Coaching is essentially a series of focused conversations which challenge the client’s thinking and help them to see and understand their own thoughts and behaviour. Talking aloud one-to-one in a confidential environment enables clients to process frustrations and concerns and thoroughly explore and understand the issues.

Coaching will help to:

• Establish clarity of thought, position, strategy, vision and purpose
• Test ideas, explore approaches and consider different potential outcomes
• Brainstorm options and generate new perspectives and ideas
• Work through obstacles and challenges
• Build the courage to take controlled risks
• Process failure effectively to learn constructively from mistakes
• Provide accountability
• Celebrate achievement and success

I have worked with Sophie for the past 18 months. As the CEO [of my business in New York] I am very isolated; I can’t talk to anyone about staff or how to manage my Board. Sophie provides an independent, rational voice. Our regular weekly sessions ensure that she knows and understands the business well and while we often focus on the immediate challenges, she has a big picture view of how everything fits together. She enables me to develop a coherent, logical and reasoned position and strengthen my argument, which gives me confidence. I really appreciate that Sophie is a peer, not just a sponge, and I respect her opinion. I can talk about things to her that I can’t talk about to anyone else. 

CEO, Prop Tech start-up, New York

Whether a client has started in a new company or been promoted from within, the transition into a new role can be challenging. Making an effective impact quickly builds confidence and momentum for future success. Coaching is a proven, effective tool to support clients to understand and navigate their new environment to make the transition successful and rewarding.

Coaching will help to:

• Build understanding of the role and the organisation
• Focus clearly on priorities
• Make short term wins and work towards longer term results
• Develop awareness of strengths and weaknesses
• Address obstacles and challenges directly
• Build trust and strong relationships
• Manage stress

Sophie has been transformational for my career, and I wonder where I’d be without her sound advice and coaching.

Julia de Boinville, Head of UK, Scale AI

Leading and managing a team is complex and specific to each individual, team and organisation. It can be isolated and lonely and leaders are often unable to confide in members of the team without compromising their position. Coaching develops essential leadership attributes such as self-awareness, emotional intelligence, credibility, integrity and trust.

Coaching supports clients to address a variety of areas including:

• Develop clarity of team purpose, vision, strategy and planning
• Communication
• Problem solving and decision making
• Team structure, efficiency and effectiveness
• Team culture, motivation and loyalty
• People management and relationships
• Professional development
• Wellbeing

Imposter syndrome, lack of confidence and low self-esteem are slightly different, but all three have a similar detrimental impact on performance and wellbeing.

Imposter syndrome is the term given to someone who doubts their ability to perform their role, despite evidence to the contrary, and who worries continuously that they’re going to be found out. Confidence is the belief in ourselves and our abilities and self-esteem is our sense of self-worth and being enough. Negative thoughts and beliefs, sensitivity to criticism and aggressive self-defence responses are all linked to low self-esteem.

Imposter syndrome, lack of confidence and low self-esteem will affect performance and wellbeing. They are likely to have a harmful effect on leadership ability and management skills.

All three drive self-doubt, which can be extremely uncomfortable with persistent, wearing and anxiety-inducing thought patterns. The result is a downward spiralling cycle of poor performance, decreased confidence, anxiety, harmful behaviour and further poor performance which simply fuels the cycle.

Coaching will help individuals to:

• Recognise and make sense of negative thoughts and feelings
• Understand triggers
• Recognise resulting behaviours
• Rationalise the thoughts to act from a position of ease, strength and confidence
• Step by step, gradually re-build the upwards spiralling confidence cycle of achievement, success and reward

Sophie really helped me re-centre and focus on what I wanted out of both my work and personal life at a time when I was feeling a bit lost. She has made a hugely positive impact on me and helped me to feel a lot more confident and self-assured.

Eliza Baker, Director, Newman Pearce and Partners

Although the importance of mental health is far better acknowledged and appreciated now, episodes of burnout, stress and anxiety are still common in the workplace and can be extremely distressing and hard to go through.  

Coaching can help to:

• Understand and appreciate the cause of the anxiety
• Acknowledge feelings of physical strain and tension
• Process and rationalise racing, repetitive negative and upsetting thoughts
• Establish measures to rest and recover
• Establish ongoing restorative, protective measures and boundaries around rest and work
• Ensure strong pillars of health around sleep, nutrition and exercise
• Establish new behaviours and responses to alleviate the stress and anxiety in the future

After two years of working for an abusive boss, I was suffering from anxiety and panic attacks for the first time in my life. Sophie truly got me through this difficult period, helping me understand the behaviours and the impact that they had on me. I learnt that my sense of self-worth didn’t need to come from this person. I now have a new job, a much happier life, and my confidence has been fully restored.

Lucy Baker, Senior Creative, Ogilvy

*Coaching is not therapy, although it does have therapeutic qualities. If a client’s anxiety is based in past trauma, they should seek therapy rather than coaching. I can help to advise with this.

Start-ups and new businesses are a unique environment. Starting a new business can be fast-paced and exciting. As part of a small team, you are closely connected both to each other and invested in your success, which can be very rewarding.

But start-ups can also be extremely pressurised, and founders carry a lot of responsibility. Cash flow, strategy, managing growth, tensions and lack of stability can lead to long hours and founder burnout. Coaching really supports founders navigate these choppy waters successfully and ensure they are looking after themselves and their own needs.

Coaching can help to:

• Process the stress and anxiety
• Manage challenging relationships
• Understand the dynamics and structure of the organisation and their impact
• Re-frame challenging situations and generate new perspectives and approaches
• Set organisational goals and ambitions
• Establish the vision and strategy and making good strategic decisions
• Develop and promote a strong culture
• Acknowledge success and celebrate wins

I highly recommend Sophie as a transformative and supportive coach. During a challenging period in my career, she provided the structure, guidance, and fresh perspectives I needed. With her expertise, I improved my professional self, managed my anxiety, and gained confidence. The coaching process was a life-changing investment that I cannot recommend enough.

Hattie Tennant, Co-Founder, Fruity Booty