I’m Nicola, The Career and Confidence Coach. I can help you take control of your career so that you fulfil your potential and achieve your career goals. I can also partner with your organisation to help your people do the same.
Once upon a time I was a Business Change Consultant and worked with several of the big players, namely, Accenture, KPMG and EY. I enjoyed working for these organisations and was incredibly good at my job but there was always something that wasn’t quite right.
I wouldn’t say I was a square peg in a round hole. More like a bumpy round peg in a smooth round hole!
I used to spend my lunch break fantasising with colleagues about our escape route. Mine was called The Jam Plan, if all else failed I would spend my days making strawberry jam in my kitchen to sell.
At this point, I had never made a pot of jam in my life, but remember we were fantasising!
After a lot of soul-searching and personal exploration, I realised that what I loved doing was helping others unravel what they wanted from their career and supporting them to make it a reality. When I reflect on my ‘escape plan’ conversations with my colleagues it seems obvious that coaching was the right career path for me. Hindsight is a wonderful thing!
My Clients and Experience
In recent years I have had the privilege of working with incredible clients from a wide range of industries and backgrounds. Examples of organisations that my recent clients work for: Accenture, BAE Systems, Bumble, CIE Legal, Deloitte, DLA Piper, DWF Legal and Business Services, Electrolux, Euromonitor, Ernst and Young, Farrer & Co, General Medical Council, IPSOS Mori, KPMG, Lonza, Ogier, PWC, Sir Robert McAlpine, Schlumberger, Unum.
I have invested in my development so that I am in the best position possible to help you. I am a Certified Mindset Coach, accredited by the International Coaching Federation and also have the following accreditations: Level A/B British Psychological Society, Professional Mindfulness Practitioner, Hypnosis Practitioner, Timeline Therapy Practitioner, Mindset Dimensions Practitioner, NLP Practitioner, NLP Coach and Certified Happiness Coach.
I believe that my training and qualifications coupled with my commercial awareness and real-world experience allow me to deliver an exceptional coaching experience. However, most importantly, I care about my clients. I have been described as an iron fist in a velvet glove. I treat my clients with kindness, compassion and always with a sense of humour (life is too short to take ourselves seriously). At the same time, I will challenge you and hold you to account so that you achieve your goals.
About My Coaching Approach
There are different methods and styles of coaching and it’s important you choose a coach whose style matches your needs and personality.
Sometimes people enter our initial conversation with preconceptions about what a coach does. They have worked with coaches (often provided internally by their organisation) who put on their listening face and ask the client a series of open questions that result in interesting reflection, but do little to move the client forward to their desired outcome.
I often talk about the Coaching, Consulting, Therapy triangle.
A ‘purist’ Coach will ask open questions to encourage you to uncover answers for yourself. This is the most common kind of coaching that you may have encountered from an in-house Coach.
A Consultant will provide their expert advice and guidance based on their past experience. In effect, they will tell you what to do.
A Therapist will help people explore and explain the feelings and emotions that are related to their past experiences.
I see myself sitting on the Coach/Consulting continuum. I will get you to reflect and explore and help you to unravel your thinking, however, I will not allow you to get stuck in an eternal loop of questioning and reflecting.
If I think I can offer support, based on my past experience or my work with other clients, I will do that.
I am not a therapist but I do have some therapeutic tools that I can use to help you release feelings and emotions on past events. My work is very much future focused, helping you to move forward.
Would you value support to help you achieve your career goals?
Let's ChatWhat Clients Say About Working With Me:
“I have now been working with Nicola for 9 months. Her impact has been incredible, she has supported me to find the confidence to take control of the next phase of my career. Her approach is supportive and caring but she knows exactly when to challenge and encourage me to take action and to keep on working towards my long term goal.”
“Nicola was a great support, during a time when I had a professional low and moment of feeling ‘stuck’. She helped me to uncover the confidence to take the next step in my career. I’ve really enjoyed her support, challenge and motivation.
Nicola is infectiously driven and straightforward!”
“I knew that I wanted something to change but I wasn’t sure what. I felt as though wasn’t doing a good job in any aspect of life. When I was working I felt like I wasn’t a good enough mum but when I was taking time with the kids I felt like I wasn’t giving work enough attention. I was also struggling to let go of the business that I had been running for 8 years. I am amazed at how quickly I was able to feel much more in control of my emotions and have a greater sense of clarity and perspective about returning to the corporate world after running my business for so long. The work you do makes a difference to people’s lives in such a positive way. Thank you!!”
“Nicola is an amazing coach but more than that, she’s a wonderful human being! She has such a caring and compassionate nature, and really made me feel comfortable and supported. I went to Nicola when I was transitioning into a new role and I was aware I was standing in my own way. I was putting unrealistic expectations on myself of needing to have everything figured out which either prevented me from giving things a go or made me feel like I was falling short. Nicola really helped me to see things differently and discover a new perspective. She gave some great advice and tools to help me move forward.”
Coaches come in all shapes, sizes and personality types.
If you are willing to invest in yourself and are committed to taking control of your career, book a call to explore whether I am the right person to support you.
