I think we could all do with a little positivity as we start the week and what better way to feel motivated and inspired than chatting to an incredibly talented mindset coach about coaching therapy for leaders and the inspiration behind it? I sat down with Karen, founder of Limelight Lifestyle Consultancy to delve into the world of mindset coaching, limiting beliefs and what we can all learn from her unique coaching methods. Let’s find out.
1. What inspired you to become a mindset coach?
I have always been fascinated by why people do the things they do. Coaching has been a role that I have done throughout my career, especially during my 14 years at L’Oreal. The natural progression was to set up my own company enabling a wider platform for me to reach Leaders, Executives and Business Owners in other sectors.
2. Can you describe your coaching philosophy and the core principles that guide your approach when working with female clients? What makes you different?
To look deeper into why you are thinking and behaving the way you are. Unconsciously, we all have a story that we constantly tell ourselves that we are not always aware of and it can have a huge impact. I take clients on a personal journey first delving deep into a variety of areas including your story, your thinking, and your emotions and revealing the unconscious root cause of your performance and result(s).
I am totally invested in supporting clients on this journey and am available in between the sessions to give support as they start to implement their new ways of thinking.
It has been described as a uniquely supported journey with a huge impact on them both professionally and personally. It has been called “coaching therapy for leaders” by my clients and they say I am different and my coaching approach is different to anything they’ve ever experienced before – this I am proud of.
3. What common limiting beliefs do you see in clients, and how do you help them overcome these barriers?
There is a lot that show up regularly; To name a few: I am not good enough to…., I can’t do it…., something isn’t available to me, I feel overwhelmed, I don’t have a good relationship with …., I don’t know how to take my business to the next level, Am I in the right job, relationship?
4. How do you tailor your coaching strategies to address the unique challenges clients face in their personal and professional lives?
The sessions are tailored to suit both me and my clients. Some enjoy 90-minute sessions, some 2-hour and some 3-hour sessions. The sessions can be scheduled weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly.
I have certain core principles that I follow yet have to be very agile as we have no idea what will suddenly pop up to the surface. With my experience and many strategies and tools, I support you in navigating around them as they appear. The ‘aha’ moments of realisation are gained very quickly and are very freeing.
In between the sessions, I am also available where needed. This support, my clients say is a great benefit.
5. Can you share a success story from your coaching practice where a client transformed their mindset and achieved significant goals?
Yes. A young leader was promoted into a big position to make change. She had a challenging relationship with her manager and also 75% of her team who were older and more experienced in this particular area. She felt very overwhelmed and found after certain incidents it took her weeks, maybe months to recover and be able to think straight again, her resilience suffering. This she found debilitating and wondered if she could do this.
Fast forward – Due to her new mindset and approach, she is now totally empowered. She has confidently made changes where needed and is leading effectively and inclusively. She now has a good and supportive relationship with her manager and naturally started empowering her leadership team which she says has happened very organically and naturally.
When faced with situations that used to completely overwhelm her, she recovers in minutes or hours, remaining resourceful and able to deal with the next challenge that arises… and some situations that would have affected her don’t even figure.
She has been recognised as taking her business forward in many areas and she is happy with this achievement and acknowledgement.
6. Can you give us insight into a one-to-one session?
Yes. This will depend a lot on where the client is in their journey as the sessions vary.
An example, the client will tell me what’s happening and the challenges they are facing that they want to deal with and how it is making them feel. With a gentle yet direct approach I will ask questions that initiate them to look into the challenge in more detail and why they are finding it to be a challenge. Getting to the root cause of this is quick and it could be a number of things, generally, it is not what the client will think it is…as they are initially looking at others or external situations as the root cause…as a heads-up…this is the wrong place to be looking.
7. What qualifies you to help others?
I have thousands of hours of coaching experience throughout my career. I received the Western approach of management, leadership and coaching whilst at the great organisation of L’Oreal. I am a Master Coach after studying an ICF-accredited course including NLP. I have learnt a lot of tools from the East that are very powerful and impactful. I have experienced what my clients are experiencing and can totally relate.
8. What role does self-awareness play in your coaching, and how can women/clients cultivate it in their daily lives?
It plays a huge part and this is what is generally missed from the traditional Western coaching techniques. It is mind-blowing when the realisations hit home and it is literally life-changing.
9. Can you discuss the importance of setting boundaries and how you guide clients in establishing and maintaining them?
This is a very interesting subject. The first thing to know is that boundaries are unconscious and are set at a very deep internal level. You often don’t realise they are there until you feel uncomfortable in a situation and are made consciously aware of them.
10. What advice would you give to clients who are hesitant to invest in themselves or pursue their dreams due to fear or self-doubt?
The first thing to identify and ask yourself is… are you happy with the results you are currently getting? If the answer is no and you truly and honestly want them to change then I would recommend the investment. I take my coaching commitment to you seriously and I expect my clients to also…otherwise your results will definitely be affected.
I have a chemistry call with a client to understand what they want and need and also for them to have an introduction to my ‘coaching therapy’ style.
You have to be ready to invest your time, the opportunity to look deep into yourself (it can be a little uncomfortable and some people are not ready for this deep meaningful approach) and invest financially too (personally or professionally).
The really good thing is that you can change your mindset very quickly and when done at this level, change roles out effortlessly.
11. Any words of wisdom for my readers?
From chaos to calm
From turmoil to transformation
When you are experiencing chaos and turmoil (however it shows up) – it’s a great indicator that calm, change and transformation is on the way.
You can book a chemistry call with Karen here.
