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When I was little I was shy and insecure with low self-esteem. Then
I took dancing lessons and began to come out of myself-I learned
to let go a little and express myself. One day, when I was 12, it
just clicked; I could feel myself really dancing and I realised
that I was good! It took SEVEN years to get there but I vividly
remember that day and how it made me feel.
Following my heart
When I followed an urge to take drama classes I knew that I had really
found my ‘thing’. It mentally and emotionally stimulated
me and as soon as I could, at 16, I left my seaside home and went
to London, first to Stage School and then to Drama School a few
years later.
It was an actors life for me for many years; an unpredictable,
adventurous struggle that included stand up comedy and one woman shows,
combined with lengthy spells working in clubs, bars and restaurants
which I quite enjoyed and where I learned all about life!
Is there something more?
I adored the creative process, the diversity and camaraderie but
as time went on I grew to dislike the inconsistency, insecurity
and negativity that can be attached to the acting world. Swinging
between jubilant highs and the most soul-destroying lows I found
myself wondering, in the grand scale of things, just how much acting
mattered.
It started to feel quite insular and self-serving
and I wanted to do something that was more focused outwards towards
the world.
I took up the opportunity to co-produce a striking new play and
discovered that I had a flair for the job. Talking
and writing about what I cared for - in a way that could touch others
so that they felt compelled to connect with our project, came easily
to me. I produced another play and was hooked -making things happen
was so exciting. Just as I was about to side-step into film producing,
I was faced with a big decision.
A leap of faith
My long-term boyfriend (a chef) and myself had the
opportunity to buy
a restaurant and bar that he had just spent two years establishing
through his cooking. This wasn’t my dream but it was of some
interest to me and it was a great big challenge, too hard to resist…
so we said YES!!
I raised the money and for the next few years, dedicated myself
to being a restaurateur. I learned on the job how to run and grow
the business and put my heart and soul into creating a special place
that people would love to go to and keep on returning to. It
was the most relentlessly demanding job that I have ever done but
it reaped the greatest reward.
The experience transformed me. I grew in every way.
This period of nurturing, and responsibility had a
great affect on me. It’s what made me open to the idea of
marriage and it prepared the ground for motherhood- both of which
actually happened during our time at the restaurant.
This is also when I
took the instinctive decision to become a coach. I had no idea at
the time where it would lead to but felt it was a path that I had
to follow.
It was. My intuition has never let me down. Becoming a coach has
given me clarity, vision and direction and a clear understanding
of myself and exactly what I have to offer.
That day, a long time ago, when I realised that I could dance was
my red-letter day. It instilled in me a deep down self- belief and
confidence, which gave me a very positive outlook on life.
Like dancing or acting or producing, coaching,
for me is about expressing, communicating and connecting but
it is also richly rewarding on every level and it fulfils
my desire to do something that it is focused out into the world
in a way that makes a difference.
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