How did you first get into coaching? What was the turning point that led you away from the salon floor?
The turning point was really a perfect storm. My personal health was going wrong – I was running a busy salon, which left me mentally and physically exhausted beyond anything. I was in debt, in the thick of it, and thinking, this is really hard. I remember wanting to talk to someone who wasn’t an accountant, a bank manager or a therapist – just a real human who understood hairdressing and business.
I sat down with a piece of paper, drew a circle, mapped out my financial, emotional and operational strengths and suddenly I had a plan. That moment freed me. When I executed that plan and sold the salon, I thought, there’s another way. There’s so much you’re never told, and you only learn it by standing on a shop floor. I knew then that I wanted to do this for other hairdressers – to help them run businesses without burning out.
Was there a moment when you knew coaching was your path?
It was probably quite gradual. People would seek me out, message me late at night, ask to pick my brains. They didn’t know my full story, but they knew enough. People would say, ‘I’ll never forget when you said this,’ and I’d think, what did I say? But I realised I’d lived through things professionally, financially and emotionally – and my experience was relevant. I could hear how difficult things were for people, even when they were ‘successful’. That’s when I knew I had something to offer.
The holistic approach felt different too – talking about finances, then asking about routines and wellbeing. Often people didn’t realise how small changes could affect their whole life. That’s when I knew this was what I wanted to do.
What have been the highlights or most memorable moments so far?
A success that really stands out is a retreat client who completely transformed her life – she gained confidence, trained as a yoga teacher and built a garden studio. Watching someone unfold like that is incredible.
Another was someone renting a chair in a nail studio, stressed and unsettled, but they’ve now opened their own space with five people renting from them! For me, the highlights are seeing people make better choices and watching their lives genuinely change for the positive.
What do you love most about what you do now?
I love seeing people realise there is another way. That moment when things click and when someone feels calmer, clearer and more in control – that’s everything. I love holding space for people, helping them join the dots between their business, their wellbeing and their life. It’s deeply rewarding.
What’s been the biggest challenge?
I’m used to building physical spaces – I built a salon from nothing, which had life, energy and people – but coaching is online, and translating what I do into words has been hard. My approach has always been holistic – taking care of the person, the finances and the skills, but explaining that online can feel messy. People ask, ‘Are you a wellbeing coach or a business coach?’ but it doesn’t sit neatly in a box. I also planned to fully launch in January 2020… and then the pandemic hit. I felt deep empathy for salon owners and almost a kind of trauma from watching it unfold. I know what I deliver makes a difference, but I find communicating that clearly is still the hardest part.
What would you say is your secret to success?
You have to understand why you’re doing it. You can’t do this because it sounds nice or glamorous; you have to really care. You need to care enough to listen, to put yourself out there and to support people properly. Seek as much advice and support as you can – there are some incredible people doing this work. If you know your ‘why’ and care about how you show up, it can be incredibly rewarding.
What’s your essential ‘personal’ toolkit?
Resilience, absolutely. It’s not personal and it’s not about you; it’s always about the client. You need to be calm and focused, especially when you’re hearing challenging things. You have to be able to reflect, learn and stay coachable yourself. You need discipline, a learner’s mindset and the ability to signpost people appropriately. If you’re not willing to do the work on yourself, you can’t help others do it.
What does life look like now, compared to when you were in the salon?
It’s very varied, and it requires discipline. It can be lonely when it’s just you. There’s a lot of prep work – learning, planning retreats, networking and staying client-focused in a very different way. The biggest difference is promotion. I’d never had to promote myself before. Now, marketing is a huge part of the job. That’s probably been the biggest adjustment.
Do you have any recommended reads or resources you can share?
I read a lot around mindset. Brené Brown is a big one – Dare to Lead. Books around alternative wealth and mindset too: Robin Sharma – The Wealth Money Can’t Buy; Michael Bungay Stanier – The Coaching Habit and Bessel van der Kolk – The Body Keeps the Score. I also use cards from The School of LIFE as part of my coaching – I find they help create organic, unscripted conversation.
What do you wish you’d known at the start?
I wish I’d known to take more pauses. At the beginning, you want to help people so much that you give them everything at once, but some people aren’t always ready for all the tools. You must learn to be patient and trust the process.
Give us your top three tips for breaking into this field:
✔ Understand your ‘why’.
✔ Care enough to listen and put yourself out there.
✔ Seek support and advice; don’t do it alone.
