Introduction
This page is a celebration and acknowledgement of the varied journeys that our students have taken to becoming a coach. From those who started out with no coaching experience, right through the spectrum to those who had informally coached for some time.
With professional backgrounds as diverse as education, pharmaceuticals, finance, PR, fashion, not for profit, HR, property and law, the list goes on and on... each made their own very personal journey.
Here, some of our students share their coaching stories with you...
Kit James
'The Executive Coach'
Having worked around the world for 30 years at a senior level in the property industry, I was looking for a change in career and was not sure exactly which direction to go in. Over coffee with a friend of a friend, I explained to him that I wanted a change from corporate life and knew that my strength lay in working closely with people. He promptly recommended coaching.
I understood coaching on a conceptual level but not in any real depth, so I rang Coaching Development, and spoke to Isy for 45 minutes. By the end of that call, I knew this was what I had been looking for and immediately signed up for the Professional Coaching Skills Programme.
My experience on the training was amazing; hard, emotional at times and revelatory. I felt like I had landed where I was supposed to be. It was pretty challenging because I soon realised, as with all coaching, the work was all about me. Coaching the whole person is very much the Coaching Development ethos and is absolutely fundamental to my coaching practice today.
We were taught the techniques of coaching, which was a relatively structured process, but it was what I learned about myself that was the most powerful piece. What was brilliant about the course was that it was learning by ‘doing.’ There was a brief explanation on what we were doing and why, but then we jumped straight in and experienced it first-hand.
For me that was really transformational because I found myself coaching and making mistakes- along with everyone else -as part of the learning. Also learning by watching coaching in action meant that we could witness the work of a good coach first-hand rather than from a textbook which I don't think would have had anywhere near the same impact.
The community aspect of CD is another strong point. It's fantastic that I'm very much in touch with many in my cohort and we frequently speak to each other to ask for advice or swap ideas.
In my coaching business now, I work with Founders, Entrepreneurs and SMEs who are looking to scale their business, without falling into the usual traps. Through deep transformational coaching we create the right leadership and culture for businesses to succeed. Clients report that they are happier as well as more successful and this underpins my coaching philosophy.
I sometimes take clients off-site; we walk on beaches and in woods in Norfolk. It's about getting into nature, away from phones and off grid to really dive in deep to the coaching.
I was really surprised by the speed at which I embraced coaching and the benefits of it, my power as a coach and how quickly I built my own coaching business. I love the work that I do with clients that helps them to create the businesses and lives that that they really desire.
In conclusion, I will forever be grateful to Isy for that phone call and for Coaching Development for their incredible life-changing course.
Course History
- Professional Coaching Skills - 2018
- Developing Mastery
