Leadership Coaching for Women in International Schools
Navigate your career with curiosity, courage, and a trusty guide in your sidecar
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” — Helen Keller
A Call for Adventurous Leadership ...
Leading-while-female in international schools means navigating complex terrain: cross-cultural dynamics, male-dominated hierarchies, isolation from peers who truly understand. It's like motorcycling on a mountain road designed by and for men—thrilling and daring, but sometimes rough and lonely. (Note: Photo is of Vivian Bales, an early daring motorcyclist. Look her up!)
… with a Trusty Guide on Your Side
What if you had an experienced guide in your sidecar? Someone who's coached dozens of women leaders in international education, who understands the particular challenges of leading across cultures, and who can help you chart your own path—whether that's landing your next headship, transforming your current role, or making a bold career pivot. (Note: Photo is of unknown riders on the Sierra Nevada Mountain summit. Think of them as you in the drivers’ seat and me in the sidecar!)
Let’s get you on the right track
Individual Guidance
Sidecar Coaching
Whether you're pursuing your next leadership role, navigating a difficult transition, reimagining what leadership looks like for you, or considering a whole new horizon, we'll work together to gain clarity, build confidence, and move forward with a greater sense of agency.
Most clients work with me for 3-6 months with bi-weekly sessions. I tailor all coaching relationships to suit the needs and realities of my clients.
Peer Learning Cohorts
Sidecar Rally
Meet monthly via Zoom with 5-6 fellow women leaders facing similar challenges. Each 75-minute “rally” focuses on real dilemmas you're navigating—from difficult team dynamics to career crossroads—with on-the-spot peer consultation, structured facilitation, and support between rallies. You'll leave each session with concrete tips and insights and the relief of knowing you're not alone.
Next rally season: February - May 2026. Sign-ups by Jan 19.
Purposeful Gatherings
Sidecar Summit
Step away from your daily demands to gather with other women leaders in the international school ecosystem. Over 3-4 days in stunning settings—recent locations include Portugal and Cambodia—Sidecar Summits combine structured leadership development sessions with adventure, reflection, and deep connection-building.
Summits create space for the conversations that rarely happen in your day-to-day: about the struggles, aspirations, and complexities of leading as a woman in international education. You'll return to your school with renewed energy, concrete takeaways, and a network of peers who will remain in your corner long after the Summit has ended.
Upcoming Summit: Regenerative Leadership, April 16-19, 2026. Muga Valley, Spain
Charting New Pathways
Sidecar-U
Sidecar-U is where we experiment, research, and co-create new approaches to women's leadership in international education. To date, Sidecar-U offerings include courses in landing a leadership job (aimed specifically at women), negotiating your leadership contract (yes, its possible and advisable)), and gaining a greater sense of agency over your finances so you are on the road to financial freedom - which can free you up to make better career choices for yourself.
Future offerings will focus on women who don't just want support for their own journey—they want to change the landscape for everyone coming behind them.
I’m Bridget, your Sidecar Counsel
For over 30 years, I've counseled leaders pursuing equity and change in the education, corporate, and social sectors. I started Sidecar Counsel to support women in international school leadership, a population I know well from my years working with international school leaders for a major recruiting firm.
Why this niche? Because I see both an urgent need for more female leadership in education and an abundance of gifted women who, with the right support, can transform their schools and their own careers. I've made it my mission to be that support, and to help shift the landscape so that schools become places where women leaders thrive.
Who are the brave riders who choose Sidecar Counsel?
Women leading (or aspiring to lead) in international schools. Women navigating transitions, managing the bumpy roads of leading-while-female, or wondering what comes next. Heads of school, middle-and-senior leaders, aspiring leaders ready to grow. (Men too!)
You might benefit from a sidecar guide if you're:
Going for your next big leadership role
Stuck in a messy situation and need to think it through
Ready to lead as yourself, not as the "good woman leader" society expects
Eager for honest conversation with someone who gets your world
