This week's Coach in the Spotlight is Shilpa Maher who has a passion for helping people who lack the confidence to pursue their dreams. Shilpa has found coaching in 2018 and in this article, she's sharing her story, her reflections and some great tips to help with self-confidence. Enjoy!
Hi everyone and first of all let me thank you for featuring me in the ‘Coach in the Spotlight’ Column – I feel truly humbled and extremely grateful.
I started my Life Coaching Course course in February/March 2019 and qualified in April 2020. Finding the world and business of coaching has drastically changed my life (for the better). When I began, I was lost as to who I was, I didn’t have the level of self-awareness as I have now, I lacked confidence in myself and my abilities and I hugely underestimated the impact I could have on others.
Understanding who I am, what’s important to me and why these things are important, helped me discover that Coaching is the profession I was meant to follow as it was this skillset that perfectly aligned to who I was at my core.
Since completing the course alongside a high pressured full-time job, I have not only been on an amazing journey of self-discovery but I have also benefitted from a huge boost in self-confidence.
When I first attended the fantastic Introduction to Life Coaching training that TCA delivers, I knew little about what coaching was (I had a vague idea) but the course cemented it for me and I realised that this was what I was born to do!
"Everyone was rooting for you and were ready and willing to offer their support whenever you needed it. I’ve never felt this level of altruism anywhere else – it was and still is totally mind-blowing."
Having now come out at the other end, I feel like a well-rounded individual and a coach with an excellent set of tools and techniques to use on my clients to help them go on a journey of self-discovery. I do this with ease and enjoyment compared to when I was at the beginning of the journey - where I’d be constantly referring to the TCA Questions to ask booklet!
At the end of 2018, I was really not enjoying my corporate role, I had little or no intellectual stimulation, no accountability nor responsibility and felt totally lost. I kept asking whether this was all that lay ahead for me in my life. That’s when I received an email from TCA inviting me to one of the two-day weekend courses and I jumped at the chance.
I arrived at the Portland Square training centre and well – shall I say – the rest is history! I had found my purpose in life, I had found something that struck a chord with who I was, I found something that ignited me, something that I could grow and nurture and something that I could help others with.
There were many 2 key things that stood out as hugely rewarding from my Coaching journey.
Firstly, it was seeing and experiencing the improvements in myself as a Coach as I went through the course; the second was the immense friendships I made with both my fellow students and staff. Everyone was rooting for you and were ready and willing to offer their support whenever you needed it. I’ve never felt this level of altruism anywhere else – it was and still is totally mind-blowing.
As part of my PPD, I coached a number of different clients who wanted to work on different aspects of themselves. I was desperately trying to find what my niche was – as I kept hearing that word everywhere and I ended up putting a tremendous amount of pressure on myself in trying to define who exactly I enjoyed coaching and why within my business, Shilpa Maher Coaching.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, I still haven’t managed to find an exact niche for my coaching. All I know is that I find it tremendously exciting and fulfilling when I help someone to achieve their dreams when they thought they never could!
I enjoy helping smart people who lack confidence in going for what they want due to the stories they tell themselves like… I’m not good enough for that promotion; I don’t deserve to be here; I don’t deserve a successful life etc. They lack self-belief and confidence to pursue their dreams. They are the kind of individuals who when I can help them see that the only thing that is holding them back is themselves.
When they unpack this, define small steps to help them get closer to their dreams and then take action is what makes me come alive.
The main challenges that my clients face
3 questions that people can reflect on if they are dealing with low confidence and negative beliefs about themselves
I absolutely love asking them these questions
When I look at my clients’ faces when I ask these questions, and the answers I get is what makes my decision to want to become a coach totally worthwhile.
The one big takeaway I’d like anyone reading this article to go away with is as follows: Don’t be frightened to aim for the stars. Don’t believe that what you want is not possible because it absolutely is. With a little help, accountability and a cheerleader by your side – anything is possible!
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