Coach In The Spotlight - Ann Carver

What brought you to coaching?

I was in a mass of debt. This accumulated from 1) emotional spending which was triggered after a triple family loss 2) lack of money education 3) being self-employed but lacking business skills. Conventional help such as financial advice and re-mortgaging simply did nothing to help me recognise, address or move my life on, I was stuck. I got mad and wanted my life to change….then I saw an ad - ‘Train to Be a Life Coach’. I was instinctively attracted to the words ‘move from where you are now to where you want to be’.

What were your original thoughts for applying the coaching?

I purchased the magazine with the ad and tucked it out of sight (paranoid yet another impulse spend). Over the next week I would peak at the ad! The sceptic in me feared more debt, but I internally felt ‘if I wanted to truly change, I would need to take ownership and commit’. Eventually I picked up the phone.

What was your profession before becoming a coach?

An Iyengar Yoga Teacher & Student for 17 years (renowned worldwide for excellent teaching standards). Approx 150 students attended my classes a week. I turned to yoga in my early twenties to re-shape my life after a challenging upbringing. Although this did strengthen my backbone and confidence, it kept me locked in the strict yoga system which can be both liberating and limiting.

What did you find most interesting to learn?

Knowing I could dream a new dream and make it a reality. The power I had to make a massive difference to my own live and others, on my terms. That rules are great when you bend and breakthrough them, that the flexibility I had would put me in good stead.

What was the most rewarding part of the training/journey?

Coaching was the cherry on the cake after 17 years of yoga, it felt as though my potential was being unlocked….the freedom to create and decide what I wanted!

Which bits did you enjoy the most?

Loved the training days of being with like-minded people, inspired by the speakers and knew that one day I would be on the stage NOT in the audience. Absorbed the teaching like a sponge to water! Getting uncomfortable and being challenged.

How did the qualification slot in with your current life?

It was great to have – I initially intergraded this into a company called Healthy Vibes, combining yoga and coaching.

What else did you have to consider whilst qualifying?

Letting go of teaching every night of the week and weekends, as life was out of balance with the family, I needed to wake up and get real, which also meant letting go of my busy mess. I also set a goal to become debt free, financially, emotionally, mentally & spiritually. Within 3 years I paid my unsecured debts back as a result of setting my sights high, taking action and believing it could be done.

Where are you now? How are you using your coaching skills?

I have developed a financial coaching and behaviour change programme that I deliver into corporate third sector organizations. I was awarded a place at Hampshire School for Social Entrepreneurs in 2010 to further develop this.

The coaching skills are the greatest asset to empower people on the courses I run. I have also developed a product that measures and reduces weekly spending and coached myself to publish my Hey Big Spender ‘get an emotional grip’ book.

What is your coaching niche and why did you choose it?

‘Hey Big Spender’ - Bespoke Money Coaching & Behaviour Change Services that enable people to recognise and address money problems, so they can adopt savvier habits and be a lot more content. After my debts cleared in record time, the credit crunch hit – I wanted to help others to ‘get change by being the change’

What is the best thing that could happen to your coaching business in the next 2 years?

Scale up to a National Organization via an e-learning platform with the corporate and third sector, to be a significant success for myself and others

What is your favourite coaching question?

Just suppose you did know, what would it be? Questions are the matches that strike an inner light

What do you enjoy most about being a coach?

The honour and ability to pass this great stuff on. To know I can keep both aging and growing. The listening skills are the real gems, being comfortable in the silent moments.

What are your top tips for:

• People who are looking at coaching?

If you find it and it instinctively feels right, then what are you waiting for.

• Those coaches currently in training?

What are the problems you have turned to coaching to solve? Look to solve these and become an authentic coach and leader who understands and engages with people.

• Coaches that are about to qualify?

Continuingly build your skills, become greater and greater. Don’t go up and out like a firework, but believe and keep going for your sake and others. Keep your head in your dreams BUT your feet on the ground.

• People that are in a similar situation to yourself?

Momentum builds, give it time. Look to grow in the most effective way, preferably with someone else’s money. You need a process that will enable you to roll out, not wear out :)