I didn’t grow up thinking “I want to be a career coach for women“. In fact, it’s only in the past few years that I realised career coaching is what I wanted to be doing. And then it still took another year or so before I actually launched Red Rose Coaching and started working with incredible, ambitious women to help them progress in their careers. So how did I get here?
Changing Paths
I enjoyed school and I was a good student, getting good results. The path forward for me was therefore focused on going to university, getting a bachelor’s degree (maybe even a master’s), and then starting in a corporate job with scope to keep climbing the career ladder towards senior management.
Then I started university in 2005 and hated it.
For many reasons, it just wasn’t where I wanted to be. I didn’t want to stick with my course but my parents told me I couldn’t quit until I had a job secured. So I got a job and set off on a new path in life that I’d never imagined. After all, university was the path I should have been following, at least for the next couple of years.
Hindsight Is A Wonderful Thing
Having left university after just a year, I started a 12-month retail management programme and worked as a deputy store manager for a high street fashion chain. I then got a job as a store manager with a different fashion company.
By this point, it was 2009 and my university friends were graduating into the hellscape aftermath of the 2008 economic crisis.
With the working world in total disarray, it was a challenging time for new graduates. Many were out of work for a long period or picked up casual work instead of starting the dream graduate schemes or corporate careers that they’d envisioned for their post-uni life.
I should have been one of them. But instead, I had an extra 3 years of work experience in my pocket and was able to move out of retail management into a human resources role.
Now knowing what happened in 2008, leaving university and starting to work will always feel like the best decision I could have ever made. But of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing and I never could have known in 2006 what was to come after I made that choice. At the time, of course, I wondered if I’d regret it. But I can confidently say that I’ve only ever felt relief.
Life’s A Rollercoaster
Through my 20’s, my career was a bit of a rollercoaster as I wasn’t ever clear on what I wanted to do for work.
I’d identified things I like to do (supporting and developing others, creating and delivering training programmes, using my creativity and organisational skills to see growth) but I couldn’t see how that translated into a job that I’d want to be doing long-term.
In 2012, I was working and also running a small business. I had a job offer on the table for an interesting role at one of the national utilities providers. I started to look ahead to the future and just couldn’t see myself doing that job in 12 months’ time, let alone 3-5 years.
With a few paths stretching out in front of me and unsure what to do next, I decided to go to university. Having dropped out in 2006, I never thought university would be on the cards for me. But here I was, 6 years later realising that now was the right time and I’d also found the ideal course to study: Sports Management.
I worked throughout my 3-year degree programme and graduated in 2015 with a clear view on what I wanted to do as a job. I wanted to work in sports and I wanted to work in marketing.
For the next 8 years, I did exactly that. Working for various companies in the same industry and progressing from an EMEA Marketing Manager role to being Global Marketing Director.
Now, in 2023/2024, I’ve stepped away from my corporate role to launch Red Rose Coaching and to support other women who are navigating their careers to find fulfilment and success.
The Crossover Episode
I love coaching. I have since I first started coaching sports when I was 18. I love seeing others develop and win. I love being able to nurture and encourage someone to help them get the outcomes they want.
I coached rugby for more than 15 years and completed a couple of qualifications along the way. Over those years, I coached boys and girls, men and women, from aged 3 to 40+.
I developed an holistic approach to coaching, defined by unwavering empathy, active listening, and continuous learning. I worked hard to improve my skills and knowledge in these areas and I love to listen and learn in every situation that I find myself in.
This same approach applies to my work as a career coach. Unwavering empathy + active listening + continuous learning are the foundation of how I coach and are what make me successful at what I do.
The experiences and challenges I faced throughout my career, particularly around being a woman, being younger than people expected for the positions I held, being highly ambitious, and working in very male-oriented industries, provided the direction for Red Rose Coaching.
I often felt isolated throughout my corporate career. I didn’t have consistent role models, mentors, or support. I had to fight hard for my success. And I know there are so many other women out there who are trying to do the same.
So What Is A Career Coach?
As a career coach, I work with ambitious, high-achiever women who want to move into senior leadership roles without sacrificing a healthy work/life balance. It could be that they’re feeling stuck in their current role and want to step up without it negatively impacting other areas of their life. Or, it could be a woman who is already in a senior position but wants to establish a better work/life balance or develop in a specific area.
Through one-to-one coaching, we work together to assess the current situation and identify what the ideal situation looks like. Then we map out actions and goals to bring this transformation to reality. As your coach, I am your accountability partner, your guide, and your biggest cheerleader. Together, we will address external challenges (work environment, skills, money, etc) as well as internal challenges (confidence, motivation, etc) to ensure you are set for long-term growth and success in your career.
Career coaching, for me, is a calling. It’s what I believe my career journey and my years as a sports coach was meant to lead me to. The experiences, knowledge, and insights that I’ve gained over the past twenty years of working are a valuable resource for other women looking to move upwards in their own careers.
And I’m not here to gatekeep. As your coach, I want to make a positive impact on your life so that you achieve everything that you want from your career.
To book a chat with me (no cost, no obligation) to discover the exact steps you can take to land a leadership role in 90 days, click here.