Empowering women leaders in science through coaching

The Moment Everything Changed

My first day back to work in January 2014…when my alarm went off, I cried.  I’d had a lovely Christmas with my children and really did not want to go back to work.  I’d reached tipping point. I realised something had to change.   Fortunately, the group coaching I was due to start that afternoon, helped me figure out not just that I wanted to leave my job, but also what to do next!

Finding My Passion Through Coaching

As a team leader in the pharmaceutical industry, I’d often received positive feedback on my natural coaching style. As a self-confessed introvert, I’ve always been a good listener. Through my career, mentoring, coaching and facilitating had become a greater part of my role and I leaned into my quiet leadership style, supplementing my natural skills with some internal training courses.   I received 1:1 coaching through an experienced internal coach and then requested 4 months of external group coaching as part of my development plan as after 16 years in a corporate role in the pharmaceutical industry, I wanted to do something different.  I began asking myself the question: “What next?”, hoping to find an answer to that question through partaking in the group coaching. The experience was invaluable, as I zeroed in on what I found rewarding and fulfilling in my life, both in work and outside it.    What I identified was my love of encouraging and motivating people, delivering workshops, and facilitating positive change in others.

As a trained dancer and teacher, one of my greatest passions is leading my students through the steps of a challenging new dance, helping them find their rhythm. It turned out that coaching and facilitating others to find their passion and direction was exactly the kind of career that had me jumping out of bed in the morning. I’d found my answer, and ever since then, I’ve been helping other people find theirs too.

Taking the First Step Towards Becoming A Life Coach

During 2014, while I was exploring through group coaching what I might do next in my career, a colleague attended The Coaching Academy's free Introduction to Life Coaching event and decided to sign up to do a Life Coaching Diploma.

Encouraged by their experience, I attended one myself! I absolutely loved it, especially the coaching exercises, so I signed up for the Life Coaching Diploma too.

I completed the diploma over 15 months, while still in my corporate role, attending the weekend training days, whichever dates I could make, and then catching up with the course resources.   The training events were brilliant, both in terms of the training and exercises and the time spent with other trainees.

The support of other trainees, whether through reciprocal practice coaching or discussing our learning, was invaluable. I looked for practice clients outside of my immediate network and found some fantastic clients through contacts of contacts. By letting everyone I knew (or met) know about my training, I gathered practice clients from across the UK and in the US. I loved the coaching practice - some of these practice clients continued or returned to working with me after I qualified.

Recognising the Impact of My Coaching

The most rewarding part of my coaching training journey was receiving recognition of the impact my coaching was having on my clients, some of whom started working with me during the diploma, and who continued or came back for coaching with me after qualification.

I was delighted to be first shortlisted at the Coaching Academy's International Coaching Awards in 2016 in the Best Newcomer category, then followed by winning Small Business Coach of the Year in 2017, and being shortlisted for Executive Coach of the Year in 2018.  

Evolving My Coaching Business

Through the coaching diplomas and practice coaching sessions I discovered I was more drawn to coaching women, particularly women in science - my own background. As I started my own coaching practice after qualifying, some of my practice clients continued working with me or returned to working with me and I grew the business from there.

My coaching business has evolved over time and my coaching client base is now predominantly women science leaders who wish to progress their careers, realise their full potential and maximise their impact. They work with me 1:1 for typically 3-12 months, via video calls - either funded by their organisation, or directly self-funded.

One of my very first practice clients (who has worked with me two more times since I qualified, always at pivotal times in her life) has given me permission to share in her own words the results she achieved:

“I started coaching while experiencing devastation over receiving my first (and last!) poor performance review. Sian helped me pinpoint the issue, determine my strengths and weaknesses, and choose how I wanted to address them. Sian then guided me subtly using my own thoughts and feelings to help me realise where I wanted to go and what I wanted to be. I’m sitting where I am right now because of Sian’s encouragement and her insistence on never losing sight of my goal!  I’ve been promoted to a leadership position making strategic decisions. My thoughts and opinions are valued and I’m contributing more now than I ever could have previously – far exceeding my expectations!”.

Thank you Sian for inspiring us with your coaching journey and success!