Spark Coaching + Consulting

This artistic, recycled owl that sits across the road from my office, @yukonconservation, reminds me that we are called to lead with wisdom. . The US presidential debate earlier this week, was an example of anything but. . Wisdom, it's not just life experience, or knowing 'more'. ... . It's seeing with heart, mind, and body in ways that welcome all our intelligences. . Leadership that embraces empathy, deep listening, adaptability, presence, bridge building, and our collective models the wise integration of mind, heart, and body. . So if you're feeling discouraged by the state of democracy, leadership, and society... Know that if we can rest in the integration of our own wisdom, we can lead from a place of generative strength. . This week, the practice is experimenting with silence. . Your infinite source to listen more deeply and resist the inflammatory reaction of daily opining. . How are you playing with silence to access your own wisdom to lead social change? -- I am Jennifer England, a leadership strategist and coach working with committed leaders to create a meaningful life and an equal world. To learn more about my work, click the link in bio above. #leader #leadershipdevelopment #consciousleader #wakingup #genderequality #socialimpact #womenleadingchange #disruptivepower #newpower #systemschange #leadingincomplexity#mindfulness #climatechange #leadershipcoaching #integral #socialchange #yukonconservationsociety

If anyone in your life is having mobility issues, give this look. The Alinker might be what your favorite person needs. I am so impressed with The Alinker USA & Canada- not only is the company super creative, it's a BCorp ,focused on access to mobility and wellness for those experiencing inequities, models #RadicalGenerosity and has done some exceptional work in creating access to healthy, local food sources. As a socially conscious entrepreneur- companies like this inspire. https://thealinker.ca/#

Can you feel yourself, as a committed leader, grounded and connected in this moment to YOU? . We so easily fracture our awareness that it can be hard to see and feel what is getting in the way of our ability to be present with others. . Years ago I practiced really, really slow walking. ... . It was painful, as it forced me to actually sense in that my mind was ahead of my body. . I know a strange thing to feel. . But I recognized the disconnection as a result of moving too quickly to solve, fix, and start things. . As I slowed down, I caught up with myself. . When I caught up...I could rest in not always needing the answer or knowing what to do next. . To catch up with yourself, you can tap into what is already there. . So today, put down your phone and close the browsers and go for a walk or sit in a warm beam of sun. . To catch up with yourself, so you can lead from firm ground. . We need all of us together to dig into the fertile soil of our gifts to reimagine the dialogue, leadership, and collaboration that's needed now. And I'd love to hear from you- what's your favorite way to ditch the distractions and catch up with yourself? -- I am Jennifer England. I work with committed leaders to create a meaningful life and an equal world. . To learn more about my work, head to Link in Bio. #leader #leadershipdevelopment #consciousleader #wakingup #socialimpact #womenleadingchange #disruptivepower #newpower #systemschange #leadingincomplexity #designabetterworld #innerrevolution #genderequality #climatechange #leadershipcoaching #createeveryday

As a leader, can you notice the big and subtle ways you're attached to productivity? . Every year, there feels like more on our shoulders. More to do, with fewer resources. . This is especially amplified now in the pandemic. ... . We are surrounded by a culture of expectation, primed by immediacy. . Everything yesterday. Tomorrow, a new set of fires. . "Slammed", she said. "We can't keep up". . This is the milieu that committed leaders work in, and the cost is our health, quality decision making, relationships, and time. . How to lead in the illusion of urgency? . Foster relationships with people who value your creativity, minimize the distractions of social media, and play with small vibrant moments of silence. Where does your experience of 'urgent' every? How do you find solid ground in the midst of it? Can you tell when it's an illusion for you? I'd love to hear from you! . More in depth reading on my blog today. Click above Link in Bio. -- I am Jennifer England. I work with committed leaders to create a meaningful life and an equal world. . To learn more about my work, head to Link in Bio. #leader #leadershipdevelopment #consciousleader #wakingup #socialimpact #womenleadingchange #disruptivepower #newpower #systemschange #leadingincomplexity #designabetterworld #innerrevolution #designabetterworld #innerrevolution #genderequality #climatechange

"I am my silence. I am not the busyness of my thoughts or the daily rhythm of my actions. . I am not the stuff that constitutes my world. I am not my talk. I am not my actions. . I am my silence. I am the consciousness that perceives all these things." ... . - Richard Wagamese, Embers: One Ojibway's Meditations . Silence is your oxygen. The secret pool of unlimited fresh air for your mind, heart, and body. . As committed leaders of social change, sometimes time in silence is unimaginable. . It can feel like we're not helping others. It's selfish. Not productive. . Silence can be a practice and a place to refuel, when you're getting slammed. . It can be terrifying to begin, if you're not used to it. . But little by little, that tiny place of solace becomes a source of limitless ground. . Silence- a practice every leader can rely on, to stay in the long game. . -- I am Jennifer England. I work with committed leaders to create a meaningful life and an equal world. To learn more about my work, head to Link in Bio. #leader #leadershipdevelopment #consciousleader #wakingup #socialimpact #womenleadingchange #disruptivepower #newpower #systemschange #leadingincomplexity #designabetterworld #innerrevolution #genderequality

How are you staying grounded, in the midst of the polarized lobbying of opinions? . For me this focus on where we place our attention is a radical act of both self-nourishment and collective well being. . It's so easy to get caught in the maelstrom of shallow listening and opining.... . As committed leaders of social change, we need your sure footedness, even when you feel wobbly. . We need your aching and wise heart that takes a longer view. . We need your empathy, ability to work with difference, and hold your perspective and the space for others to disagree. . I am so grateful to each and every one of you who is trusting in the collective emergence of the possible, even when it feels dark and uncertain. . Lead with the courage you've got, grounded by what nourishes you. . Laughter, activism, community, the mountains or a mug of tea. . My Friday gratitude is to your curse to lead and influence the change you want to see. . Your wild belief that anything is possible when we cut through the distractions and noise. -- I am Jennifer England. I work with committed leaders to create a meaningful life and an equal world. To learn more about my work, head to Link in Bio. #leader #leadershipdevelopment #consciousleader #wakingup #socialimpact #womenleadingchange #disruptivepower #newpower #systemschange #leadingincomplexity #designabetterworld #innerrevolution #mountainadventures #genderequality

Leading social change can be enlivening and exhausting. This week, we mark Gender Equality week in Canada- . and I want to recognize the Elders, activists, and incredible womxn that have lightened the burden of this work. ... The members, volunteers and staff @dewcvan for a life teaching of what being in community is all about. . For your radical generosity and playfulness, even when housing, violence, racism, and poverty were insurmountable. All the Yukon womxn and organizations who continue to trailblaze the kind of conversations, dialogue and action we need on this planet. . For your ability to create safety, housing, programs, and respect through the work of MMIWG, court justice, LGBTQ2S+ activism, reconciliation, and anti-violence. . Elders Ann Maje Raider and Adeline Webber for your wisdom, honesty, and relentless commitment to equality and justice over 40 years. To all my friends and colleagues at the Yukon Women's Directorate and Gender Equality departments across the country . who challenged and pushed my thinking and action over 16+ years. . Your unflinching commitment to equality, inside bureaucratic constraints, revives possibility in the center of power, every day. Together, we lighten the burden we feel deep in our hearts. Our collective leadership, deep care, and imagination is exactly what this world needs now. In solidarity. #genderequality #lgbtqia#womenleadingchange#socialimpact #gender

When I arrived at the Lwellyn Glacier this summer, my heart gasped for air. It's blue, rippled spine folds into this alpine lake. Glacial ice ( that we used to make backcountry icecream!) In modern poses, could be heard melting. . I grew up with glaciers, Arctic trips, tales of dynamic flex-flow of icecaps.. And often took it for granted. ... . That glaciers will be with us for generations. . Now, there is no taking for granted, but a grief that feels expansive and beholden. . Here are my two wild kids, wishing they had brought the paddle board up the narrow trail... Not yet grieving. . Our collective needs your bold, influential leadership to work through climate change, social justice and equality. . The kind of emergent leadership that can hold both the grieving and a vision for a new world. . For leadership coaching that supports your growing perspectives, capacities and way of being...DM me for details. Just a few spots to work with me this month. #leader #leadershipdevelopment #consciousleader #wakingup #socialimpact #womenleadingchange #disruptivepower #newpower #systemschange #leadingincomplexity #integral #climatechange #climatejustice #climateaction #innerrevolution #wildwoman #wildernessculture

Are you aware of how you use and shift perspective? What I mean is not necessarily the kind when you sit down for tea with a dear friend, but the awareness of how you’re making meaning. A quick intro/recap of 4 main perspectives (a simplified version!):... 1st person (ego-centric): I can only see my world, ideas, and values as right. 2nd person (ethno-centric): I can see my ideas, and yours, yet I tend to identify with my close circles (family, organization, or country) that reinforce my own. 3d person (world centric): I can appreciate multiple perspectives, moving more easily between my own, yours, and those who hold radically different ideas. 4th person (cosmic centric): I can identify with something outside myself (consciousness, awareness), while also holding a sense of my identity. Why does this matter for leadership, influence and systems change-making? When you’re aware of where and how your ideas are being presented, how you interpret someone else’s- it can help foster collaboration over competition. The potency of perspective helps you consciously choose which perspective to lean into during a tough meeting, a compassionate conversation around race, sexuality or gender, or an awkward navigation with your frustrated teen. As we develop as adults we can develop skills in perspective taking, helping us accelerate collaboration and compassion as we work across boundaries of identity, philosophy, or organization. If you want deep, wholehearted support to lead and influence social change- there are a few spots left for deep coaching in the next month! DM me for details. #leader #leadershipdevelopment #consciousleader #wakingup #socialimpact #womenleadingchange #disruptivepower #newpower #systemschange #leadingincomplexity See more

Feeling like a beginner in mid-career isn’t easy. After two decades in the non profit and public service, the jump to running a business has been a crash course in action-taking. - Throw the pandemic in, parenting teens, and working from home... There have been days that I've questioned what I'm doing. -... And yet I know deep down, I am guided by Source and a well of creative energy that never lets go. - So if you are thinking of doing something way off track, yes, you'll stumble, question and doubt. But along the way, your creativity and resilience grows, lighting up your heart one day at a time. - It's worth it. And we need All of you. #beginner #newentrepreneur #creativewriting #equality #consciousliving

I work at the intersection of systems change, leadership, and inner growth. To reimagine a new world we ate invited to adventure inside and out. - After 20 years of executive leadership, gender equality change making, and contemplative practice- I'm weaving these together into heart centered coaching, leadership training, facilitation- solo and group. - I practice here from Yukon, where the wilderness gifts me silence and Presence. Time on foot, kayak, ski, or sled keeps me... rooted in my own strength, with a deep trust in where our planet can head. - At this time, the resilience, courage, and fierce anger of everyone fighting for justice, equality, and climate resilience gives me deep hope we're going somewhere good. The pulse of our planet and pain tell us we're alive. - There is one more day to register for our 6 month experiential program @bravesparkleadership, that supports your expansion and confidence leading social change in disruption and uncertainty. We'd love you to join us and feel the relief and uplifting experience our being surrounded by missing-driven change makers! DM me for a chat, if you'd like to learn more. . #leader #leadershipdevelopment #consciousleader #wakingup #socialimpact #womenleadingchange #disruptivepower #newpower #systemschange #leadingincomplexity #designabetterworld #innerrevolution #sparkcoaching #contemplativeactivism #meditation #awakening #actionandcontemplation #dismantlingdomination If more poetic: #creativity #art #awakening #meditation #inspiration #poetrylovers #writersofinstagram #poetsofinstagram

I don't know about you, but I sure miss the energy and intimacy of working in person. While I'm grateful for the space Zoom offers to collaborate across town and country-I know that I need to consistently attend to the quality of relationship virtually if I want to build an amazing team and have an impact on systems change. If you are working (and/or building) virtual teams- this reflection, tips and practice may support you! Then, tell me what are struggling with as you work across time/space (and photons) virtually? Where do you need support, in order to shift cultures, practices and systems to be more equitable and just? https://sparkcoaching.ca/building-virtual-teams/

Be in touch with your soul's work. Walk softly into the wild territory of the heart. This is an unfolding, untethered place-Where striving, pushing, and relentless forward motion can rest. . When you can sense it, in the fleeting moment just before the work day roars, it breaks you open and calls you to bow down. . Will you? ... You've already been invited. . This week, I bore witness to the unfurling, the loud arrival, the subtle expansion of someone willing to lead,' through her'. . Lucky Us. To witness and feel another's coming home, even when we are rocked by the devastation of domination, division and polarization, is a tender place of goodness. . Soul work includes the fierce and open hearted fight for everyone’s right to live and grow and love. If you feel called to discover or reignite your leadership at the intersection of systems change and inner growth... There are two ways to work with me this fall. . One to one coaching, inspired by Integral and adult development. And @bravesparkleadership which offers a potent and experiential leadership training. Registration is open for one more week, until Friday September 4th. DM me to inquire further... How can my soul's work deeply serve you? #leader #leadershipdevelopment #consciousleader #wakingup #socialimpact #womenleadingchange #disruptivepower #newpower #systemschange #leadingincomplexity

Today on Question of the Week at BraveSpark Leadership we talk about the advantages of experiential learning in groups. While we admit our bookshelves are full (and my bedside table usually has 3-4 nightly options), leadership growth happens when we combine insights with embodied experience. Find out how our program is working through the field of interpersonal relationships to grow your developmental edges to spark the movements and social change you long to see. Happy Friday!

Hey everyone- today on Question of the Week for BraveSpark, Math'ieya, Steph and I reflect on our experiences of failure and how we work with it. How is your relationship to failure shifting as you develop? What are its upsides? Downsides? ... And if you're curious about what we're up to together, check out www.bravesparkleadership.com Our first 6 month leadership cohort begins in October! If you feel called to practice your growth and edge development in a whole-hearted community- this might be of service to you. Happy weekend!

How I come to understand myself, my identity is forming and reforming in spaces of intimacy and expansion. . Here, in the thin walls of my tent, I am most comfortable, relaxed, and right sized. . Meaning, I have left behind the things I usually pay attention to that can heighten my own self-importance. ... . Over on the blog today I riff on the cost of fixating on Identity. How it can diminish our aliveness and receptivity to surrender. . For what? Not to be small. But to enliven our own purpose, creativity, and calling for a just and sustainable world. . It's all interwoven. Me, you, us, and the possibility of the planet. . This is me, in my favorite place, reading An American Marriage by @tayari What liberates you? Click the Linkin Bio to head to my recent writing. #wildwoman #leader #leadershipdevelopment #consciousleader #wakingup #socialimpact #womenleadingchange #disruptivepower #newpower #systemschange #leadingincomplexity #mindfulness #contemplationandaction

Hi everyone! After three weeks of mountain and lake time with my family, I'm feeling more balanced, grounded and purposeful. Even though I don't have much of a flip flop tan (so little sun in the North this summer!), I am grateful for the silence, wilderness, and adventure. Ever feel like you have to be someone else, or emulate another style, approach, or identity in order to be seen or valued? Sometimes it can happen when we begin something new (role, scale of responsibilit...y, or new anything). I've found that, at times, I've walked further away from myself- then undermining my creativity and authenticity. Today, I explore the push/pull of healthy egoic development, the cost of creating a fixed self/identity, the importance of sovereignty for authentic leading, and offer a practice to support deeper creative aliveness. I'd love to hear how this resonates with you! How are you enlivening your authenticity in leadership? https://sparkcoaching.ca/intoxicated-with-identity/

Rumi, the poet, visited me today. Words stretching across time. Reminding me to let go of my fixation on identity, on small self... So I can reinhabit aliveness over and over. Like this fog, lifting, lifting from the valley. . Too much tight holding on our identities can obscure our light. .... You are always evolving, dynamic, growing. Even in the face of dying. . Development and growth can be disorienting, and at once, necessary. . If you are feeling your strength and curiosity and disruption all at once... And want to be held in a wholehearted container, DM me! I'd love to hear from you. . Two ways of working with me this fall. One to one deep coaching and 6 month cohort program, BraveSpark: The Wild Topography of Leadership @bravesparkleadership What are you called to lead in this time of expansion? #leader #leadershipdevelopment #consciousleader #wakingup #socialimpact #womenleadingchange #disruptivepower #newpower #systemschange #leadingincomplexity #wildernesslife #contemplation

Our dance with uncertainty deepens- and we are invited to attend, receive, and act in the midst of the unknown with courage and heart. I'd love you to join myself, Mathieya Alatini, Stephani Roy McCallum tomorrow at 12 noon PST for a 1 HOUR FREE workshop to explore your own leadership in and through uncertainty. You'll learn more about our upcoming BraveSpark Leadership program- the Wild Topography of Leadership and how it can support your growth and expansion- during these unseen times.

Your call to self-expression may not be wanted, welcomed, or appreciated. You may fear speaking, expressing, and sharing because what you're about to offer doesn't fit nicely or at all. Audre Lorde names the fear we share when dominant cultures, technologies, or languages ask us to perform what's inauthentic, stifling- yet easy. ... Speak. Write. Share. Tend. Alight. Whisper all of it. Be true to the fragments and fragrance of what's alive IN you. When you dismantle the hierarchies of 'right' and 'wrong' and choose courageously your own true expression, over performativity, you encourage me to dismantle my own. My work lives at the intersection of personal transformation, systems change and leadership. Expression is at the heart of this work. Your expression of a wild, messy, human life that longs to create a world anew. Cultivate your tenacious courage to work with fear, so that you speak the words we're longing to hear. If you are feeling a bit visionary, a bit change-makery and want to shift systems, cultures, and relationships to create a better world- you are invited to join one of my deep-dive coaching programs in September (4 and 9 month options)! To get on the wait-list, DM me or click the LinkinBio above If you are longing for transformational leadership growth IN a community of disrupters and creatives, then our @bravesparkleadership program, starting in October, might be perfect. DM me to chat how it can serve your development. #bravespark #wildtopography . #genderequality #leadershipdevelopment #consciousleadership #socialimpact #presencing #personaldevelopment #systemschange See more

Leathered frayed boots. Missing soles. Half eaten bananas. . Resistant teens. Broken water filter. The persistence of mosquitos biting. . My cracked tooth, unsolved unrest, and year-old dehydrated dinners.... . How big these small things can feel. . Even when I'm leaning against 45 degrees, with a rock glacier below- holding onto cold. From my fear or winter. . Release the grip on the weathered fears, and remember the sweet smell of his old green wool sweater instead. . We are soft bodies touching this place. . #poetryofinstagram #fathers #create #mountainlife #contemplative