For those of you who have followed my work over the years, you may know that one of the communities closest to my heart is the Parent Encouragement Program. My relationship with PEP began not as a professional, but as a very overwhelmed young mother. In 1999, I walked into […]
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Tackling Life’s Challenges
Life throws curveballs. Relationships stretch us. Transitions shake us. And sometimes, the hardest part is simply standing still in the middle of it all.
At The Challenge Coach, we believe that every challenge—no matter how messy, painful, or unexpected—is an invitation to grow. This blog is your space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with your courage.
Written by seasoned coach Pascale Brady, each post offers a blend of radical honesty, practical wisdom, and gentle humor. From communication tips to emotional resilience, from personal confessions to professional insights, we explore what it means to live bravely even when life gets complicated.
Every morning somewhere around 7am I drive by my supermarket on the way back from the gym. There is a homeless man sitting at the light, on the ground. He is this little pile of grey— all his clothes are grey, from his shoes to his hat. He only gets […]
A quick note before we begin: I hesitated about how to open this newsletter. If you’ve been reading me for a while, you already know this about me: I don’t pretend that life is neat, predictable, or fair. I work with real people facing real lives — and those lives […]
Dear Clients, Colleagues, Associates, Friends and Family, A few weeks ago, someone close to me told me a story that has stayed with me. A young woman, new to a sports team that she played with after work, was injured badly during a competition. The kind of injury that changes […]
I had coffee recently with a man I’ll call Jean-Pierre. A gentle soul, freshly retired, someone whose life has been full of meaning and contribution. Now that he finally has space — real, uncluttered space — to turn toward the projects he has always dreamed of, you would think he’d […]
Are You Affected by Current Events? Have You Lost Your Job or Been Furloughed? As many of you know, part of my mission as The Challenge Coach is to make coaching accessible — especially during difficult times. In the spirit of this month’s theme — from self-doubt to self-trust — […]
Dear Clients, Colleagues, Associates, Friends and Family, It’s so good to be in touch again. Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletters and for so often responding, reacting, or sharing your reflections. It truly means the world to me and keeps me motivated to continue. I appreciate […]
Dear Clients, Colleagues, Associates, Friends and Family, Even though I have been away last month, taking some much-needed vacation time with family, I almost didn’t want to write to you this month. (Heck, I didn’t want to come back at all …). Not because I had nothing to say, but […]
“There’s something green in the soup.” This simple sentence was the prompt we were given last week in a communications class I attended at ICASSI (International Committee of Adlerian Summer Schools and Institutes). We were asked to share how we each interpreted the phrase—what we made up in our minds […]
SHHHHH… . This stays between us, alright? Confession time:I’ve been really cranky lately. Tense and on edge. Impatient and unkind, especially with my closest people: my partner, my kids, some of my colleagues, maybe even a stranger or two … I believe it was Maya Angelou who asked why we can be […]
It’s often during life’s big transitions—retirement, a major move, a loss, or even a brush with death—that a truth suddenly rises up and confronts us. We think: There’s something I haven’t done. Something I haven’t said. And what if I never do? The most vividly painful experience I’ve had with […]
Almost a month ago, I shared a deeply personal LinkedIn post that struck a nerve — for me, and for many of you. Nearly 4,000 impressions, close to 100 reactions, almost 50 comments… For many, that’s small potatoes — for me, it was an extraordinary moment of connection. It wasn’t […]
Do you know heartbreak? Heartbreak, as I know it, is when: … you’re 7 years old and your heart shatters as your parents argue in the other room. They were supposed to be your safe harbor, your infallible anchor. They were supposed to be forever. … at 26, you pack […]
Last week, I posted something on LinkedIn that drew quite a lot of attention. That post was about the intense emotions many of us are experiencing in reaction to the political changes currently happening in the United States—anger, fear, despair—and how we can channel them into meaningful action. The response to the […]
As the snow falls gently outside my window, I find myself reflecting on the heartache I’ve been witnessing this past month: I’ve been spending time with someone I hold dear, someone who is navigating the stormy seas of grief. A year ago, they lost their life partner of 40 years, their […]
It’s that time of year again—the end-of-year holiday season. While this period is often marketed as one of joy, connection, and gratitude, let’s be real: it’s also a time when stress levels can soar. Between preparing for family gatherings and travel, managing expectations, and fitting everything into an already packed […]
I am sure you are aware … we just had a presidential election in the US. My candidate lost. This happens to at least one-third, if not one-half, of us voters in every American election – so nothing unusual there. But I am sure we’d all agree, no matter what […]
I am not an anxious person. I don’t have an anxious temperament. I don’t easily get afraid (except maybe when I am flying in a plane and there’s turbulence). I rarely panic. In addition, I have to say that I am very leery about labeling people “big words” because I […]
As a life coach, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside people during some of their darkest moments. And while each client’s story is different, they all share one thing in common: a sense of being utterly overwhelmed by life. They often come to me in crisis mode, desperate for […]
In last month’s newsletter, we examined the topic of relationship conflicts through the lens of a couple’s issues. We walked alongside Judy and Rachel as they were navigating serious problems in their relationship following the birth of their third child. We discussed the fact that conflict is an inherent part […]