Often what clients initially present in coaching isn’t what needs to be explored, but this has to be their realisation in their own time.
Debbi was recommended to me by an associate who used to work with her. She had had a long career working in Architecture and Design. Living between two countries, England and France, with one home in each but her heart in France, and having been made redundant, she was at a life as well as career crossroads.
We explored her transferable skills – she had many – and how she could utilise these outside of architecture and design, as she was frustrated with the politics of big companies and, in her mid 50s, was experiencing some ageism.
It became clear to me quite early on that she had an entrepreneurial spirit and the tenacity and passion to make her own business happen, and whilst financial security was important to her, she would be able to overcome any concerns about not having a monthly salary.
I remember the moment when she lit up and shared what she was really passionate about – cheese! It was an ‘aha’ moment as we call it in career coaching and she admitted to herself that she didn’t want to work for big companies and play politics at all any more – that was a ‘should’ – but to set up her own company doing specialist holidays around the cheese regions in France, in Debbi’s words, ‘an intimate culinary tour company focusing on regional French cheeses’.
I helped her to shape her initial idea and then she went off and got on with making it happen and moved to France for her heart and her business.
‘Rachel helped me to decide what would really make me happy in the second half of my career, confront the fears and put a plan in place to make it happen. One year in the making, centred around my passionate interest in cheese, I credit Energise for kick starting the realisation.’
Debbi Baron