Farah Ismail

I am a courage catalyst, executive coach, facilitator, speaker and founder of Interact Consulting. 

There’s Only 100 Days Left in 2025

Have you ever walked past a construction site day after day and it feels like nothing is happening? And then suddenly, voilà, a building seems to rise out of nowhere. What we don’t see is the consistent work: the foundation being laid, the structures tested, the unseen effort that makes the invisible visible. Growth often looks the same. It may feel slow on the outside, but beneath the surface, something powerful is taking shape. Time and again, I hear leaders say, “I know what I need to do, I just don’t seem to get down to it.” The real challenge is commitment – simply deciding to do something and prioritizing it. Clarity, readiness, and confidence are secondary. They don’t come first, they emerge because of commitment. When you commit, everything shifts. It is the quiet, repeated actions, the foundations laid brick by brick, that make the breakthroughs possible. With 100 days left in 2025, what’s the one commitment that could unlock extraordinary results – for yourself, your team, or your organization? Farah IsmailI am a courage catalyst, executive coach, facilitator, speaker and founder of Interact Consulting.  www.coachfarah.com

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LinkedIn Just Got Real

LinkedIn got REAL for me! In August, I said YES to a #LinkedIn challenge that led to a surprise invitation to the first LinkedIn Insider Connect in Bangalore. The moment I stepped into the LinkedIn office, I experienced the heartbeat of LinkedIn – creators, Top Voices, the stories and possibilities. It wasn’t just a digital space anymore. It felt real. When Kumaresh Pattabiraman, Head of LinkedIn India, shared that every piece of content we share has the potential to create economic opportunity for someone, this touched me deeply. Thank you Raunak, Rakshit and Preethi Ramamoorthy for making this experience possible. At the heart of my writing on Linkedin is a mantra: “Give it all away.” I’ve enjoyed expressing authentically, sharing stories of courage, and sparking possibility. This practice amplified my messages and touched lives I may never meet. LinkedIn isn’t just where we share. It’s where we belong, if we dare to show up. What has LinkedIn amplified for you? Farah IsmailI am a courage catalyst, executive coach, facilitator, speaker and founder of Interact Consulting.  www.coachfarah.com

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Resilient Leaders Think Differently

Resilience is a word we hear often in leadership and HR circles but what does it really mean? Recently, I attended a powerful session by Dr. Valorie Burton at the Coaching.com Summit on The Rules of Resilience, and it brought this question full circle for me. She shared that resilience isn’t just about grit or strength. It’s about creating a personal system – a way of thinking, relating, and choosing that helps us stay grounded when life shakes things up. She described three pillars that truly resonated with me. Adaptive Skills ~ how we think and respond in response to challenges & opportunities. Protective Resources ~ tangible resources that enable you to navigate through these challenging moments -people, time, and support systems. Preventive Choices ~ proactive choices we make to reduce future stress We often define resilience as bouncing back. But what if true resilience is about growing forward? Resilient leaders think differently. They have a level of mental toughness and psychological capital that enables better performance and leadership under stress. They ask: What’s within my control? How do I want to grow through this? What’s the opportunity hidden in this challenge? That shift changes everything. As I listened, I found myself thinking of all the moments I’ve been stretched – personally and professionally and how much of my own resilience has been built through practice. Curious, I took Valorie’s Resilience Assessment. I intuitively knew what the results would show. My strongest pillar is Protective Resources – a reflection of the people, practices, and communities I’ve intentionally nurtured over time. My growth edge is Preventive Choices Pillar – an invitation to prepare for adversity by slowing down, setting boundaries, and choosing rest as a form of strength. It reminded me that resilience is a muscle we build through daily choices – helping us navigate uncertainty with clarity, calm, and courage. What about you? Which pillar of your resilience feels strongest right now and why? Farah IsmailI am a courage catalyst, executive coach, facilitator, speaker and founder of Interact Consulting.  www.coachfarah.com

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One Powerful Conversation Can Change Your Life

Yesterday, I brought a deeply personal question I wanted to be coached on – as I stepped into a new coaching container. What unfolded reminded me, yet again, of the quiet magic of coaching. It wasn’t about strategy, advice, or fixing anything. It was about being witnessed – fully, compassionately. Something in me shifted. A quiet clarity arose. A deeper truth revealed itself – one that reconnected me to who I am and why I do this work in the first place. The word that kept returning to me was “sacred.” It has become clearer and clearer to me that the work I do is sacred. Sacred in the way that a single conversation can shift the course of a life. Sacred because the ripples go far beyond anything we will ever see. Coaching isn’t about fixing, teaching, or advising. It’s about holding a mirror with love until someone begins to see their own brilliance again. Because in a coaching conversation, you meet parts of yourself you didn’t even know were waiting to be seen. And in that meeting, you begin to see life differently and live life differently. Like it shifted for me in that conversation – quietly, profoundly. Talk to me if you’d like to experience this. Sometimes, one powerful conversation can change your life. {Symbol: Infinity is a reminder that our growth, potential, and possibilities are limitless. This stunning visual by my dear friend, Terri Broughton, encapsulates my vision for 2025: a year of infinite possibilities, courage and creation that honors the sacredness of the journey I am on.} Farah IsmailI am a courage catalyst, executive coach, facilitator, speaker and founder of Interact Consulting.  www.coachfarah.com

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The Scary Jar: A Tool for Courage

MB Ford, a master coach and mentor, whose work has deeply impacted me, once shared a tool she used during her most fearful times. Every time she invited someone into a conversation (despite her fear), she wrote their name and the date on a slip of paper and dropped it into a jar. Her reminder was simple: “Am I still alive? Still breathing? Then I’m winning.” Over time, it rewired her nervous system to stop associating bold invitations and outreach with danger—and start associating it with courage. Yesterday, I had my own “Scary Jar” moment. I chose to be of service and stepped in for a client who was forgetting to show up as the leader he had already declared himself to be. It was scary. It was uncomfortable. But it was aligned. At the end of the day, the question is always – How will I show up and serve others? Coaching isn’t about comfort – it’s about alignment with your boldest self. Farah IsmailI am a courage catalyst, executive coach, facilitator, speaker and founder of Interact Consulting.  www.coachfarah.com

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