Green Career Coach

Traci is a coach, trainer, and advocate for sustainability. She helps purpose-driven women succeed in green careers, building confidence, leadership skills, and creating meaningful change. Her coaching helps women overcome self-doubt and inner barriers, enabling them to step into fulfilling and impactful roles.

As co-founder of Catalyse Change CIC, she empowers young women with the skills and confidence to thrive in sustainability careers. Her book, Your Green Career, provides practical guidance for purpose-driven work. 

She lives on a houseboat with her partner in the beautiful South West of England, between Bristol and Bath.

What inspired you to co-found Catalyse Change – the sustainability, green careers and mentoring programme?

Catalyse Change was born from a very personal place. When my daughter became a teenager, I saw firsthand the challenges young women face – body image issues, social media pressures, and the gender pay gap – all of which can contribute to anxiety, low confidence, and depression.

I’ve always been passionate about gender equity, but up until then, my energy had been focused on international development issues. With a background in sustainability, including 18 years at the Soil Association, I felt a growing call to create something meaningful and empowering here in the UK.

When I moved back to Bristol in 2015, I discovered a strong community of women working in sustainability who also shared my vision of supporting young women to become confident changemakers. Rhian Sherrington is, in fact, one of our founding directors, and many others from WINS (Women in Sustainability) continue to support us both as mentors and advisory board members.

What made you decide to focus your coaching on mindset for women working in sustainability?

Mindset is the foundation for all transformational change. I’ve been exploring meditation and personal growth practices ever since my early twenties, when I spent over 5 years travelling, with time in ‘new age’ communities, and a month living in a Thai monastery. Those experiences had a big impact and shaped me deeply. During a particularly difficult period in my thirties, when going through divorce, it was a growth mindset and other personal development practices which helped me heal and grow.

When we first started developing Catalyse Change, our initial focus was on sustainability training. However, I knew that personal development is just as important – it was what had created my breakthroughs. That is why women’s empowerment – through building purpose, confidence, and resilience – became central to our work, alongside technical green skills, career pathways and mentoring.The Inner Development Goals reflect what we have been doing all along: demonstrating that the inner journey is as essential as technical knowledge. Women are often more prone to imposter syndrome and self-doubt, so addressing these inner barriers is crucial to helping them step into their power and thrive as changemakers.

What are some of the most common challenges you see women facing when trying to enter or grow in green careers, and how do you help them overcome those?

We are facing an ecological and social crisis. Choosing to work in sustainability is a powerful response to this urgency – a way to make a meaningful impact in the world. But sustainability is a complex, multidisciplinary field, and no one can be an expert in everything.

Many women experience imposter syndrome or other inner blocks that make them feel they’re ‘not enough’ – a feeling of inadequacy that persists despite their successes. Women are often more likely to feel this way than men, due to a range of factors including social conditioning, unconscious bias, and the patriarchal systems in which most of us live and work.

I support my clients by helping them identify and reframe these limiting beliefs. Often, these feelings stem from deeper patterns of lack, isolation, and shame. Once we uncover them, they can be explored and gently worked through. From there, I help women build confidence, embrace their unique strengths, and take practical, strategic steps to become the change makers they are capable of being.

The sustainability sector is growing, but it can still feel like a niche. How do you define a ‘green career’ today, and how broad do you think that definition should be?

At Catalyse Change, we define a green career as any role that contributes to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We also use the term interchangeably with sustainability and climate careers.

There isn’t one fixed definition, although many focus primarily on environmental impact and climate action. But we believe it should be broader.

We’re in a climate and social emergency, and we need all hands on deck. That means encouraging people to align their strengths and passions with meaningful work they enjoy, work that contributes to positive change.

As I explore in my book Your Green Career, green jobs go far beyond traditional environmental roles. They exist across all sectors – wherever people are working towards a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable world. A job can be considered green when it has a ‘net-positive impact’ – putting more back into society and the planet than it takes out. It’s about prioritising wellbeing over profit, and people and planet over business as usual.

What gives you the most hope right now when it comes to sustainability and social change?

Young people give me the most hope. The young women I work with are passionate, informed, and determined. 

However, it’s not fair if they’re left to carry the burden of solving these crises, while they will also be the ones most impacted.

That’s why it’s so crucial for all of us to keep raising our voices, taking action, and helping to guide the next generation. Supporting and empowering young women using my energy, knowledge, and skills feels like the most valuable work I can do right now.

If you could go back and give your 25-year-old self one piece of advice, knowing everything you know now, what would it be?

Don’t worry so much, it’s going to turn out better than you think! 

Stay present and take one step at a time, while always keeping your big vision of a joyful, sustainable world in mind.

Also, take better care of your health, especially your knees!

Connect with Traci

Ready to grow your confidence and build a meaningful green career?  Book a free 30-minute Clarity Call with Traci to explore how her coaching can support your next steps. It’s a chance to connect, ask questions, and see if you’re a good fit to work together. Book Here

Connect with Traci on Linkedin

You can contact her via email traci@sustainlive.org Learn more about her coaching and training on her website.