Ever since I was a little girl I always wanted to “fix” things for people. In the playground, I would be the kid that comforted the crying one.

I always felt sorry for anyone who was hurting in anyway, I hated to see anyone who was bullied, in a way I felt I was responsible in some way to help them and make it all better. I guess I was a kind a rescuer.

It’s no surprise that I ended up as a Business Relationship Manager for a Large Franchise Company.

In this role, I got to offer advice and “fix” problems for the Franchisees.

I had such good relationships with some of them that they felt comfortable to call me at any time of the day of night and I would offer sympathy, support and guidance. 

The frustrating part of this was, that I would offer advice, fix their problem, rub their wounds only to find that the next time I saw them, nothing had changed.

I was then promoted to National Training Manager. In this role, I got to tell them what to do, I wrote the training manuals, trained them in the systems, yet despite what was great training, a lot of them still ended up failing.

 When I wasn’t travelling all over the Country I was commuting for 4 hours everyday.

When the Franchise Company was sold, I was given a redundancy which enabled me to have time to think about what I really wanted to do.

This is when I found coaching. Initially, I wanted to just help Small Business Owners. It didn’t take long, actually, I would say within the first day of my training to learn that as a coach, we don’t fix problems for our clients, but rather, we believe that everyone has everything that they need inside of them to create whatever changes they wish to make to create the life and or business that they truly want to have.

It is the role and privilege of the coach to bring this out in the clients, and empower them to make changes and be 100% in control of their future.

This concept hit me like a ton of bricks, no wonder some of my franchisees weren’t making lasting change,

I was doing it for them, suggesting to them what to do, and they were never totally 100% responsible for their own destiny.

I wasn’t empowering them in any way. Then came a concept that totally changed my life. If I never had one client, never earned one cent out of coaching, grasping this life changing concept has made all of the training invaluable.

This is what totally changed my life 15 years ago when I studied Coaching. I learned about Cause and Effect, let me tell you about Cause and Effect. Living at “effect” refers to a particular mindset that shapes how you view the world in a limiting way.

It leads to your believing that what’s happening to you is outside your control and everyone else’s fault – the economy, your industry, your boss, your spouse, etc.

Living at “effect” says, “It’s not fair what’s happening, and I don’t have what it takes to overcome these challenges. I didn’t expect this and I can’t handle it.”

Being at “cause”, on the other hand, says, “I clearly see the obstacles ahead, and I’m addressing them with open eyes.
I’m accountable for my life and my career or business, and I have what it takes to navigate through this successfully. If I fail, I’ll still wake up tomorrow exactly who I am, and will have learned something critical.”

I have learned (actually I am still learning) that I want love instead of fear, action instead of procrastination, clarity instead of vagueness, solutions instead of problems. I want to be 100% responsible for everything in my life rather than blaming other people and circumstances for my situation.

The best thing that I have learned as a coach is that “I can have Results or Excuses in my life but I can’t have both!”

I have this written all around my office, because when I choose to live with this attitude, I am in total control.

This has been life changing.

Part of becoming a coach is learning NLP ( Neuro Linguistic Programming) NLP has changed my life. I have learned how to change my self-talk, how to clear negative emotions and how to let go of beliefs that no longer serve me.

My communication skills as a coach and a trainer have improved, I understand people better and understand why they may think and behave differently to me.

I am proud to say that I have great relationships with my beautiful husband Andrew, my 3 precious children and 3 step children and I credit NLP for much of this.

I have been able to design the life that I want, before I became a coach and learned all these wonderful tools and skills, I just took what life bought to me, and had a good old whine at times, and the “poor me” regularly came from my mouth.

Another way becoming a coach has changed my life is that I now am focused on being grateful. Whilst I am focusing on being grateful, I can’t be focusing on anything negative. Let me tell you, life is so much better when I choose to be grateful and positive.

Is life all peaches and cream?  Do I always live at Cause? No way!!!  I now know that I can choose my attitude and my actions. 

One last thing that I want to mention about how becoming a coach has changed my life.

I no longer commute for 4 hours every day. I walk downstairs to my beautiful office in my own home. I can work the hours that I choose to work.  That means that if I want to meet my husband or my friends for lunch, and enjoy the beautiful area that I live in on the Central Coast of NSW I can. 

I can be there for my elderly Mum if she needs me, I get to look after my 9 Grand childen and do the"school run" when needed.

I can choose whether I see my clients in my office, in a café or in online meeting, the choice is mine! 

I can choose whether I have one on one clients, do group coaching, webinars, on line courses or write training programs, the choice is mine, and I know whatever I choose, I am helping someone make life long changes to their life or business. 

I have made more money than I ever made working in Corporate, and I don't have to ask for time off when I want it! AND "work" never feels like "work" because I love what I do.

Since my Husband has retired, I have become a "Guest Presenter" on Cruise Ships. This year, we have spent 134 days at sea, visiting amazing places. Fully paid for, and giving me the opportunity to help hundreds of people.

Sometimes people say to me "you are so lucky to have the life you have"

I always answer with "yes I am very blessed"

BUT the truth is, I have worked hard, I've nearly given up many times, but I had a dream and I didn't give up!

(I'd love to help you too)

Follow your dreams, nothing is impossible. Create the life that YOU deserve.