One to one support to help you move forward in your life and work with resilience and confidence.
Space to hear yourself think, overcome overwhelm and find more focus, rest and joy, even when that feels impossible.
Pippa Best is an experienced life coach, social entrepreneur, business founder, project manager, writer and script editor.
In particular, years of supporting screenwriters to find and express their stories now inform her coaching work, where she guides women to explore and rewrite the many stories that shape our lives.
Pippa's coaching is also influenced by her deep love of the sea, and a passion for the many 'blue mind' benefits of being in and around water - one that encourages a mindful, compassionate and fluid approach to coaching and supporting others.
Pippa regularly hosts retreats (where you might visit the ocean...), workshops and online coaching and development programmes. A passionate believer in the power of imperfect creativity, small bites of courage, and giant servings of self compassion, Pippa loves cold sea swimming, vision boarding, slightly wonky yoga, and front room discos with her two children.
You don't have to be a mother to benefit from this work. Wherever you are in your life, offering yourself this gift of space to be heard and supported can be truly transformative.
"The experience of one to one coaching with Pippa was everything I had hoped for and more. A dedicated space for me to talk about what was going on in my life, and guidance to help me make decisions and move through difficult situations. The written feedback afterwards was also really helpful.
Pippa has a kind and calming approach that enables you to open up. It's a non-judgemental safe place, which makes it easier to face things that need to change - and to feel able to address them. I've grown in confidence and self belief, and I took more action than I had expected to because it was broken down into manageable chunks and small doable tasks. Each time we met, I had achieved more than I realised. Self care doesn’t feel like an indulgence any more, but a necessity.
The progress I’ve made in such a short time has really surprised me. My career was stagnant when I started this process, and I am in a better place than I have been for many years now. You’re like a miracle worker. Since we last spoke I have had two interviews & today I was offered both jobs! Thank you so much for your help in giving me the belief I could do it." Swazi
Contact us for more information and a first friendly chat.
Coaching programmes
You can choose from a range of coaching programmes and individual retreats:
One to one coaching programmes are offered in packages of two to four 60 minute sessions, each scheduled one to four weeks apart.
This provides a gentle supportive space and process for you to gently make whatever shift you need, step by step. In each session, we look at the challenges you're currently experiencing (for example, parenting challenges, a career change, relationship issues, self care, negative thought patterns, self criticism, confusion about how to progress, general productivity, feelings of overwhelm or anxiety). And together, we devise some manageable actions to help you move forward.
After each session, you receive some emailed notes about the session, a recording if you wish, and a list of actions to explore. These notes are a chance to deepen your understanding, and explore ways to trying making some small changes in between sessions, before we come back together again to reflect on your progress.
Cost: £145 (2 session package) £270 (4 session package)
"Through my sessions with Pippa, I was given the opportunity to find clarity to deal with parts of my life that felt very muddy and difficult to cope with. Allowing myself the time and space to look methodically at how I deal with things felt like something I have been denying myself for a long time. Pippa’s calm and kind approach to looking at issues one step at a time came at a perfect point for me. Making that leap to confront things felt less daunting when I knew that someone like Pippa was there to guide me through it." Laura (client)
One to one retreats are offered as intensive day or half day programmes, online or in Cornwall, and combine one to one sessions and creative prompts to deepen your exploration. They may also include time for rest and meditation by skype, trips to the sea to soak up the 'blue mind' benefits, and opportunities for yoga and pampering treatments in Cornwall. Cost: £100 +
Mini Self Care Coaching Package - a taster coaching package of mama-nurturing goodness. We start with a self care questionnaire to capture how you're looking after yourself right now, and follow this with a 30 minute one to one session with Pippa Best to create a simple action plan to help you fit more self care into their busy life, even when that feels impossible. This package also includes an easy to follow guided meditation, and a follow up love and accountability email. Cost: £80
As part of our social enterprise activity, we offer some bursaries towards the cost of coaching for those in need: find out more on our social enterprise page.
Find out more about one to one support below, or email us to schedule a free 15 minute chat by phone/skype to find out if we're a good fit.
"If you’re someone whose life is completely perfect thank you very much (your baby was weaned and sleeping through at two months, walking at six months, and you have perfectly behaved children and no problems whatsoever), then you’re not the right person for Pippa’s one to one support.
If however, you’re feeling overwhelmed with everything and struggling to find time for yourself amongst all the daily challenges that motherhood is throwing at you, one to one coaching with Pippa is exactly what you need!
Initially, I found it hard to even think about spending money on myself instead of my child, and I wasn’t sure how I would feel about talking about my experiences with someone I didn’t know. But I’m very glad that I overcame those barriers. Our sessions made me more aware of what I need and defined the practical steps I could take. They gave me a space to reflect instead of getting bogged down in everyday problems. In fact, I was surprised at how powerful it actually was to be asked questions and to have a whole hour to think about me - I came up with ideas that had never even occurred to me before.
Working with Pippa has helped me to shift my thinking and changed how I approach things that had previously upset me. I’m taking up dancing again, making more time for me every week, connecting with friends regularly, and taking a step back from my mental processes each day. I’m also staying calmer with my son, letting go of expectations, and feeling more resilient in general. I am much more confident in my own instincts and the choices I’m making, for me and my family.” Kate (client)
Is it right for you?
We all find it hard. We all struggle. And we all benefit from being heard and having support to get through the difficult times. Goodness knows, we do that often enough for others.
What might you be capable of if you actually made time for you - to reflect, imagine a different kind of life, and move towards it?
By living your life as fully and courageously as you can - by looking after yourself now, by pursuing a better way - we show those we love that they can live like that too.
"I love working with Pippa in our one-to-one sessions. She is warm, wise, understanding, and nurturing. I always feel lighter, more at peace, and more connected to my true self after our sessions. I enjoy both the experience of the sessions themselves and how I feel afterwards, plus I get real tools, encouragement, and clarity to make changes and small steps to help me create the life I want to live.
I am empowered, encouraged, and inspired by her, and my life is certainly better as a result of our work together. Thank you so much! " Heather (client)
Why now?
Perhaps you're facing a new challenge - going back to work, stepping out into a new career, bringing a new child into your family, coping with a relationship or behavioural change, adjusting to a new school or location.
You might be juggling the needs of your family and work, or trying to reconnect with your own needs again after years of taking care of everyone else.
Maybe you need guidance and support to let go of the guilt and overwhelm, set clearer boundaries, and put your own needs first.
Maybe you already know what lights you up, you just don't know quite how to get there. Or you're feeling a little lost, and want some help to find a way forward.
Maybe you've simply come to the end of your tether, and know that you need to make a change now - for you and your family.
Wherever you are now, I can offer encouragement, accountability, and support to make achievable plans that you can follow through. I can help you to be kinder to yourself, to see your strengths more clearly, to navigate the challenges as they come, and to shift away from whatever's holding you back.
Are you ready for a helping hand?
"After a life shattering family situation, I suddenly found myself as a single mother, unemployed, traumatised and broken. My self esteem couldn’t have been much lower. I knew that Story of Mum aimed to help mums to appreciate themselves, to notice joy in every day, and to focus on self care and love. At a time of crisis as a lone parent, I thought that a series of one to one sessions would help me to feel better about myself.
In each one to one session, I have felt totally heard and held. That has been truly special in itself. The comments, questions and opportunities to look at things differently have been remarkably enlightening and supportive. Stress often means that my memory can be vague, and so the feedback notes via email after the session are amazingly helpful (and beautifully written).
One of the benefits that I hadn’t anticipated was that in every session, we agree some actions together, laying them out as missions to accomplish that will help to improve a particular issue. These are fantastic tools to take away.
I feel so fortunate to have these nurturing one to one sessions with Pippa. They have helped me in so many ways; feeling heard and supported; learning to hear and question my self criticism; exploring myself, and noticing my values. Pippa is gifted at this role. Her compassion and heart are vast and admirable. I cannot thank her enough. These sessions will be with me forever." Terrie (client)
What will we do in our sessions?
One to one sessions offer space for some deep listening and reflection, with a kind non-judgemental mentor. A guide who will remind you of your strengths, help you to embrace your vulnerabilities, and support you to move forward.
Each session is a space to reconnect with the part of you that knows what you deeply need – that inner voice that longs for the right questions to be asked. And every session includes some practical tools and activities that you can take back into your life.
"It was so lovely to be heard and able to say what I really felt in such a safe environment." Sophie (client)
"Pippa helped me so much in my preparation for taking the plunge and going freelance when the time was right. I can't recommend her and her coaching skills highly enough." Donna (client)
In addition to Pippa's years of experience creating a safe and transformative space for women, and training as a mum coach and NLP practitioner, she draws on three core skillsets:
- A deep understanding of story (Pippa has spent 20 years working as a story analyst, coaching and supporting writers in the film industry). Stories play such a powerful role in our lives - in how we see ourselves and what we believe we are capable of. In these sessions, we discover the stories you're telling yourself, reflect on the truth, impact, and value of these, and begin to craft new stories together that can help you to move forward.
- Project management skills (a wealth of practical knowledge and tools gained as a high level project manager). Sometimes you can get stuck in the impossibility of the big vision, or side-tracked by activities that don't move you forward. Here, Pippa helps you to break your ambitions down into achievable small steps, gently holding you accountable to a timescale and plan.
- Nature mindfulness and the sea. (a love of sea swimming, and her own experience of the benefits of 'blue mind' time spent in and around water). Each session starts with a breathing exercise that draws us into the present moment, and Pippa's coaching approach is always fluid, responsive, open and compassionate. Often, we'll use a deeper connection to nature, mindfulness and self compassion to help move you forward.
It's time to take that leap
Know that I'm here to help, not to judge. You are worthy of love, and amazing, in so many ways - that's where we start, and that's what we will build on together.
"I sincerely recommend these one to one sessions with Pippa to help you feel your value. They are safe, nurturing and special." Terrie
Let us honour your story, shape the next chapter of your life, and support you to support yourself and others.
Contact us for more information and a first friendly chat.
"Having taken part in Story of Mum's Twitter Parties and a Mini Sofa Retreat earlier in the year, I was hugely excited about starting my one-to-one sessions with Pippa as I knew they were going to be good. But I could never have imagined just how much they would change my life!
When I started my first session, the focus was on honouring my own needs and nurturing myself without guilt or fear, as well as looking forward to all the dreams I had for my life. I had been through several years of major challenges and was feeling rather beaten down, and this seemed like a great focus. Little did I know at that time how much I would need this support over the following months.
Over the course of our remaining three sessions, my health deteriorated spectacularly and I ended up being signed off work and feeling like my dreams were all slipping away. And yet my sessions with Pippa helped me to go deep within and reflect on what was most important in my life. At a time when I could so easily have fallen apart, I found an immense sense of strength and resolve. I learned just how important it was to look after myself, developed ways of doing this, and began to let go of the feelings of guilt and shame that had plagued me for so long.
Despite being physically very debilitated, I felt emotionally free, and that is testament to Pippa's amazing ability to help others see beyond the obvious and find the strength and wisdom within. Pippa acts as a mirror, reflecting back that which we already know about ourselves, and offers support to take those realisations and put them into practise. I've loved every single one of my sessions, and have truly appreciated the care and consideration that has gone into the emails following each one detailing everything that we covered, as these have allowed me to look back and see exactly how far I have come.
I would recommend one-to-one sessions with Pippa to anyone who truly wishes to create change in their lives and is ready to dig deep into their heart to find out what truly matters to them. Pippa is a beautiful soul who brings out the best in those she supports, and it has been a true blessing and honour to share such an immensely challenging time in my life with her." Amanda (client)
