When Catherine started coaching me I was working in a full-time, demanding role for an NGO, and I had just decided to transition to working with them on a freelance basis. This was because I had realised I wanted to pursue my passion for food and nutrition.
At the point I met Catherine I was feeling muddled about exactly where I wanted to go with my new career. I had no idea what my path would look like. I was also feeling overwhelmed about balancing two careers in different fields and how I would do that. I was worried that working freelance would spill over into the time I had freed up, because I had issues with boundaries, and always worked longer than my hours. My fear was that I would not be successful as a Consultant and my attempt at a career in food and nutrition would never get off the ground.
I found that fear paralysing, paradoxically preventing me from taking the steps I needed to take to be successful!
As a result of working with Catherine, I was able to identify some of the underlying beliefs that were leading to my struggle, for example, my belief that without the pressure of a boss and clear deliverables, I would struggle to work productively and effectively. She supported me to let go of those beliefs and develop new ones. She introduced me to tools which helped me to define my values and vision of success, so I developed clear goals to work towards and defined what my future would look like in practice. Catherine shared tools which enabled me to tap into different ‘styles’ of operating (or ‘styles’ of energy) in order to tackle different challenges. I realised that prior to working with her, I had two settings: manically efficient or sluggishly distracted. With her help I was able to recognise different types of energy, and discovered how to parcel up tasks and challenges accordingly.
A couple of months after I have finished working with Catherine, I am balancing freelance consulting with starting up a business which focuses on ‘nourishing catering’ for events. I have my first professional event coming up this month which feels thrilling. Although in theory I have more work, I feel a sense of balance, passion and drive that felt buried before. The clarity I gained from working with Catherine, and the understanding of myself and what was holding me back (it wasn’t what I thought!) enabled me to overcome the muddle I was in. The support, challenge and accountability that she provided over the 12 week programme enabled me to move forward and achieve the goals she supported me to get clear on. I now feel I am fully ‘showing up’ and I can see the results
I would not hesitate in recommending anyone who is facing a transition at work, starting a new business or facing self-doubt in any area of their life, to sign up for a coaching programme with Catherine. Catherine will help you both with uncovering and dealing with deep-seated issues and sub-conscious blocks, as well as practical, pragmatic support to achieve your goals and boost productivity.
Sarah Edwards, Freelance Consultant and Founder of Copper and Cloves, India
