Does the Dust Really Settle Without Support?

After the KissCam: Coaching Through Exposure, Identity & Transition

By Dr. Nichola Ashby, Executive Coach

Sometimes it’s not your strategy or your vision that makes headlines, but a single moment caught on camera. The recent ‘KissCam’ incident hasn’t just fuelled media chatter and opinion; it has forced many professionals, especially those in senior roles, to grapple with unexpected exposure.

It raises urgent questions:

- How do I rebuild with integrity after this?

- What if returning feels impossible, or the wrong choice?

This is where coaching makes all the difference.

When exposure becomes identity, we see that there’s a real human cost to public scrutiny. Careers, reputations and relationships may all feel out of our control.

Coaching provides a private, judgment-free space to unpack the client's feelings, explore who they want to become next, and reclaim agency over their narrative.

Rebuilding the narrative and direction on your terms is a challenge. Some leaders will step back in, and others may pivot to a new chapter. Yet without clarity, reputational noise makes every decision feel so much heavier. In the coaching sessions, we slow the spin and explore:

- What does this moment truly mean to you?

- How will you show up differently moving forward?

- Which values will guide your next steps?

This isn’t about optics. This is about becoming your authentic self and making a conscious choice.

Many Execs will also be aware of how they need to support the team through and past the immediate fallout. Not everyone leaves. Teams often remain in a state of tension, characterised by fractured trust and low morale. Coaching creates the space for honest conversation, collective learning, and re-establishing psychological safety.

As a coach we don’t gloss over the hard stuff - we honour it, learn from it, and move through it together.

As I reflect on the recent spin around the incident, it's essential to recognise that this isn’t just a PR Story. It’s a People Story. The ‘KissCam’ moment reminds us how fragile identity can be when visibility isn’t chosen. Now, more than ever, organisations need structured, ethical support to help people process, reflect, and reorient.

Because a single incident should define no one, growth lives in our response.

What if this moment became your catalyst for growth?

Reach out to Axis Culture Group for a complimentary discovery conversation and explore how executive coaching can help you navigate exposure, rebuild trust, and shape your next chapter:

How will you redefine your narrative?