TESTIMONIALS
Natalie Symons
Job Title
Art teacher at Maple Leaf International School
Location
Wuhan, China
My reason for seeking coaching
Feeling stuck in the same job for too long and needing a radical change
From China with love...
I am a high school teacher and used to live in Port Elizabeth in South Africa. After 20 years in my job, I was feeling bored and unappreciated and was thinking of making a career change, possibly into business training. I was terrified to make such a big leap without support. I knew I wouldn’t benefit from seeing a psychologist, so I thought I would try a career coach. Samantha was my first coach and I was not sure what to expect. I thought we would just talk but there was so much more. I loved the exercises and as an art teacher, had a ball creating my Vision Board. I have since got my students to create their own, having learnt the power of vision for myself.
During the coaching I was surprised to find that my love for teaching had not diminished and that a career change was actually not right for me. The problem was the environment, school, and city that I was living in. After some breakthrough insights and a lot of support to screw up the courage, I began to apply for teaching jobs outside of South Africa. The most exciting offer came from China, at an international school. This has given me the opportunity to stretch and challenge myself and has also enabled my children to get a world-class education. We had frequent coaching sessions in the stressful build-up to the big move, and to get into the right frame of mind for success. I never for one moment would have anticipated that I would move half a world away with my family at the ripe old age of 45! I love it here in China, and it was the best decision I have ever made.
If you are up for a brand new adventure, I would highly recommend Samantha.
My entrepreneurial dream come true
After more than two decades in large corporates, I was ready to become my own boss. Having faced and overcome breast cancer, life became more precious. Knowing that I had no time to waste, I spent time re-skilling myself for a new career, getting a degree and also teaching myself how to develop on-line training courses. Even with this new education and new skills, I was nervous abut leaving a regular job and pay cheque. I started the coaching process with Samantha and started getting really practical about my new direction in life. We came up with a strategy focused on entrepreneurial opportunities in the learning space. Within a year, I have not one but two companies! I have become an employer of other people, and love creating fantastic educational resources for my customers. Thank you Sam for the difference that you’ve made and are still making in my life.
Hannah Wilson
Job Title
Engineer at a multi-national organisation
Location
Vaal Triangle, South Africa
My reason for seeking coaching
The courage to find a new job
The courage to put myself out there
Samantha helped me find a job I love! I was stuck in a job that I no longer enjoyed, and which was no longer aligned to my skills, with an accumulation of tasks that made me dread going to work every day. On top of that, I had to get up at 4am every day to get to work on time. I was tired and frustrated, but since I had not been to an interview in more than 15 years, I felt hopelessly inadequate for a job search. What I appreciate most about Samantha as a coach is that she is not pushy and does not force me to do things before I am ready to do them. She saw me as an individual and took on board that I’m a quiet person and that I am not interested in inflated self-promotion in order to get ahead. in the coaching session, we spent a lot of time exploring the kind of job that would suit me. I had become a bit out of touch with what I really want from a career. With a clear vision and direction, I then applied for more than ten jobs selected because they are close to home, were exciting and new, and were a good fit with my talents and preferences. During coaching, I practiced interview skills with role play and also a lot of positive visualisation. After each interview, I would debrief with Samantha and we would refine our approach. I am happy to say that I am in a new job and loving it. I am so gald that I decided to put aside my reservations about coaching and went for it!
Elaine van Wyk
Job Title
Registrar and Head of Marketing at Belgium Campus ITversity
Location
Pretoria, South Africa
Reason for seeking coaching
Support for the transition for corporate consulting to academia.
Loving my new life in Academia
I had reached a time in my life where my children were young adults and I was looking for a new adventure. As an independent management consultant for several decades, I had spent a lot of time in global companies. The work was challengeing and sometimes stressful, but rewarding. When I started my doctor of Business Administration degree, I realised that I would like to move into a new direction, career-wise, but was not exactly sure which route to take. The coaching journey started with me and not my career. Only once I was clear on where my meaning in life lies, did it become relatively easy to decide my direction. I love watching people thrive in business, and to create their own jobs. With my talents and credentials, I fit well in an educational setting. Within six months of starting coaching, I became the registrar and head of marketing of a private, non-profit higher educational institution that encourages entrepreneurship. I feel fulfilled knowing how many young lives we are positively influencing every day. If you would like to change your life and reinvent yourself, contact Samantha.
John Johnstone
Job Title
Semi-retired engineer / project manager formerly of DRA Global
Location
Johannesburg, South Africa
Reason for seeking coaching
Finding meaning and purpose in retirement
From engineer to artist
After 48 years in the engineering and construction industry, I decided to retire at the age of 68. My career was a really good one and helped me to support my family, but my job took up all of my time. I never had time for hobbies or many outside interests because of workload and stress. Leading up to retirement I began to worry if I would enjoy it if I did not have anything meaningful to fill my days. My daughter suggested that I try a coach. I worked with Samantha over six months and I uncovered a skill and passion that I had as a child – which was drawing. I never had the confidence as an adult to draw and paint even though I knew deep down that I was creative. With her encouragement, I went to some art classes and workshops and got over my shyness about letting others see my art. I tried out many different media – water-colour, acrylic, pen, and ink, and found my niche. I consider myself to be an artist now, and spend at leadt four hours a day on my art. Samantha never pushed me to do anything that I didn’t want to so. Once we had uncovered the future self that I was most excited about, she set me challenges to get my feet wet. Each month I took steps towards refining my vision, and improving my skills. I would never have been able to do this on my own. I feel like I am living a long-ago forgotten about dream.
