Begin with The Ask.

A focused coaching session where you’ll name exactly what you want to own in your industry.

Book Now

You’re reading this because you get it.

You know that creating IP, messaging and offers around your best thinking, aka your Body of Work, is a smart move.

You know that taking a tonne of action in the right direction is what will get you the result you seek (aligned opportunities, higher clients rates, more selectivity, freedom or scale).

But there's something keeping you paralysed from doing more right now.

That North Star direction you once had appears to have lost ... focus.

You have plenty of ideas (that's never been the problem)…. but choosing one really is.

It's like each time you pull on a thread, you keep pulling on another one… and your overthinking is doing night shifts at this point.

You're goal-focused, ambitious and back yourself to do what it takes. But you know this niggling question is keeping you from giving it your all. One short session can be all it takes to get you moving again.

So, take a breath.

And Begin with The Ask®.

  • Ellen partnered with me to define my vision, mission and values, and to make choices — which is hard for a curious mind like mine.

    Benoit Simeray

  • I appreciated the incisive questions asked at a high speed. This sparked insight in my own mind about what to do next!

    Sarah McCarthy

  • Ellen has been really great in terms of trying to understand my plans. She's creative and curious which allows her to really dive into what I had in mind.

    Ben Dunkel

What does an Ask actually look like?

After supporting hundreds of independent founders with positioning, I've identified an all-important first step you cannot skip (if you want your positioning decisions to be long-lasting, your focus to endure, and your self-belief to be unwavering).

Positioning professionals won’t warn you about this but I will: you can spend days untangling frameworks. Mapping your niche, auditing your competitors, perfecting your messaging and end up more confused than when you started. Frameworks are great, and I use them, but often they skip an essential step.

Founder-market fit.

Who are you, really? What do you want? What kind of life do you want to build around this business?

Without these answered, positioning becomes an intellectual exercise of picking something that looks right on paper, or that Claude spun up for you, but that you don't actually feel.

Begin with The Ask solves for that.

Whether you’re starting your practice, or have been running one for years, these questions catch up with us every now and again.

Existential type of questions like ‘where am I even going with this?’ or sometimes a response to an external trigger causes us to think from first principles once again.

Here are some example Asks brought to Ellen in coaching*. You might even see yourself in one.


*Names changed to preserve confidentiality.

Gail inherited a business some years back. Doing well on paper, but Gail was starting to ask big questions.

Is this business mine, or my parent’s? Do I need to stick with it, make a change, or find a new path altogether?

I want to know if I’ve been building around what I inherited rather than what's actually mine.

Peter had built a solid practice over the past few years. But after a demanding year was starting to ask bigger questions.

Do I actually want to be know for this work? To be associated with startup buyers?

I want to know if I could keep my practice running but entirely change my ideal client?

Simone had been running their agency for 20 years. With the rise of AI they saw a big threat coming for the type of work they were doing.

I know my team and my family rely on this business, but deep down I know I have to make changes, fast. But what’s the new direction?

I want to do this in a considered way.

Ahmed had been operating multiple businesses as a franchisee owner, working in relative obscurity when he felt the call to build an online brand.

I know I have so many insights to share, and people to help, how can I articulate this depth online?

I want a plan for my authority brand and how to own my unique expertise.

I want to begin

  • I liked how Ellen pushed back. She is very sharp, present & focused. She inspired me to show up with similar energy and get the most out of our time.

    Natassia Miller

  • Ellen helped me draw out my ambition, capability and ideas clearly enough to act on. I don't think I would have accessed that level of clarity on my own.

    Kate Hurst

  • Ellen brings a non-judgmental and supportive attitude, I felt challenged in a good way.

    Jana Kovacovska

How it works

A laser-focused 75 min coaching session to:

  • Get crystal clear and excited about the territory you want to name and claim for your Authority Brand. You’ll be able to put words to the core question clients will bring to you, the one door into your world.

  • Leave with a clear North Star, based on your unique contribution to the world.

  • Part motivational interview, part coaching with Ellen (ICF accredited coach, thousands of hours in the coaching chair).

After the session:

  • Your session notes, reflections & suggested next steps from Ellen to plan your next steps and boldly claim your unlocked direction

  • Follow up call two weeks later. A 15 min check in on how you’re feeling about your decision and unblock any doubts.

Schedule your session

“I felt able to see, for the first time, how my background and experience really uniquely positions me to add value to this type of client. I’ve felt as if I’ve been able to see myself through the eyes of others.
It’s been incredible to break free from those limiting beliefs”

Steph Lau

  • When you purchase Begin with The Ask® you’re getting a few things:

    1. Pre-coaching questionnaire designed to get you really thinking

    2. Ellen’s personal review and reflection, and session prep based on your answers

    3. 75 deep dive coaching and interview session. A tonne can be achieved in a short space of time: Ellen’s conducted thousands of hours of sessions like this, and has a knack for cutting to the heart of the issue, short-circuiting what could otherwise have taken you months to identify solo.

    4. A reflective summary of your situation, your opportunities and next steps

    5. A follow up call two weeks later for added accountability, the chance to catch potential wobbles, or whatever’s on your mind after this intensive.

    So as you can see this is much more than one session, and the goal is to propel you forward in clarity, fast.

    Of course, should you feel more time is needed with Ellen, options for ongoing work can be discussed at a later point.

  • You can schedule your session using this link, payment is taken and you’ll be sent pre coaching questions to fill in before we meet.

  • Not a problem, more availability likely exists than you’re seeing and for different timezones outside US/EU we might need to offer you something else. Please email team@the-ask.uk with the subject line Begin with The Ask scheduling and your preferred timeslots and we’ll get you set up.

  • Absolutely. You can contact Ellen via the form here to let her know what you’re seeking help with and options/a time to chat will be shared with you from there!

  • I’m known to create a safe, trust-filled space, quickly. I

    My style is considered, focused, warm but direct. If I see something that is in your way, a limiting belief or a potentially misguided direction, I’ll say so.

    Be ready to potentially go deep, too. It’s common to have tears, laughter and back again in just one session. You were warned!

  • Ellen’s style is well-regarded for its blend of deep coaching and business mentoring. That means sessions move between both, depending on what kind of support feels most appropriate in the moment.

    Usually the first half is more coaching questions to understand the reality of your situation and the second half more likely to tip into advice and direction to help move you forward.

  • You might be thinking: ‘I’ll wait a bit longer until I get clearer before booking sthis’ because they can feel that’s a sensible way to spend their money. But in the end, you can always get more money but you can’t get back more time. If you’ve been siting in indecision or inaction for a while, this session will unblock you faster.

Frequently Asked Questions about Begin with The Ask®.

Ok. let's begin

  • Ellen’s questions are brilliant because they make you think really hard about what’s important to you.

    Mahdi Kaz

  • Ellen has a remarkable way of bringing clarity to tangled thoughts. I feel more and more assured about my life mission.

    Emily Daley

  • I was at a bit of a crossroads when I met Ellen, and now I am super clear about how to build a company I am proud of.

    Rachel Allison

Got questions before committing?

Use the form provided to ask Ellen what’s on your mind.