My Story

Why am I a coach?

A few years ago, I was earning reasonable money and working with some really amazing people but feeling out of sorts and stressed and knew something had to change. I just couldn't work out on my own what it was I needed to do. I was really bored with hearing myself moan about it and was losing confidence in my own decision making!

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I was introduced to coaching at this stage and invested in the support I needed to get some answers, rather than just going over it in my head, night after night, getting more and more frustrated and unwell. 

 

Coaching  gave me clarity about my own needs, and confidence that I could achieve what I wanted. Best of all, this was coming from ME, no judgement, no advice, but raising my awareness of my values, beliefs, strengths and experience, I was able to start putting myself first. It impressed me so much that I decided to train to become a coach myself and use those skills in my personal and professional lives. But it was hard keeping up with everything, working full-time, managing a team and studying in my spare time. 

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Then I had a birthday with a '0' at the end of it and decided the time was right to make some big changes - an "if not now, when?" and "if not me, who?" moment. I gave up my full-time job, found a part-time role,  giving me the time and energy to study and get the most from the experience. 

 

A year later,  I gained my certified coach status with the Diploma in Personal Performance Coaching from The Coaching Academy and set up The Crossroads Coaching. 

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​Why cancer?
 

My very first job was as a medical secretary at Sussex Cancer Centre and although I went on to work in commerce, I think my experience there made me appreciate what it meant for someone to have cancer and what they had to go through. 

 

Fast forward 15 years and my personal experience of cancer began; Mum had lymphoma twice, and lived then for a further 17 years with the consequences of harsh treatment.  My Dad died within 6 months of a lung cancer diagnosis.  

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Dad didn't have a chance to thrive and Mum lived a long but different life after cancer.

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At the same time as Dad's illness, I started working on a cancer early diagnosis project in which cancer survivors told their stories to empower others to be aware of the early signs and symptoms and take action.  Through their speaking up, they saved lives.  And working with them made me truly understand the  emotional, physical and wellbeing challenges that treatment brought with it. 

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Whilst doing my coach training, I realised that I could help ​people after active cancer treatment to get back some of the control they have lost in the process, feel more confident in themselves and their decisions and help them make sense of this new phase with purpose, setting and achieving goals that are meaningful to them.

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But I also know that there are people who live alongside them and I can help them too. 

 

So if your life has been impacted by cancer,  and you want to make some changes, and have some lightbulb moments yourself,  please talk to me.  I know I can help you. 

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Thanks, 

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Sue 

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