June Talk with Clare Smale

It's June, it's the first month of summer and this week, we're feeling it with beautiful hot weather! Each week we talk to business owners in and around the UK about how the month is looking for them. Today we're talking to Clare Smale who is a director, of inspired2learn based in Devizes, Wiltshire. The company helps managers across all sectors gain CMI qualifications in leadership & management or ILM qualifications in coaching and mentoring. I2l also provides executive coaching and supervision for professional coaches.

JUNE is the first month of Summer – what will you be doing this summer in your business?
This summer we are busy getting back to face-to-face training and events, which is exciting after working exclusively online for the past 18 months. 

Travelling more around the UK to support different organisations with training and coaching is a joy and we are particularly looking forward to a project closer to home that involves bringing together managers from Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire Council and Salisbury City Council working towards their ILM L5 Coaching qualification.

What are your personal plans for the summer?
This summer we will be staying local. The i2l team all share a love of the outdoors and where better to walk and cycle than in the glorious Wiltshire countryside! We have a young dog that needs lots of exercise, so twice a day we head up on to the Downs or the Wansdyke to take in the views and listen to the skylarks. 

Wiltshire is a unique county and there are many hidden corners for picnics, river walks and beautiful vistas. Not to mention lovely towns and villages with pubs and cafes for a cold beer or a cream tea. A particular favourite of ours is to watch the summer sun set with a picnic at Oliver’s Castle. 

June is often associated in nature with growth and abundance – what are your plans for growth in your business? 
This year has seen a rapid growth in the popularity of our ILM coaching qualifications, with more new clients across all sectors than ever before. This mirrors a national trend and as yet, the provision of professional supervision for coaches and the development of coach supervisors isn’t keeping up. 

Coach supervision is part of our plan for growth into 2023 and this includes offering an increased number of places on the ILM L7 Certificate for Coach Supervisors. 

As we hit this mid point of 2022– which one business has really supported or helped you over the last quarter? 

A big shout out to Milk & Tweed in Chippenham who are developing our new website. Jamie, Jake and Jon have been professional throughout and creative and fun to work with. We’ve very excited to see the finished result and can’t recommend them highly enough.

June 1 to 7 this year was Volunteers Week – do you volunteer at all and if so, where and why? 
I love volunteering for Julia’s House Children’s Hospice in Devizes. I help with community talks and spread the word about the amazing work they do for families in Wiltshire and also as a fundraiser. My target this year is to raise £3669, which is £1 for every kilometre across Route 66 in the US. 

I am cycling the distance in the UK and using an app to log my progress virtually and have so far achieved 76% of my target. To support the hospice, go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/clare-smale

I also volunteer for CUDS (Clean Up Devizes Squad) in Devizes, helping to keep our lovely town clean of litter and looking great, plus planting projects in public spaces.

June 30 is Social Media Day – what does social media mean to you and your business? 
At i2l we strongly believe it is important to use social media for a positive purpose. We mostly focus on LinkedIn, both as a business and as individuals and seek to share useful or positive content that reflects our professional values and work. 

My Mum used to say: “unless  you’ve got something useful to add, it's better not to say anything at all” and that is how we feel about social media. 

It’s a fine balance to strike between promoting our business and engaging in networks, without becoming part of the information overload problem and pressure to be ‘seen’. 

Sarah Caulfield-Ware looks after our social media brilliantly, whether it be relevant content to share with our community or the more light hearted ‘Throwback Thursday’ posts she has created to celebrate our 20th in business.

Have you got any summer services or special offers you’d like to mention?  
Anyone who contacts us during June and July 2022 and mentions this article can claim a minimum 5% discount on any of our products or services (possibly more depending on the amount of spend. 

And finally:
I’ve mentioned my fund-raising for Julia’s House hospice above. Any support would be much appreciated.

 For more information visit www.inspired2learn.co.uk