Good Morning, Reader it's Maria,

This week’s newsletter comes to you from somewhere I didn’t expect to be at the start of the year: the front of a university classroom.

I’ve spent most of my life leading businesses, teams, and clients, but this month, I started something new: teaching strategy to a group of study abroad students in Barcelona.

And whilst it’s early days, it’s already taught me a lot about leadership, growth, and how much we gain when we give back.

That’s what this week is all about.

If podcasts are more your speed, I've got you covered; there's a discussion about this topic available now here.

THE BIG IDEA

Real growth isn’t only about what you build, it’s also about what you pass on.

This month, I started teaching Strategic Management to students for the first time.

Now, I've led a lot of teams in my life. International teams at Sotheby's, volunteer associations, corporate departments. But this? This felt completely different.

These are 20-year-old university students from the US, spending a semester abroad in Barcelona through CIEE. Young adults, curious and full of energy. And whilst I was excited, I won't lie... I was also nervous.

What the hell do students care about these days? How do you actually keep them engaged? It felt unfamiliar, and a little scary, and like any good challenge, it stretched me.

I was also carrying something personal into that classroom.

I’ve had some truly bad experiences with teachers growing up, the kind who clearly didn’t care, weren’t engaged or even were mean, and those experiences stuck with me.

So I had a clear internal brief: I wasn't going to be that teacher!

I wanted my students to feel like showing up mattered. Like they learned something. Like those two hours weren’t just a box-ticking exercise, but time well spent.

Luckily, my good friend Professor Cormac Walsh shared practical tips that helped me structure the classes in a way that's both useful and engaging. That support made a huge difference.

Now, a couple of weeks in, I've got a class I genuinely enjoy. I'm starting to see the different personalities, what they respond to, and where I need to adapt.

But here's what I didn't expect: this experience is teaching me just as much as I'm teaching them. That's not in the traditional growth playbook, and maybe it should be.

We forget how much we have to offer

When you're a founder, consultant, or business owner, your world often revolves around what's next. The next client, the next launch, the next win.

You spend a lot of time focusing on yourself. Your goals, your time, your team. It could be perceived as selfish from the outside, when in reality it's survival.

Here's what teaching has reminded me:

• It sharpens your own thinking.
• It forces you to re-learn concepts you knew but had forgotten.
• It challenges you to explain things simply.

And in doing that, you start seeing your own work differently.

Creating this course from scratch meant I had to be crystal clear about strategy fundamentals and go back to basics.

Interestingly, in explaining them to people who know nothing about the subject, I've found myself reflecting on my own business. What's working. What's not? What I've maybe been overcomplicating.

We often think of mentorship or teaching as a nice thing to do after we've succeeded.

When actually, it's a sure way to ensure you continue learning and growing.

The ripple effect is real

I got this teaching opportunity because I helped someone.

It wasn't strategic; I simply supported them when they needed it. Later, when an opportunity came up, they recommended me.

That just there! That trust, built through generosity, opened the door.

And I'm spilling the beans here: That's how most good things happen. Through the connections, relationships and trust you take the time to build.

So if you're feeling a bit stuck, or like something's missing in your work... maybe you don't need another podcast or productivity hack, maybe you just need to ask: "Who could I help this month?"

I feel excited and energised by this experience. More than anything, I feel connected to something bigger than my own goals.

That shows that sometimes the best way forward is to turn around and give someone a hand up.

Don't know where to start?

​Book a free consultation and let's chat!

THE ACTION STEP

Think of one person who’s a few steps behind you.

Send them a message, offer to listen, share a resource, or answer a question. It doesn’t need to be formal; it only needs to be genuine.

And if you can't think of anyone specific? Join a charity or association that connects mentors with younger people or business owners who need support.

I'm part of One Million Mentors, who help young people starting out in their communities. There are plenty of organisations like this doing brilliant work, and they make it easy to show up and make a difference.

Have you just signed up? See all previous newsletters here.​

AI MADE SIMPLE

When I started this teaching role, one question came up straight away:
“Will you allow students to use AI?”

Yes. And here’s why.

The real question isn’t whether they should use AI; they already do.
The question is: How do we help them use it well?

At CIEE, professors set their own AI policy. I chose to allow it, with boundaries.

Why? Because my role isn’t to police students. It’s to prepare them.

I encourage them to use AI tools to:

• Explore topics they’re curious about
• Clarify concepts they don’t fully understand
• Practise applying their learning in realistic scenarios

We talk openly about what’s helpful and what’s not. We focus on comprehension, not memorisation. We work together to apply learning, not just repeat it.

Students are stepping into a world where AI is already everywhere; banning it doesn’t teach them responsibility, it teaches them to hide.

By integrating AI into the way we teach, we give them the chance to learn how to think critically, not just complete tasks and that’s how we prepare young people for real-life decisions.

If you’re training, leading, or teaching right now, this matters.
How you model the use of AI is part of how you lead.

That's all for today Reader

Have a great weekend!👋🏼

Take Care

Maria

PS: If you want to explore what working together looks like, book a free call

PPS: If you enjoy these emails and want to do something nice, you can buy me a coffee 😉

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