I help overachievers smash burnout and regain control of their lives 💪 Founder @ Rock Solid Health & Energised Leadership

Purpose-Driven Founders & Business Owners: This is for you.

You built your business to have more freedom, but instead, you're:

⚡ Running on empty = pushing through exhaustion, hoping things will ‘calm down’ 

⏳ Always working = weekends, evenings, and still feeling behind 

😵‍💫 Sacrificing your health = mentally, physically, emotionally

If this is you, you’re not alone

But burnout isn’t something you just “push through.”

Here’s why it’s hard to fix on your own: 

1️⃣ You don’t want to admit it = 
Who wants to work with a business owner who’s exhausted and burned out? 

2️⃣ You’ve tried surface-level fixes = 
Meditation, journaling, taking a holiday... but these only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. 

3️⃣ You fear stopping means failure = 
But you don’t need to step away from your business to recover from burnout. 
You need a better way to run it.

If you’re like most of our clients, you’ve already tried: 

❌ Therapy or coaching (but they didn’t understand business pressure) 

❌ Supplements, yoga, breathwork (helpful but not enough) 

❌ Going to the doctor and running tests (everything comes back ‘fine’ 🤦‍♀️)

You’re not ‘just stressed.’ You’re burned out.

That’s why we use the ACE Method to help business owners break free from exhaustion: 

✅ Accept & acknowledge which dimension of burnout you're in 

✅ Calm & control your nervous system (so stress doesn’t rule your life) 

✅ Explore & eliminate the root causes, so you never end up here again

And here’s what happens in 3 months when you work with us: 

✅ You take weekends off guilt-free 

✅ You feel in control of your time & energy 

✅ You love your business again (without resenting it) 

✅ You stop running on fumes and start thriving

💡 Over 1,000+ working with business owners and studying burnout

 📈 Our clients increase their mental, physical, and emotional health by up to 53%.

Here’s what two of them had to say: 
💬 "All my general health markers have improved. My resting heart rate has gone from 95 to 65. I've lost 2 stone. My hair has regrown. My company is more profitable, we've had a big increase in client numbers." — Ffi Bishop, Owner of The Feline Cat Care Company

💬 "I enjoy life again! I can work again and tackle new projects. I find a sense in living again, which I had completely lost. My entire work life has completely changed." — Evelyne Gusken, Scientific Regulatory Affairs Manager in Agriculture

📌 If you're ready to stop running on empty, start by taking the Burnout Self-Assessment (link in featured section).

Laura Ash

I’ve been a little quiet on here the past couple of weeks.

Not because things have slowed down, but because they have blown up!

So here’s a little life update.

Baz and I have been deep in delivery around Violence Against Women & Girls prevention work with Gemma and Ben

In schools and in the community, with Safeguaring leads and alongside the Police

We are having the conversations most people would avoid.

We’ve been delivering:

• Education around online harm
• Confidence and self-esteem sessions for girls
• Practical safety and awareness elements alongside self-defence partners
• Honest discussions with boys around respect, masculinity and accountability

VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) has been declared a national emergency in the UK.

The statistics are nothing short of shocking and the need is real for this work.

But there is hope, the students and people in the community have been super engaged in the workshops and staff in schools WANT support and the collaboration across services is growing.

And at the same time…

We’re still coaching our Energised Leadership clients through burnout recovery.

Still helping founders and leaders untangle identity from exhaustion.

Still protecting our weekends because time off isn’t a luxury, it’s maintenance.

And in a very wholesome plot twist…

I’ve started knitting.

(Which, ironically, has been slightly stressful while I try to figure it out. But more on that to follow 😂)

I want to share this message with you because this has to be lived, not just taught:

You can do meaningful work
AND protect your energy.

You can tackle hard conversations
AND build a life you enjoy.

If I’ve been quieter on LinkedIn, it’s because we’ve been having conversations in the DM's and on Zoom/Teams meetings.

But I'm here, we are building, and we are just getting started with all this!

Loz 

P.S Also I am taking part in the Crossfit Open (IYKYK), completed 2 jigsaw puzzles, saw our client SHINE as she displayed her artwork in a gallery, AND got featured in the brochure, and knitted a scarf for the cat's

“How long does it take to silence your inner critic?”

That was the question we were asked at our latest Violence Against Women & Girls event in Aylesham with Gemma.

And honestly?

It’s the wrong question.

Because your inner critic isn’t something you fight.

It’s something you learn to filter.

At the session, I did something different.

I handed one of the women a stethoscope (because we all have one of those in our back pockets ;) )

I asked her to get quiet and to really listen

At first, she couldn’t hear anything, not because the room wasn’t silent (it was) but because her mind wasn’t.

There was internal chatter, a little bit of panic from the pressure of people waiting and the fear of what others might be thinking

Sound familiar?

Then suddenly…there it was, her heartbeat which was steady, contstant and certain

And I said:
That is your real voice, the one underneath the criticism, underneath the labels and  the “not good enoughs.”

That voice isn’t loud, and it does not shout; it actually waits for you

So many of us have accepted other people’s judgments as truth.

We let external noise override the one voice that actually belongs to us.

But your body knows, and your heart knows the truth. 

Your inner critic isn’t your enemy, most of the time, it’s just scared, and when you see it like that, it stops being something to silence……and starts becoming something you can lead.

Overcoming the inner critic isn’t about shutting it down; it is about getting quiet enough to hear what’s underneath it.

When I asked her how it felt, she said:
“It was really relaxing.”

That’s why this work, Gemma and I are doing is vital because confidence isn’t built through force, it’s built through reconnection.

If your inner voice feels louder than your confidence lately…

What would happen if you stopped trying to silence it and started listening differently?

Loz

The 7-year-old who stole the show 

Couple of week back myself and Gemma delivered a pilot session for a new area of the Women’s Safety Event.
 
Because it’s half term, we had a mix in the room Year 10s, Year 11s… and one unexpected guest.
 
A 7-year-old, and she absolutely stole the show 

(I won't name names out of respect for privacy...but let's call her Lotty)
 
As part of the session, I bring out a stethoscope. 

I invite someone up to listen to their own heartbeat.
 
But there’s a catch to hear it, you have to get really, really quiet, and that’s the point. 

Most of us aren’t listening to our real voice.

We’re listening to:
Opinions we internalised
Criticism disguised as “realism”
Assumptions from past experiences
Labels we picked up from other people
 
Our inner critic gets loud, and our true voice gets drowned out.
 
So Lotty comes up.

Stethoscope in her ears.

Room silent.
 
And she just… listens.
 
No panic.
No overthinking.
No "performance".
 
She finds her heartbeat.
 
The whole room is watching teenagers, adults, professionals, and they’re learning from Lotty, a 7-year-old who simply connected with herself.

Literally the WHOLE room got it in that ONE moment. 
 
Then later, we ask everyone to write an “I Am” affirmation.

Something powerful.

Something true.

Something that rewrites old narratives.
 
We invite them to say it out loud.

Again.

And again.
 
And Lotty, bright as a button, proud as anything, stands tall and says:
“I am pretty.” 🥹
 
Clear. Certain. Unapologetic.
 
And in that moment, I felt it.
 
She’s so young that the world hasn’t imprinted over her yet.

Her worth isn’t tied to productivity.
It’s not tied to achievement.
It’s not tied to how busy she is.
It’s not tied to proving anything.
 
She just is.
 
And I couldn’t help but think about us.

Business owners.
Leaders.
High achievers.
 
How often has our “I am” become:
“I am behind.”
“I am not doing enough.”
“I am only as good as my results.”
 
Somewhere along the way, our clean slate got crowded.
 
That night was a reminder that underneath the noise, the meetings, the targets, the to-do lists…
 
Your real voice is still there.

Steady.
Constant.
Certain.
Like a heartbeat.
 
Maybe this week, instead of adding more to your list, you create 2 minutes of quiet.
 
Just listen.
 
And then rewrite your “I am.”
 
Not from pressure.

From truth.
 
Loz 
 
P.S I have blurred out for privacy reasons but this was the actual moment this all happened

I have taken up Knitting......and it's not what you think

I decided that when Baz and I aren’t doing a jigsaw puzzle together 

(because that is jigsaw adultery lol) 

In the evenings, I wanted something else I could do that helps me switch off.
 
Something with my hands, something slow, something that isn’t connected to a screen and does not “achieve” anything. 

A little de-stressing technique, shall we say.
 
Now full disclosure…
 
It has been more stressful trying to figure it out than I anticipated 😂

There have been moments of:
 
😤 Why won’t this stitch work?!
😤 I’ve definitely done this wrong.
😤 How is this relaxing?!
 
But here’s the interesting part…
 
Even in the frustration, it’s teaching me something

Because knitting isn’t really about knitting. 

It’s about choosing to have something in my life that has no commercial outcome.

There is no audience (other than Goose and Salem watching me), no productivity metric and 100% NO KPI's
 
It’s about building the muscle of:

“I am allowed to exist without producing.” 

And that matters because so many people say to us,

“You’re so busy, when do you get time for yourselves?”
 
And sometimes I think people assume it’s just easier for us. 

But we are the same as you!
 
We have felt too busy and said "I can't", and we believed that the business needed us constantly
 
But the huge difference now is this

We design differently, we protect our evenings and weekends and add in small rituals that calm our nervous system instead of constantly stimulting it.
 
Burnout doesn’t happen from one big thing

It happens from thousands of tiny moments where you never truly switch off. 

It's like a thousand little paper cuts, you don't notice them really at first.
 
Knitting is me choosing to switch off, even when it’s imperfect...and messy....and even when I have to pull the wool out and start again
 
And honestly? That feels like leadership.
 
So here’s a question for you:
 
What’s your version of knitting?
 
What’s one small thing you could introduce that has no outcome other than calming your system?
 
Not because you’ve got spare time.
 
But because you can’t afford not to protect your energy.
 
Loz
 
P.S. Pics below of the scarf I knitted Salem and Goose our cats

Does "switching off" make you nervous?

Because that is what we are talking about on the latest episode of the 

Stress Less Live More Podcast

Boredom and doing nothing can be a real fear for a lot of us

Especially for someone who struggles with 

"Hurry Sickness"

Yes, it's a whole thing!

Come and join in on the conversation

Just search Stress Less Live More wherever you get your podcasts

PLUS, we have a free download to grab too 

The 7 Day Slow Down Challenge

Take it if you DARE! 

Loz

Can you control your emotions?

A lot of people say you should be mentally strong, change your mindset, stay positive, and push through!

But after years of working with business owners, leaders and high achievers… I see something very different.

You can’t "control" emotions you don’t understand.

Recently, I was working with a client who told me they wanted to become more mentally fit to combat their mental confusion.

They believed the answer was to push harder.

Think stronger thoughts.

Be more resilient.

But as we unpacked things together, it became clear that wasn’t what they needed.

They were all "up in their head" and THAT was the issue.

What they actually needed was to drop down into thier body and learn something called 'Emotional intelligence"

Because emotions aren’t problems to fix.

They show up moment by moment, trying to tell us something about what’s really going on beneath the surface.

And when we ignore those signals long enough, they don’t disappear.

They get louder and start shouting, a bit like the 3-year-old that get's ingored in the supermarket and then has a temper tantrum in the middle of aisle 9!

This is what I see behind the scenes with many of the people we work with:

People whose relationships are falling apart.
People who have lost any sense of joy in their life.
People numbing themselves with work, alcohol or distractions.
People who look successful on the outside but feel empty inside.

Some of them have been so burned out and overwhelmed that they have even questioned whether life is worth continuing.

You can't think your way out of emotions

The advice they’ve often been given?
“Be stronger.”
“Stay resilient.”
“Push through.”

But pushing through emotions doesn’t solve them; it buries them deeper

And buried emotions have a way of showing up later as burnout, anxiety, anger or exhaustion.

I said something to a client recently that sums this up:

"This isn’t really about mental fitness or resilience. It’s about building mental and emotional intelligence."

Because when you start to understand your emotions instead of fighting them, everything begins to change.

You make better decisions.
You reconnect with yourself.
You start to feel present again.

And most importantly…
You start to enjoy life again.

And honestly, I can’t imagine anything more heartbreaking than living a life you no longer enjoy.

Sometimes the difference between someone surviving and someone actually living…is simply helping them understand what they’re feeling.

I'm curious when was the last time you stopped long enough to ask what your emotions were trying to tell you?

Loz 

P.S if you want to spend some time with an animal that gets emotions, be around horses. This was us in Montana, just after we did a Cattle Drive, and these amazing animals KNOW how to work with you

5 signs you’ve picked someone else’s version of success

1. You’re exhausted every day
2. Every time you reach a goal, the goalposts move.
3. Your health and energy are always the things sacrificed.
4. You look successful on paper… but feel strangely empty.
5. Your life looks impressive, but it doesn’t actually feel fulfilling.

If that's you, here’s the uncomfortable truth:

You are not chasing YOUR version of success.

You are chasing the one you inherited
→ from society
→ from your industry
→ or from someone’s carefully curated social media feed.

And that’s where burnout often starts.

What changes when success is actually yours

1. Your health stops being optional.
2. Your energy becomes sustainable.
3. You feel proud of your life, not just your work.
4. You stop feeling like you’re constantly behind.
5. Success starts to feel fulfilling, not just impressive.

We talked about this on Energised Leadership call #140 recently.

The dictionary defines success as:

“The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.”

That’s it.

→ Not money.
→ Not followers.
→ Not six figures.
→ Not a packed diary.

Just achieving the aim.

The real question is:
Who chose the aim?

During the call, some of our members reshaped their definition of success as:

→ → “Having more silliness in my life.”
→ → “Spending time outside in the garden every day.”
→ → “Waking up with energy instead of dread.”

Those definitions are just as valid as a £10k month or £1m in the bank.

And interestingly…

When success is aligned with who you actually are, the external results often follow anyway.

Because the energy behind it is different.

This is the work we do with a lot of the people we coach.

Helping them stop chasing success that looks good…
…and start building success that actually feels good to live.

Question for you

How would you finish this sentence?

Success for me right now looks like ______

Loz

I started watching the new documentary by Louis Theroux about the so-called manosphere this week.

Halfway through, I had to turn it off.

Not because I was shocked.

As a former police officer, I’ve seen and heard a lot over the years.

But I can honestly say I have rarely felt the level of anger I felt watching parts of that programme. 

The kind of anger that makes you feel like you're going to vomit.

Over the past nine months, Barry and I have been working closely in the Violence Against Women and Girls space, delivering sessions in schools and communities alongside Gemma and Ben from AMK Krav Maga.

In those sessions, we talk about things like:

• Consent
• Boundaries
• Respect
• What healthy masculinity actually looks like
• Emotional and mental health for young men
• The consequences of our choices

And here’s the reality.

Every single day, we hear about the language young people are consuming online.

“Red pill.”
“Blue pill.”
The manosphere.

Boys repeating what they’ve heard online and having no clue what it really. means. 

Girls being judged and degraded based on their appearance at 14, 15 and 16 years old.

That shouldn’t be the world teenagers are navigating.

What struck me most watching the documentary wasn’t just the views being expressed about women.

It was the anger behind them.

If you listen carefully, underneath the words you can hear something else:

Pain.
Confusion.
Trauma.

Young men searching for identity and belonging.

Now let me be clear.

Pain is not an excuse for harmful behaviour.

But it is something we need to acknowledge if we want to actually solve the problem.

One moment in the documentary particularly stayed with me.

One of the influencers admitted that a large portion of his audience is 13–14 year olds.

When challenged on this, he pushed the responsibility back onto parents.

And yes, parents absolutely play a role.

But I also believe something else very strongly:

If you choose to build a platform online, you carry responsibility for what you put into the world.

Content shapes culture.

Culture shapes behaviour.

Behaviour shapes society.

This isn’t just a “boys problem” or a “girls problem”.

It’s a society problem.

And the good news is that conversations are happening.

Every week, we sit in rooms with teenagers who want to talk about these issues.

Young men who want guidance.

Young women who want confidence.

Students who simply want clarity about what respect, boundaries and healthy relationships actually look like.

They are listening.

They are curious.

And they care far more than people might think.

That gives me hope.

Because burying our heads in the sand won’t solve this.

But education, conversation and positive role models just might.

And that’s the work we’ll keep showing up to do.

What do you think is the biggest influence shaping young people’s views on relationships right now: parents, social media, or peers?

Laura

Since last year, Baz and I have been working with Gemma and Ben delivering Violence Against Women and Girls workshops in schools and communities 

The sessions focus on:
 • confidence
 • boundaries
 • consent
 • respect
 • and practical self-defence.

Baz created this short showreel to give a glimpse of the impact happening in classrooms and communities right now.

If you work in business, for corporate companies or at school, we would love to hear from you because this work saves lives more than you could know

Laura

Burnout Recovery Strategist | Helping purpose-driven business owners & founders take weekends off & grow without burnout | 1000+ lives impacted | CEO Rock Solid Health | Former Prison Officer and PTI

We’ve just created a short showreel that captures the work we’ve been doing around Violence Against Women and Girls.

Over the past few months, we’ve been delivering workshops alongside AMK Krav Maga, working with schools and communities to help young people better understand safety, boundaries and respect.

This work focuses on two key areas.

With women and girls, Laura leads conversations around the psychological side of self-defence — helping participants recognise the inner critic, trust their instincts, understand boundaries and feel confident using their voice.
Alongside this, Gemma from AMK Krav Maga teaches practical self-defence skills that help participants understand how to create space, break holds and respond physically if needed.

But prevention cannot sit with women and girls alone.
That’s why Ben and I are also delivering sessions with young men and boys.
In those sessions, we have honest conversations about:
• Respect
 • Boundaries
 • Consent
 • Peer pressure
 • And what it truly means to be a good man in today’s world
Because real change happens when we educate both sides of the conversation.
The response from schools and students has been incredibly powerful.

Many leave saying they feel more confident, more aware and better equipped to navigate situations that previously felt confusing or difficult to talk about.
This short showreel captures a glimpse of those sessions and the impact they are already having.

If you work within a school, safeguarding team or community organisation and would like to explore bringing these workshops to your students or members, we’d love to hear from you.

Because prevention starts with education, confidence and honest conversations.

Have a Great week

Baz

PS
Only by all of us working together can we make a difference.

Please message me if you are interested in bringing us into your school.

#VAWG #ViolenceAgainstWomenAndGirls #Safeguarding #ConsentEducation #Schools #CommunitySafety #Respect #HealthyRelationships #SelfDefence #Education

Corina Goetz 💫

Middle East Strategist | Keynote Speaker | Simple steps how to decode the Middle East | Consulting | Training and Online Resources at star-cat.co.uk |

Most Western businesses do not fail in the Gulf because of their product.
They fail because they misunderstand the culture, the moment, and the way trust is built.

I explain how business and culture actually work across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait—beyond outdated assumptions and surface-level advice.

Doing business in the Gulf today is not about flying in with a polished pitch or translated materials.
It is about understanding:
- how decisions are really made
- why relationships come before transactions
and how national pride, ambition, and context shape every interaction

When those things are missed, deals quietly stall.
When they are understood, doors open.

I work with Western leaders and teams who want to operate in the Gulf with confidence, credibility, and cultural fluency—not guesswork.

What I help with:

- Navigating business and social etiquette without second-guessing
- Building trust with senior stakeholders
- Adapting communication and strategy to how the region actually works
- Turning insight into long-term presence, not short-term wins

What clients say
“For years we dabbled in the GCC. Now we have a focused, confident team that knows how to build real relationships—and we are seeing the impact in our pipeline.”

“We struggled to connect before. Shifting our mindset and communication changed everything.”

Ways I work with teams
- VIP strategy days
- Cultural and commercial advisory (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman)
- Workshops and group training on Gulf business culture

Speaking on:
- Doing business in the Gulf as a Westerner
- Saudi cultural insights
- Women, entrepreneurship, and influence in the Middle East

Resources and tools:
👉 www.star-cat.co.uk/shop

If you want a simple place to start, I share practical insights in my free newsletter:
👉 https://star-cat.uk/newsletter-page-8920

If this resonates, you can reach me via DM or email: support@star-cat.co.uk

Founder

Star-CaT helps companies and professionals to succeed in the Gulf region. We have been trusted advisors to many HNW clients from the Gulf and we now teach others how to build these relationships.
Our Services include:
🌙 Training 
🌙 Advisory
🌙 Middle East Membership for ongoing support (for companies and individuals) 
🌙 Speaking
🌙 Online Resources
www.star-cat.co.uk

I landed in Saudi Arabia with LinkedIn connections as my only local contacts.
They did not just show up 
— 
they exceeded every expectation.

Before I went this is what everyone told me:

🚫 “It is not safe.”
🚫 “You will not have rights.”
🚫 “You cannot travel alone.”
🚫 “You will not enjoy it.”

And yet my experience in Saudi Arabia has looked very different.

On several trips, I travelled with local guides I had only ever met on LinkedIn before landing.
No prior introductions.
No long history.

If you want to see Taif, Jeddah or Al Ula - you call Khalid Alsherbi
If you want to experience Aseer you call Ibrahim Fathy

And every single time?
This trips lit me up because of the hospitality. (and I send them all my friends!)

Why?

They are:
✅ proud of their country and genuinely excited to show it.
💚 super friendly — the kind of warmth you cannot fake.
✅ incredibly knowledgeable about history, culture, and the transformation happening under Vision 2030.
💚 protective in the most respectful way — making sure I was comfortable, safe, and seeing the best of their cities.

I travelled alone.
As a woman. 
Let that sink in. 

I explored.
I had long conversations about family, ambition, faith, and the future of the region.
And I felt safe.

These photos were taken in Taif during Rose season (yes rose season! 🌸 )

Saudi does not reveal itself to people who arrive with assumptions.

It opens up to those who arrive with curiosity — and to those willing to build real relationships (yes, starting on LinkedIn).

If you want the real stories, practical tips, cultural nuance, and behind-the-scenes insights from my Saudi trips…

Do not miss the next edition of my newsletter ⬇
https://lnkd.in/eUHptpb9

Corina Goetz

Explaining how Business and Culture actually work across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait.

The Gulf is not just a “market” to me.

It is people.
It is homes I have been welcomed into.
It is clients who became friends.
It is conversations over coffee and dates at sunset.

Seeing what is happening right now breaks my heart.

To everyone in the region — I am thinking of you.

May you be protected.
May your families be safe.
May calm return quickly.

Some moments are bigger than business.
This is one of them.
💔

No alternative text description for this image

When headlines explode, the real story happens in private messages.

The last 48 hours have felt heavy.

Before forming opinions, before analysing anything, I reached out to friends and clients across the Gulf.

The responses varied.

Some were shocked.
Some could not sleep.
Some were very calm.

And that contrast struck me.

Because the Gulf is often spoken about as one entity.

It is not.
It is individuals. 
Families. 
Different temperaments. 
Different emotional responses. 
Different ways of processing uncertainty.

What was consistent, though, was something else entirely:
People checking in on each other.

“Are you safe?”
“Are you home?”
“Let me know if you need anything.”

No strategy.
No positioning.

Just humanity.

Whatever your view. 
Whatever your politics. 
Whatever your perspective.
Whatever your religion.

I simply hope everyone stays protected and safe.

In moments like this, I am reminded why I believe so deeply in what I do.

Relationships matter more than headlines.
Always. 💔 🙏

I did not expect this to be what unsettled me most this week.

Watching parts of the UK internet turn on people living in the Middle East.

"They left for tax reasons." 
"They made their choice." 
"They are getting what they deserve."

I had to put my phone down.

Because I know these people. 

I have worked alongside them, shared meals with them, watched them build companies, raise children, and move between worlds in ways that most people never will.

They are human beings — in a region that right now feels deeply uncertain — and the response from some back home has been smugness.

That is worth sitting with.

You can have views on tax policy. 
You can debate where people choose to live and why. 

That is a legitimate conversation.

But implying that civilians forfeit the right to safety because of a postcode?

That is not political commentary. 
That is dehumanisation dressed up as one.

Many of the people I know in the Gulf still pay UK tax. 
Many support families back home. 
Many were sent there by British companies. 
Many have been there for decades — long before any of this unfolded.

And even if none of that were true —
Safety is not something you earn by living in the right country.

Compassion is not a reward for the financially conventional.

One of the things that working across the Gulf has given me is a very clear sense of how connected this world actually is. 

How many British lives, jobs, and industries are woven into that region. 
How many families sit across both.

The comment section does not reflect that reality.

When a region is in turmoil, the only appropriate response — whatever your politics, whatever your economic views — is to wish people safe.

That should not be a controversial position.

For years, I have been writing about the Gulf. 
This week, I saw the impact in real life.

At several events, people I had only met on LinkedIn walked up to me and said:
“You have completely changed how I see Saudi.”
“I did not understand the Gulf until I started reading your posts.”
“You explain it in a way that finally makes sense.”

And what struck me most was not the compliment.

It was the pattern.

Different industries.
Different rooms.
Different places.

Same message.

For years, there has been a gap between how the West talks about the Gulf… and how the Gulf actually operates.

One side moves fast, loud, headline-driven.

The other moves relational, strategic, long-term.

Most misunderstandings — and missed opportunities — live in that gap.

If my writing, keynotes, and conversations are helping close that gap even slightly…

Then I am doing what I wanted to do.

Not to defend.
Not to persuade.
But to translate.

To help Western leaders approach the region with intelligence instead of assumption.

To help Gulf partners feel understood rather than explained.

This week reminded me of something powerful:
When you consistently show up with nuance, clarity, and respect — people notice.

Bridges are not built in one post.

They are built in hundreds of small, steady ones.

And from the conversations I had this week…
The bridge is being used.

And that makes me so happy.

Here are some resources that may help you:
Middle East Insights: https://lnkd.in/eUHptpb9
Middle East Sunday Pages: https://lnkd.in/euwrazAC
Gulf Etiquette Success Playbook: https://lnkd.in/e5p3RrRE

The Gulf is not expensive.
Failed Expat assignments are.

Companies regularly spend £200,000–£300,000 relocating a Senior Executive to the Gulf.

- Housing packages.
- International school fees.
- Flights.
- Allowances.
- Relocation support.
Sometimes much more.

And then something happens that nobody planned for.

Within 6–12 months, the assignment starts to struggle.

👎🏻 Relationships stall.
👎🏻  Meetings feel confusing.
👎🏻  Decisions move in ways the Executive does not understand.

Not because they are not talented.

But because no one prepared them for the cultural operating system of the region.

Different signals.
Different trust dynamics.
Different ways influence actually works.

This means your brilliant Executive, you just hired, arrives with the right CV, the right experience and the right mandate…
…and 
spends their first year trying to decode the room.

That first year is often the most expensive year of the entire expansion.

I see this pattern again and again with Western companies entering the Gulf.

Which is exactly why many organisations now bring me in before their Executives land.

Because compared to the cost of a failed expat assignment, preparation is a minor cost.

If that is happening in your company - we should talk.

Now.

I am going to say something most Western commentators will not.

What we have seen this week in the Gulf has been a Masterclass in leadership under pressure.

Because crisis reveals competence.

While Western timelines spiralled into outrage, commentary and hot takes… the response on the ground was different.

👌 Hotels funded for stranded tourists.
👌 Rapid coordination.
👌 Clear communication.
👌 Leaders physically visible in public spaces.

Not hidden.
Not dramatic.
Present.

Having coffee in public. 
Being seen. 
Calm.

That is not accidental symbolism.

That is strategic reassurance.

And here is the part no one wants to say out loud:
There is a reason Instagram is full of thousands of reels asking people in the Gulf:
“Don’t you feel unsafe?”
And 
the replies are almost identical:
“No. Because we know who protects us.”

You can roll your eyes at that if you want.
or 
you can study it.

Because trust like that is not built in a press conference.

It is built over years of visible authority, decisive action and social contracts that people believe in.

In the West, leadership often gets louder during chaos.
In the Gulf, leadership gets steadier.

Less commentary.
More containment.
Less panic.
More presence.

You do not have to agree with every policy.
You do not have to align politically.
But 
if you care about leadership as a discipline — you recognise when it is executed well.

And sometimes the most uncomfortable truth for Western observers is this:
There are regions that handle crisis with more composure than we expect.

Underestimation is a dangerous habit.

And the Gulf has a long memory.

An Iftar Invitation Is Never “Just Dinner.”

If you work with the Gulf, read that again.

And one of the biggest mistakes Western professionals make is assuming an Iftar invitation is a networking opportunity.

It is not.
It is a trust moment.

When someone invites you to break the fast with them, they are not just offering food.

They are offering proximity.

To their rhythm.
To their values.
And often to their family.

And in the Gulf, proximity is currency.

I have seen Executives:
– Confirm and then cancel because “something came up.”
– Arrive late.
– Rush into business talk.
– Follow up the next morning with a proposal attachment.

None of these are dramatic mistakes.

But they are quietly remembered.

Ramadan softens hierarchy.

CEOs sit beside children.
Royals sit beside founders.
Family members are present.

Your emotional intelligence becomes more visible than your job title.

Are you patient?
Are you observant?
Do you read the room?
Do you understand that silence is part of the rhythm?

Iftar is not about pushing things forward.

It is about showing who you are when the formal structure drops away.

Today's Middle East Sunday Pages talk exactly about this: 
https://lnkd.in/euwrazAC

Because in the Gulf, it is never “just dinner.”

It is taking you to the next level of the relationship. (if you do it right)

When the world feels loud, I look at the signal — not the noise.

Yes, the headlines are intense.
Yes, emotions are high.

But here is the thing: 
The region does not stop.

It adapts.
It recalibrates.
It builds.

The Gulf has always been long-term in its thinking.
And in moments like this, long-term thinking matters.

This month's Middle East Insights are not about drama.

It is about perspective.
It is about momentum.
It is about understanding what is quietly moving beneath the surface.

Because if you work with the region — or want to — you need signal clarity.
Not social media panic.

If you would like more Gulf updates, you can subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/e9DW3zd2

Stay steady.
Stay informed.
Stay relational.

The Gulf always rewards those who understand it.

In Today's Issue for you... Star-CaT Updates and News Dates you need News from the Gulf Stats You Should Know To Become More Skilled in the Gulf In 2 

Open article: Your Gulf Intelligence Brief — March Edition by Corina Goetz • 4 min read

Your Gulf Intelligence Brief — March Edition

If you think you are doing well in Saudi Arabia, you might already be plateauing.

This is the truth.
Uncomfortable - yes.

You are invited.
But 
not embedded.

Respected.
But 
not protected.

Here is what most Westerners miss:
Access is not acceptance.

Saudi Arabia is exceptionally polite.

It does not reject loudly.
It does not correct publicly.
It does not announce categorisation.
It simply adjusts distance.

Some foreigners thrive here.
Their names carry weight in rooms they are not in.

Others stay… useful.
The difference is rarely competence.

It is permission.
And permission is never granted explicitly.
 
It is recognised over time — through judgement, restraint, and alignment.

Part III of my Saudi series for the Middle East Sunday Pages explains this exact dynamic:
Why some foreigners go deep in Saudi Arabia — and others remain politely peripheral for years without understanding why.

Read it here:
https://lnkd.in/euwrazAC

This is not a tactics piece.

It is not a checklist.
It is not about “cultural tips.”
It is about what is being decided quietly — while you think things are going well.

Saudi Arabia rarely closes doors dramatically.
It just stops opening them further.

Everyone suddenly has an opinion about the Gulf again. 
Few people actually spoke to anyone there.

Over the last few days I reached out to friends and clients across the region.
🇸🇦 Riyadh.
🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi, Dubai.
🇶🇦 Doha.
🇰🇼 Kuwait City.
🇴🇲 Muscat.
🇧🇭 Manama.

Not to discuss politics.

Just to ask a simple question:
“Are you okay?”

And the responses were fascinating.

What struck me again was something I see often when the region appears in Western headlines.

The distance between the narrative and the reality.

In the West the conversation quickly becomes dramatic.
Speculation.
Predictions.
Strong opinions from people thousands of miles away.

But the conversations inside the region felt very different.

More grounded.
More personal.
More focused on people than politics.

And something else became very clear:
It means a lot when you reach out.

Those small gestures travel a long way in the Gulf.

Because relationships matter here.

More than headlines.
More than narratives.

So I decided to dedictae this week's Middle East Sunday Pages to everyone in the Gulf. 

Because this week they inspired me with:
🫶🏻 their courage
🫶🏻 their optimism
🫶🏻 their foresight

You can read it here:
https://lnkd.in/euwrazAC

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