Mini Course . Self Paced
You've already proved you can work hard.
Now build a career strategy that works for you. Stop Proving. Start Positioning. is a focused career strategy course for Black professionals.
£59 one time payment
Does this sound familiar?
You're capable, experienced and committed. And you're...
- Doing more than your role requires
- Over-preparing
- Carrying work other people avoid
- Waiting for recognition
- Adding more qualifications
- Becoming the person everyone relies on
- Working hard without the progression you expected
Why am I giving so much and getting so little back?
Why does progression seem harder than performance?
Why do I keep feeling as though I need to prove myself?
At some point, more effort stops being the answer.
The problem
The problem is not
always your work ethic.
What you will learn
Three focused lessons. Three clear answers.
01
Lesson 1 · Recognise
Why You Keep Proving Yourself
Identify the behaviours that keep you over-investing in performance — from over-preparing and perfectionism to invisible work and waiting to be recognised. Complete the Proving Check and the Proving Audit.
You’ll leave with an answer to
What am I still trying to prove, and what is it costing me?
02
Lesson 2 · Measure
Calculate what proving is costing you
Examine where your energy goes across the Survival, Performance and Progression Taxes. Complete the Excellence Tax Map and decide what to keep, reduce or stop.
You’ll leave with an answer to
Where am I over-investing, and what am I receiving in return?
03
Lesson 3 · Position
Start Positioning
Move from insight into action through five positioning shifts — building evidence, strategic visibility, sponsorship, higher-value work and choice.
You’ll leave with an answer to
Where should I place my energy now?
Lesson 3 in detail
Five positioning shifts
The goal is not to stop working hard. It is to make sure your effort builds something for you too.
01
Proving
Evidence
02
Visibility
Strategic Visibility
03
Mentorship
Sponsorship
04
More Work
Higher-Value Work
05
Endurance
Choice
You'll Leave With
A 90 Day Positioning Plan
01
Stop
One proving behaviour you will reduce.
02
Start
One positioning behaviour you will introduce.
03
Strengthen
One area of career leverage you will build.
Days 1–30
Notice and Reduce
Days 31–60
Build
Days 61–90
Position
Included
The Positioning Workbook
A printable companion designed to sit beside you as you work through each lesson at your own pace.
The Proving Check
My Proving Patterns
What Am I Trying to Prove?
The Proving Audit
The Excellence Tax Map
Effort versus Return
Invisible Work
My Evidence Bank
My Visibility Map
My Relationship Map
The Work Value Audit
My Choice Check
The 90-Day Positioning Plan
My Positioning Dashboard
Your Positioning Statement
Your New Career Rules
Final Reflection
Your Commitment
This course is for you if
You are a Black or Global Majority professional who…
- Performs at a high level but feels stuck
- Feels pressure to keep proving competence
- Is known for being dependable, not necessarily promotable
- Feels overworked or under-recognised
- Wants to be more strategic about progression Is questioning whether the effort is worth the return
- Wants stronger boundaries
- Wants more choice in your career
- Is considering whether to stay, challenge, reposition or leave
This course is not about doing
less for the sake of doing less.
01
Understand where your effort is going
02
Build evidence
03
Strengthen your positioning
04
Create options
Your investment
Start today. Go deeper if you want to.
The course
Stop Proving. Start Positioning.
£59
one-time payment
- The Positioning Workbook
- The Excellence Tax Map
- The Proving Audit
- The 90-Day Positioning Plan
- The Positioning Dashboard
- Immediate access
- Self-paced learning
Optional · Work with me 1:1
Positioning Strategy Session
£195
60 Minutes
Online
One-to-one
Bring your completed workbook. We will review your current position, identify where you are over-investing in performance, and turn your 90-day plan into a clearer positioning strategy.
What comes after positioning?
Navigating the
Excellence Tax
Stopping proving is one part of the work. The wider programme addresses workplace pressure, burnout and recovery, boundaries, psychological safety, financial protection and whether to stay, challenge, reposition or leave
01
Recognise
02
Protect
03 · This course
Position
04
Decide
the wider Research
The Cost of
Black Excellence
research programme
Stop Proving. Start Positioning. sits within the wider Cost of Black Excellence research programme.
The research examines how workplace conditions affect Black professionals and how those pressures translate into outcomes such as burnout, disengagement, exit consideration and talent loss.
The model in your workbook connects the Survival, Performance, and Progression Taxes to these broader individual and organisational outcomes.
Burnout
Disengagement
Exit Consideration
Talent Loss
My aim is simple:
To produce evidence that helps professionals make better decisions about their careers and helps organisations create better conditions for people to work, progress and stay.
Natasha Williams
Founder, COBE Research
Researcher · Organisational Psychology · Workplace Wellbeing Strategist
You have already proved you can work hard
Is your effort building the career and life you want?
Performance builds evidence.
Positioning determines what happens to the evidence.
Success should expand your life, not consume it.
