Elyssa. Self-Development & Wellbeing Coach

Elyssa is a twenty-eight-year-old self development and wellbeing coach from London. She has been working in the industry for a year.

How did you get into your field? What inspired you?

‘I spent a lot of time wondering what I wanted to do with my life and although I've had jobs I enjoyed, I always felt something was missing. I love helping others and seeing them develop, and as soon as I discovered coaching it felt like the perfect fit; the missing piece to the puzzle. I attended a weekend coaching introduction and absolutely loved it! I left the first day knowing this is what I wanted to do. I felt inspired by the opportunity to make a difference to womens’ lives.’

What did you study at university and did this help you get into your field?

‘I studied PR and Marketing at University and although it didn't help me directly get into my field, it helped me develop a lot of skills which I've been able to utilise.’

Do you recommend any particular studies, courses or degrees for your field?

‘I trained with Animas Centre for Coaching, the world's leading school of Transformational Coaching, accredited by the globally recognised International Coach Federation (ICF), who I thought were great. I would highly recommend their training program.’

What does an average day look like in your role?

‘No day is the same, which is something I really enjoy. You can go from having a 1 on 1 coaching session, to creating social media posts, having a discovery call with a new client, then writing a blog post.’

What is the best part of your role?

‘Coaching women and witnessing the clarity they develop, change they initiate and goals they reach. There is nothing better than seeing a client achieve things they didn't think were possible.’

What is the worst part of your role?

‘It would be great to have a team to do all of this with - hopefully that will happen one day!’

How important is work/life balance to you and how much spare time do you have?

‘Work/life balance is really important to me. In addition to my coaching business I work in the Graduate Recruitment & Development team at a law firm so I manage the two, whilst also making sure I have time to see friends, family and have some me-time.’

Do you have any hobbies?

‘I love to cook, keep active and lockdown has reignited my creativity - pottery is my new thing!’

Do you have any advice for people looking to start a career in the same field?

‘Speak to other coaches - I found it really helpful speaking to other coaches when I started out and just to get an understanding of the job and give things a try.’

Have you ever experienced any uncertainties about your career? What did you do to overcome them?

‘Definitely! Who doesn't have uncertainties. I remind myself that just because I make a decision about my career today, it doesn't mean I can't make a different decision tomorrow. Also someone once said to me, it's helpful to do things you don't like to figure out what you do like.’

Who is your biggest female inspiration and why?

‘It’s so hard to pick just one! I am incredibly inspired by Malala Yousafzai; her strength, conviction and bravery.’