A Little About Me
Born into a large family in Devon, I grew up on Dartmoor. This place made me really appreciate nature, space and challenge. In my teens I supported others and this theme then continued strongly in my first and long career with the young men and women I worked with in the military; providing pastoral care and guidance, always putting my team first.
In my second career in the international corporate world, I mentored and coached many of my work colleagues as a business leader for nearly 15 years, travelling widely. Always looking to grow people personally and professionally where I could; being supportive and encouraging of true potential, especially those starting out on their career.
So, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with a diverse mix of people, ages and led varied business types, with plenty of challenges along the way. I am widely recognised as a strong motivator, empathetic leader, honest and engaging; this has been at the heart of everything I’ve done. And had quite a few laughs on the way too!
So, finally, over eight years ago, I decided to start my third career; to become an executive and life coach, whilst continuing to mentor others, including career starters in schools and universities. As a result, I am now Professional Coach within the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) with global accreditation and an ADHD Coach with the Association for Coaching, working with a number of organisations and schools in the UK.
My Approach
As a strong empath and people person, I have been working in partnership with people for well over eight years, who want to reach their potential and grow by focusing on themselves in a positive and forward-looking way, whether neurotypical or neurodiverse. To support the latter I am also an accredited ADHD Coach through the Association for Coaching and work with the young in schools and beyond, helping their find more confidence and self esteem, navigating life in a better way.
Like coaching in sport, life coaching can also be quite challenging sometimes; to make you think hard about what you really want and mean. Sometimes, difficult questions can provide solutions you didn’t realise were there. This could be any number of reasons in life; fear of hierarchy, family or peer pressures, dented self-esteem or self-confidence to name but a few. Coaching helps to see past these and build on positive outcomes.
Every client is unique and I adapt my style depending on where you are in life, whether a high powered executive, a university graduate seeking a role, or an ADHD teenager struggling at school. Either way, the outcome is positive and can make a real difference.
Interact
In my sessions, I will help separate the emotional wheat from the chaff. In daily life, thoughts are cluttered with to-do lists and our minds are overwhelmed with a mess of small, endless emotional incidents. Under these conditions, trying to reflect on your aspirations is like trying to write a difficult essay on a desk cluttered with pens, books and papers. Clarity or reality is hard to see.
Grow
Scheduling coaching sessions allows you to set aside the time you need to (figuratively) sit at an empty, clutter-free desk and allow you to write on a crisp, clean sheet of paper. When you dedicate time to charting your needs and wants, you can see beyond the clutter and gain a clear perspective of where you are and where you’d like to go. Creating greater confidence and self esteem.
Connect
A coaching session will typically take place as a conversation – around an hour at a time and normally within one to six sessions (children for longer) - between us we’ll focus on helping you discover answers for yourself, supporting you along the way. After all, people are much more likely to engage with solutions that they have come up with themselves, rather than those that are forced upon them!
Testimonials
‘I have worked with Adam for a few months, he is an absolutely inspirational character to bounce ideas off of and to receive inspiration from, he has been kind, respectful and understanding throughout the process of coaching me, while directing me through ideas I am having yet ultimately keeping me focused on the ultimate goal of creating a safer, happier, brighter world for all.’
— Luke (Late teens)
‘Our sessions have been focused on career progression and professional development. In the first of these sessions I was unsure of what areas of business I was most interested in and where I wanted to take my career. Through my sessions with Adam, and his use of various coaching techniques, I have been able to narrow my focus and understand the areas that I would like to progress into and now have a clearer plan. Adam is a very thorough coach who always know what questions to ask to prompt the right thinking in order to achieve the aims of the sessions. He is very thoughtful and has a good understanding of the issues/challenges facing whomever he is coaching and how best to tackle these.’
— Jacob (Early 20s)
‘As part of my development goals… the confidence piece has been significant. It’s difficult to pinpoint all specific examples, but this has enabled me to push through many more barriers and results have been delivered faster and with greater quality as a result. As a graduate I’ve found that some people can be dismissive when they learn of my position, however, having the confidence to demonstrate the skills I can bring to a team has often been a great tool to mitigate this.’
’What’s worked well for me is building a really strong relationship with Adam and feeling comfortable talking about relevant personal topics in a safe space. Being able to speak freely about my thoughts and ideas has helped to establish both the important themes that needed to be addressed but also those that could be discarded.’
— JD (Early 20s)
‘In relation to my goals… career wise I have a clearer direction of travel, if I decide to go down a different avenue I know what I need to do in order to be successful in that change. I can break down barriers….,manage people’s expectations and provide reassurance. By doing this, it changes the mood of meetings. I am more aware of how I interact/ react and as a result I recognise when I need to reset and adjust my approach.’
’Adam's independent perspective, non-judgemental approach allowed the discussions held with the him to be confidential; that really helped. I was able to express what I truly felt.’
— Laura (Mid 30s)
‘Adam has been great. It has been amazing how he has navigated through the information I give in each session to arrive at clearer answers, thus giving me a better direction in my life. I have had two sessions so far and there has been a remarkable change in my attitude towards life in general, especially in terms of my goals and what I want in life. If anybody is feeling a little loss and wanting direction, I highly recommend Adam as your life coach.’
— Charlie (Late 20’s)
‘Thank you for taking the to meet up over the past couple of months. I’ve much enjoyed being the beneficiary, (collaborator in!) of your coaching experience, your perspective, your challenge, and indeed your well placed thoughts. All blended together with a smile and lashings of good humour! It has been invaluable to me personally to help me re-orientate, focus on what is important, develop an approach to place me in control of my decision making, and see a clear way forward. The perennial truth of coaching, the alchemy of helping and supporting me in this case to grapple with the questions to which only I have the answer. I trust you’ll be able to bring your experience to bear for the benefit of many others in the future.’
— Simon (40s)