The Story You Tell Yourself Isn’t Always the One That Heals

There’s a particular kind of discomfort that doesn’t come from what happened. It comes from how we remember it. And more specifically, from how we need to remember it in order to survive. When Trauma Leaves a Quiet Aftertaste A few years ago, someone close to me went through a serious family health crisis. The kind that changes the emotional temperature of a household overnight. Fear, uncertainty, and exhaustion moved in quickly and made themselves at home. During that time, I had conversations with both the family member who was unwell and the person supporting them. What became clear was that recovery wasn’t happening under one roof. The unwell person chose to stay away from the family home because it felt overwhelming, intense, and emotionally draining. What struck me then was not the decision itself, but the emotional tone around it. There was a noticeable absence of distress about his absence. Almost a quiet acceptance. A settling into a new normal far faster than expected. It wasn’t wrong. But it was revealing. Because moments like these often expose shadow pieces of relationships - the parts we don’t usually look at unless life forces us to. What we don’t emotionally react to can sometimes tell us more than what we do. The Stories We Rewrite to Stay Whole Fast forward a few years. The anniversary of that difficult period came up in conversation. And what I heard this time was a very different story. Now, the narrative had shifted. It had softened. It sounded collaborative, measured, and mutual. “We decided together that it would be best for him to recover away from home.” Thoughtful. Considered. Almost noble. And I felt something tighten inside me. Because this version didn’t match the emotional reality I remembered. It wasn’t that the facts were wildly different - it was the meaning that had changed. There are a few possibilities when this happens. Sometimes memory fades and gets kinder with time. Sometimes perspective grows and brings compassion with it. And sometimes - quietly, unconsciously - we edit the past because the original truth is too painful to sit with in the present. None of these make someone bad. They make someone human. Why the Truth Can Feel Too Heavy to Hold The brain’s primary job isn’t honesty. It’s protection. When a truth threatens our identity, our relationships, or the story we tell ourselves about who we are, the mind intervenes. It reframes. It softens. It smooths the sharp edges. Because admitting “I was relieved when he wasn’t there” carries weight. It raises questions we may not be ready to answer. About love. About obligation. About resentment. About the parts of ourselves we’d rather not see. So instead, the story becomes safer. More socially acceptable. Easier to share in public spaces. This is not lying in the traditional sense. It’s survival. But survival stories have a cost. When we continuously override emotional truth, we also mute our capacity to heal. Because healing requires contact with what actually happened - not just what feels bearable to remember. You can’t resolve what you’ve quietly rewritten. What Healing Asks of You Instead Real emotional work isn’t about shaming yourself for the stories you tell. It’s about gently noticing them. It’s about asking, “What would it mean if the original version were true?” Because often, beneath the rewritten memory is grief that never got acknowledged, anger that never found language, or relief that didn’t feel allowed at the time. In People Building, this is where the real work begins. Not in blaming the past, but in telling it honestly - to yourself first. The truth doesn’t need to be dramatic to be powerful. It just needs to be real. And when you allow yourself to hold the full complexity of your emotional experience, something shifts. The nervous system softens. The body exhales. And the need to keep editing the past finally loosens its grip. You don’t have to punish yourself with the truth. But you do have to stop protecting yourself from it. by Gemma Bailey (with the help of Ai) https://www.peoplebuilding.co.uk/franchise

One Coffee, One Choice, and the Reason Most Coaches Quit Too Soon

There’s a moment in adulthood when you realise that not all danger looks dramatic. Sometimes it arrives quietly, wrapped in politeness, disguised as a harmless invitation for coffee. And often, the real threat isn’t what’s being asked - it’s what’s being avoided. When Discomfort Knocks Softly, Not Loudly A situation unfolded recently within a friendship group that stopped me in my tracks. One person, on the fringes of the group, not especially close, not often present, reached out to another friend with an invitation for a one-to-one coffee. On the surface, nothing alarming. Civil. Casual. Ordinary. But context matters. It emerged that this person was experiencing difficulties in his marriage. Quiet fractures. Unresolved tension. Emotional dissatisfaction. And when the invitation was shared with the wider group, an uncomfortable pattern became visible. This wasn’t connection-seeking. This was escape-seeking. The instinctive response from the group was clear - meet as a group if you must, but do not step into a private space where blurred boundaries can thrive. Because this wasn’t about coffee. It was about avoiding the harder work at home. This is what avoidance looks like when it’s dressed up as opportunity. Why People Reach Elsewhere Instead of Looking Within What struck me wasn’t the invitation itself, but the psychology behind it. When something in our world feels uncomfortable, unsatisfying, or confronting, the human brain looks for relief. Not resolution - relief. It’s far easier to redirect energy outward than to repair what’s cracking inward. And this is exactly what we see time and time again with practitioners entering a coaching franchise. They arrive passionate, hopeful, and hungry for change. Yet the moment the work starts to challenge their identity, their habits, or their emotional patterns, something shifts. Instead of doing the work inside the ecosystem they chose, they start scanning for another answer elsewhere. Another course. Another mentor. Another business model. Another promise. Just like the coffee invitation, it isn’t about growth. It’s about discomfort avoidance. A coaching franchise doesn’t exist to rescue you from yourself. It exists to reveal you to yourself. The Cost of Leaving Before You’ve Learned Here’s the part most people don’t want to hear. If you leave before you’ve grown, you don’t escape the problem. You take it with you. The practitioner who quits early often tells themselves a story. It wasn’t aligned. It wasn’t right. It didn’t work for me. But the truth is far more confronting. They weren’t willing to stay in the room long enough to change. People Building was never designed as a quick fix. It was designed as a container for transformation. And transformation, by its very nature, is uncomfortable. In any coaching franchise, the ones who succeed aren’t the most talented or confident at the start. They’re the ones who resist the urge to look elsewhere when the mirror gets held up. They stay. They reflect. They adapt. They do the inner work instead of searching for external validation. Growth only happens when you stop trying to escape discomfort and start listening to what it’s asking of you. Staying When It Would Be Easier to Leave The uncomfortable truth is this - staying is harder than leaving. Staying means examining your patterns. Staying means noticing when you want an emotional coffee date with something new instead of fixing what’s in front of you. Staying means committing to the long game of becoming someone different, not just owning something different. A coaching franchise demands maturity. It asks you not to jump ship the moment it stops flattering you. It asks you to build capacity, not chase novelty. And just like relationships, businesses don’t thrive when you abandon them at the first sign of strain. If you are inside a coaching franchise and feeling restless, dissatisfied, or tempted by something shiny elsewhere, the question isn’t “Should I leave?” The question is “What am I avoiding learning here?” Because until that’s answered, every new opportunity will eventually feel just as uncomfortable. by Gemma Bailey (with the help of Ai) https://www.peoplebuilding.co.uk/franchise

Hypnotherapy Franchises: A Gateway to Wellness

Hypnotherapy franchises are transforming the wellness industry by providing innovative solutions for mental and emotional well-being. If you’re looking to make a meaningful impact while building a profitable business, investing in a hypnotherapy franchise could be your gateway to success. The hypnotherapy industry is thriving as more people recognise the importance of mental health and well-being. From managing stress and anxiety to overcoming phobias and improving self-confidence, hypnotherapy provides a versatile and effective solution for a wide range of challenges. By investing in a hypnotherapy franchise, you can position yourself at the forefront of this growing field, offering clients the tools they need to thrive. One of the key advantages of franchising is the structured support it provides. When you buy a franchise, you gain access to proven systems, specialised training, and ongoing guidance from experienced professionals. This framework allows you to focus on delivering exceptional results for your clients without the uncertainties of starting a business from scratch. The demand for mental health services continues to rise, making this an ideal time to enter the hypnotherapy sector. By investing in a franchise, you can tap into this growing market while benefiting from the credibility and recognition of an established brand. This can help you attract clients more easily and build a successful practice quickly. Franchise ownership also offers the opportunity to connect with a network of like-minded individuals. By sharing insights and strategies with fellow franchisees, you can enhance your skills and grow your business more effectively. This collaborative approach fosters a sense of community and support that is invaluable in the entrepreneurial journey. Beyond the financial rewards, owning a hypnotherapy franchise can be deeply fulfilling. The ability to help clients achieve their goals and overcome challenges provides a sense of purpose that is often hard to find in traditional employment. By aligning your career with your passion for helping others, you can create a business that brings both personal and professional satisfaction. As you consider investing in a hypnotherapy franchise, remember that this is more than just a business opportunity, it’s a chance to make a lasting impact. By transforming wellness, you can contribute to a healthier, happier society while building a rewarding career for yourself. By the Ai version of Gemma Bailey https://peoplebuilding.co.uk/franchise

Learning or Building? The Question That’s Keeping You Stuck

There’s a choice I see People Building franchisees trying to make all the time. And it’s a false one. It sounds sensible. Responsible, even. But it quietly keeps people stuck for years. The False Choice That Keeps You Spinning “Should I focus on learning something new?” “Or should I put that energy into building my business?” If you are part of a coaching franchise, this dilemma can feel relentless. Every new training promises confidence. Clarity. Momentum. And to be fair, learning does something powerful. When I am learning, I am sharper. More energised. I think more clearly. I feel myself moving forwards. Having a focus - especially one that stretches me - brings order to my mind. It creates a sense of direction, a pull towards something better. And that energy does spill over into work. Into conversations. Into ideas. Into belief. But there is a darker side to this pattern that rarely gets named. Because when learning replaces action, it stops being growth and starts being avoidance. Learning can look like progress while quietly protecting you from exposure. When Learning Becomes a Sophisticated Hiding Place I also know what happens when learning becomes the priority and business becomes the thing you will get to “once you feel ready”. You end up highly trained and underpaid. You have more certificates, more frameworks, more intellectual understanding - and fewer sessions in the diary. Cashflow tightens. Confidence wobbles. And instead of stepping forward, you double down on preparation. Another course. Another modality. Another layer of “almost ready”. This is how people become course junkies with no traction. Not because they lack ability, but because learning feels safe. Visibility does not. Marketing exposes you to silence. Rejection. Judgment. The risk of nobody responding. For many franchisees in a coaching franchise, that risk feels far more threatening than staying in the comfort of training. So the question is not whether learning is good or bad. The question itself is wrong. The Better Question That Changes Everything Instead of asking, “Should I learn or should I build?” try this instead. “What does my business need from me right now?” And then ask the second, more uncomfortable question. “What do I need right now to become the version of me who can meet that need?” Sometimes, the answer is practical and unglamorous. More structure. More visibility. More conversations. More doing and less thinking. Other times, the answer is internal. You are bored. You feel stale. Your thinking has narrowed. You need fresh ideas and intellectual stimulation to feel alive again. Both states are valid. Both matter. What does not work is bouncing between the two with guilt driving every decision. Training when you should be marketing. Marketing when you are exhausted. Never fully committing to either. This constant oscillation drains energy and creates the feeling of always being behind. In a coaching franchise, this is one of the fastest routes to burnout disguised as ambition. Growth happens when learning serves the business - not when it replaces it. Momentum comes from integration, not oscillation. Choosing Integration Instead of Guilt The real skill is learning to integrate. To become the version of you who learns in service of the business, not instead of it. Who markets while integrating new skills. Who still shows up for the business even when the dopamine hit of new knowledge is calling your name. This is where maturity as a business owner develops. Not in choosing one side, but in choosing well. You will feel the difference in your body. If your business has been quiet for months and you have completed three new courses this year, that is not curiosity. That is avoidance. Time to pivot. If your to-do list is endless but you have not felt creatively lit up in months, that is not discipline. That is stagnation. Time to reignite. The People Building coaching franchise is designed to support both growth and execution, but it cannot make the decision for you. Only you can learn to tell the difference between procrastilearning and strategic development. You do not have to choose between learning and building. You just have to choose consciously. by Gemma Bailey (with the help of Ai) https://www.peoplebuilding.co.uk/franchise

The Moment Meditation Works - And Why We Ruin It

There’s a strange moment that happens in meditation. You’re still awake. Still conscious. But something inside you loosens its grip. The Moment the Mind Finally Lets Go One minute your head is loud - replaying conversations, rewriting the day, reminding you about the chicken you forgot to defrost. Then, quietly, something clicks. Not sleep. Not distraction. More like effort dissolving. Your body softens. Thoughts thin out. You’re not quite “here” anymore, but you’re not gone either. And for a brief, precious moment, you’re balanced in that in-between space where real internal change actually begins. And that is usually when the mind panics and slams the door shut again. This is the edge most people never realise they’re standing on. Why the Breakthrough State Never Lasts Lately, this has been showing up strongly in my own meditation practice, especially during deeper, Joe Dispenza-style visualisations. Just as that unlocked feeling begins - that whoosh, that sense of dropping beneath effort - the mind intervenes. Sometimes it interrupts with commentary. “Look! It’s happening!” Other times, it drifts so far that I resurface wondering why I’m suddenly dreaming about a donkey at a tea party. Both outcomes miss the point. Both break the spell. It’s like trying to walk a tightrope. Grip too hard and you wobble. Go completely limp and you fall. But somewhere between control and collapse is a state of soft, present awareness. You’re conscious, but not managing. Alert, but not efforting. This is where most people struggle - not because they aren’t capable, but because they are trying too hard to do it properly. The Subtle Skill Nobody Teaches Here is the piece that changes everything. When that floaty, expansive state begins to rise, the work is not to label it. Not to analyse it. Not to grab it and say, “Stay.” The moment you assess the state, you’re no longer in it. You’ve stepped out of experience and into commentary. The goal is not to be a perfect meditator. It is to become no-body, no-one, in no-time. That doesn’t happen while you’re mentally marking your own performance like a clipboard-wielding school inspector. If imagery appears - even strange, surreal, slightly unhinged imagery - let it. Stay conscious enough to know you’re witnessing something, but don’t yank yourself back into the room just because it feels odd. You’re not doing it wrong. You’re getting close. This is exactly the same pattern I see with clients inside the People Building work. Growth stalls not because the nervous system can’t change, but because the mind won’t stop supervising the process. This understanding is foundational in our coaching franchise model - sustainable change requires allowing states, not forcing them. You will fall out of awareness again and again. That isn’t failure - that is the practice itself. Letting the Door Stay Open It’s completely normal to dip in and out of that space. Awareness wobbles. Focus flickers. You climb back in, fall out, and return again. That repetition is not a mistake. It’s how regulation, healing, and emotional resilience are built. So next time you feel the safe unlock inside your mind, resist the urge to announce it. Don’t rush to celebrate. Don’t rush to correct. Let the door stay open. Let the space expand. Let the work happen quietly, beneath effort and beyond commentary. This is not just meditation advice. It’s a principle that runs through every effective piece of deep emotional change work - including the way we support clients through the People Building coaching franchise. Real change rarely looks impressive while it’s happening. Often, it looks strange. Disorientating. Even a bit donkey-at-a-tea-party weird. And that is usually how you know you’re close. by Gemma Bailey (with the help of Ai) https://www.peoplebuilding.co.uk/franchise

Hypnotherapy Franchises: A Journey of Empowerment

Hypnotherapy franchises offer a journey of empowerment, both for clients and franchisees. By helping individuals overcome mental and emotional challenges, franchisees can make a meaningful impact on their communities while building a rewarding career. The hypnotherapy industry is growing rapidly as more people seek alternative solutions for mental health challenges. By investing in a hypnotherapy franchise, you can position yourself at the forefront of this growing field, offering clients the support they need to thrive. One of the key benefits of franchising is the structured support it provides. When you buy a franchise, you gain access to proven systems, specialised training, and ongoing guidance from experienced professionals. This framework allows you to focus on delivering exceptional results for your clients without the uncertainties of starting a business from scratch. The demand for mental health services continues to rise, making this an ideal time to enter the hypnotherapy sector. By investing in a franchise, you can tap into this growing market while benefiting from the credibility and recognition of an established brand. This can help you attract clients more easily and build a successful practice quickly. Franchise ownership also offers the opportunity to connect with a network of like-minded individuals. By sharing insights and strategies with fellow franchisees, you can enhance your skills and grow your business more effectively. This collaborative approach fosters a sense of community and support that is invaluable in the entrepreneurial journey. Beyond the financial rewards, owning a hypnotherapy franchise can be deeply fulfilling. The ability to help clients achieve their goals and overcome challenges provides a sense of purpose that is often hard to find in traditional employment. By aligning your career with your passion for helping others, you can create a business that brings both personal and professional satisfaction. As you consider investing in a hypnotherapy franchise, remember that this is more than just a business opportunity, it’s a chance to make a lasting impact. By empowering clients to achieve their full potential, you can contribute to a healthier, happier society while building a rewarding career for yourself. By the Ai version of Gemma Bailey https://peoplebuilding.co.uk/franchise

Hypnotherapy Franchises: A New Era of Wellness

Hypnotherapy franchises are ushering in a new era of wellness, offering innovative solutions for mental and emotional well-being. If you’re looking to make a meaningful impact while building a profitable business, investing in a hypnotherapy franchise could be your gateway to success. The hypnotherapy industry is thriving as more people recognise the importance of mental health and well-being. From managing stress and anxiety to overcoming phobias and improving self-confidence, hypnotherapy provides a versatile and effective solution for a wide range of challenges. By investing in a hypnotherapy franchise, you can position yourself at the forefront of this growing field, offering clients the tools they need to thrive. One of the key advantages of franchising is the structured support it provides. When you buy a franchise, you gain access to proven systems, specialised training, and ongoing guidance from experienced professionals. This framework allows you to focus on delivering exceptional results for your clients without the uncertainties of starting a business from scratch. The demand for mental health services continues to rise, making this an ideal time to enter the hypnotherapy sector. By investing in a franchise, you can tap into this growing market while benefiting from the credibility and recognition of an established brand. Franchise ownership also offers the opportunity to connect with a network of like-minded individuals. By sharing insights and strategies with fellow franchisees, you can enhance your skills and grow your business more effectively. This collaborative approach fosters a sense of community and support that is invaluable in the entrepreneurial journey. Beyond the financial rewards, owning a hypnotherapy franchise can be deeply fulfilling. The ability to help clients achieve their goals and overcome challenges provides a sense of purpose that is often hard to find in traditional employment. By aligning your career with your passion for helping others, you can create a business that brings both personal and professional satisfaction. As you consider investing in a hypnotherapy franchise, remember that this is more than just a business opportunity, it’s a chance to make a lasting impact. By transforming wellness, you can contribute to a healthier, happier society while building a rewarding career for yourself. By the Ai version of Gemma Bailey https://peoplebuilding.co.uk/franchise