“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead
I’m proud to have worked with some of those thoughtful, committed leaders and managers, watching them thrive as they make a real difference in the world. Here’s what my clients say about my coaching.
I had mixed feelings about coaching but I knew I had to reignite my passion and get some fresh thinking. The experience has made a huge difference in my life. I have come out of it knowing myself better and feeling happier, more confident and ready to take on new challenges. I cannot recommend Katie enough.
Liz May, Director of Policy & Advocacy, Traidcraft Exchange
Having just taken on a new, more senior role in my organisation I felt I needed some additional support. Katie’s ‘Manage Like a Leader’ coaching programme helped me hugely. I feel more confident in taking on responsibility and taking on new projects and I don’t feel overwhelmed with a growing career and very stretching targets.
While I was working with her I organised the most successful Aspire fundraising event ever! It raised £580,000, making it the biggest ever challenge by over £100,000. The event has grown again this year, and so has my team, from 1 to 4 people in the space of a year.
Throughout our sessions Katie had an intuitive way of quickly identifying the key issues and areas for development and she was very easy to talk to. She has a wealth of good advice and techniques which has helped me with both my personal development and time management and I always went away from her sessions in a good mood.
Katie Boyd, Events Manager, Aspire
After nearly 20 years in the charity sector, I felt a bit stuck in my career and I was keen to explore which direction to go in and how to get there. Working with Katie was really difficult and really easy at the same time. She is an energetic and encouraging coach who really challenged me to explore my values and goals. It is certainly true that the more I put in, the more I got out and Katie kept me on track with this. After working with Katie, I now feel clearer about my career ambitions and confident that I can reach them. Thank you Katie!
Mel Oley, Associate Director of Fundraising, Rethink Mental Illness, (formerly ActionAid
My experience with Katie exceeded my expectations. Prior to working with Katie, I faced two key challenges; managing my time and energy levels as I work across a diverse range of projects, and having a vision for the next steps in my career. In our sessions, Katie asked insightful questions and pushed me to think further than I would have on my own. Not only did Katie guide me with the utmost professionalism utilising good questions, she also instilled in me the skills to continue with self-coaching in the future.
Through working with Katie I was able to develop skills to help me be resilient in busy periods, troubleshoot my tendency towards overworking, and gain greater understanding of myself and my future career direction. I know myself much better, understanding how my signature strengths play out in a work context, and ensuring I continue my career along a path that aligns with my skills and values.
Alexa Rees-Jones, Sustainability Adviser, Forum for the Future
Be prepared. Six months with Katie means you’ll never be the same again!
Working with Katie is like cutting a path through unexplored jungle. Difficult at times but exciting at others, with amazing discoveries along the way.
Katie takes you on an incredible journey of self-discovery. She’s both the foot-sure guide ahead of you and the person carrying the first-aid kit behind!
If you want to change career, be better at the job you do, change your life or all three then talk to Katie. Her holistic approach makes you realize how much work and life are all wrapped up with each other. She uses fun and thought-provoking techniques to help you on a journey of self-discovery, which cannot fail to move you on. Added to this Katie is warm and very easy to talk to.
As with any journey into the unknown, it can get difficult. But Katie knows this and understands why. She is by your side all the way.
Working with Katie will enormously improve your ability to secure a great job. She gets you to understand your skills and strengths and then sell yourself with your best-ever CV.
Kate Sassi, BBC Journalist
Until now, I didn’t fully appreciate the value of stopping, reflecting and working with someone outside of your immediate sphere on issues that very much affect your day-to-day working life. I’ve come out with tools that I know will help me get through the challenges that work can bring, and I feel more confident in things that perhaps I wouldn’t have done before working with Katie.
Claire Sandham, Head of Brand and Creative, Diabetes UK
What’s changed from last year and from where I was three months ago is the space you hold for me to reflect, to think and to plan, and the reminders and spurs our sessions give me to lift my head from the everyday. I can’t imagine going through the last few months without your coaching. It’s helping me to be the good leader that I want to model for the rest of my team.
Antonia Bance, Head of Communications and Campaigns, Trades Union Conference (TUC)
Taming Time helped me refocus on being more efficient but it also helped because we (the whole organisation) did it and it is now shaping organisational thinking and behaviours. I particularly liked your training style working in a group. I found your style professional and impressive. Keeping to time, knowing people’s names and listening yet keeping to your agenda are not easy things to do and were impressive.
Lindsay Boswell, CEO, FareShare
I see Katie as one of the team at Back Up. She has coached and trained nearly all of us over the years and is part of the magic here.
Louise Wright, ex CEO, Back Up Trust
Katie is a top rate coach whom I’d highly recommend if you’re looking for business coaching with a human touch. Katie is one the best investments I’ve made, for myself and my organisation. Highly recommended.
Martin Williams, Chief Executive, Off Centre
Thank you, Katie for coaching Verene in the past few months. I am thrilled you have worked together so successfully. Verene embraced the idea of coaching very positively which I knew she would. She was not sure what the benefits would be, but during the period of her coaching I witnessed a significant change in her behaviour and beliefs. She is so much more confident and positive. Her energy at work sky-rocketed and she worked with a renewed focus on what she needed to do.
“She has loved her sessions with you. I must say that she’s been on fire the last few weeks (work wise) and she credits a large part of that to her work with you. Very impressive, Katie.
Fiona McAlister, Operations Manager, Hill Homes
Katie has provided a number of training courses for staff at Bliss which have received very positive feedback. Katie is highly professional and her approach is innovative and creative. She makes her courses both fun and challenging. We will be using Katie again.
Jane Abbott, ex Head of Programmes, Bliss Charity
I would highly recommend Katie to others. She has a wealth of experience, is a great listener and helps you build up areas that you want to work on. Katie can offer coaching, mentoring or a combination of both. I genuinely feel as though I wouldn’t be where I am now without her support.
Dan Crossley, Executive Director, Food Ethics Council
I surprised myself by really liking the coaching process. I thought it would mean extra tasks piled on to add to the deadlines I already have in my work as magazine editor. But that hasn’t been the case at all. Katie’s approach means I was always driving the process and I wanted to be in there, deciding what I was going to do. If I didn’t do something there was no guilt or judgement. The focus on learning has been empowering.
Coaching with Katie was like a little light going on. I highly recommend Be The Change to colleagues within ActionAid and other third sector organisations.
Stephanie Ross, Editorial Manager, ActionAid, now freelance
Katie’s Taming Time training, which staff did over a morning, was a very positive experience. Katie created a good rapport with the group and immediate feedback was extremely positive, with staff saying they felt inspired to make changes in the way they organised their time.”
“Since the training, staff have been very appreciative of the chance to express and take time for themselves. I’d say there has been a higher level of well-being and contentment in the office, and a greater sense of ‘we’re all in this together’ than before, with staff more able to support each other. I have also seen tangible improvements in organisational skills and fewer examples of procrastination.”
“We hope to work with Katie again in the future and I am very happy to recommend her.
Martin Guntrip, Club Secretary, All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC)
I started working with Be The Change because one of my team leaders was keen to find solutions to a number of challenges including, work/life balance, time-management and workload, competing priorities and demands, and dealing with challenging staff.
During one-to-one coaching, Katie helped him to find new ways of managing his workload, including carving out time in the working day so he can carry out the more creative work required of his role; and communicating more effectively with other staff. After three sessions, I can see that his confidence had increased and he had started to work on improving his work/life balance. Katie has also worked with him to develop a range of practical tools to deal more effectively with the day-to-day challenges of his work.
We have decided to continue working with Katie after the initial short programme. Be The Change has the vision, passion and experience I’m looking for to bring about improved well-being and effectiveness in my team.
Mel Herdon, ex Head of multimedia, ActionAid
I have been really delighted with the significant impact that coaching has had. Katie had a plan and structure for the coaching so that expectations on both sides were clear from the start. There has been a real positive change in the way that the staff member approached their role and I wouldn’t hesitate in using coaching again.
Hazel Norman, Director, British Ecological Society (BES)
Thank you so much for your wonderful coaching! It’s been fascinating, transformative and fun. I’ve loved it.
Before we started working together, I felt swamped by workload and was struggling to see the wood for the trees. We worked on developing visions to motivate me and action plans to keep me on track towards longer-term goals such as bringing in sustainable funding which I’ve succeeded at! We looked at how I could reward myself, access more support, and feel confident about my decisions. We identified my core values and what I need to do to honour them. And I learned that routine is my friend and that frogs are to be eaten!
I’m now so much more positive about my work, and excited about potential future avenues.
And to cap it all, last week I ran a half marathon. Something I would never have done without the coaching.
Marilyn Croser, Director, CORE Coalition
Before starting the programme I was feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. Working on exercises to prioritise, alongside getting more realistic about not being able to do everything at once, really helped with this. It was also valuable to spend time working on my core values and passions, and starting to look at how to apply these to work topics/ situations.
In some of the sessions we worked on a particular issue that was coming up for me, and Katie’s style of questioning and getting me to work through the issue was always valuable.
Katie is a wonderful balance of professional and friendly, she brings a lot of valuable experience to her coaching and I thoroughly recommend working with her.
Helen Todd, Executive Director, Art and Global Health Center Africa
Before working with Katie I was frustrated and felt helpless to change things. I felt desperate and that my own destiny was out of my control.
Katie and I focused on an outcome I could measure by assessing my own feelings rather than requiring feedback from others. I began experimenting with simple steps and techniques to help me achieve my objective and keep me motivated. Having regular check-ins held me accountable, and knowing that someone was interested in my progress allowed me to analyse and express successes I may not otherwise have acknowledged.
Since working with Katie I have become a trusted, go-to person, and colleagues now defer to me on my area of expertise. My style and approach have developed in a way that feels authentic to me and my values. I am learning more about my working style and the process of managing a team, and now have the freedom and confidence to continue to experiment and try things, without being held back by the fear of what might happen.
Katie’s coaching helped me practice the art of ‘one-armed juggling’; what seems impossible can be surprisingly successful!
Julia Clough, PA and Team Coordinator, Forum for the Future
(Now Sustainability Team Leader at Crown Estate)