Stories

I’m a classical music industry professional with 30 years’ experience as a manager, agent and director working internationally with high profile artists. My job was to get to know my artists well and then build fruitful relationships with promoters, venues, festivals, orchestras, record labels, PRs and other managers to produce a balanced, creatively rewarding and lucrative performance schedule for those artists.

I was initially introduced to concept of coaching attending a webinar which promised ‘deep satisfaction in life and artist management’. Maybe I had an inkling already that artist management (although it had been a superbly rewarding career) was not in fact bringing about deep satisfaction for me. Literally from that moment on I started to ask the question, ‘what would?’ I interrogated my artist management role and it turns out it was the conversations, the listening and the ‘helping’ bits of the job that I was enjoying the most. I then started to add some rudimentary coaching techniques into the mix and noticed how my artists and colleagues seemed to respond positively to this new way I had of communicating – and for me, not having to have all the answers was a great relief!

I looked around a lot for coach training – it’s like the wild west out there! Coaching Development stood out for me because they didn’t do the ‘buy-now get a discount hard-sell thing’ and their free training day was beautifully paced, already giving space for new thinking. My training with Coaching Development showed me that I could still learn and even more crucially that I had a hunger to learn.  At the end of each module I felt energised to carry on, not wanting the online classes to end, sad that I would have to wait another month to see everyone again, and very grateful (and slightly terrified) in the interim to be able to practise coaching with fellow students. I had not felt like this in a long time. My friends and family noticed that I was animated and excited when I talked about coaching – this new thing that I was focusing my attention and energy on was expanding and blossoming.

What I hadn’t anticipated was the ongoing support that the wonderful team at Coaching Development give even after you’ve completed your course. This includes wrap-around activities such as Alumni days, Coaching Circles and Goldfish Bowls, as well as the life enhancing connections with my cohort. I am very grateful to be part of such a nurturing ecosystem.

I left artist management in Summer 2026 having opened my coaching practice a few months prior to that. My practice offers a much-needed place for the people leading the charge in classical music to stop, to think, to breathe, and navigate the challenges that their complex roles create. I understand the pressures that live performers, and those who work around them, face in the international arena. People often work in the arts because it is something they love – but is that love still there? My clients are asking: ‘How can I be more of who I want to be in this industry?’ ‘I trained as a musician and now I am in charge – how can I be both a musician and a leader?’ ‘I’m working so hard, but nothing ever seems to change.’  ‘How do I work out what I want when everyone needs something from me and there is no time?’

I work with my clients to reveal what is going on behind those questions - limiting beliefs, fears, patterns, values, hungers and dreams. The moment someone believes they have more in them than they can currently see, the kernel for change is there. It’s such a privilege to witness those moments.

If you're looking for coach training or thinking about becoming a coach, here are a few things worthy of consideration:

• When your training raises as many questions, as it does answers, you know the environment is rich for learning.
• The work you do on your own self-awareness and growth is as important as the work you do with your clients.
• Please feel free to be in touch for an in-person testimonial of Coaching Development. Start building your community here.