Karen Williams is a business mentor and coach who has trained to be an NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programmer) master practitioner. NLP is described on Wikipedia as “…a model of interpersonal communication chiefly concerned with the relationship between successful patterns of behaviour and the subjective experiences underlying them…” This basically means that NLP is about linking how we react and communicate theoretically with the personal experiences of the same action. By doing this an NLP practitioner hopes to build more effective process models that will help an individual be a more successful person.

In her book “The Secrets of Successful Coaching”, Karen Williams identifies 10 steps that will help you develop a more complete and valuable way of working that will help forever. From identifying how to recognise your assets to developing professional networks to support your progress, this book pitches at the right level to help anyone who is considering using NLP.

A clear selling point of the book is the inclusion of 10 people that Karen Williams uses for her own guidance – something that the reader can do via the ‘Further Resources’ chapter at the end of the book. It has value because it provide linkage back to not one author and practitioner, but an industry that takes itself very seriously indeed.

It is always nice to see a book that is arranged with bite-sized chunks of information that can be digested easily, and this one is no exception. The book also requires a little interactivity with examples followed by questions that need answers. By answering, the reader demonstrates knowledge and this is important in the quest to provide quality coaching.

There are a few coaching books out in the marketplace, but this one provides value by way of truly trying to understand the reader and make their business life a better place.

Total Mark 5/5

Book Review: The Secrets of Successful Coaches by Karen Williams

Reviewed By: Will Roney

Six of Britain’s most respected female entrepreneurs have thrown their weight behind a groundbreaking new initiative that supports mums in business.

Sally Preston, Laura Tenison, Antonia Chitty, Wendy Shand, Leila Wilcox and Rachel Jones are backing Mentoring Mum, a unique mentoring scheme for self-employed women.

They will draw on their extensive experience to offer help and guidance about all aspects of business – from law and tax to marketing and public relations.

In effect, the telephone service will provide ‘kitchen table tycoons’ with a direct hotline to some of the UK’s most high-flying businesswomen.

Remarkably, the experts – all of whom are leading figures in their fields – have donated their time for free.

The scheme – which goes live on March 15 – is the brainchild of ‘mumpreneur’ Allison Price, the founder of MotivatingMum.co.uk.

It was launched, she says, in response to the increasing number of mothers setting up their own business after childbirth.

”More mothers than ever before are setting up their own businesses,” she said.

”However, many of them lack knowledge or experience and face difficult challenges right from the start.

”This exciting new initiative will enable mums already in business, as well as those wanting to start up, to obtain affordable support and advice to help them achieve their dreams.

”The joy of the service is in its simplicity; it will enable mothers looking for advice to choose the most relevant expert and get in touch directly.”

The consultants include Sally Preston, the founder of Babylicious.co.uk – a successful baby and children’s food brand.

Fashion guru and MBE Laura Tenison owns JoJo Maman Bébé, a ”quirky and imaginative” range of children’s clothes, while award-winning tycoon Antonia Chitty runs PR firm ACPR, the Family Friendly Working site and The Mumpreneur Guide.

Wendy Shand, from Northamptonshire, runs global travel business Tots to Travel, and Leila Wilcox – described as a ”serial entrepreneur” owns a string of businesses including marketing firm Leila Communications.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh-based Rachel Jones is the inventor of Totseat – a ”washable squashable” highchair and 2007 winner of British Female Inventor & Innovator.

Wendy said:

”I wanted to offer my services as a mentor because I’ve been down the path, and wept the tears, of the new small business owner.

“Now it’s my turn to share my experiences, and help other women build their own successful businesses.”

In coming weeks, more women will join the consultancy panel. It means mums will be able to access a database of experts on the Motivating Mum website and select the consultant who most area suits their needs.

Advice is given over the phone, with a 30-minute session costing just £40.

Allison said:

”Time and again I am approached by mothers wanting guidance with their businesses. Many set out with great ideas and huge amounts of passion but struggle to realise their vision.

”The majority of them simply can’t afford professional help due to the prohibitive costs. I realised that there was a need for mums to be able to access affordable advice, and that the mums out there with established businesses were very happy to share their knowledge.

”By matching the two together I can hopefully help more mums across the UK establish themselves and experience the immense personal satisfaction of seeing their businesses grow.”

Saira Khan, runner-up in the first series of BBC’s The Apprentice and the founder of baby skin care range Miamoo, said the service was the ”perfect solution” for self-employed women.

”If only I’d had access to affordable, accessible mentoring from like-minded women, when I first started out,” she said.

”It’s the perfect solution for mums who need help with their businesses.”

In addition to working mums, the scheme will also support the Association of Post Natal Illness (APNI).

Allison said that all money raised through the launch will be donated to the charity.

APNI spokeswoman Siobhan Merrifield said: ”It is a hugely inspiring and worthy scheme which will be helpful for businessmums who could otherwise be isolated or alone – a situation that can sometimes lead to post-natal depression.”

Mentoring Mum sessions will be available to buy online from 11am on March 15. To secure your slot, visit www.motivatingmum.co.uk.

Alternatively, contact Allison Price on 0208 946 6868 or email alli@motivatingmum.co.uk.

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

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.

When did you launch? I started my coaching practices in 1997 and launched my Big Leap business in 2000.

How did you get started? I coached for free for one year to get my coaching hours and get my coaching qualification. I coached in the evenings. Slowly people started to recommend me as I started to become more experienced and confident. Then I started charging once I got my qualification and slowly built a database of clients.

What research did you do before launching? Not much! Coaching was quite new in the Uk when I started. It was really an intuitive feeling that I was on the right track. Life coaching was seen as something quite woo-woo when I started out but now it’s practically accepted as a personal trainer is at the gym.

How have you funded the business? Initially, I worked as a journalist to bring in enough money to support me as I built my clients but then as my business slowly built, I would put any extra income into building the website/the database.

How do you promote your business? What has worked best?

Because my background is journalism, I have been very lucky so have written my articles about my journey/coaching/tools and techniques for a better life. I’ve also invested in internet marketing and finding out how that works. I have a database run by something called profollow.com and it costs me around £10 a month and it’s the best £10 I spend! It means I can have a live, dynamic, ongoing conversation with my database – about books I’ve read, new tools, and of course, let them know about workshops/retreats/coaching packages that I run.

Another thing that has lifted me that I coached Nicky Hambleton Jones, of 10 Years Younger fame to start her own business from scratch and then get on TV. And she has been very kind and dedicated some of her books to me.

I was also named as ‘the top ten guru to change your life around’ by the Daily Mail – which upped my profile somewhat! (if I only knew what gurus are supposed to wear!)

What has worked well about your business? I love this business because I’m inspired and passionate but it also works practically, I work on the telephone with people as far as Australia and New York but do it all from my office at the top of the house in Sussex. This means I can pick my son up after school and run a vibrant business, love my work but also be there as a mum to my son.

What has been your biggest challenge so far? How have you dealt with it? Cash-flow. In the early days, before I built a database, I was constantly looking for new clients and that was exhausting. I’m good at what I do so clients move on quickly. Also people found they couldn’t afford coaching month after month. I came up with a ‘golden ticket’ idea where people pay £275 for a golden ticket of 6 months coaching with me – it’s very affordable for them and works for me. And since introducing this package, I have always met my income targets.

How do you fit in work with the family? I take my son to school and then start coaching at 10 and finish at 3. On Monday and Tuesdays, I also have late night appointments. It works well although I can get tired on Monday and Tuesday! School half terms, I tend to take off and arrange half day childcare in the summer holidays so I can coach in the holidays part time. But August is usually very quiet anyway.

What advice would you give to someone else wanting to work in this area?

Create a niche that you are passionate about and create a model (5 step process/set of tools that you have created yourself) Write a book and create an ‘expert’ profile in that niche and then create lots of free but brilliant products that people can get to know you through. No one trusts anyone any more and people want to get to know you before they buy – you can do this by creating free online taster packages – include Mp3 recordings, online coaching programmes – and make them brilliant. You want others to think – ‘wow, if she gives this away for free, imagine what it will be like if I pay for a product/service)

Your website link: www.thebig-leap.com for career transition coaching.

www.thebigpeace.com  for a free online coaching programme to find your missing peace.

Special promotion for Family Friendly Working readers: Buy a golden ticket and receive 7 coaching sessions instead of 6 (over 6 months one to one with me Suzy Greaves.)

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.

When did you launch

1999

How did you get started?

Whilst working as Reflexologist, I was invited on to one day work shop for marketing small businesses, run by an organisation that trained Life Coaches.  It dawned on me that I’d been coaching myself for a quite some time, I just hadn’t realised that was what I’d been doing.  Coaching seemed a very comfortable and natural transition for me, so I decided to qualify and soon added that to my business.

What research did you do before launching?

Reading…I was like a sponge I couldn’t get a enough information, the more I read the more I needed to read, I still had my reflexology business and it became apparent that  when people were in the safety of a comfortable place, they talk.  These days with the net and blogs, reading and researching my field is a huge part of my work.

How have you funded the business?

Now and again life takes a certain road, one might say fate takes a hand.  I got invited to participate in a, game show, we all want our ten minutes of fame and so I went along, and to my delight I won £5,500 so this enabled me to kick start my business.  I never took a loan or borrowed money and still haven’t to this day.

How do you promote your business? What has worked best?

I promote my business in a number of ways, the internet has opened up a whole new business world and I have embraced it wholeheartedly.  I have my own website, business blog, I twitter and use Facebook for business – these are just a few of the ways I work and now coach my clients to do the same to market their businesses.

I’ve written three books, which means I’m often in the media/on radio and clients come to me that way too.  For me, though you can’t beat the old fashioned way of face-to-face networking.  Just getting out there and talking to people, I enjoy it so much plus I often give talks up and down the UK.  .

What has worked well about your business?

I would say a combination of things.  I’m based at home, I have organised life in such a way that I have my own office, so I actually feel like I go to work.  I have my two puppies around me all day and they love it because when I need to clear my head it’s leads on and off we go.  We’re a close family and I see them quite often.  I think put all this together and it makes me a grounded business women.

What has been your biggest challenge so far? How have you dealt with it?

Harnessing my entrepreneurial spirit so it’s useful!  I do have lots of ideas and almost most are flawed in some way, I do seem to manage to pull out the ones that are viable, but that’s my challenge, scrapping ideas and running with others – knowing which ones to choose!  It’s quite a juggling act, sometimes I drop a ball but most times I keep them all in the air.

How do you fit in work with the family?

I do have to keep quite strict hours of work during the day, but after 3pm most days, I’m around for my family, dogs and husband!

What advice would you give to someone else wanting to work in this area?

Go for it!  There’s nothing better than working for yourself  and if anyone is interested in training as Life Coach, I run the UK Coaching Partnership with Meg Reid – you can see what we do at http://www.ukcoachingpartnership.typepad.com

If you have a flexible working business opportunity, please explain briefly what you offer and how people find out more.

I’m working on something at the moment but it’s a bit early to announce yet – hold this space!

Your website link.

www.pinkskills.co.uk

Special promotion for Family Friendly Working readers: First  coaching session reduced from £150 to £75 – just mention family friendly working reader

Winners announced Friday 10 July, so get your comment in by 10am on that day.

Find out more about Anna at www.mylifesupport.com

Starting and Running a Coaching Business

It is the biggest giveaway ever on Family Friendly Working, and perfect for you if you have an aspect of your life you’d like to improve.

If you’re working as a coach, or are considering coaching, you’ll be delighted to win a copy of Aryanne Oade’s book, Starting and Running a Coaching Business: The Complete Guide to Setting Up and Managing a Coaching Practice.

What is more, every winner also gets a free 30 minute session with Aryanne. You can talk to her about ANY aspect of your life you’d like to improve OR get her tips to help your business.

Just leave a comment below explaining how this prize would benefit you. We have SIX books and sessions on offer, so you have a great chance of winning.

Make sure you comment by 10am on Friday 10th July. Read a review of the book here.

Suzy is offering one lucky Family Friendly Working reader a free trial coaching session – simply comment below and I’ll pick the winner at random.

Competition closes 10am Friday 10 July 2009.

Raising Happy Children for Dummies

Does any parent ever feel like they are doing a good job? I know there are aspects of parenting that I’d like help with. Parenting coach Sue Atkins can help you with the challenges and demands of being a parent.

If you enter this competition, you could win a signed copy of Sue Atkin’s Raising Happy Children for Dummies AND a complimentary session with Sue where you can talk about any issue you like.

Just post a comment below, by 10am on Friday the 10th of July. If you’re not sure what to write, tell me why you’d like to win, or how the coaching session and book could help you. You might like to check out Sue’s site for ideas of what she offers too.

This week, the Family Friendly Working blog is looking at coaching. You may think that coaching is all about achieving perfection, but it doesn’t have to be like that. Sometimes you just need to decide what are important goals, and then also make a conscious decision that some things in life are NOT important. In her post, Fake It ‘till You Make It, Aussie Mumpreneur Karen Miles has some tips on how to fake parenthood when you need some breathing space:

1. Catch an episode of Play School and copy one of their art projects (even download their website templates) then marvel at your early childhood education skills. Your toddler will bask in your greatness.

2. Keep wicker baskets in every room to toss toys into at the end of the day and call your decorating style ‘country eclectic’.

3. Hide the laundry pile at the back of a cupboard when friends or family come over and enjoy your ‘tidy’ home for a few hours.

4. Better still, ‘home-bake’ some mini apple pies for mother’s group / school courtesy of the local bakery. Sprinkle a dusting of icing sugar over the pies after taking to them with a rolling pin (to squash them up a bit to make them look ‘truly’ home-made).

Karen says: “Cut yourself some slack. Laugh at the chaos of your life (you may as well), and give yourself the space to be ok as you are. Cut the smaller corners that will help you get through the day. Often your own expectations of yourself far exceed those of your kids or other people.”

 So, when the pressure to be a perfect parent is mounting, ask yourself what is really important. Shove the laundry under the counter, send in bought cakes (with a little bit of home made icing on top ), sit back and spend some time enjoying family life.