Before I dive in, context is KEY.

I acknowledge firstly that I benefit from white privilege (though I still regularly get asked, but where are you really from? ), I am a woman born into the Western world in the 21st Century where I have choices, freedom access to education and healthcare, born into a supportive family and yes, I had savings, that yes, I worked damn hard for, but I still had a starting point that I acknowledge many do not.

I didn't start coaching thinking it would lead me to leaving my established corporate career, moving to Australia and being a digital nomad serving clients taking a similar path globally (PINCH ME!). I just wanted give back in some way and make some dollar on the side. But WHEN the messages from the industry were clearly, you can make this a business, a career, a way of life, I sat up and paid attention.

Step 1. I took my coaching certification and business skill seriously.

I didn't just show up and hope for the best. I set a date to complete certification and got it done. I set up my socials and actually implemented the guidance I had available to me. I believed in my training and the value of the transformation I offered. I didn't spin out in overwhelm, I took it all one step at a time. When I created my first video, I stayed up all night once watching Youtubes on how to present so I could actually talk to camera like a normal person. To quote McConaughey 'I became less impressed and more involved.'.

Step 2. I looked at my finances.

What I'm earning, saving, wasting, spending, investing and seriously considered ALL of the implications if I quit and prepared financially. I had no clue about money mindset back then, but I did know what feels good, what feels safe, and what feels scary. I thought twice about business investments and set up a biz bank account from day dot. I figured if I'm making this coaching thing real then I better treat it like so, so I did.

Step 3. I owned it.

Despite being far from confident, I was bold and I leveraged skills from my career. My corporate role was client facing and I wasn't afraid to represent at work so I used that skill to tell people I'm a coach and make offers to help them. My first ever paid client was a colleague and my second was through a mailing list to my local neighbourhood community newsletter. I didn't wait to figure out IG before I got creative and started creating clients.

Step 4. I got coached on everything.

My deepest limiting beliefs, my father wound, my mother wound, my sister wound, getting visible, self belief, self acceptance the works. I wasn't afraid to learn, grow, and address anything and every thing that came up. This was from dedicated self learning, investing AND surrounding myself with a community of people who were in as deep as me, plus integrity is important to me. I go first. My social circle grew, my priorities shifted and my self worth 10x'd. I opened pandora's box of my deepest fears and I learnt to love them (work in progress!).

Step 5. I communicated.

I didn't expect my partner, family or my mates to get it. But at this point I was so certain in who I was and where I'm going when I actually said the words 'I'm thinking of leaving my career' they knew it was an update not a question. Sure, we discussed it, sure there were concerns, but I wasn't looking for crowd sourcing. This was my dream, my goal and my decision.

Step 6. I set a date.

Thanks to a 4 month notice period I overshot it. But having a goal kept me focussed however FULL DISCLOSURE: I didn't meet my business financial goals and I took a massive risk anyway. But as my THRIVE clients know, risk is subjective and my risk tolerance is high. It paid off, and I see a lot of people jump too soon which hurts them in the long run. I wish I wasn't so stubborn and stayed in Corporate a little longer, but as I say, I intentionally created made choices that supported me along the way. This is literally why I do what I do.

Step 7. I believed it was possible for me.

Belief turned into knowing. It was all I thought about. My ambition for my established decade long career in HR suddenly felt different, a drain, a lack of purpose, what is this for?

Coaching was my all and it felt CERTAIN beyond (almost) anything I have felt in my life, other than my love....

Your dream of building a coaching business is abso-fucking-lutely possible.