Meet the team! – Laura Elliott, Operations Manager

Laura Elliott is the behind-the-scenes powerhouse at Climate Change Coaches. As our Operations Manager, she brings process, structure, and kindness to everything from project management to customer service. Based in Surrey with her fiancée and 11-year-old son, from whom she is currently trying to steal the household Mario Kart crown!

Why She Cares About Climate

For Laura, climate action is personal:

“I want my son to grow up in a world where people and the planet are looked after. I care about helping those who are out there doing like our climate leaders, campaigners, or coaches, but I love making sure their work supports them, not drains them. It’s my way of playing a part in something bigger.”

How She Joined Climate Change Coaches

Laura first joined the team in 2021 as a virtual assistant. As the company grew, so did her role.

“I clicked instantly with Charly, Zoe and the team—it was clear they were thoughtful, values-led people doing deeply important work. Over time, I stepped into more responsibility and now work closely with the leadership team to keep everything running smoothly.”

Why She Loves Ops

Laura brings a sense of order and joy to what some might see as the mundane:

“I genuinely love making things easier. Whether it’s a smoother client journey or an improved system that saves time, I get real joy from helping the team feel more in control. The Climate Change Coaches team are values-led and collaborative, which makes all the difference. I’m not just “doing admin”, I’m helping a brilliant team do even better work in the world.”

What can you do, so your business runs without you over the summer?

Laura has built our operations so that none of us are indispensable, which gives all of us the ability to step back. She says “You should be able to step away without the business falling apart.”

Here are her top tips for stress-free operations:

• Get it out of your head: Start by getting your regular tasks and ways of working out of your brain and into a place others can find them, whether that’s a simple checklist, a shared doc, or a full process guide. It doesn’t need to be perfect, just clear enough that someone else could follow it.
  
• Let tech help: Task boards, shared calendars, and automation tools can carry the load.
  
• Keep it simple: If it’s too complicated, no one will use it, and that defeats the point.
  
• Focus on building trust: Good operations create calm, not control. If you’ve created a clear rhythm and shared what they need to know, you can step back.

What Makes Climate Change Coaches Different

One of the things we’re proudest of at the Climate Change Coaches is that no matter what’s going on in terms of workload, we always look out for each other. As the person who is usually offering that support, Laura found herself on the other side. She remembers “I went through some tough times and the team’s support meant everything. They didn’t just ask how I was, they genuinely wanted to know how they could help and what they could do. That kind of care is rare, and it meant the world to me.

“That kind of human connection is in everything we do. At our in-person annual offsite—one of the few times we’re all in the same room—you can feel the energy. The team collaborates with real love and commitment, dreaming big and bringing lots of fresh ideas to the problems our clients have identified.

“And the cake table? Legendary. Somehow every dietary need is covered (usually home-cooked by Charly and Zoe), and it’s delicious. That kind of attention to detail shows how much care is a principle of everything we do. It all comes back to the company’s ethos, shaped by our founders, Charly and Zoe. They really lead with heart—and it shows.”

The Impact She Sees

Laura is often the first person to receive testimonials and feedback on our work, because she is the point person for clients, course participants and alumni, supporting them when they’re not directly with the team. Often operational teams are swamped with ‘what needs fixing’, but for Laura, her conversations with clients give her the opposite perspective.

“One of the most rewarding parts of working with the team is seeing the real, positive impact they have on their clients. The number of heartfelt testimonials that come in after workshops, team days and courses is seriously impressive and genuinely moving. Having worked with a lot of organisations, I know that kind of feedback isn’t easy to achieve. What stands out is how willing clients are to share their stories and speak so enthusiastically about the experience. People often ask us if they can make us video testimonials! It says so much about the depth of the work the team does and the care they put into every interaction.”

Laura’s Advice for August

When she’s not working, Laura loves simple ways to relax, like a walk in her local park with an ice cream. She also admits that sometimes she bring the Operations Manager home: “I will happily spend an afternoon reorganising my linen cupboard while listening to 90s music!” While that’s not everyone’s idea of a rest, Laura is clear that we all need to get away from our desks. “Take the break that August offers us. Rest isn’t optional; it’s what makes us sustainable. Prep what you can, then log off. You’ll come back sharper and calmer.”