About me
In hindsight I wish I’d had a coach.
Initially all I wanted to do was play rugby. What got in the way, besides injuries, was mindset, a disconnect between realising and articulating I wanted something, believing and committing to achieving that aspiration, and creating a plan to bring it to being. These are all things that coaching would have helped me work on, even during injury.
After studying History at university, I was fortunate to have found coaching as a volunteer and now run an education charity that uses coaching as part of a year-long programmes that helps young people fulfil their potential regardless of their background.
My own experience means I am passionate about empowering people to discover what they want and to coach them towards that vision – to be their true potential.
My Background
The benefit of my long-winded route to becoming a coach is the opportunity to experience lots of different challenges including managing and leading teams, running a social enterprise while working full-time, being part of a fast-growing education organisation, being a charity trustee, and running and growing a small charity.
Listening and then coaching have always been part of that journey. I completed a thirty-hour training programme as a peer supporter at university, and built on these skills as a Mental Health First Aid instructor. After training as a coach, I ran coaching workshops for the organisations I’ve worked in and at a tech conference and developed a coaching training programme for the charity where I work.
My experience
Behind all that I’ve done and everything I want to do and be there has always been a thought slowing me down: ‘I’m not good enough’. Self-doubt has led to procrastination, inaction, and at times disappointment and discontent in the moments I realise I’m not where I want to be. Other times, fear of failure has led to overworking, imbalance, and feeling burnt out.
I can’t promise a silver-bullet or one-stop-shop to overcoming these and other barriers that we will inevitably face throughout life. What I have learnt, however, is that we all experience barriers and we can find ways to navigate them and to live the life we want without being controlled or constrained by them.
It is these experiences and feelings that motivate me as a coach.
Why I coach
For me being a coach is part of me being me. Being me is scary; it feels vulnerable and uncertain. Being me is also liberating, exhilarating and fulfilling.
I believe that if we can work towards recognising our true potential we are able to be ourselves and live more positive, fulfilled lives.
In being ourselves, we create a ripple effect.
When we are ourselves - vulnerable, authentic, wholehearted - we inspire others to be themselves and to feel empowered to have fulfilled lives, no matter the barriers.
And when I’m not coaching…
Outside of coaching and my role as CEO for an education charity, you’ll most likely find me still avidly following the rugby (even if I hung up my boots a long time ago), sharing time with friends and family, who still put up with my love for puns and bad jokes, in the kitchen obsessing over bread baking or cooking, or holed up reading and sampling my latest loaf.