After a tumultuous two year period in our life, my husband and I slowly woke up and smelled the coffee!

Well, actually, it wasn't coffee; it was Spring and the air was sharp, senses were tingling and the call to a different way of living was loud and clear.  

It took a while for us to get started on our new journey - my husband's employer required a 3 month notice period and I went through periods of being paralysed by fear and doubt - however, on 23rd July, 2016 we started our 100 Day Challen...

The energy of this month feels like a rebirth, both in nature and for us humans. There’s so much happening around us: gardens are blooming, butterflies and moths are spreading their wings, migratory birds are returning. For us humans, the clocks move forward, we enjoy longer days, and the Easter break gives us a chance for rest and reflection.

There's a sense of optimism and renewal, as if we're shedding old layers and making room for new possibilities. But these possibilities can only take root ...

Britannica Dictionary definition of R & R:

rest and recreation; rest and recuperation; rest and relaxation

For the past couple of years, we have used this time of the year to take a proper break from work – taking advantage of the quiet time, when most of our clients and partner organisations also enjoy holiday breaks.

This year we decided not to take the whole of July off, as we have some exciting events coming up in August and wanted to spend the time preparing for these (more on this...

Monday was a great start to the week. In the morning, we had our mid-point review with trainees in our Getting to Grips with Group Coaching programme and it was fantastic to hear what they have been inspired by, what they shared to inspire each other and how they intend to develop their own group coaching courses and programmes. They have two more modules to navigate before we conclude towards the end of March, and Michele and I are so encouraged by what they bring to the sessions.

And in the e...

As we draw near to the end of another busy work year, Michele and I were reflecting  on what we can learn from our chosen business name: Acorn Principle Plus.

The metaphor has been the inspiration behind the new community we are nurturing, from Acorns to Oaks and, to go deeper down this route, we are intentionally becoming more aligned to the changing seasons in our approach to our work; something we will explore further over the coming year.

Nature has much to teach us about rhythms of rest a...

People who know me know that I love learning.  In fact, my thirst for learning often takes me into weird and wonderful journeys of discovery such as: why we do the things we do, even when we don’t want to, what we are capable of under extreme circumstances and how the thoughts we think have the power to change the very shape and structure of our brain.

One of the most life changing areas of learning fell into place when I read ‘The Coach’s Mind Manual: Enhancing Coaching Practice with Neuroscie...

Neuroleadership: What is it and how it can help you to become a better leader

Thu Jul 23, 2015 10:21 AM In the first of our blog series on neuroleadership, Edge chats to Michele Armstrong, managing director of Acorn Principle Plus, on how neuroleadership can benefit managers.

Can you give us a brief overview of what the term neuroleadership actually means?
Neuroleadership was a term coined by David Rock, CEO of Results Coaching Systems, in 2006. It grew out of a need to understand more about ho...

Isn’t it amazing how a short, 10 minute video can change your whole perspective and reawaken ghosts of the past? Ted Talk: “Draw your Future” by Patti Dobrowolski had this effect on me recently. Not because the talk brought new knowledge or fresh wisdom but because it ignited in me some heartfelt memories of some very powerful visions that I’ve been privileged to encounter. As a Coach (and trainer of coaches) I use vision in different ways with coaching clients and trainee coaches. I have witnes...

When I think about what I missed most during lock-down a few things come to mind: going to the cinema, seeing live music or going to a restaurant with friends.  These things are great, and I love that I can do them again. However, they are all forms of entertainment and the good feelings they generate don’t tend to last much longer than the activity itself.

The thing that I really missed was getting out into the middle of a wood, on top of a wide-open hill or next too (and often in) water, whet...