What a fantastic Friday I’m having! Today I’m at Vistage CEO Connect in Birmingham and it’s fair to say the sessions have hit differently, especially as we mark World Mental Health Day & National Dyslexic Week.
Lorraine McDonald reminded us that it’s not the cards we’re dealt but how we play them. That simple truth hit home because in leadership and in life, we often can’t control the circumstances, only how we show up in them. She asked two questions that have stayed with me all day: What footprint do you want to leave? What impact will you have?” which was a good reminder that success is mostly about intention. The way we think, feel and act becomes the mark we leave behind.
Lorraine went on to share how the quality of our thoughts shapes the quality of our days. She challenged us to imagine: if you had two weeks to live, what would you do? Who would you spend it with? and crucially, what or who would you let go? It’s a difficult exercise, but one that helps to put everything into perspective so I’d recommend it!
Her message on manifesting dreams also stuck: If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough” and I get that – it’s so easy to shrink our goals to fit our comfort zone, but the real growth and the real joy sits just beyond it.
Then, a room full of business leaders did something rare, we meditated! For someone whose head is always full, I usually struggle to quiet my mind, but this time it clicked. Collective calm for just a few minutes shifted the whole energy in the room. Lorraine’s reminder to stop replaying the past or projecting anxiety into the future also landed deeply. She said success is found where peace and joy meet and I honestly couldn’t agree more!
Next up was Sara Davies MBE, who I’ve long admired on Dragons’ Den. If Lorraine opened our minds, it’s fair to say Sarah opened our hearts. She spoke with such honesty and humility about the lessons that come from tough seasons and how trust and leadership are built not through perfection, but through humanity.
She reminded us that we are the product of the people we surround ourselves with. It’s something I’ve always believed, but hearing her say it with such conviction was grounding. Who we allow into our circle directly shapes how we think, feel and lead.
Both sessions reinforced something I truly believe in : impact starts within. Real change begins in the way we think, the company we keep, and our willingness to pause, reflect and reset when we need to.
The footprint you leave starts with how you show up every day and that belief is exactly what drives how we work at ImpactMatch – helping leaders and organisations turn purpose into progress, and supporting our community of 4,000+ Impact Makers because when people grow, positive change follows.
It’s been a fantastic day and I have so much more to share, but right now I’ll wish you all a restorative and reflective FriYay.
