Woman’s Guide interviews Holly Patricia to talk pros and cons of coaching, what a day in the life of a coach feels like, female empowerment and mood elevation tactics
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hi, I’m Holly, I’m a Female empowerment Coach from Northern Ireland. My purpose in life is to inspire others to reach their full potential. The only way I can reach my full potential, is by helping others help themselves reach theirs.
I specialise in NLP – Neuro-linguistic Programming. The name sounds very technical and complex, don’t let it put you off!
To put it simply, it brings together:
Neurology – The mind and how we think.
Linguistics – How we use language and how it affects us.
Programming – How we sequence our actions to achieve our goals.
I use a range of powerful, effective techniques which support women to dig deep [into their heart space], achieve inner mastery, and subsequently facilitate change.
My background is in counselling and alternative therapy. Before I re-located to Dubai from the UK [9 years ago], I worked as Project Worker in a residential and day support centre for women. I provided person centered care to homeless women in crisis with a range of complex needs such as serious addiction issues, poor mental and physical health, trauma, chronic low self-esteem and confidence as well as social isolation.
It is my calling to help women who have fallen out of love with themselves, rise in love with themselves. I’ve answered my call!
What would you say are the pros and cons of being a coach?
PRO’S
- It’s very rewarding work – I help women transform their lives! Being instrumental in that process is amazing!
- You can be yourself – When you become a coach, people buy into you. You attract who you are!
- I create my own schedule – I’m self-employed, so I’m my own boss! I choose when I work!
- Freedom of location – When you find your niche, build clients and establish yourself in the marketplace, you can work from anywhere!
- Personal development – There’s always something new to learn – new skills, new techniques. When you grow, your clients grow with you!
- Self -care – You’re constantly investing in yourself. When you care and nurture yourself, you can care and nurture others.
CON’S
- Long hours – It’s no 9-5. There’s a lot of work involved behind the scenes. Building a brand, building trust etc. You get out what you put in!
- Content is queen – Cultivating a digital foot-print is time consuming! You have to be dedicated! Creating content which is not only visually appealing but offers value to your ideal client on a consistent basis takes a considerable amount of work. People massively underestimate what’s involved. Filling in those little squares on the Insta grid isn’t as easy as it looks!
- Freebee’s galore – A lot of your work is unpaid. Live talks, panel discussions, podcasts, content creation, networking, training etc.
- Motivation – You have to establish yourself by yourself for yourself. No-one is going to do it for you!
- Rejection – Accept that you won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Not to worry though! You’ll be a lot of people’s cup of coffee!
- Feed-back – When you’re finding your feet and establishing your brand, there’s a high probability that you’ll receive some constructive criticism. You’ll need a thick skin. The upshot of it is, if you’re receptive and open to feedback, you’ll be able to quickly decipher between what’s working and what’s not in your business. When you know better, you do better!
Would you advise people to get into coaching in this lifetime?
If it’s your passion, you’re massively purpose driven, and you’re willing to put in the work, then yes – absolutely! Coaching is so empowering!
What does a day in your life look like?
6:00 -Wake up and meditate. I’m on day 6/30 of Bob Proctor’s Abundance meditation at the moment
7:00 – Spin class
8:00 – Respond to e-mails, engage with any over-night activity on my social media platforms
8:30 – Content creation
9:45 – Coffee time
10-1 – Client sessions
1:00 – Lunch
1:45 – Discovery calls with potential clients
3:00 – Client sessions
5:00 – Networking
6:00 – Me time
7:00- Podcasts/Fb & Insta lives/Empowerment talks
What does it take to become a coach?
I did my NLP Master Practitioner & Master Coach training with a wonderful woman called Dr. Doris at Illuminations well-being centre in Dubai.
When you’re choosing a course, shop around. Be selective. Find a reputable, credible, accredited course. It’s extremely important!
Skill wise, you’ll need to be; a positive role model, an active listener, open-minded, empathetic, dedicated, committed, flexible and patient. To name but a few!
Are there any exercises you would suggest our readers to do at home to elevate their mood?
Of course! Try this, it’s easy!
- STEP 1: Hold a unresourceful [negative] thought. Negative thoughts include words like – I can’t, I am not, I wouldn’t, I shouldn’t, It’s impossible. Notice the effect on your body language.
- STEP 2: Hold a resourceful [positive] thought. Switch your language up – I can, I am, I would, I should, It’s possible. Notice the effect on your body language.
Your thoughts are powerful. Your thoughts become your words; your words become your actions. Being aware of and handling your internal dialogue is the essence of building your attitudes, beliefs and states of mind.
With that in mind, I would also highly encourage you to get familiar with positive affirmations. Making use of affirmations in your everyday life changes the way you think, feel and behave. You can use affirmations to develop self-confidence, self-belief, self-esteem and self-acceptance.
In order for them to work, they must be positive, in present tense, practiced diligently and emotionally charged.
E.g. I know, accept and am true to myself.
Get good with good affirmations. Change your mind to change your mind.
Last but not least, remember…
You are the answer you’ve been looking for. You are you need!
