Founding in the spaces in between >>>
IN BETWEEN...
Where are you right now as a Founder? As we round out this week...
This question is a potent reflection and inflexion point...
These last 3-4 weeks in founder coaching, mentoring and training sessions, the following theme is emerging
"I am in between the old me and the new me..."
"I don't yet feel like who I know I'm meant to be - it's an in-between time..."
"I am feeling into the new, and it feels like I don't really know myself anymore..."
SOUND FAMILIAR?
It's ok - you are not broken, you are not behind, and you are so 'not late' you are in the becoming...
SO TAKE CARE - allow in ease, leaning into the richness of a vital phase of growth into the next phase of your Life...
Founders grow other Founders >>>
I'm starting the week on a high note and I want to celebrate with all of you!
Over the weekend, I reached a personal milestone: Bronze Builder. But the real win isn't a title; it’s the opportunity to welcome three phenomenal people into our travel network.
Each of these individuals is a creative powerhouse, dedicated to making a difference. They're already building freelance portfolios that support community engagement and lift up under-resourced communities.
Now, they’ll be adding global brands like Exodus, Not in the Guidebooks, Jet2, Disney, and Virgin to their toolkit, learning social selling, and stepping into new leadership roles.
Join me in celebrating these three leaders! Who's ready to go into the week with some good news?
Flourishing Fridays >>>
Anna B Sexton free self coaching end of week review goal sheet - access award winning global tools to improve your own performance and progress towards your goals and dreams
Let's be real. As founders and ecosystem builders, the Friday afternoon siren song is powerful. The lure of an early lunch that stretches into an early exit, the feeling of the weekend just around the corner—it's completely okay to lean into that flexibility. We're building lives, not just businesses, and that freedom is one of the biggest perks of being our own boss.
But here’s the thing: Is that a slippery slope? Are we so eager to escape the desk that we miss a crucial opportunity to set ourselves up for success? How many of us close the laptop on a Friday feeling like we're not quite sure which way is up, especially when we're juggling remote work, parenting, or other responsibilities? We tell ourselves a quick glance at our calendar on Sunday night is enough to "boss it" on Monday, but deep down, we know that’s not always the case.
RISING & SHINING...
I'm honoured and excited to share that I've been selected as the fully funded candidate for the prestigious TU RISE Master by Research Scholarship at Munster Technological University within the Faculty/School of Business / Department of Management & Enterprise, Cork, Ireland.
Thank you SO much Dr Trudie Murray, for opening the door to this opportunity to co-design, develop & co-create a series of actionable tools and strategies for entrepreneurs, educators, and policymakers, supporting regenerative transitions in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
My research will focus on Nature-Inspired Entrepreneurship: Exploring Biomimicry-Driven Regenerative Business Models for Freelancers, Startups, Microbusinesses and SMEs.
I am delighted to have this time to incubate my thinking, being, and doing by leveraging nature-inspired innovation. This research seeks to empower SMEs as leaders in the shift toward a regenerative economy, fostering resilient, ethical, and financially viable businesses that deliver positive environmental and social impact. A mission that has driven my work since a very early age as an outdoor youth worker.
Massive thanks to Jan Brown for egging me onwards towards even thinking I could go for an opportunity like this and the nddge to attend a conference that led to me meeting Dr. Trudie...
SO it goes without saying I'm eager to get going in Cork, Ireland and build out my work developing sustainable and regenerative practices, starting this September!
NEW SEMESTER GROWTH INCOMING...
Funding Acknowledgement
MTU TU RISE Master by Research scholarship funding is co-financed by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programme 2021-27 and the Northern & Western Regional Programme 2021-27.
Creating ripples one creative action at a time>>>
Who can relate?
Posting each day, blogging, doing DM’s, writing emails, attending networking events and pitching…
It can feel relentless, and often we are looking for the ‘instant’ results vs’ seeing each interaction, creative nudge and conversation as the ‘bricks’ in the foundations of the lives we are crafting for ourselves towards our dreams
SO IT’S BLOODY ACE to have found out I have been nominated for a
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD in the 2025 Liverpool Lifestyle Awards
I asked the founder Amanda Moss what had got me onto this shortlist, as we have really online chatted a bit online and exchanged a few emails. She let me know she has been seeing my posts about my journey and that it connected with her…
SO KEEP SHOWING UP
Global Start Up Coach 2024…
A Historic Win: What My Global Startup GSCA Coach Award Means for You
As a founder or a leader of a world-class incubator or accelerator, you understand the relentless pursuit of excellence.
Today, I'm thrilled to share a significant milestone in my journey that I believe underscores the calibre of support Open To Create>>> offers:
I have been named the winner of the inaugural Global Startup Coach Award.
This isn't just a personal accolade; it's a validation of the impactful, world-class coaching I'm committed to bringing to founders like yours, and within the ecosystems you foster. The award, launched by EdTech startup accelerator DOHE, sought to identify and celebrate exceptional startup and scale coaches worldwide – professionals who consistently demonstrate success in enabling EdTech ventures to thrive.
Using creative play to solve big world challenges…
WHERE DO YOU BRING YOUR CREATIVITY TO LIFE for more fun, hands on solution focused problem solving?
WORLD CREATIVITY & INNOVATION DAY... has come into being to highlight the pivotal role of creativity and innovation in problem-solving and advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
When humans come together in shared creative curiosity, exploration and playful enquiry the magic happens - the innovations, the quirky ways of tackling some of our most 'sticky' problems...
And even if this was not mind blowingly amazing the chance to come together, sit and talk whilst playing with materials gives us connection points and opportunities to open up whilst being creative and doing the making.
I love blending in paper prototyping, collaging new vision boards or making something out of recycled materials in answer to open, coaching questions using my 'Bag of Creative Surprises' workshop toolkit.
What drives a Founder to launch?
WHAT DRIVES FOUNDERS TO LAUNCH?
Well… a lot. After years of coaching and facilitating founders to grow themselves and their ventures, a few core themes show up time and time again:
1. They’ve lived the problem. It’s personal—either something they’ve struggled with directly, or seen someone close to them wrestle with. It bugs them so much, they have to do something about it.
2. It’s a natural evolution of a passion project, side hustle or deep-dive research area. The kind of thing they could talk about for hours.
3. They’ve worked for someone else’s dream long enough to know they could do it differently—better, more ethically, more creatively, or just more them.
4. They’ve invested in a business-in-a-box or franchise—wanting the freedom to be their own boss, with a blueprint to follow.
COACHING FOUNDERS CHANGES LIVES + BOOSTS SUCCESS >>>
COACHING CHANGES LIVES + BOOSTS FOUNDER’S AND THEIR TEAMS SUCCESS >>>
Coaching unpins the huge variety of internal and external successes for Founders - key among them from my experiences;
growth mindset
greater connection to values, mission and motivation
deeper more meaningful team and partner relationships
pride in the results of the business venture so far, including the highs and lows
great sense of personal authority to lead, and lean into change
Read the Sifted article by Sarah Drumm on the power of coaching in Edtech start and scale ups for driver success and ROI https://sifted.eu/articles/coaching-founders-brnd
What is an ‘expert business coach in residence’?
What is an ‘expert business coach in residence’?
There are artists in residence, writers in residence and composers in residence… so why not a business coach in residence?
Being a business coach in residence is like being part of a human library of business skills that can be accessed through a ‘triage’ system allowing for the signposted coachee to book in set timed sessions over a key time frame…
Unlike a final show and tell of art made during the residency the outcomes are measured in the progress made by the Founder being coached using an assessment framework alongside the personal and business goals of the Founder.
Imperial Enterprise Lab - Imperial College London are among a few innovation driven, forward thinking entrepreneurial institutions investing in embedding industry experts into the enterprise ecosystems.
It’s a commitment to ‘green housing’ their students, graduates and academic partners with seasoned professional business advice and guidance to grow new ideas, products and services that seek to change our world.
What makes Founders flourish?
Being a Founder, you maybe be familiar with the sometimes long hours, high stakes, and the constant balancing act between vision and execution…
Sometimes we question why we even started as Founders, forgetting the big dreams and collective change we wanted to achieve when starting out.
To better understand the state of play for Founders I have created a short survey
💡 It takes just 7 + minutes.
And if you drop your email at the end, you’ll get a free, in-depth Founder’s Self-Audit PDF to dig even deeper.
🔗 Take the quick survey here: https://bit.ly/FoundersInFocusSurvey
Your next level isn’t just about working harder—it’s about working with more alignment, care and quality of energy.
COACHING FUTURE TECH FOUNDERS & THEIR TEAMS...
COACHING FUTURE TECH FOUNDERS & THEIR TEAMS...
Since I've coached with founders in the last 15 years + I see this time & time again...
The investment drive is into the tech, the growth and yes the team, but not from a human-centred and caring approach, more as an additional 'resource' to aid faster growth.
Why choose to collaborate with Open TO Create >>>
You are looking for that ‘right’ match for your coaching needs…
Why choose to collaborate with Open To Create >>>
Our global start up coaching practice evolved out of our creative playwork, years collaborating in the education, professional development and creative arts sectors. The gap we spotted being more creative, hands-on, and impactful coaching approaches when what we saw were loads of the CEOs in big firms getting access to coaching leadership packages, but what about those on the ground leading with lived experience in grassroots communities?
![Challenges Founders can face [and how Start Up Coaching helps >>>]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57a07d3f46c3c4c4a2f21f84/1742028152257-F2T65AC99JF6JAPZA1A7/Anna_B_Sexton_Gary_Millar_LCR_Founders_closing_LJMU_UoL_.jpg)
Challenges Founders can face [and how Start Up Coaching helps >>>]
Being a Founder is challenging - what are the top challenges Founders can face?
Founder Burnout and mental fatigue
Scaling your collective change driven business whilst losing your grasp on the big dream or mission…
How to build a team, then sustain it and make it high performing…
How Founders can thrive with creative coaching approaches for wellbeing + drive >>>
Why Founders need creative leadership coaching?…
It’s vital for the health of the Founders that we coach them to benefit from the entrepreneurial mindset coaching so they have the head space to keep coming up with innovative strategies to tackle the sticky problems alongside mental health alignment. Founder burnout is no fun and leads to ventures that really could make a massive dent in our world, folding before they have a chance to shine.
By helping Founders and their teams to build their business day to day and strategic modes of operation underpinned by coaching tools and techniques Founders find ways to stay feeling better in themselves, lead with more passion and purpose without having to sacrifice their health or vision.
Ask us more…
We love good questions…
anna@opentocreate.com
+44 [0] 7484 184 292