Why it Exists

I know you. I know your career. I know how you think, where you're brilliant, where you can get in your own way, and probably a fair bit of the backstory too.

Direct Line is for former clients who want to keep that relationship going.

Not through another structured programme.

Through ongoing access to me when real career and leadership stuff happens.

This is the 'Sonal, quick one ...' support

• Your boss says something strange.
• You're about to walk into an important meeting.
• There's a political situation brewing and you want another pair of eyes on it.
• You've received an email and you're not sure whether to respond, push back, wait, escalate or leave it alone.
• An opportunity lands unexpectedly.
• You need to prepare for a difficult conversation.
• Or you simply want to talk something through with someone who already knows the context.

You don't have to wait for the next formal coaching session and spend half of it bringing me up to speed.

You reach out.

How it works

You have private access to me as things come up. That might mean a WhatsApp message, a voice note, sending me an email or message to look at, a quick sense-check before a meeting, talking through a difficult stakeholder or situation, preparing for an important conversation, jumping on a call when that's the easiest way to deal with it, or a longer conversation when something genuinely needs one.

Some periods will be busier than others. That's fine. We're not counting minutes. The point is that I'm there when you need me.

WhatsApp access

This is important. I don't offer WhatsApp access broadly. I reserve that level of access for retained, longer-term clients.

Why? Because this kind of support works best when it's easy. You shouldn't have to book a call three weeks from now to ask me about something happening today. Sometimes a three-minute voice note is all you need. Sometimes we need to talk. We decide based on the situation.

What can we work on?

Whatever is happening in your career or leadership world. That could include navigating organisational politics, managing upwards, difficult bosses, peers or stakeholders, establishing yourself in a new role, promotion and progression, visibility and positioning, high-stakes meetings, difficult conversations, job opportunities that unexpectedly land, interviews or negotiations, career decisions, messages, emails and communication, or simply figuring out what the hell is going on before you decide what to do about it.

There isn't a curriculum.

Your career provides the curriculum.

Why Direct Line?

Because our work doesn't suddenly become irrelevant once you land the job. In many ways, that's when a completely different set of challenges begins.

And when we've already worked together, there's an advantage. There's history. There's trust. There's shorthand. I don't need the 45-minute backstory before we can get to the actual question. We can get straight into it.