This week we are back with a bang with our weekly AwakenHub #Follows as we chat to Donegal based Sinead Rafferty of SR Coaching & as well as Co-founder/ COO of startup EdTech company Oaktrail Innovations which started out with My Adopted Soldier.

**Sticking with our** **Kelly Hoey Method** **Sinead - how would you describe yourself in 6 words or less?**
A dreamer who helps others dream.
**What promoted you to start your business?**
I always knew that the 'traditional' career model would never suit me. At 16 I wondered why a 5 day week was necessary, at 25 I wanted flexibility and by the time I was 30 I had had enough of trying to fit someone else’s mould. I was looking for career alignment, which I define as fulfilment professionally and alignment personally. I became a coach because of my passion for psychology and self-actualisation – i.e. individuals reaching their fullest potential. I always knew my work would be about empowering others and connecting them to their dreams and vision…so when I moved home to Donegal in 2014 I setup SR Coaching Limited.
Freedom, autonomy and variety are my top values and I love innovation so I’m delighted to also be a Co-Founder & COO of an EdTech company.

Oaktrail Innovations Ltd provides cutting-edge collaborative software with a focus on Citizen History. ‘Citizen History’ defines any participatory project that centres around historical research questions and educational goals. The students (or citizens) curate the history resources of tomorrow as they engage with and honour their own heritage. We value education so our aim is to enhance the teaching/ learning experience through technology and design out the frustration! Our mission is to inspire and engage the bright young minds of today to discover the untold stories of soldiers, unsung heroes and ancestors to develop their historical consciousness and to equip them with the digital skills required to create the history archives of tomorrow. While we have several products now available it all began with the myadoptedsoldier.com public archive which came about when, in 2015 one history teacher (here in Donegal) brought 32 history students representing every county in Ireland together to remember a shared history of the Great War and uncover the untold stories of the Irish soldiers who were killed. The students travelled to Flanders and the Somme where thousands of Irishmen died. The project gathered interest around the world and a special one hour documentary was aired on Irish national television (RTE Nationwide). Since this initial project hundreds of students have engaged with the platform

Can you tell us a bit more about you?

I studied Music, Italian & Psychology in Dublin and my postgrad was Guidance & Counselling in Cork. I always knew coaching was my ‘calling’ so I went on to complete the Advanced Diploma in Executive & Personal Coaching with Kingstown College. I never stop reading all things personal development, self-help, NLP, business strategy, psychology etc. I find it impossible to read a novel - there’s far too many fascinating things to learn about in real life! I am an eternal, hungry-for-knowledge student.

I did a lot of travelling and worked in many different industries spanning education, IT, translation, counselling, coaching, career development & entrepreneurship.

I was living in France before I moved home in 2014. I surprised myself when after 15 years, Donegal was calling me home. I can’t imagine being anywhere else now.

I’m passionate about ideas, growth, innovation, change, all things energy healing, meditation, music and wine!

Fill us in on your female founder journey…

In my coaching business I spend my days empowering and supporting passion-driven professionals and entrepreneurs to reconnect with their vision and pursue their dreams. I focus on 1-1 coaching as my work is very intuitive; I bring my clients (gently) to the point where they embrace their true nature & unique talent and release any blocks holding them back. My coaching programme and online course is called Free Your Genius – I’m on a mission to free those incredible ideas and vision too many keep tucked away. I also bring my clients together monthly in The Zone of Genius Mastermind where they support one another and bounce ideas around. I combine personal growth with professional strategy and I’m delighted to say that I am now getting incredible feedback from very talented, dynamic, creative people that I have the privilege to work with. I run regular free workshops online and I write a blog. I dream of the day when I can bring on a talented team to help me reach more people who can benefit from my programmes so I can focus on creating more of them!

In Oaktrail, due to Covid, we could no longer visit schools to deliver the my Adopted Soldier workshops so we got busy developing an online experience which we are now hoping to roll out to all schools here in Ireland and beyond. The scope of our software is very exciting - we aim to collaborate further with partners in Europe and provide the Irish Diaspora with a commemorative connection to their ancestors.

You are a relative newbie to AwakenHub - how did you find us and what drew you to getting more involved in the community?

I’m delighted to become part of the AwakenHub community, I met Mary McKenna when Oaktrail participated in Scale-X in the summer of 2021. It certainly was an accelerator - a rollercoaster experience of learning and insight. We met such incredible people and as a team, we’re now stronger and more grounded.

AwakenHub is an exciting, forward-thinking and supportive community which is what drew me to it and I’m excited to be part of its future.

Have you an ‘ask’ which we can share with fellow #Awakenhubbers?

Referrals are central to my coaching business so I will always appreciate a mention when someone is in need of alignment in their lives and career. I LOVE working with entrepreneurs so if further mentors or coaches are required for your programmes, do let me know.

For myadoptedsoldier.com – if there is anyone who can advise us on funding sources or indeed passionate investors, we would always welcome the advice.

What six words do you live by as a founder?

Bravely Be You & Always Dream Big.