Why I Created La Dolce Vita for Coaches
It Started with Frustration
La Dolce Vita for Coaches came about because of something that had bothered me for years.
Like many coaches, I’ve attended professional development events in some wonderful locations.
Beautiful cities, stunning hotels in places full of history, culture and character.
And yet, when I returned home, I often realised I’d barely experienced any of it.
The pattern was usually the same. Breakfast, then training room, then lunch, then training room, then dinner, then bed.
The training might have been very good but I could have been almost anywhere in the world.
Apart from looking out of the window occasionally, I hadn’t really connected with the place itself.
And as an Advanced Skills Teacher and Trainer I knew there was a better way to maximise the learning at the same time as enjoying the experience of being in a beautiful place.
We Need Space to Think
As coaches, we spend much of our time helping clients slow down, reflect and gain new perspectives.
We know that insight rarely arrives when someone is rushing from one thing to the next. It often emerges in the pauses, the spaces between conversations and the moments when there is room to think.
Yet many professional development events are designed around squeezing as much content as possible into every available minute.
I wanted to create something different that was more brain friendly and less frantic.
Rather than packing every hour with presentations and activities, I wanted to create an experience where learning had room to breathe.
A place where coaches could deepen their practice, reflect on what they were discovering and allow new ideas to settle before moving on to the next thing.
More Than a Training Programme
La Dolce Vita for Coaches is intentionally designed as more than a training programme.
Of course, there are workshops, coaching conversations, practical activities, time to play and opportunities to develop your coaching skills.
But there is also time.
Time to walk through the streets of Pisa.
Time to sit with a coffee and a notebook.
Time to enjoy long conversations over lunch and dinner.
Time to visit local markets, explore Tuscany or simply spend an afternoon by the pool or in the spa.
Often some of the most valuable learning doesn’t happen during a workshop.
It happens afterwards.
Maybe in a conversation with another coach which sparks a new idea or on a walk that helps you see something differently.
A moment of reflection brings clarity to something you’ve been wrestling with for months.
Those moments matter and I wanted to create space for them.
“A beautifully balanced experience where deep learning had time to percolate and embed. The conversations continued long after the workshops ended.”
Why I Chose a Luxury Venue
One of the questions I am sometimes asked is why I chose a five-star hotel for the event.
The answer is simple.
Coaches spend so much of their lives supporting others.
We listen, encourage, challenge and hold space. We help our clients navigate uncertainty, complexity and change.
Yet many coaches rarely give themselves permission to be looked after.
I wanted La Dolce Vita for Coaches to feel special.
Not because luxury is the goal, but because rest and renewal matter.
Our venue is a former 18th-century ducal palace in Tuscany that has been transformed into a beautiful hotel and spa. It offers the perfect environment to step away from everyday responsibilities and focus on your own development.
“The venue was stunning. It felt like a gift to myself as well as an investment in my coaching.”
The Experience I Wanted to Create
At its heart, La Dolce Vita for Coaches is about balance between learning and reflection, growth and enjoymen, ,professional development and personal renewal.
It’s an opportunity to reconnect with your coaching, spend time with other thoughtful coaches and enjoy the beauty of Tuscany at the same time.
Because I believe professional development should do more than fill your notebook.
It should leave you feeling refreshed, inspired and excited about your coaching again.
That’s the experience I wanted to create.
One participant summed it up perfectly:
“I came expecting coach development. I left with that, but also with renewed energy, wonderful friendships and a deeper connection to myself as a coach.”
And that’s why La Dolce Vita for Coaches exists.
Until next time,
Cath
P.S.If the idea of combining meaningful coach development with the beauty, culture and pace of Tuscany appeals to you, I’d love to tell you more about our next event. Click here to arrange a call.
