Lucy Haslam, owner of two bricks and mortar kids’ stores, a cafe and an ecommerce platform, discusses her new coaching service – Coaching with Lucy – which is designed to help retail businesses grow through challenges with strategy, purpose and profit.

 

Laura Turner: How did you get into coaching?

Lucy Haslam: I first started back in January 2021 with a business development course I created called The Circle. I ran it twice over five months offering transformational mastermind courses and I was honoured to be joined by two full groups of incredible women. Alongside this, I was coaching 1-1 as well as offering additional business support to my clients. At the time, we were still in the middle of the pandemic, so I was able to fully commit to my clients. Fast forward to July and we were all coming out of lockdown and learning how to navigate a new murky world of business. I own several businesses in retail and hospitality, so learning how to trade, take care of our team and customers, and keep up with the online demand was exceptionally challenging. I also gave birth to my third child during lockdown and opened another shop in the summer. All of a sudden I started to feel shaky; I had taken on too much, I was struggling to cope, and business was verging on too challenging. My response was to keep going, head down, mask on, but my workload was at 100%. The first thing I put on hold was my coaching. I knew I couldn’t give my clients what they needed at that time, so we pressed pause. I believe that going through such an intense period in my life and business career taught me so many lessons. In discomfort, we grow. This is my daily mantra.

In spring 2023, I entered into my coaching journey again, one that feels very much aligned with the next phase of my business journey. Leaning on my business experience and passion for teaching − I was a secondary school languages teacher for seven years − the coaching service will offer courses, programmes and 1-1 sessions. I am here to help business owners build and sustain a business they love; one with strategy, purpose and profit.

LT: Can you tell me more about your own businesses?

LH: I started kids’ concept store Acorn & Pip in 2015 when my daughter was born and I was on maternity leave. For me, learning how to start my own business is something that I’ve been able to reflect on over the years. Reflection and self-learning are things that I have been almost obsessive about in my business journey. Now it’s time to share what I’ve learnt. I aim to help retail business owners grow through challenges using a strategy that suits their purpose to have a blossoming business. With my need to reflect and analyse almost everything comes an ability to spot areas of opportunity and potential in other businesses. It’s easy to become blind in your own business, which is where coaching comes in. It opens up all those blind spots.

Alongside Acorn & Pip, our retail store and cafe which has a team of eight, we have our online store with a team of three, and our children’s shoe shop − aptly named The Shoe Shop − which also has a team of three. Managing multi-businesses across bricks and mortar and online, post-pandemic, in a cost of living crisis and with Brexit too, has thrown so many challenges at my door. However, leaning into discomfort has revealed so many opportunities for my businesses to pivot, adapt, change and ultimately grow year-on-year. Owning and running your own business, even when you have a team, can be very lonely. This is something I am looking to address first in my coaching work.

 

 

LT: What areas will your coaching cover?

LH: I have a real love of the workings of a business, from marketing and SEO to the numbers. My courses cover foundational elements of starting up a business, where I teach social strategy specialising in growth and leverage. I have a really exciting course launching in the summer to begin in September. The focus is on the holistic running of a business in Q4, which I know first-hand is undoubtedly the most challenging time for business owners. Q4 throws up a lot of challenges, battles and constraints, but it doesn’t need to break us down to be profitable. My mentorship course is going to nurture and support business owners to have the most successful Q4 in both a business and holistic sense. Imagine standing there in January, calm, whole, with clarity and a brimming business bank account. It doesn’t happen often enough in business, but it can, and it will. I started with a £150 order of fairtrade knitted toys and within five years we were turning over multi-six figures. I am here to help entrepreneurs do the same. Build and sustain a business they love; one with strategy, purpose and profit.

My main ability is to help brands, businesses and entrepreneurs harness the strength of their business through untapped ideas, strategy and a healthy dose of motivation. These are extremely expansive sessions. Alongside the coaching element of Coaching with Lucy (CWL), I am passionate about finding a group of people who can share in your highs and lows, a community of quality people who you like, trust and value and who can offer support. For CWL, this will involve monthly meetups and an online membership community.

LT: How are you conducting your coaching?

LH: My sessions are online and/or in-person. They are tailored to each client as it’s very much a boutique experience. Business growth is energetic, I want to feel into my clients’ energy and raise it, this is where the magic happens. I am also very excited to launch my series of IRL events. I am teaming up with some incredible women to co-host the events with me in the store, where we will share Q&As from the speakers and have a chance to all get to know each other. Speakers we have lined up include Nicole Higgins from The Buyer And Retail Coach, Victoria Jackson from The Manifestation Collective, and Lynsey Ford, the winner of Interior Design Masters on BBC. We will discuss mindset, success, imposter syndrome and the current climate. I want people to feel like they can pull up a seat, no matter what stage of business they’re at, and join in the discussion and feel like they’re exactly where they should be.

 

 

LT: How would you describe your coaching style?

LH: I love to work on mindset to motivate and empower my clients to instruct the change they wish to see. I am very much energised by action, so I like to provide creative guidance to support my clients’ goals. I like to dig deep and work through barriers, whether that’s mindset or business blockages.

LT: What are some of the biggest challenges currently facing retailers?

LH: We’re still dealing with the negative effects of Brexit, supply chain issues, and of course, we’re in a cost of living crisis. We’ve had a rough deal the past few years and this can undoubtedly take a toll on the health of a business and its people. In Mary Portas’ open letter to John Lewis she made the point that it has ‘let go of its soul.’ The whole letter was a fascinating sign of the times and how unless we dig deep, lead with our values and care for our souls, we might just not survive, no matter if you’re John Lewis or the toy shop down the road. Times are hard for retailers, but not impossible.

LT: What are the biggest business lessons you’ve learnt?

LH: A key lesson I learnt the hard way is to look after your nervous system just as you would your physical health. This can come in many forms and evolves as you explore nervous system regulation. Ultimately it’s been branded as self-care, which isn’t a bad thing, but I think understanding the real benefits of self-care, like a long bath, meditation, going for a walk, hydration and breath work, can make it less of a luxury or gimmick and more of a necessity.

My second key learning is to hire before you need it. Making informed, considered, well-appointed hires in your business opens up a world of possibilities including growth, support and clarity. This feeds into nurturing your nervous system, as you’re less likely to become overworked or stressed if you have the support you need.

My third key learning is understanding fear. For the past 12 months, I’ve been working on befriending my fear. Working out what fear is saying to you is an incredibly powerful tool. Mel Robbins likes to talk about this idea of feeling into fear − what is it trying to protect you from? We know that fear is only there to offer protection, keep you safe and therefore small. When you negotiate with it and feel into it, you can more comfortably move through your comfort zone.

 

 

LT: Who inspires you in business?

LH: I love reading and try to read about five books a month. Last year I stumbled across Brene Brown, and I don’t think a month has gone by since where I’ve not read another one of her books. She beautifully gels the worlds of business and personal, she is the voice of absolute reason and inspiration. A few of my other favourites are Michelle Obama, Glennon Doyle, Elizabeth Gilbert and Munroe Bergdorf.

LT: What’s your long-term vision for CWL?

LH: To create a powerful community of retail business owners with passion, creativity and a desire to succeed for collective progress. From lonely shop owner to empowered retail queen. Delivering a full spectrum of events, courses and 1-1 sessions.

LT: Where can readers obtain more information on CWL?

LH: They can follow me on Instagram at @coachingwithlucy, where you can sign up to be the first to know more about courses, waitlists and events, or on Facebook at Coaching with Lucy.