Hi, I’m Heidi.

Heidi, women’s leadership coach and founder of The Second Question Coaching

I am founder and coach at The Second Question Coaching.

I love working with thoughtful, high-performing people who care deeply about their work and are trying to lead in ways that feel ethical, sustainable, and true to themselves.

Since 2001, I’ve worked in conservation and animal welfare, starting in the cattery of a companion animal shelter in Australia to now finding myself as Country Director of Vietnam’s largest animal welfare iNGO.

I understand the emotional complexity of mission-driven work and the pressure that comes with carrying responsibility in high-stakes environments. I also know what it’s like to step into leadership because you’re good at your job, then discover that leading people requires a whole new set of skills.

Over my career I’ve noticed something over and over again…

The people doing the most thoughtful and values-driven work are rarely struggling because they lack competence. Often they are struggling because they have no real space to pause, reflect, question, or reconnect with themselves beneath the expectations placed on them.

And that is exactly what The Second Question Coaching is here to offer.

Why “The Second Question”?

conservation leadership coaching

The first question is often practical:

What should I do?

But underneath it is usually a quieter, more important question:

What actually matters here?

The Second Question Coaching is about creating space for that deeper conversation. The one beneath urgency, performance, and external expectations.

Because clarity rarely comes from pushing harder.
It often comes from listening more honestly.

What guides My Coaching

My approach is grounded in:

  • compassion without judgment

  • honesty without harshness

  • thoughtful reflection

  • ethical leadership

  • practical clarity

  • sustainable decision-making

I believe leadership does not require abandoning your humanity.

Three women sitting around a table engaging in conversation, smiling and laughing, with one woman as the main focus.

  • “To accomplish excellence or anything outstanding, you must listen to that whisper which is heard by you alone.”

    — Ralph Waldo Emerson

  • “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

    — Jane Goodall

If you’re ready to stop performing certainty and start listening to what you already know, we may work well together.

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