Client story: From content maker to star baker

"I should be able to figure out what my dream career is on my own right?"

Is something I often hear clients say when we have our initial chat. And my answer to that is yes and no. Yes you have all the answers inside you, but do you know how to unlock them by asking the right questions?

That's what the art of career coaching is. A career coach is that objective person who (unlike friends and family) has no agenda. They can ask the right powerful questions to help clarify your thoughts, as well as provide unjudgemental support and accountability to keep you moving towards your goal.

I want to introduce you to an amazing recent client of mine called Sally @sallydells who felt really stuck in her old job:

"Before starting coaching, I felt stuck in a rut and in a work place that was full of personal relationships and hang ups. I didn’t know what my strengths or skills where or how I could leave the company."

Sally and I had an initial 15min call where we chatted about her main career struggles, and she got to ask any questions about coaching and how I work, and she was able to get a feel for whether I might be the right coach for her.

After that, she decided to go ahead and book with me, and she got 12 1hr coaching sessions with me, all her learning materials and unlimited email suport in between sessions as well. It was all the help she needed to identify her dream career and make it happen.

She's now taking the world of baking by storm and in her own words:

"Now SO much has changed. My job/career but also my personal life as a result. I have more time and energy to spend on myself and with loved ones. My relationship with my partner has improved now that I’m not commuting for 3 hours a day! My friends and family see this change too and I finally feel like I’m being true to myself and discovering who that person is and loving it.

I’m not sure what it is but after our sessions I feel so clear and excited for the future. This made me excited for the sessions even if I wasn’t sure where I was at beforehand I knew I would come out the other end buzzing with enthusiasm."

And now Sally is completely clear on what she wants from her life and her work, she knows which career option is the best fit for her, and she has a clear action plan to her there.

She had all the answers inside her already, and with the help of coaching, was able to get a really clear vision of the future she wanted for herself.

She can now focus on conquering the world of baking, and she knows that I am always here for a top up session if she needs support in the future.

If you're interested in learning more about coaching, just click here.

4 steps to overcoming your fear of visibility

I was chatting with one of my lovely clients the other day and she was struggling with something that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

She is building her amazing new business alongside her current job, has recently launched her website and then…. hmm. Crickets.

And so we discussed some ways that she could begin to spread the word about her new business and raise her visibility, and that’s where it became clear what her main struggle was:

How can I overcome my fear of being more visible?

Becoming more visible in your business can be a scary leap, especially if you’ve spent years in a corporate job where there was always a boss or team to hide behind. But the reality is that if you and your business aren’t visible to your potential customers, then you won’t have a business. It’s as simple as that.

Believe it or not, your customers want to connect with YOU and your story, and people are often attracted to brands where they get a sense of the real person and the journey behind them.

So if you don’t feel comfortable about promoting yourself, then how can you improve your confidence and visibility in your business, in a way that feels natural and authentic?

1. Work on your mindset. Becoming more visible can trigger all sorts of fears, confidence issues, ‘imposter syndrome’, feelings of self doubt and overwhelm. We work a lot on these issues in my Career Coaching Programme because if you don’t have the right mindset, then starting your business will be much harder than it needs to be (and if you’re asking yourself “Do I need to be an expert to start a business?” then read this blog post).

2. Make yourself accountable. If you’re an introvert like me, then you can probably find 100 excuses to avoid getting out in front of your audience! But finding an ‘accountability buddy’ and letting them know what you plan to do can make a huge difference. Set yourself some ‘visibility’ targets e.g go to a networking event, do a Facebook Live, send an email to your mailing list, post in a LinkedIn group etc, then schedule them in your diary and share your plans. It can make a huge difference if you ‘go public’ with your plans rather than keeping them to yourself.

3. Focus on being of service. If you’re struggling with sales and worrying about coming across as ‘pushy’ or ‘salesy’, then consider how it would feel if you approached your potential clients from a place of genuine service and desire to help them? That takes the focus off you and frees you up to do what you do best, which is to reach out and offer valuable solutions which will help people using your particular set of skills and strengths.

4. Give yourself time to build genuine 1:1 relationships. Just like in the ‘real world’, building relationships with your audience and potential clients will take time. So make an effort to show up regularly, be visible to them and engage in genuine conversations. Let them get to know you, ask them what they’re struggling with and build a connection. It will make running your business much more enjoyable and pay dividends in the long run.

So now over to you. Do you struggle with being more visible in your day job or in your business? What has helped you the most? I’d love to hear!

How Hayley made her dreams a reality (and you can too)

Have you ever had a career or personal dream that both excited and scared you a little bit? Maybe it’s something you’ve thought about for months or even years, but you keep it a secret because you’re worried what people might say, or that it might all end in failure?

Hayley Stoner had that dream. To start a side business in graphic design and pave the way towards leaving her job and going freelance. And also to write and produce her own music, which had long been a personal passion.

“I was struggling with my current job. I was at the point of despair and did not know which direction to go in. I felt there was no light at the end of the tunnel and I would never get out of my job.”

Back in September, Hayley signed up for coaching and together we started working on figuring out what Hayley’s values were, her unique strengths, and what fears might have been holding her back from getting started. She discovered opportunities to express her musical creativity more often, and began researching different industries that interested her.

It wasn’t always easy to keep going, and some days were harder than others. “I was at the end of my tether before some sessions, especially after a stressful day at work, but after speaking with Juliette I always came away feeling some much happier and motivated.”

As time went on we got laser focused and started to look at what her business niche could be, what services to offer, and where to find those ideal clients. With the support, clarity and accountability of working with a coach, Hayley kept believing and has managed to turn both her business dream and creative dream into a reality.

“I have become more determined to get where I want to be. I still have wobbles, but manage to pick myself up and keep going. I have one client already and hoping to build more. I can help other design companies keep on top of their workload by taking freelance projects, and start-up businesses can also benefit from my expertise in logo and branding design.”

What has been the biggest and most unexpected outcome for Hayley is how quickly her musical ambitions have become a reality too.

“My passion for music made me want to design for the music industry, which I would still love to do. However, back in January I decided to start making my own music. I have created my first track in the house/club genre and I have produced my own lyrics and worked with a professional vocalist. So I am now a freelance graphic designer and a music producer /DJ! Which is completely mad as it is not what I expected to happen, but I am extremely glad it did and can finally say I am proud of myself after years of not being valued in many different jobs.”

“I intend for my husband and I to work together making music and DJ’ing and will have our own record label. I can now combine my design passion for music, as I can create all my and my husband's track release covers, social medial advertising and the record label logo."

Hayley didn’t expect her story to turn out quite like this, but what it really shows is what’s possible when you make ROOM in your life for your dreams and passions. When you allow them some light and air, instead of keeping them hidden away in a dusty corner, they can come alive!

If you want to learn more about Hayley’s design services, you can find her at www.hayleystoner.design and connect with her on LinkedIn.

And how about you? Feeling inspired by Hayley's story? Want to explore what your personal version of success looks like, beyond your CV? It all starts with an introductory 15min career breakthrough call. Learn more about my coaching programme here.