.

And, as I wrote it, an interesting thing happened. By focusing on what I do have, the value and expertise I can bring, I began to feel confident and capable. My growth mindset emerged - what I don't yet know, I'll learn.

Conclusion: whether I'm hired or not, I'm growing.

Life's short. Taking opportunities, stretching yourself, finding courage - these are the contributors to a life fully lived.

Wish me luck ☘️



P.S. I'm in London today, looking up 😊

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💛 I’m Sarah, leadership & career coach at Happiness Express.
👣 I help leaders go from ‘I wish I was’ to ‘I am’ by helping them nurture an empowering mindset and adopt winning behaviours so they can truly shine.

One-to-one, group and team coaching / Mental Fitness training / ICF Mentor Coaching. Helping you go from 'I wish I was...' to 'I am...'.

17/03/2026

Do you sometimes hold yourself back because you dont feel 'enough'?

I just caught myself doing exactly that.

Having been invited to put myself forward for the chance to facilitate a one-day meeting for a group of senior leaders, I read the list of 'ideal' experience and instantly dismissed it because I don't have everything they'd really like.

Er, hang on, isn't this a theme that comes up time and time again when I'm coaching female leaders?

Staying where we are until we can tick every box? Waiting for that day when we'll suddenly have it all figured out, striding into every opportunity with unbridled confidence?

And isn't this something I coach these female leaders through, so they emerge bolder, more confident, playful, and open?

Time to step up!

So, I've submitted my proposal🤞.

And, as I wrote it, an interesting thing happened. By focusing on what I do have, the value and expertise I can bring, I began to feel confident and capable. My growth mindset emerged - what I don't yet know, I'll learn.

Conclusion: whether I'm hired or not, I'm growing.

Life's short. Taking opportunities, stretching yourself, finding courage - these are the contributors to a life fully lived.

Wish me luck ☘️



P.S. I'm in London today, looking up 😊

+++

💛 I’m Sarah, leadership & career coach at Happiness Express.
👣 I help leaders go from ‘I wish I was’ to ‘I am’ by helping them nurture an empowering mindset and adopt winning behaviours so they can truly shine.

www.happinessexpresscoaching.com

09/02/2026

Calling all leaders! It's Monday. A new week. A fresh chance to turn choices into change. ✨

Last month I took part in Insight Timer's 31-Day Intention-Setting Challenge.

It reinforced to me that change doesn’t have to be huge. It grows through small steps, experiments, and a willingness to try again or try something different if it doesn’t work the first time.

What keeps niggling at you, that you'd love to change? About yourself? About your leadership style? About your interactions with others?

Try this:
1️⃣ Pick one small, meaningful choice today
2️⃣ Try it out, test it, tweak it, notice what happens
3️⃣ Refine and repeat — consistency beats perfection

Over time, these tiny experiments become habits. Habits become momentum. Momentum becomes transformation.

This week, choose deliberately. Start small. Keep experimenting. And watch your choices become change.

And if you're noticing an inner saboteur consistently derailing your efforts, drop me a line about a free, 5-minute online assessment that will reveal what's really getting in your way.



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💛I’m Sarah, leadership & career coach at Happiness Express.
👣I help leaders go from ‘I wish I was’ to ‘I am’ by helping them nurture an empowering mindset and adopt winning behaviours so they can truly shine.
www.happinessexpresscoaching.com

04/02/2026

My neighbours' baby just turned 100!

Wait, what? I was confused, too.

Then they explained...

In Chinese tradition, a baby’s 100th day is celebrated as a meaningful milestone — honouring life, resilience, and new beginnings. 🌱

This lovely tradition brings me back to the idea of a traveller’s mind. Similar to a beginner’s mind, but with cultural awareness — an openness to difference, a respect for context, and a willingness to learn without assumption.

As a leadership coach, I’ve worked with people from over 45 different nationalities — from Azebaijan to Agentina, from Cameroon to Canada, and many places in between. Across cultures, one truth stands out: leaders of multinational teams are most effective when they lead like travellers, not tourists.

For leaders working across borders and belief systems, a traveller’s mind isn’t a “nice to have” — it’s a leadership capability.

So, if you're a new leader of a multinational team, here are a few tips to consider in your first 100 days:

🌍 Listen before interpreting — behaviour always has cultural context
🌍 Ask curious questions instead of making quick assumptions
🌍 Remember that trust, authority, and respect look different across cultures
🌍 Create space for multiple voices, not just the loudest or most familiar
🌍 Lead with humility: your way is a way, not the way

Maybe leadership today is less about having the answers — and more about staying open enough to keep learning.

Let me know what you've learned as you've led across cultures. And if you need some help to figure it out, book in for a chat to discover how coaching can help: https://calendly.com/happinessexpress/30min



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💛I’m Sarah, leadership & career coach at Happiness Express.
👣I help leaders go from ‘I wish I was’ to ‘I am’ by helping them nurture an empowering mindset and adopt winning behaviours so they can truly shine.
www.happinessexpresscoaching.com

03/02/2026

Stop and smell the roses (or the hot chocolate in our case!). 🌹☕

It's important to take a moment to acknowledge progress in your work.

Here's Farid Moulaye and me sharing a celebratory hot choclate at the end of our 20-week coaching prgramme for EdTech Founders on the Go-Together Accelerator Programme at DOHE.🙌🏼

And here's what he had to say about it...

"I had the privilege of working with Sarah as my coach during the DOHE Go Together Accelerator, and I can confidently say her coaching significantly strengthened my thinking as a founder and leader.

Sarah has a rare ability to combine warmth with rigour. She doesn’t offer surface-level encouragement, she asks the questions that truly matter. The kind that force clarity. The kind that sharpen priorities. The kind that turn ambition into structured ex*****on.

Through our sessions, she helped me refine measurable objectives, pressure-test assumptions, and think more deliberately about long-term direction. She also introduced powerful frameworks, including Ikigai, that helped align values with strategy in a practical and actionable way.

What stood out most was her ability to create space for reflection while maintaining accountability. Every session left me clearer, more focused, and more disciplined in how I approach leadership and impact.

If you are a founder or professional navigating complexity and looking for honest, structured, high-calibre coaching, I would highly recommend working with Sarah."

Wishing Farid every ongoing success in his business, Noorlytics, where he's busy building inclusive, accessible AI that supports students with a range of learning and visual needs.



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💛I’m Sarah, leadership & career coach at Happiness Express.
👣I help leaders go from ‘I wish I was’ to ‘I am’ by helping them nurture an empowering mindset and adopt winning behaviours so they can truly shine.
www.happinessexpresscoaching.com

02/02/2026

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein

My late dad, who would have turned 87 yesterday, lived firmly in the second way. 💫
Through his words and, more importantly, his way of being, he taught me to stay curious, and always keep a sense of wonder in my approach to life.

As a coach, I carry his philosophy with me into every conversation. Coaching, at its heart, is about paying attention: to people, to possibilities, and to the quiet moments where insight emerges. Holding space with this sense of wonderment allows growth to unfold naturally.

So today, I invite you to notice the little miracles happening all around you, and see how this gently shifts you towards greater curiosity and appreciation in your life.



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💛I’m Sarah, leadership & career coach at Happiness Express.
👣I help leaders go from ‘I wish I was’ to ‘I am’ by helping them nurture an empowering mindset and adopt winning behaviours so they can truly shine.
www.happinessexpresscoaching.com

Photo of my dad, filled with wonder, pictured here ten years ago, holding his grandson for the first time🧡

20/01/2026

This quote captures the heart of my approach to mentor coaching.

The ICF Core Competencies matter.

I stay deeply true to them — because they consistently evoke awareness, deepen presence, and keep the thinking firmly with the client.

And… they are not meant to erase you.

In my work as a mentor coach, I don’t help you become a carbon copy of anyone else’s version of “good coaching.”

I help you build your own coaching identity, using the ICF Core Competencies as a framework, not a cage.

You might be:

👤an internal coach, where context, relationships, and organisational insight matter
👤in a niche where you educate as well as coach
👤someone who works with specific models, frameworks, or methodologies
👤a coach whose style is reflective, directive at times, structured, or creative

There’s room for all of that — when it’s done consciously and cleanly.

Because ultimately, you decide who you are as a coach and what you offer.

My role is to help you sharpen that — not dilute it.

If you’re working towards an ACC, PCC, or MCC credential, or simply want to deepen your craft while staying true to yourself, I’d love to support you.

💬 Book a chat with me to explore mentor coaching that honours both the competencies and your uniqueness.

And find out more about the mentor coaching I offer here: https://www.happinessexpresscoaching.com/services/icf-mentor-coaching/



💛I’m Sarah, mentor coach at Happiness Express.
👣I help coaches go from ‘I wish I was’ to ‘I am’ by helping them hone their craft, nurture an empowering mindset and adopt winning behaviours so they can truly shine.

www.happinessexpresscoaching.com

19/01/2026

This weekend I visited the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London.

One room stopped me in my tracks:
the wand room — walls covered floor to ceiling, each wand box labelled with the name of someone who helped bring the films to life over more than a decade.

Not just the actors.
But the thousands of people behind the scenes. 4000 people in total!

It got me thinking about the coaching work I do.

When you see a coaching rate, you’re not just paying for an hour in a Zoom room.

That hourly fee supports:

⭐the mentor who sharpens my thinking
⭐the supervisor who keeps my work ethical, reflective, and grounded
⭐the training providers who continue to deepen my craft
⭐the accountant, tax advisor, and insurance provider who keep the business sound
⭐the web designer, host, and maintenance support who make it easy to find and work with me
⭐the marketing and networking that ensures my business stays healthy and viable
⭐the systems behind the scenes — scheduling, video platforms, pc security, invoicing, banking
⭐and the years of experience, practice, and presence that show up with me

Just like the wand room, coaching is never a solo act — even if it looks that way from the outside.

So this is also a thank you 🙏🏼
To the mentors, supervisors, trainers, advisors, designers, and providers who quietly make this work possible — you are part of the magic.

When all of that is working well, what you experience is simple:
space, clarity, deep listening, challenge, and support — exactly when you need it.

Sometimes it’s helpful to remember:
what looks like a single conversation is actually supported by an entire ecosystem.

✨ Grateful for the magic — and for everyone who helps make it happen.

16/01/2026

Today was a lesson in energy, not time management.

I moved from a busy co-working and networking event with Organic Connections — full of conversations, ideas, and external stimulation — straight into deep rest with a yoga nidra session facilitated by the wonderful Emma Hackett.

Two very different modes.
Both intentional.

For some of us, being around people fuels us.
For others, it drains us — even when the experience is positive, meaningful, and enjoyable.

And for many leaders I work with, the challenge isn’t the doing…
It’s not noticing when energy is being spent — and not being replenished.

Introversion and extraversion aren’t labels to work around.
They’re information.

Clues about:

⚡where you gain energy

🪫where you quietly lose it

🌻and what you need to recover and lead well

Leadership isn’t about matching someone else’s pace or presence.
It’s about understanding your own nervous system and working with it, not against it.

💬 Take a moment today to ask yourself:
* Where did my energy come from this week — and where did it go?
* How does my introversion or extraversion shape that?

And if you’re curious about leading with more energy, clarity, and self-trust, you’re very welcome to book a chat with me: https://calendly.com/happinessexpress/30min



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💛I’m Sarah, career and leadership coach at Happiness Express.
👣I help leaders go from ‘I wish I was’ to ‘I am’ by helping them nurture an empowering mindset and adopt winning behaviours so they can truly shine.
www.happinessexpresscoaching.com

09/01/2026

For most of us, today will mark the first week back at work.

How's it gone?

I've surprised myself with how much energy and focus I've had. I know this won't be the case for many people and, truthfully, I'm wondering how long I can sustain it myself! But it's been a great start, most notably marked by:

✔️ Four coaching discovery calls with potential new clients
✔️ Five one-to-one coaching sessions with an EdTech entreprenneur and leaders at global tech and retail firms
✔️ Mentoring a new coach in China
✔️ Sharing with fellow coaches in group supervision
✔️ Learning through webinars on team coaching, positive intelligence, and cover letter top tips

I'm grateful for the people that are placing their trust in me and in coaching and mentoring. Hoping for more to come in 2026!

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💛I’m Sarah Fraser, career and leadership coach at Happiness Express Coaching.
👣I help leaders go from ‘I wish I was’ to ‘I am’ by helping them nurture an empowering mindset and adopt winning behaviours so they can truly shine.
www.happinessexpresscoaching.com

07/01/2026

Our Jan-Mar Mentor Coaching Group has a few spots left!

If you're a coach pursuing or renewing your ICF credential (ACC and PCC), join us for this supportive, empowering Group Mentor Coaching programme.

We start on Wed 28th Jan.

Dates/ times at the bottom of this page:
https://www.happinessexpresscoaching.com/services/icf-mentor-coaching/icf-mentor-coaching-acc-pcc/

Drop me a line to find out more and secure your spot! I'd love to support you!

06/01/2026

Are you back to it, yet?

And is 'it' the same as it was before?

I launched into the first working week of the new year with boundless energy (despite some winter sniffles), embracing the return to routine with my usual morning walk at our local nature reserve.

But a funny thing happened, part way round I found myself wanting to pop on a podcast. Now, I normally love the silence first thing, so why the need for mental stimulation?

Rather than judging myself or analysing what was going on, I decided to resist the urge to have Mel Robbins tell me what she thinks I need to think (love ya, Mel!), and instead stay quiet as I ventured through the frosty trees.

And what resulted was exactly the reason I keep these walks silent - my mind chatter quietened, my breathing relaxed, and ideas began to emerge.

Successful leaders set aside time for reflection as an essential part of their weekly activities. Do you?

Carving out time to just be allows...

🎯the right priorities to surface
💡creative ideas to emerge
✔️energy to convert into focused action

Plus, it's a welcome break from all the noise!

How could you embed some quiet, reflective time into your weekly schedule this year?



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💛I’m Sarah, career and leadership coach at Happiness Express Coaching.
I help female leaders go from ‘I wish I was’ to ‘I am’ by helping them nurture an empowering mindset and adopt winning behaviours so they can truly shine.