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What was your profession before becoming a coach?
I worked in corporate communications. So, I spent 20 years working for small and large organisations, around dealing with the press, journalists and internal communications. And actually, that was really valuable in terms of coaching because I oversaw many large-scale changes. And understanding how to communicate with key audiences, including employees that were going through big change programs was a very useful experience for coaching as well.
Why did you want to become a coach?
When I was younger in about 2002, I had a coach myself. And at that time, I didn’t really understand what coaching was about but after I continued to have coaching, I soon realised the transformations, changes and progresses that I was making were through the coaching I was having. And I continued to have different coaches and as I became more interested in self-development and my general passion for wanting to live a very full life, that’s what led me to coaching.
Most people become a coach to change the lives of others… How has coaching benefited your own life?
As much as my clients learn and develop, I learn and develop about other people and other viewpoints in life as well. It’s absolutely fascinating to understand what makes people tick. And in order to provide the best service to my clients, I’m constantly seeking new tools and processes. So, I’m learning all the time about how to become an even better coach.
What is your coaching niche?
I’m working in the career coaching sector. So that may be with individuals that may be lost or stuck in their careers, they may want to set up a new business or they want to work and travel. But also working with organisations to help with team coaching to enable better performance, small businesses that are stuck and are looking to take the next step in their progress or leaders. So quite often I’m dealing with new managers who have been recently promoted and whilst they technically know how to do their job, sometimes they struggle with leadership qualities and how to bring together a team, they’ve inherited. I also bring forward my PR and communications experience to coach in that sector as well.
What was your experience being trained by The Coaching Academy?
Being trained by The Coaching Academy was a great experience on many levels. It was very structured, there were lots of materials you could use and with mentoring, you could book in as many sessions as you like to get advice and guidance about your progress. I also found valuable meeting and making friends with other coaches, some of whom I’ve stayed friends with today. So, it’s really nice to have that network of support as well.
What would you say to someone thinking of enrolling with The Coaching Academy?
I would say use the mentoring session that The Coaching Academy offer. And to really use the opportunity to network and connect with other coaches. But most importantly do the paperwork for your coaching session as soon as you can and don’t put it off. I’ve found it very useful to break down the whole process and work to a structure.
Sarah Jones is a seasoned personal, life, business and career coach at Sarah-J Coaching, who was born with an entrepreneurial spirit and an insatiable drive to help others find their happiness.
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