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…What brings you to Zest?
Aha. Good question - essentially huge admiration! I have known Jo for a while now and have had the privilege of observing Zest’s journey, from a tiny seed of a dream in her imagination to five years on, the powerhouse it is now. Zest, as we know, punches well above its weight and that is due to Andy and Jo. I love the freshness of their vibe and the fact that Zest is built, root and stem on their values - values that are visible in every action that they and Zest take. I love Jo and Andy and what they do. And you know what? I have thought to myself from Day 1 “I wanna be a part of that”. And here I am - hooray!
…and what excites you about coaching?
Oooh. Lots of things - that’s why I do it! First off I get a real buzz out of meeting new people and hearing / understanding their stories, but, more importantly I get a huge kick out of helping people. In the coaching context for me this means helping people to recognise their demons, fight them (or at least negotiate with them) and finally to slay them. By demons I don’t mean horrible bosses or difficult clients. No I mean confidence killers. I love it most when a coachee leaves me with a sense of recalibration, that they are now pointing to true north and that all they are carrying in their backpack is the stuff that will help them. They have ditched the damaging stuff and are ready to reach for their potential in whichever sphere they are focussed on achieve their goals within. And I don’t mind whether its’ a chief exec or a teenager - my passion is to be a facilitator to and witness of that transformation, which makes my heart sing and hopefully theirs too.
Who do you admire?
Tons of people! you want me to be specific?!? Ok… here goes starting with some famous people:- 1. Brenee Brown (Rising Strong, Dare to Lead) - for her bravery and originality (especially as an introvert!); 2. The Obamas, for different reasons - Barack for his energy, positivity and hopefulness, Michelle for her composure, her drive and her independence; 3. Andy Murray - for his resilience, grit, determination and roundedness (and because he’s Scottish!). If I display a modicum of any of these characteristics in any given day I am a happy lady.
Guilty Pleasures?
Hmm - that's a tricky question as I try not to feel guilty about any of my pleasures! I suppose a cup of tea in bed on a weekend whilst family mayhem reigns downstairs would qualify. And my ritual of a coffee and a wafer-thin (said in a bad French accent) piece of chocolate every day after lunch (apart from Lent this year when I am proud to announce I successfully refrained for a whole 40 days - thank goodness for Easter Day).
What couldn’t you live without?
That’s a powerful question. My three children and husband obviously. My friends - who, if I’m truthful I admire even more than that list of celebrities I gave you earlier. Oh and my running trainers, mainly because they are super-comfy!
What are you reading at the moment?
Michelle Obama’s Becoming Sometimes - usually at 10.30 at night with one eye already half shut. The Joy of Work by Bruce Daisley (blog post in the offing). And dipping back into the old classic Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - particularly enjoying Habit 4 at the moment, the Principles of Interpersonal Leadership.
And what are you watching?
Ah now there’s a guilty pleasure I’d forgotten about - The Crown! - part-way through season 2 - nearly there. And impatiently waiting for Game of Thrones to arrive on iTunes so that my husband and I can download the final season and binge-watch it in a oner!
Any last words?
Sure thing - A phrase I always come back to is this:- “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul’. Its from a poem called Invictus which I recommend to everyone as a good companion in challenging times :-)