Turning a passion for helping into a coaching career

Finding a path into coaching

I’ve always been driven to help people make the most of their lives - through friendships, personal connections and a decade working in the mental health industry. Coaching found me at a time when I was seeking a new path, one that would allow me to keep transforming lives while also creating more balance and harmony in my own. It’s become the perfect way to continue my passion for helping others, without the intensity that came with my previous career.

It continues to amaze me how much coaching has transformed not just my clients’ lives but my own. Training with the Coaching Academy shifted how I ask questions, deepened my self-awareness and improved how I navigate personal and professional challenges. But perhaps the most unexpected gift has been the incredible people I’ve met, many of whom started as clients and then became friends, bringing as much light to my life as I have into theirs.

Discovering The Coaching Academy 

I was at a point where I was seeking something different when I stumbled across coaching and it instantly appealed to me. I found The Coaching Academy online and saw they were offering an Introduction to Life Coaching webinar that same week, so I signed up. The webinar gave me the confirmation that I was onto something great - so I enrolled on my Personal Performance Life Coaching Diploma and never looked back!

When I enrolled, I was working in an inpatient mental health hospital, the world was still tackling Covid and my personal life was complex. But The Coaching Academy provided incredible support throughout, keeping me accountable while also encouraging self-compassion during busier periods of my life. I leaned on mentor sessions, built peer support networks and embraced the flexibility of the programme, which made this journey achievable for me.

Qualifying as a coach was undoubtedly a huge achievement, but the real reward is knowing I can help people navigate life’s challenges with the skills and credentials to back it up. Integrity matters to me greatly, so having this qualification reinforces that. Now I get to do meaningful work and meet incredible people all whilst staying true to my core values - I’m truly blessed.

I really valued both 1:1 and group mentoring as it gave me space to overcome my own barriers while also learning from others’ challenges. The live online training sessions were another highlight for me - intense learning but invaluable. Seeing different coaching styles in action reinforced that coaching is about authenticity, even when using coaching frameworks like the GROW model. The resources were all fantastic, but these interactive elements made the biggest impact.

Using coaching to support growth and wellbeing

Running my coaching business, Motivate Me Coaching, allows me to use my skills daily, not just with clients and workshops, but in my own mindset and growth. Keeping ‘imposter syndrome’ in check is definitely an ongoing practice for me! The ‘BE DO HAVE’ exercise was a game changer for me, providing clarity when I needed it most. I still use it today as a reflection tool to stay aligned with my personal and professional goals. My favourite tool with clients is the Wheel of Life. It’s incredibly versatile and can offer a holistic view or focus on specific goals and serves as a powerful measure of progress and success.

Hearing the positive impact my coaching has had on people has been both humbling and validating. The feedback about my warm, relatable and professional approach aligns with my values and means the world to me. When clients share how their mindset, behaviour or outlook has shifted for the better and they feel empowered to take control of their lives again, I know we’ve done good work together. I always remind them that the credit goes to them for doing the hard work, while I'm grateful for the role I get to play in the journey.

My passion is helping people manage stress and tackle burnout so they can find balance, harmony and fulfilment. A common theme with clients seeking better work-life alignment or struggling with burnout is the lack of time they make for activities that bring them joy. Many feel guilty or ashamed for prioritising pleasure over ‘adulting’ responsibilities. But it’s no surprise we feel unfulfilled if work is all we do. I continue to advocate for making time for joy - guilt free - both in my coaching and the wellbeing workshops I run.

Expanding impact through coaching

I absolutely love individual 11 coaching - it’s what lights my heart up. However, my passion for tackling burnout extends beyond the individual. That’s why I’ve expanded into offering workshops, training and coaching leaders and their teams, shifting workplace cultures to eliminate burnout on a larger scale.

Coaching isn’t just about helping others; it’s about doing the work on yourself too. To walk the walk, you need to tackle your own mindset barriers and be proactive in your own growth too. Prepare for a life changing experience, one that will only get better as you go! 

If you are curious about coaching and wondering if it’s for you, I highly recommend booking onto one of The Coaching Academy’s free Introductory Coaching Webinars. If I hadn’t, I likely would have procrastinated on starting my coaching journey. It was a powerful session that gave me clarity, answers and opened the door to a life changing journey - one I cherish every day!

Thank you Jenny for sharing your coaching journey and how you are supporting others through your work as a coach.