August Vibes

I intentionally will keep this month brief as August invites a different kind of vibe, one shaped by warmth, space, and ease.

This month, my strategy is simple: recharge. That means sunlight and slow mornings, time with my children and time with myself. It means celebrating what’s been, and gently turning toward what’s next.

In past years, I have worked full out in August, launching, creating and juggling childcare schedules, often feeling exhausted by the constant urgency of everything. So this year, all clients know I will be stepping out for 2 weeks, with an intentional pause.

September we will be back with energy and celebration, as we mark six years of curious, thoughtful, heart-led growth at P&M, so for now, I’m reminding myself (and maybe you too)

You don’t have to lead like you did yesterday.
You just have to lead in a way that feels true today.

When HR hits the headlines 

Last month, I had a few people ask me my thoughts on the ‘Coldplay Couple’ so here they are;

Choosing not to engage isn’t passive, for me it is principled as I refuse to feed narratives that are laced with imbalance and gendered scrutiny. I didn’t share or comment, not because I didn’t see it, but because I chose not to amplify it.

In the work we do, and the values that shape P&M, I believe in protecting what’s human before dissecting what’s messy.

Some key themes have jumped out from the narrative are;

The imbalance was loud, based on power, visibility, assumptions, and louder still was the weight placed on gender, the woman in a senior HR role. The words ‘should’ came up too often and misplaced, at times. For me, what surfaced were people’s opinions and bias, jumping on gossip, adding to the noise, at others expense.

So I stayed quiet, because in this instance, integrity means not adding to the noise, and, because behind the titles are people, and people are imperfect.

So my thought and attention, focus not on the ‘scandal’, but on the ripple effect of how we speak, share, and lead. Putting out words which have meaning, are compassionate and considered is much more our thing.

Finding your rhythm

It’s almost a year since we launched Peony Community as a way to provide a structure and philosophy of how to live, lead, and guide others, through coaching with integrity. We knew this would attract people through alignment, rather than effort, so this quietly grows without a fanfare, mainly as we respect our clients coaching and mentoring journeys.

However, a little paraphrasing of some recent feedback, just for anyone who is considering if coaching with us, is right for them in the future. Planting the seed for you to mull over whilst watching those sunsets and sipping your ice cold tipple.

“Working with Alice as a senior executive in late 2024, I found her coaching deeply impactful, challenging where needed, always practical. Six months later, I’m leading with more authenticity, grounded focus, and stronger relationships that are driving sustainable progress”

Working with P&M

Our focus is on connecting with clients who care about their people. This means investing in experienced, knowledgeable HR support.

Did you know we intentionally cap our HR retained hours a month? We are now at capacity working with clients on a strategic level.

From September we have limited coaching space available, both through corporate or the peony community, if self funding.

And finally….

I have just finished book 21 as I aim to read ’25 books in ’25’ and I need your help as I would like to focus on the last quarter of the year on books that inspired others, which may fall outside my current zone of reading interest!

So- reply to me with your ideas or follow us on Instagram where I share thoughts of the ones I have read so far.

Alice

Peony & Magnolia
Our Business is Your People