Wow! The 4th December marked 10 years since I started my business and what a 10 years it has been. In this blog I am going to celebrate what the last 10 years have meant to me and my amazing clients, because without them, there would be no business!
I clearly remember the day when I made the decision, I had been thinking about it for a really long time and had all the usual doubts that we all do; can I do it, can I make it work, will people believe in me and what I am doing, etc… I had started my coaching training many years before, 2007, and I had loads of experience, so I knew I was good at what I did, but starting my own business felt incredibly scary, and it got to the point where I just thought, sod it, what is the worst that can happen, so I went online and bought the domain ‘emmaroache.com’ and the rest as they say is history.
It took courage, to be brave when I felt scared and unsure, and to have that unwavering belief in myself that I would make this work whatever it took, and if for some reason it didn’t work, then at least I would have given it a really good shot!
It has been challenging at times of course, especially when people told me to give up, or made thoughtless comments like, ‘well it isn’t a real business is it…’ and I have almost given up so many times, however something inside me kept me going, I knew I had a special set of skills and experiences based on many years of training and study, which I have continued and built upon, along with on the job training, and some quite extreme life experiences. There have been so many times in my life when I have had to overcome huge adversities, some which many people will never have to experience, including growing up in an abusive environment and being homeless and alone at the age of 16, to a near fatal car accident, experiencing domestic abuse and so much more. I have always had this inner strength and resilience, I have had to, and I have always found a way to move forward whilst always looking for something to take from each experience, which could be in some way a positive, even if it was simply a learning opportunity, a chance to grow and evolve.
This combination of extreme life circumstances, professional training and academic knowledge seems to still be quite rare, meaning I have a unique way of working with my clients, enabling me to bring a deep empathy which can not be taught, only acquired through experiences, along with an inner strength, where I can hold space for people when they feel so incredibly vulnerable, whilst also being able to be tough and strong and challenge them robustly, with love and from the heart when it is required too.
I say that my work is based in science and delivered with love, which is absolutely is and when my clients tell me that they have worked with many different people over the years, however I am the one who has helped them the most and in a way which is long lasting, which really helps them to move forwards, changing behaviours and breaking free from old unhelpful behaviours, I am so glad that 10 years ago I made that brave decision to set up my own coaching practice.
Now being a Coaching Psychologist having worked to become a Master Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF), which means I am in the top 5.7% of credentialled coaches with the ICF in the world, and in the top 4.3% in the UK (one of only 105) and the only one in Norfolk at the time of writing, I am so incredibly proud of my achievements and want to celebrate that! Not only that, some other things I have achieved during that time include gaining a BSc in Combined Social Sciences and Criminology and most recently a MSc in Psychology (Conversion) and I am now a graduate member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) as well as becoming a fellow of the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) and founding, running and delivering coaching within my own social enterprise Embrace PFC CIC.
In the last 10 years I have delivered over 3300 hours of coaching which is huge, when I sit now and reflect on that, just imagine the positive impact that has had in the world, on those people’s lives, their loved ones, their friends, their colleagues, it really blows my mind when I think of it like that, even if it was a small change, it would have had positive repercussions, however my clients tell me that many of them experience huge shifts in mindset, making sense of things they never could before, finding ways to change behaviours which they didn’t believe were possible and so much more. I do this and share this for my clients, because it is always about them, never about me, I share some of my story because it helps people to connect with me, to trust me, to choose me as their coach, knowing that I am human, I am approachable, I live my work and I practice what I preach, as well as having robust training and knowledge behind that to keep them safe and walk alongside them in their journey of self-development, where they get to known themselves on a deeper level, bringing a greater understanding than ever before.
So wow, 10 years and what a journey it has been, I look forward to the next 10 years and beyond! Thank you to all my amazing clients who made this possible, who believed in me, who took a chance and trusted me with their hearts and minds, their biggest fears, their most precious dreams, and bringing their whole selves to the sessions so they could get the most out of working with me, because that is all that matters, that they feel heard, seen, supported and empowered to live their lives fully, with purpose, on purpose!
If any of this resonated with you, and you want to know more, I have a free weekly email which you can subscribe to, you can follow me on social media, or when you feel ready, you could drop me an email or you could book a free discovery call via my website I am seeing new clients again from January 2025, dates to be made available soon!
Until next time,
Keep smiling,
Emma
