Suzanne Clarke -Self-care, not self-ish

What brought you to coaching?

As a recruiter, I think that I’ve been a coach for most of my career, and I’ve used lots of coaches for my own personal and professional development for many years.

However most recently what brought me to coaching was a desire to find new ways of thinking to dramatically improve my anxiety levels and work-life balance which had deteriorated to all work and not much life.

I saw an advert for a podcast entitled ‘How to feel great’ and after listening to it I felt better almost immediately.

I then looked for Coaching Schools in the UK and came across TCA and enrolled after the free Introduction to Life Coaching training. 

Most people become a coach to change the lives of others… How has coaching benefited your own life?

I have benefitted in so many ways.

Firstly I learnt techniques to manage my mind which in turn helped to manage my anxiety.

I’ve used it to enhance my relationships with both myself and those around me.

Ultimately I used coaching to carve out a new career for myself, which resulted in me ending my 32-year career as a recruiter!

How did the qualification slot in with your busy life?

I attended the accelerator days in Crewe on a Saturday which was very useful. 

I’d drive over on a Friday evening and stay over in a local hotel to be refreshed for the full days of training on Saturday.

The ‘homework’ I could do whenever it suited me, usually in the evening.

Lots of my coaching calls were done over lunchtime.

What was the most rewarding part of your Coaching journey?

I’d say it’s the combination of learning new skills and accomplishing a ‘qualification’, with the ability to go on and help change the lives of so many other women.

Even just an hour spent with someone in ‘pain’ can bring about a life-changing shift. The energy that brings to the coach and the client is amazing.

How did you choose your coaching niche? 

Being a woman in her 50s can be very challenging with raging hormones, kids leaving home, long-standing relationships being in a new spotlight, and perhaps coming to the end of her career.

Add to that the anxiety of those emotions and changes, it can be very scary. Having made such enormous changes myself, I felt I wanted to help as many other women in their 50s to feel better too.

What are some of the challenges that your clients face?

What I’m finding the most is that women get into the habit of living their lives vicariously through others and so forget what it is that they actually enjoy.

It can feel impossible to break these ways of thinking and so women become unhappy and frustrated and tend the blame the situation or people around them rather than looking to themselves. 

I teach them that it can all be solved with their own thinking and that they can have the life of their choosing, which often greatly enhances the lives of those around them too.

If someone in their 50s is reading this, what tips would you share with them to embrace this period in their life? 

I’d tell them to think very deeply about what they want from life. We can spend so much of our lives trying to please others and end up being frustrated and not pleasing ourselves.

I call it self-care not sel-fish. I think it’s useful to write out a journal each day and celebrate the wins, no matter how small, and to be grateful for what we do have and not what we don’t.

I know for me, during the pandemic, I’ve been grateful for my health, a roof over my head, access to good food and a caring family and friends.

Women can be their own worst enemies, but this is no dress rehearsal so now’s the time to start living the life that we want.

Of course, I’d suggest they try coaching with me too !! I can be contacted through my LinkedIn page.

What would you say to someone thinking of enrolling with The Coaching Academy?

If you want to ‘meet’ like-minded people who are also looking to help change people’s lives, and you want to learn a set of tools and skills to do that, then The Coaching Academy courses can set you up for a whole new career.

Added to that, you most likely become a different person in the process.

What are your top tips for those currently in training with TCA?

Most definitely to look at the ’10 Questions’ at the start and fill them in as you go (I didn’t realise they were there until I’d completed all the accelerator days and coaching calls !!).

I did complete all my learning records sheets as I went along though, which helped enormously.

And enjoy the process and find some fellow coaches who resonate with you. 

Who do you want to be when lockdown is over?

Would you like to make a positive and lasting difference to others, just like Suzanne does? Would you like to have a coaching business you can run from the comfort of your own home?

The free Introduction to Life Coaching webinars are available for you to join. They are interactive, informative and designed to help you understand if training to be a life coach is for you. 

Take positive action, project forward and plan for a year to remember for all the right reasons. Choose from available dates here.