“Katie is encouraging, enthusiastic and brings joy to all of our coaching sessions.  She helped me delve deep into my values and experience to regain confidence in what I have to offer as a leader. I’ve gained really valuable tools to use for years to come. 

For anyone considering working with Katie; I know how busy it can be as a leader in the charity sector and you may feel you don’t have time to invest in you, but it’s so valuable to pause and step out of the daily grind to remind yourself how much you have to offer and what makes you smile at work.”

Mel Oley
Head of Fundraising, Freedom from Torture

“Katie helped me to lead several positive and meaningful changes in our organisation in a short space of time. NOAH are now better prepared to weather the current economic storm, are taking specific steps to magnify the cultural bright spots in our organisation, and have a clarity of vision which provides direction whilst also allowing room to react to appropriate external events.

Katie exudes positivity and optimism, which is contagious. I very much recommend working with her.  She’s is an expert in her field and helps senior people to be their best selves.” 

David Morris
CEO, NOAH Enterprise

“Thanks to Kate I was able to clearly articulate to myself and others what I wanted from my next step and grasp hold of a great opportunity when it came my way. She helped boost my confidence and understand better what was important for me in my work.

Katie’s approach is thoughtful, yet fun. I found her extremely responsive to how I wanted to use the process, adapting according to my needs.” 

Emily Armistead

Interim Executive Director, Madre Brava

“I absolutely love Katie’s coaching style, which she tailored to my needs and situation.  She saw me through the highs and lows of a challenging work situation, helping me navigate the complexities and keep going when things were exceptionally difficult.

The experience has been transformational. My skills, capacities and confidence have all improved.

We worked on my core values and how to honour them. I learned about ‘clean’ vs ‘triggering’ language during difficult encounters. I learned how to build trust with others.

We set new goals for my future that I’m now fulfilling with renewed passion, hope and motivation.

If you want to invest in you and see your own positive transformation, I can’t recommend her enough.” 

Paula Valentine

Senior Advisor, Save the Children

“I 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. I genuinely feel as though I wouldn’t be where I am now without her support.”

Dan Crossley

Executive Director, Food Ethics Council

“The joy of Katie’s sessions is that I get to concentrate on the things that drive me. What makes me tick.

It’s rare and lovely to spend time in this space exploring what’s important.

I always leave feeling positive and happy.”

Claire Pulford
Associate Director of Community and Events, Breast Cancer Now

“When I first started working with Katie, I was considering the next step in my career. Logically it should’ve been CEO – but I wasn’t sure if I wanted that.

I’m a deep thinker. There’s a lot going on behind the eyes! It’s tick tick tick, wearing away, and sometimes you get stuck in the thought process. So, to have somebody who was completely independent and objective to where I was personally and from a career perspective was really helpful.  Just knowing that I could have that objective conversation with somebody who gets me and even have a laugh, was really important to me. I could have some things spinning around in my head for weeks and then after a 45 minute conversation with Katie, I’d solved the problem.

I became a CEO quite early on in our work together. But there are still so many things that Katie’s set me doing that I still do now, for instance making sure my self -talk is positive. Compassion that I’d always use naturally with others, I wasn’t necessarily using on myself. Small things that have made a huge impact.

I’ve just booked her for a second round of coaching, so what would I say to anyone thinking about working with Katie? Do it!  I would advocate it massively. It’s been so helpful.”

Joanna Fleetwood-Smith

Chief Executive, Norton Housing & Support

“Coaching with Katie has been an immensely valuable process.

When I started working with Katie, I’d been invited to take up the position of CEO at the Central Foundation. I wanted to be good at the role and really effective. So, I asked Katie to help me develop a plan for the year.

I particularly value the fact it’s a totally safe space. I can talk about anything, and I can feel anything. She is totally non-judgmental. 

Katie has a wonderful way of catching me when something is going well or noticing I’ve learned something. She often points out where she’s recognised a change in how I’m thinking or how I’m acting and anchoring that. With her insight I noticed how quickly I’d moved on from being a consultant to leader of the Foundation helping me embrace that shift to a strategic leadership role. That’s been so important.

It’s funny how, even when someone is saying that you’re doing a good job it doesn’t necessarily land – you don’t absorb it– instead you just get caught up with the next problem. I have great trustees who have and continue to affirm me as CEO yet I get stuck at what I am not quite achieving – or am even avoiding.

Katie flagging those positive steps of learning and behaviour in  me is so powerful. It really helps to see that I’m making progress and to feel proud of myself. And when life has been difficult, I remind myself that there have been things that were really good, and they will come again. And funnily enough – they do!

Earlier this year, before I was appointed to be the permanent CEO, I had some doubt about whether I was worth the salary I was asking for. Am I going to be able to make all the plans happen? Could someone else do it better, and for less? Katie encouraged to me reflect on why I’d been engaged in the first place. By the time it came to the board meeting I had articulated what it was about me that made things work here and recognised the things I brought to the role rather than what was missing – things the trustees regularly said yet somehow I didn’t hear. In the event I was confident they would approve my appointment as permanent CEO, and that felt really good.

With Katie’s support, those successes have been regular moments through the year.

It’s interesting to look back at a couple of points when things became more difficult and I really struggled. Then Katie encouraged me to use my shorter ‘Critical Comrade’ coaching calls. These insightful calls usually have me splurging in a very un-me way. Katie is very good, first at listening while I download, and then at helping me get a plan clear in my mind. Each time these conversations readied me for whatever came next. Each time I’ve come away feeling something has changed or transitioned. Each time things have worked out, and worked out pretty well. Without the download I suspect I’d still be swirling around.

One of the big successes I have had at work was agreeing the Foundation’s first strategy, with a new mission and vision! 

Katie has helped me settle into a belief in myself and encouraged me to be really clear and intentional which has helped make each step happen. The other thing she encouraged was to hold things a little more lightly, allowing other people around me to take their responsibilities. I realise now I don’t have to do or be able to do everything – that’s been transformative.

It seems so simple when I talk about it now. But honestly, getting me from A to B over the last year has not been simple at all. I’ve been very grateful for Katie’s support in it.

I respond really well to being able to speak out into situations and getting it out of my head and into the air has made such  a big difference. Having Katie as my coach allowing me to do that has had a tangible impact on the success of this year.

If I hadn’t worked with Katie I wouldn’t have the tools to get myself to stop, to step back, regroup, and start again. Somehow, Katie helps me climb down from the sense of panic, some of the unhelpful emotion, and just settle things. Her responsiveness to what works for me, adapting and flexing has been brilliant. Affirmation and encouragement with the occasional firm dose of accountability work perfectly for me, and she’s such a cheerleader!

So yes, coaching has been unimaginably helpful . Katie has a great energy and belief in leaders who really want to make something valuable happen and to create an impact. It’s more than just ‘making a difference’. It’s about living out who you are as a person and bringing your whole person into that environment. She embraces all of that.

It’s a great opportunity to work with someone who holds a lot of the same values as, as I do and, and as the sector does. And I think that’s really powerful.”

Sarah Gosling

Chief Executive, Central Foundation Schools for London