About Me
I’m delighted you’ve found your way to my site and I’d love to share a little more about myself and my journey.
In this section you’ll find out:
My journey to becoming a Stress Management Coach
Why I love coaching
Who I am outside of work
Wanting to find out more about what coaching is, and how I approach it? You can find that out on this page: What Is Coaching?
My journey
I’m a Professional Coach with an expertise in Stress Management, based in Bristol in the U.K.. I help others reach their full potential, whether that’s at work, how they use their time, improving self-esteem or confidence, or any number of other factors. I have never been so passionate, inspired and motivated by what I do.
But that hasn’t always been the case.
My working background was in the corporate world. I’ve worked for global companies with thousands of employees, and I’ve been one of the first to join a start up. I’ve worked privately and for the government, both local and national. I’ve been an employee, and I’ve been self-employed. I’ve had intensely internal roles, and roles as the face of the company. I’ve been a leader responsible for entire departments and regions, and I’ve been at the very bottom of the chain. I’ve managed teams all over the world, including the U.K., U.S., France, Australia, and Singapore.
By some peoples’ definition I had what could be considered a very successful career, climbing to senior leadership roles in high-achieving companies.
But something was missing.
In time I began to realise that my working achievements weren’t my own. No matter what my “results” were, no matter how far I went, it never felt truly satisfying. It was success as defined by others, not by me. In truth, I felt as though I was walking someone else’s path.
At this point I began working with a coach myself, and it was a life-changing experience. I suddenly became much more aware of who I was and what I wanted. And once I knew that, I could start to work out how I would get there.
I began to realise my passion was in helping others achieve their potential. My calling was to become a coach myself, to help others feel empowered in the work they do, and to help others gain better balance in how they spend their time and energy.
To some it probably seemed like an odd decision. I turned my back on everything I had been building for over a decade, starting completely fresh with nothing to fall back on. I began training with The Coaching Academy, obtaining a Distinction in their Association for Coaching-accredited diploma in life coaching, as well as gaining a separate specialism in Wellbeing Coaching.
Now, I’m proud to be to be a fully-insured client-led Stress Management Coach. I abide by the code of ethics for the Association of Coaching and by the ISO’s guidance towards data protection, and am ready to help you in whatever form that takes.
Why I love coaching
To put it simply, coaching is the bridge between where you are right now, and where you want to be.
As detailed when I explained my journey above, my coaching journey began when I hired a coach myself. It soon became clear to me that where I was (working very, very hard at progressing through a corporate career) wasn’t where I wanted to be, and with help from the coach, I began to realise where I wanted to go (in to a profession that helped others reach their potential).
That is what excites me so much about coaching; it’s about untapped potential. It would be amazing if life was set up to allow us to be at our best at all times, but that isn’t the case. Our obligations in life take from us, and often don’t leave much at the end. It means we’re often sleepwalking through life, operating at just a fraction of what we’d be capable of if we gave it just a little more focus.
The rewarding part of coaching for me is seeing my clients put the attention on their lives that they truly deserve. It isn’t about ripping everything up and starting again, it’s about identifying what doesn’t work and doing less of it, and identifying what does work and doing more of it. It’s about keeping an eye on the future, and putting together a manageable, simple, exciting plan to get there.
If you want to understand more about what coaching is, you can find that at this page: Read More: What Is Coaching?
For more information on what coaching is, what it isn’t, and how it differs from other talking services, I have an article for that. Read More: Coaching vs Counselling, Mentoring & Therapy.
If you’re unsure of what to look for in a coach, I also have an article for that: Read More: How To Find The Right Coach.
Who am I?
By now you can hopefully understand how I’ve got to where I am and why I love coaching. I also explain more about coaching and my approach to it here. But being a coach is just a part of who I am.
That is one of the core principles of how I view the world, and how I ended up specialising in Stress Management. It’s easy for our identity to become so absorbed by our jobs that we lose sight of who we are outside of work. That in turn puts a strain on our personal lives, but also our working lives; we operate at our best when we are energised, motivated, and well-rounded individuals.
I also appreciate how important it is to know your coach when you start working with them. After all, the very first words in my 10 Tips To Find The Right Coach article were “the rapport you build with your coach is one of the most important aspects of your journey.”
So apart from being a certified Stress Management Coach, who am I?
Firstly, I live in Bristol, but have lived in a variety of towns and cities throughout the U.K. I live with my wife, daughter, and two cats. I love music and play drums. The cinema is my happy place and I try to go a couple of times a month to unwind. I can watch almost any sport, but football (soccer for my American readers) was my first-love. I’m a Southend United fan (most people usually ask “who?” when I tell them that), and I still try to play football once a week with my friends. I love hiking and try to go for a walk every day, and feel very lucky to have woodlands nearby that I visit on a regular basis as my own oasis of calm.
I have experienced some incredible highs in my life, but I’m also not too proud to admit I’ve had some devastating lows. My mental health is something that requires constant attention, having suffered from depression and anxiety on and off for some time. I’ve also experienced work-place burnout and subsequently exhaustion, which is one of the reasons for why I’m so passionate about stress management. I’ve been on the other side, I’ve experienced what it’s like when stress takes over, and it’s not pleasant. Anyone I can help to avoid that same fate, I will.
That is a little taster of who I am, although it probably only scratches the surface. I hope this is enough to help you get a feel for if we might be a good fit, but if you want to talk further you can reach me using this contact form.
But ultimately, your coaching journey isn’t about me. It’s about you. All of my experiences, my challenges, my joys, I park them outside the room when it comes to meeting with you. As a coach, I’m here to be your support, whatever form that takes.
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