Has Being a Mum Transformed Your Life?

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

Becoming a mum can be a life transformational event.  It can impact women in different ways:  it can be exhausting, overwhelming, frustrating and absolutely fabulous all at the same time.  Sometimes the reality of becoming a mum and what it means in every aspect of our lives only becomes apparent six months or a year after baby is born.  

There is a great deal of research to show how women change as a result of having children both in terms of their priorities and their skill set.  There is a critical time when Mums are wondering what is next once their baby/ children are established in some kind of routine and the initial fug of motherhood has passed.  Mums with two or more children in particular struggle with this dilemma because of the level of organisation required to hold down a good job and the crippling cost of good childcare. 

Minerva’s Mind has come about through the passion and drive of two Mums who wanted to help other Mums get more out of life by making conscious decisions about their lives.  We support women through a range of activities: 

1. There is an online community which is full of articles, tips and information.  It is highly interactive in that members of the community comment on posts and discussion topics which cover all aspects of women and leadership.  To find out more check it out – www.facebook.com/minervasmind
2. Many Mums benefit from the support of a qualified coach to give them the space to reflect on who they have become; what their passions are; and what the barriers are that are holding them back.  By coming together in a group they benefit from being together with like-minded people and gain the same skills as they would in a one-on-one coaching course but at a much more affordable price.  It is for these reasons that Karen and Kate set up Minerva’s Mind for Mums, a six session course over 12 weeks.
3. For those not quite ready to make a commitment to a six session programme, Kate and Karen also run a two hour one off session on a burning topic identified by the person who acts as host.  The idea for these sessions is that they will also be in the evening but that the main contact will host the session in their home and just like an Ann Summers or QI book party, invite 5-9 of their own friends, who are also interested in exploring the issue.  Examples of recent sessions include topics such as “Discover Your Inner Gremlins”, “Using Peak Experiences to Sustain Motivation” and “Create a work-life balance that works for you”.

If you are interested in know more about how Minerva’s Mind could support you or your friends, please contact Kate or Karen on kate@minervasmind.co.uk or karen@minervasmind.co.uk.

To find out more about all sorts of coaching, see  the Family Friendly Working series on coaching

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Life Coach Profile: Suzy of the Big Leap

Saturday, July 4th, 2009

Suzy Greaves

Name of Business: Big Leap Coaching Company

Your Name and Age: Suzy Greaves, 41

Tell us about your family: Newly separated single mum with one son, Charlie, 6.

What did you do before coming up with your business idea/retraining and how was it making the transition?

I was a freelance journalist working for the national press and went on to be health editor of OK! magazine and New Woman magazine. The transition was very easy for me as I started coached in the evenings and then built up my practice enough so that I went to being freelance journalist again and then would coach and write. My coaching practice built slowly so I could stop writing so much and build 90% of my income from coaching. It took me around 3 years to do that.

How did you train as a coach?

I trained via telephone for 18 months with Coach University (www.coachu.com) It was great – I was trained by experienced and qualified coaches in America. I love the Coach U coaches. 90% of the coaches I use for my own development have come out of Coach University. (more…)

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Life Coach Profile: Lynette of Pink Skills.co.uk

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

Lynette Allen

Name of Business: Pink Skills 

Your Name: Lynette Allen

Tell us about your family: I’m married to Nick with two cocker spaniels, William and Grayson, they’re almost 2 and we live in Essex by the sea.

What did you do before coming up with your business idea and how was it making the transition?

I started life as a secretary for the NHS and left to follow my dream of becoming a singer and dancer.  I travelled all around Greece as a result for almost three years before coming back to England and working as a Conference Manager in a hotel.  It was then that I knew I needed to work for myself.  I trained to become a Reflexologist and started up my own company in 1999.  I trained as a Life Coach shortly after that and coached celebrities before being heard on Radio 2.  It was this interview that led to a 3 book deal with a publisher and so I’m also an author now too.  Making the transition from employed to self employed was a risk because at the time I was buying my first house but I did it and have never looked back. (more…)

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