‘How can we overcome this polycrisis, if you like, the sort of disconnect with nature, the disconnect with each other, and the disconnect with self. How can coaching play a part in that?’ - Paul Rodwell, Regenerative Thinker & Coach

From the stunning Tramuntana Mountains of Mallorca, surrounded by Holm Oak and plum trees Paul Rodwell reflects on a life of service that has taken him from the luxury hotel industry in Chile’s Atacama Desert and Morocco’s Marrakech to the diplomatic world of the UK Civil Service and Foreign Office.

Throughout his life encounters with Indigenous communities, sacred rituals and powerful landscapes have sparked a profound shift in how he understands identity, place and our relationship with the natural world.

Together, Anna-Marie and Paul explore themes of colonialism, belonging, spirituality and regeneration, and discuss how awe, silence and connection to place have shaped Paul's coaching philosophy. They examine the discomfort and possibility of liminal spaces, the growing movement towards coaching for nature, and how regenerative thinking might transform the future of the profession.

The conversation also explores professional coaching standards, Paul's alignment with the International Coaching Federation, the evolving role of AI in coaching, and a provocative question for the profession:

Is coaching still fit for purpose in a world facing ecological, social and spiritual challenges?

Bio

Paul Rodwell is a coach, coaching mentor and outdoor facilitator exploring how deeper connection — with nature, with each other, and with ourselves — might help both people and planet heal and thrive. Born in Kent, England, and now also a Spanish national, his life has been shaped by deep roots, movement and a quiet spirit of exploration.

Over the last thirty years, he has lived and worked across Europe, North Africa and Latin America, first through hospitality and wilderness travel — including managing the explora lodge in Chile’s Atacama Desert and also Aman in Marrakech — and later through sixteen years as a diplomat with the UK Foreign Office. Encounters with remote landscapes, indigenous cultures and people from very different walks of life deepened his curiosity about simplicity, presence and what human beings need in order to feel connected and alive.

Now rooted in Mallorca’s Tramuntana mountains with his family, Paul’s work centres on nature-connected coaching, retreats, regenerative leadership and co-creating a foundation exploring how reconnecting people with place might help villages in Mallorca flourish once again.

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Instagram @paul_rodwell_inspires

Resources

Laura Storm / Regenerators Academy - Regenerative Leadership Journey, a year-long journey

Presencing Institute / Otto Scharmer

u-school - courses such as Leading from the Emerging Future

Outdoor Facilitation course — Change in Nature

The Outdoor and Nature Coaches’ Handbook

Imagine If… by Sir Ken Robinson and Kate Robinson

Coaching Outdoors Podcast - Giles Hutchins

To find out more:

www.rootedrisingpodcast.com

‘I feel really touched. I feel really blessed. There's an element of sadness that season one is coming to a close. I set out on this journey and I didn't know where I was going at all. It was just such an unknown. Each conversation, has carved arc and now it's ending. How can I do the season justice and draw it to a close, have a pause, and then come back for series two. There is definitely going be a series two. That's not a spoiler alert’ - Anna-Marie Watson

From the autumn to spring equinox eleven guests have kindly shared insights and stories from their lives that trace their roots and what rises within them as coaches or psychotherapists and human beings in connection with our natural world.

In our thirteenth episode Anna-Marie and Rob who’s usually behind the scenes as podcast producer reflect on their journey over the last seven months and share their thoughts on the main themes that have emerged with transformation, change, purpose, play and notice the gaps that have also arisen. Anna-Marie offers her perspectives as podcast host and how each podcast guest has influenced her work and life. Season one draws to a close for Anna-Marie with a mixture of pride, joy, sadness and gratitude.

About

Change agent, connector, coach, collaborator and podcaster Anna-Marie combines her passion and curiosity for peak performance across her work and life. She brings a wealth of over twenty-five years’ international experience to craft a portfolio career.

She is a self-certified learning junkie with a Post Graduate Certificate in Applied Coaching from the University of Derby and Master’s in Teaching from the University of Sydney; amongst other psychological and psychometric based coaching tools. Happiest outdoors Anna-Marie loves to escape the confines of four walls and co-create coaching conversations with nature.

Anna-Marie is on a mission to encourage a different approach to work where our natural environment is valued within the business world. She facilitates outdoor coaching supervision circles; co-hosted the biweekly ‘Coaching Outdoors’ podcast for five years; co-wrote chapters in ‘The Coaches Handbook’ and ‘Succeeding as a Coach’ on eco-coaching and was a driving force behind the two successful Coaching Outdoors Podcast LIVE @ Henley Business School festivals. Former British Army Officer, she has worked in challenging environments from snowy Arctic tundra to hot and sandy deserts though currently resides within the rolling countryside of Somerset. Alongside her passion for performance and coaching Anna- Marie has a severe ultra-running habit and has raced competitively at an international level.

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To find out more:

www.rootedrisingpodcast.com

‘When I started looking at all of this, I did have that presumption that everyone can access nature. Nature is there for everyone, and unpacking that unconscious bias is really powerful and really important, and recognising, wow, I didn't know that, but now I do know that. And, I'm going to try to do something about that, because that's really important to me’

Ruth Geddes, coach & supervisor with a passion for equity

‘Is outdoor coaching an accessible and equitable practice?’

Driven by the threads of nature, equity and outdoor coaching Ruth Geddes posed this question for her Masters research project at the University of East London despite considerable personal and professional discomfort. Her conversations with coaches and clients revealed the gap which exists with seen and unseen, spoken and unspoken conscious and unconscious needs. She invites coaches to ponder the following questions:

• Who may feel excluded from my coaching practice and why?
• How could I be proactive in adapting my marketing and coaching practice to increase accessibility?
• When looking around a local nature space, see it with fresh eyes. Can everyone access this space? If not, why not?

The roots of her mantra ‘informed by psychology, inspired by nature’ can be traced back to a wee village on the east coast of Scotland with fond memories from the beach, rock pools and sea. Ruth is on a mission to spread awareness on equity, inclusivity, safety and belonging within the outdoor coaching realm.

Bio: Ruth Geddes is a Positive Psychology practitioner with an MSc in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, a Senior Practitioner Coach accredited by the EMCC and an accredited supervisor. Her research explored barriers to participation in outdoor coaching, with a particular focus on accessibility and inclusion.

Ruth’s coaching integrates evidence-based positive psychology with nature-based approaches, helping people reconnect with themselves and nature through the often-overlooked magic of everyday outdoor spaces.

Alongside her coaching practice, Ruth works in Higher Education as a Wellbeing Team Manager.

Her work is informed by psychology, inspired by nature.

Ruth Geddes Coaching

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Resources:

Conceptual article in Journal of Positive Psychology - Outdoor Coaching – an Accessible and Equitable Practice? Ruth Geddes, MSc., Alison Bishop, PhD - Journal of Positive Psychology Coaching (JPPC) Vol 3, 2026

Dr Alison Bishop

To find out more:

www.rootedrisingpodcast.com