March Talk with Debi Richens

It's March, the first month of Spring, and the month when the clocks go forward. What’s going on in the world of business this month? Today we're talking to Debi Richens otherwise known as the ‘The Soul Phoenix’. Debi is a trauma & grief coach who lives in Berkshire and works across Wiltshire too.

How is March looking for you in your business? 
This month I am taking part in the first rounds of a ‘Dragons Den’ style event to gain extra funding to grow my business. I have been involved in a six-month business planning programme that has been hugely interesting and exciting. 
 

Are you taking part in any wider events or business collaborations this month? 
I was involved in the ‘Business Women In’ International Women’s Day event for March 8th  which took place in Wiltshire and in other countries in the UK.

This month we've had International Women’s Day, Pancake Day, St David’s Day, National No Smoking Day – is there an awareness day or week this month which is important to you or your business? 
International Women’s Day is very relevant as my work is all about empowerment of women which relates so heavily to the foundation of International Women's Day. I'm also very mindful of all that's going on in Ukraine and the huge impact that is having on communities across the UK. 

Did you know that March 18 is Awkward Moments Day? Can you share any awkward moments with us in business or life?
Haha, that will be when I worked in dentistry many moons ago, and I had a phone call from my new employer to say that he was offering me the job…our African Grey Parrot started speaking in the background, in my voice, saying ‘I Love You’ out very loudly!  

I found myself mortified and apologising that the parrot was adding to the conversation. Needless to say, the dentist dined out on that one for a while!

March is also Mother’s Day (March 27) is this an important day for your business? 
Mother’s Day is hugely important for many reasons.  There are many mothers out there with no connection to their children for a variety of reasons, usually parental alienation during divorce. This brings on huge traumas from forced disconnection, inability to protect children from subtle psychological abuse, and the many other aspects of a precious relationship being deliberately eroded by other people.  The impact is not just on mothers, it is also on grandmothers.  

I teach women how to cope with the language and behaviours that they are experiencing, so that they can let go of the trauma and emotional pain that all of this behaviour brings into their lives. They need to learn how to thrive and grow, not just to survive.

Would you like to share your thoughts about your mother, a mother figure in your life or your life with a mother or as a mother? 
My mother was hugely impactful in my life, she was an incredible role model.  

After many illnesses throughout my childhood, she joined British Rail when I was 14, and became Station Announcer at Reading Station. She then went on to be the First RailAir Link Hostess and did several firsts for a woman at Reading Station. She was then promoted up to First Lady Undermaster at Swindon Station and did every single first for a woman on the railway there, and finally, she was promoted up to First Lady Station Master at Gloucester. 

I emphasise the First as she was the first woman in British Rail to take these roles on, and she took every opportunity to grow in what was essentially a man’s world. I am incredibly proud of her achievements – she changed the railway for many who followed her, and she changed the world for me showing me that anything was possible.

When she retired from the railway, she was bored, so along with a couple of other friends she set up the Gloucestershire Credit Union Ltd which started by covering the first four postcodes in the city centre and by the time she retired from it 13 years later, it became county wide, encompassing three other failing credit unions. She believed passionately in everyone having the opportunity to bank, and that High Street banks treated those less fortunate appallingly, it was a huge achievement outside of the accepted way that credit unions were available for people.

Have you got any special offers for March or April that you’d like to mention?
I offer a #free 30-minute Clarity Call for clients - and that is always available.

For more information visit https://linktr.ee/TheSoulPhoenix