Being Yourself: Masks Included

For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt like I was wired differently.

In conversations, I’d sense the undercurrents; tension behind a polite smile, insecurity dressed as confidence. I could read what wasn’t being said. And yet, I often felt like I was misreading the room, as if everyone else had received a social handbook and I was empty handed.

The Art of Adaptation

So I learned to adapt. To mask. To perform to industry standards.

I became a chameleon. I perfected the art of being funny to smooth over awkwardness. Self-deprecation became my armour, not so much a sign of humility but more a strategy to critique myself before others had the chance.

I discovered I could lead through charisma—and, at times, through subtle control—before I understood the power of real authenticity.

I remember sitting in boardrooms, listening to conversations that skimmed the surface while my inner world churned with observations and questions no one else seemed to be asking. I wondered if I was the problem. The internal depth I carried felt like a heavy liability. My need to understand and explore beyond the obvious made me feel misplaced.

The Mirror of Coaching

Becoming a coach changed everything.

The work of becoming a coach demanded that I look inward, to go deep. Not just at tools and methodologies, but at who I was beneath the performance. Through my own practice, training, and deep personal reflection, I began to recognise the patterns I had built to survive. And how, like an onion, there are uncountable layers to explore.

Slowly, I began unmasking.

I realised I had always approached problems from unexpected angles, seen solutions others missed, and charted my own quiet course. What I had once labelled as “peculiar” was, in fact, deeply valuable.

The weight of managing others' expectations began to lift. Most importantly, I learned to love who I am.

The Neurodivergent Advantage

Yes, I’m neurodivergent. Yes, I process the world differently. I’ve walked through seasons of anxiety, of feeling misplaced in systems not built for minds like mine.

But here’s what I’ve come to understand: these aren’t flaws to fix, they’re actually perspectives to leverage.

My depth is not a burden; it’s my superpower. The way I think—layered, intuitive, non-linear—isn’t a defect. It’s what allows me to see patterns others overlook, to ask the right questions at the right time, and to support others in unlocking their own clarity.

How This Shapes My Coaching

This journey has shaped every aspect of how I coach.

I work with other expats in Brno who feel the tension of living behind a mask. Together, we identify where you're performing versus where you're truly being. We explore the difference between charisma and connection, between strategic presentation and authentic influence.

We don’t just work on outer behaviours—we examine the inner architecture: the patterns, beliefs, and stories you’ve inherited or constructed.

My coaching creates space for depth in a world obsessed with surface. And often, it begins with one simple but profound step: slowing down enough to hear your own truth.

An Invitation to Step Outside

If your depth feels like a liability in shallow waters...
If you’ve been told you think too much or feel too deeply...
If you're tired of performing a version of yourself that doesn’t fit who you really are—
You are not alone. And you are not broken.

You may simply need a new environment to reflect clearly, one free from noise, pressure, and posturing.

That’s why I offer Walk & Talk sessions—coaching conversations held in the great outdoors. Moving through nature creates space for movement within. It helps shift perspective, reconnect body and mind, and surface insight that might otherwise stay buried.

If you’re ready to explore your expat journey from a calmer, truer, deeper place, I invite you to start with a conversation on foot.

Let’s walk. Let’s talk. Let’s unmask what’s next.

Book a Brno Walk & Talk session here → https://calendly.com/shauncopple/walk-talk