Astronauts, Red Arrows and ... sleep deprivation.

Last week was a blur of space, jets, and a serious amount of coffee.
I was speaking at the UK Space Conference (three sessions in two days!) followed immediately by a talk at RIAT (Royal International Air Tattoo), one of the world’s biggest air shows.
It was inspiring. Intense. And exhausting.
On the Thursday evening train back from the conference, I got a message that my youngest was unwell. So it was straight back into parenting mode with very little sleep, a lot of worry, and a sharp u-turn from astronauts to Calpol.
But Friday morning arrived. I downed my coffee, and headed to RIAT. I arrived just as Tim Peake was finishing his talk and being mobbed for selfies. I managed a quick hello, grabbed a flapjack in the green room, and then stepped on stage to speak about human performance in extreme environments, with the roar of the jets overhead.
By the end of the day, I was back in shorts and a t-shirt on the sofa with my daughters doing puzzles.
Because this is the reality for many of us.
The juggle between work and … well, life.
Between showing up professionally and personally.
That’s why in Launchpad, we’re dedicating August to self-care. Not the fluffy, bubble-bath kind (though we’re not judging that either). But the practical kind that keeps you sane when work is full-on, the kids are home from school, and you’re trying to do it all.
We’ll be sharing tools for managing boundaries, energy, and expectations, without guilt. And helping you build a version of leadership that doesn’t burn you out.
If you’re already part of Launchpad, you’ll get everything as part of your membership.
If you’re not yet in the programme but you’re feeling this… now might be a good time to join us ;-)
Because sometimes leadership looks like speaking on stage.
And sometimes, it looks like chilling out on the sofa.
Take care,
Susan
PS. If you're taking summer off but interested in joining Launchpad in the Autumn, you can book a call with me now for September to see if it's right for you.