We are pleased to be featuring Alice Hewitt as our Coach in the Spotlight in this week’s blog. Alice is one of The Coaching Academy’s qualified coaches who is now running her own coaching business where she helps frustrated professionals to take back control of their careers, to re-ignite their passion for their work and fall back in love with Mondays!
What has led you to coaching?
I love hearing about people’s careers and lives, the challenges they face and the dreams and aspirations they have. I was ready to diversify my career and wanted to make helping people to grow and develop my focus but I wasn’t sure how best to do so. I wanted to offer something in addition to mentoring and training but didn’t quite know how. I attended The Coaching Academy’s introductory event and knew instantly that I’d found what I was looking for.
Most people become a coach to change the lives of others, how has coaching benefited your own life?
Coaching has given me a completely different outlook on life – life is filled with so many possibilities and opportunities now. The skills I’ve learnt have allowed me to reframe my thinking and to be more curious. It’s given me so much more understanding into how I think about and approach situations, how I can use my personality traits to work for me, instead of against me, and how to reframe my own thinking. I’m much happier and fulfilled and passionate about the future.
How did the qualification slot in with your busy life?
It was a challenge! I enrolled with TCA just before COVID hit so had to fit my coaching studies around lockdowns, homeschooling and work. It took me longer than I’d planned to get going but once I did, I made it my priority and made use of every opportunity I could. There was a fair bit of juggling and late nights but it was worth it.
What was the most rewarding part of your coaching journey?
The most rewarding part of my coaching journey has been the sense of purpose and direction that it has given me and that, in turn, I’ve been able to help my clients to find. I’ve worked with some fantastic clients and had some lovely feedback – helping people to take their next step, overcome their challenges and bring about positive transformations in their lives is such an amazing feeling. And when I’ve look back on the progress that I’ve made, and continue to make, I can’t believe how far I’ve come in terms of my own personal development.
Tell us about the work you do, how are you using your coaching skills?
I help frustrated professionals to take back control of their careers, to re-ignite their passion for their work and fall back in love with Mondays. We spend over 90,000 hours at work in our lifetime. That’s roughly a third of our lives. In fact, the only thing we spend more time doing is sleeping. Our work is hugely important to us, and not just because it pays the bills. I help my clients feel inspired by their work, to be excited about what they do, to find their spark and creativity. I help them create a balance that works for them; so they can give time and energy to work when they’re at work, and have freedom and space to breathe and live when they’re not. Working together, we create the perfect blend of mindset, strategy and practical tools to get unstuck, overcome challenges, and take back control of their career and life.
What’s the biggest area in coaching you are curious about and why?
I’m fascinated by the power of habits, and the link between habit and mindset. Having the right mindset is crucial to making successful and sustained changes and changing our habits so that they work for us, instead of against us, can make a huge difference. When we’re facing big changes or feeling overwhelmed, it can be daunting to know where to start. Developing a new habit can be a great place to begin, to get us started and give us consistency in our thoughts and actions.
What advice would you give someone wanting to pursue a life coaching career?
My advice would be to attend The Coaching Academy’s free introduction to life coaching webinar – you’ll learn a lot and you’ll soon know whether coaching is the right thing for you. And if it is, then go for it. There’s never going to be right time or a perfect time to start. Sometimes you just have to jump in with both feet. Take a leap and build your wings on the way down.
What are the best resources that have helped you along your coach training journey?
The Coaching Academy offers such a wealth of resources, it’s hard to know where to start! I worked my way through all the resources on the Online Learning Platform, but the things that helped me the most were the mentor sessions and the practice coaching sessions that I did. I learnt so much in such a short space of time and the practical sessions were crucial in cementing my learning and development. It’s an incredibly supportive community and the people I met on my coaching were, and still are, one of the best resources I have.
Thank you Alice for sharing your coaching journey with us!
If you are feeling inspired and would you like to have a coaching business you can run from the comfort of your own home, then do join us on our Introduction to Life Coaching webinar - choose from available dates.
Are you already qualified as a coach? Our wide range of coaching training events, webinars and courses will enable you to upskill in your career or grow your coaching business – view booking calendar.
If you'd like to read about the coaching journey of more of our qualified coaches, visit our blog and keep an eye out for our monthly Coach in the Spotlight features!
The Coaching Academy was established in 1999, and is now the world's largest coaching school.
In that time we have trained over 14,000 people to become life coaches.
We are accredited by the International Coach Federation and the Association for Coaching, and we're rated 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
