The last few days have been very exciting for me as I’ve been delivering a programme that is very dear to me. Many years ago, when I first started coaching I was drawn to working with women in business, as I could see how much the work I did could help them.

About two years ago I had the insight to run an online programme, however, when I went out and talked to women in my business network they wanted an in-person event so I started to plan such an event in the summer of 2020.

As you know, everything changed with Covid and I explored running it online.

Things quickly fell into place and I successfully applied for a small amount of funding to create my Courageous Females online programme. It was a great

success; in the end I ran it twice and in total helped over 70 businesses.

However part of my vision was for this programme to be delivered in person and fully funded but I had no idea how I could achieve that.

Often when I coach business owners they get stuck at this point, become disheartened because they can’t work out the steps and often give up.

I’m so grateful I had the insight not to do that. When it came to this spring I

contemplated running the online programme again for its third year, but it felt off to me.

I was disappointed but I knew it was the right decision. However, in the months since that first programme, I have gone through the process of applying successfully for funding for various projects.

I find it fascinating how I have picked up those skills ‘on the way’ like finding pieces of a jigsaw. In summer the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership held an open tendering process for business support programmes.

I pulled together some of the programmes that I run, but can you believe my Courageous Females Programme had slipped my mind?

But you know when you have that niggle, I had that; a niggle not to send the email and just to wait. I’m so glad that I did as in the time that followed I got curious and thought could I include The Courageous Females programme? I knew it would be an excellent fit - I could run it in person as I had originally envisaged.

Before long it had all fallen into place and the bid was ready to send. I admit I was a little nervous and unsure that it would meet their objectives - but I think that was my own insecurity rather than any fact on their part.

In the end, The Courageous Females programme was the only programme that they funded from my own submission.

As expected the programme has been a great success so far. We are only midway through and have helped 15 businesses.

What I loved most was the openness, reflection and connection. I only wish I could share with you the buzz in that room and the insights that were being shared.

My own reflection - which I openly shared with them - insights about our future goals have their own time to develop. We don’t need to work out all the steps as sometimes other things have to fall into place first to make them achievable.

Above all, often all we need is patience and know that the pieces of the jigsaw will fall into place and when we look back we’ll be able to see just how they have done.

Andrea Morrison is a Yorkshire-based transformational business coach and mentor

Helping Yorkshire’s ‘Courageous Females’ to find different pieces of the business jigsaw - Andrea Morrison