One of the best things about being a performance coach is the variety – and today is a real mix.

Rather than delivering a full workshop or coaching assignment, it’s a multitude of things in London – I love variety, which is such a key driver for me running a business like this.

The early business owner catches the worm?

So I catch the early train from Bath Spa to Paddington.  I have been doing this more often in recent weeks, to avoid wasted driving time and also to see family in Bath the night before.

On the train, I get stuck into emails, a few tweets and LinkedIn/Facebook updates, as it’s my growing way of keeping in touch with clients and contacts.

A quick scan of the news headlines on my iPhone and check the weather for the weekend – getting out with my family gives a fresh perspective on everything, I find.

Inspiration is everywhere – even at Paddington!

On arrival at Paddington, W H Smiths is always worth a look for new book releases or magazines that catch my eye for a bit of inspiration.

Today I go for the Harvard Business Review – they still manage to command a price of £14.95, which gets me thinking about pricing strategy and how many brands either under-value or over-value what they do.

First up is a coffee meeting with someone I’ve never met, but who has been recommended to me as a ‘must meet’ business contact. He’s a stockbroker and part-time entrepreneur.

We compare notes, kick-around some ideas, and both benefit from sharing some new contacts.

Remember to take a BREATHER™

Then I walk through a leafy park to take a BREATHER™ – something I devised as a coaching tool last year. My aim here is simple: to get in the right state to be at my best for a client meeting.

Coaching with confidence

I’m coaching a Sales Director. She’s been successful for years and needing her habits shaken up to really move her stagnating account base forward in the current climate.

We tackle some mindsets and values. Personal branding and communication style. Diary management. And – increasingly – her confidence levels.

Rarely a week passes by without confidence raising its head as some part of a coaching intervention.

Through a mixture of client meetings, coffee shops, and treading some pavements we open up a host of new opportunities towards her sales targets – and personal life ambitions, too.

Executive coaching on the move

Once finished, there’s a pre-planned phone call debrief with a Project Manager who’d just run a team meeting in Leeds.

On one hand he’s very pleased and on the other, beating himself about the details.  So, we reframe a few things, and I set him a new challenge for the coming week.

Beginning with the end in mind

Finally, dinner with an old friend whilst in town rounds off the day nicely. The advantage of a role like this? The incredible variety – and it’s always nice beginning a blog with the end in mind.