During a deep dive conversation with a journalist about life-coaching, she asked me why I felt I made a difference as a self-care coach and I found myself reflecting way beyond the 15 years I have spent on my own personal development journey and way beyond the 35 year experience I have had in health & fitness; in fact, it was a question that caused me to look at my entire life journey.

My response was not about the time I spent qualifying to be a coach, although that has been an important learning & growth area, but rather my life experiences. I have worn many hats in my life, experienced a lot over 54 years and I have learned great lessons from all these things, many of them long after the event. In fact, when I realised that everything provided an opportunity to learn & grow, I started watching myself, others & life more closely.

And as I reflected on this, I was able to draw some conclusions to answer the question of why I made a difference as a self-care coach and much of it is based on what I have learned from:

• Making positive decisions and making poor ones
• Being a kind person and being unkind
• Loving another and being loved
• Hating another and being hated
• Giving all of myself and giving nothing of self
• Being hurt and hurting someone else
• Feeling guilty about my choices to being guilt free about what I do & why
• Being an inexperienced parent with no clue & feeling guilty to an experienced parent knowing I won’t always get it right and accepting that
• Forgiving myself for my mistakes and forgiving others for theirs, knowing forgiveness makes room for love
• Sacrificing my health by not dealing with my life challenges to deciding I deserved more & taking responsibility for where my life was going
• Mismanaging my life to getting into the driver’s seat of my life
• Living a small life and deciding to go all in to build the life I desire
• Living inside the safety of my comfort zone and leaping out into the unknown
• Doubting I can make a difference to demonstrating the difference I can make
• Learning to shut up and just listen (how life changes in that moment!)
• Taking time to pay full attention
• Being grateful for each & every second of each & every day
• Embracing other people’s experiences without comparing them to mine
• Knowing there are many ways to get things done – not everything is right or wrong
• Accepting I don’t have all the answers yet knowing I know enough amazing people to find them
• Knowing the limitations, I experience, are related to my limiting thinking not the limits of life thus helping others to see that too
• Never seeking to be perfect yet always seeking to unlock my potential
• Tapping into my intuition without overthinking or underthinking; allowing gut feelings to come up freely
• Questioning everything that makes me different and embracing everything that makes me different
• Loving who I am today because of everything I have been before today
• Supporting & encouraging others on their journey and seeing how it can transform their lives

You see, coaching is not all about the academic journey, the endless certificates for social proof; it is so much more than that. It is the ability to drop the self-judgement & the judgement of others, to listen with enthusiasm & curiosity, to humbly share experiences, good & bad, whilst encouraging free-thinking. It is the willingness to say ‘I don’t have your answer, however, I have the experience, desire and tools to guide you to it and know how to help you get from where you are to where you want to be’.

My work is a privilege given to me by those who choose to work with me, and I am forever grateful they choose me. Because I am not a perfect human being. I am, however, a compassionate woman who can empathise, uplift and kick butt in equal measure!

I have learned the importance of being quiet so the other person can be fully heard and how to encourage said person to go deeper than intended; that’s about building trust.

And for those who put their wellbeing in my care, I support, coach, encourage & educate them to create the mindset & habits required for guilt free self-care and for healthy living, often using my own experiences as a reference point, the experience of others who have enlightened me on my journey (& still do) and from my clients readiness to do what is necessary to upgrade their health because health is essential and impacts all areas of their life.

And the proof is whatever is in my client’s eyes:

Working with Yvonne has surpassed all my expectations. I felt comfortable with her as my coach, confidant and personal trainer from the moment I met her. She has opened my mind and world to new possibilities; supported me through a very difficult period; and enabled me to transform my lifestyle. By encouraging me to make small, incremental changes I have changed my outlook and my attitude to a healthier lifestyle. Yvonne’s positive attitude and gentle boot camp is an inspiration for healthy living, and in my case reclaiming my life as I want to live it. Lisa Fellows – Professional Guide Dog Walker & Speaker

“Yvonne has a rare infectious energy that fills me with optimism. My life was very difficult when we met & in a short time, she has been a real catalyst for change. I now know that my future will be brighter! Working collaboratively, in a solution-focused way, we make plans for change & follow up on my progress. It’s so empowering to be held accountable. I treasure our sessions; they feel like clearing out old energies & building better pathways that are true to myself. I leave our sessions filled with momentum & impetus to follow through. I’ve found my coach & I’m forever thankful” Nina Marie – Designer/Artist

One Life, Live It Well, and I am here to help…

YvonneB x