Transformation
Starts With You
About Coaching
We all have goals we want to reach, challenges we’re striving to overcome and times when we feel stuck. Working with a coach can be truly transformational and life changing, setting you on a path to personal and professional fulfilment. The process of coaching can unlock previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, confidence and leadership.
As a coach, I provide a safe, supportive and non-judgmental space for you to talk freely, in complete confidence.
About Me
I’m Simon, the founder of Wagtail Coaching. I provide leadership, confidence and career coaching to driven, ambitious individuals.
I’ve changed direction in my own life several times, following childhood dreams I’d been told weren’t possible, or career transitions I believed couldn’t happen in my area of work. I’ve also experienced the power of coaching myself, which has changed my life in so many ways, and I’m passionate about sharing that experience with you too.
Maybe we’ve worked together in a previous role - I’ve worked and lived in three continents, including leadership development and higher education in London, as a pharmacist across England, Scotland and Australia, and as a volunteer nutrition advisor on a hilltop, in rural Zambia.
Maybe we’ve met during my time as a private pilot, in the spinning studio or karate dojo, or perhaps we’ve met in the Scottish Highlands, hiking across the stunning mountains. Or now, as a certified coach.
Whatever brought you here, thank you for visiting Wagtail Coaching. I hope you enjoy reading about what working together could be like.
Who I work with
I work with clients from various working backgrounds, including professionals, consultants, entrepreneurs, business owners and people working in healthcare. My clients come from a wide range of industries and professions.
I work with people who are ready to be open and honest with me - and themselves - about their challenges and dreams. I work with those who are passionate about continuously improving themselves, to create the life they want to lead.
I’ve coached senior executives from top global consulting firms, founders of start-ups, entrepreneurs, NHS workers, professionals at the top of their game and those desperately seeking a change of direction in their life.
I have been lucky enough to have achieved and exceeded many of my own dreams through working with my coach. My purpose now is to help others achieve the same.
My clients typically face one or more of the following challenges:
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You have built a successful career over the last 10-15 years and you are well respected in your industry.
The issue? You're unhappy, bored and unfulfilled. You feel stuck.
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You have built a successful career and the next step involves a big jump in responsibility, size of team and number of people to manage.
You need help developing your leadership skills, confidence and self-awareness, and someone you support them through the process.
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You've always dreamt of doing something different with your life.
Something more inspiring and in line with who you really are as a person, rather than who you think you’re supposed to be.
You need help taking the first steps.
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You have a voice inside telling you that you're not good enough or smart enough or brave enough to take the next step in your career, or that move to a new country, or that transition to a completely different job.
Having worked through all three of these myself, I can help you achieve more than you ever thought possible.
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You know what you need to do, it’s doing it that’s the hard part.
You need someone to hold you accountable, keep you focused and on track, to achieve your goals.
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You have a CV which is out of date and doesn’t sell the knowledge, skills and experience you have gained throughout your career.
Your last interview was years ago and you need help preparing with someone who will support you and provide honest feedback.
What’s it like to work with me, as a coach?
Whilst I won’t ask you to jump into a swimming pool fully clothed (!), I will challenge your thinking and support you to explore opportunities for growth, outside your comfort zone.
As a coach and trusted advisor, I work with clients in a deep and powerful way. By exploring limiting beliefs and challenging out-of-date behaviours, I help clients develop new insights and perspectives, providing the opportunity to work on your goals and ultimately achieve huge success and transformation.
If you have big hopes and dreams and keep getting stuck, or you tell yourself your goals are not possible and you would like help getting out of your own way, get in touch.
We’ll start with a complimentary 30-minute call where we begin the process of getting to know a little more about each other. If after this call we are both really excited to work together - in our head and our gut - we’ll discuss the ways we can work together.
Coaching sessions take place over the phone or via video-call. I have a few slots each week for clients who would prefer to meet in person. Usually this means walking together out in nature, at one of the many parks or woodlands around London.
What’s a Wagtail?
It’s a type of bird. And whilst I’m no birdwatcher, I was first introduced to the wagtail - or should I say woken up by it - in 2023 during my year living in Zambia with my family (a dream of ours brought to life by working with my own coach).
The wagtail constantly wags its long tail up and down, but no one is certain why. They also dislike it when they see their own reflection in a window (see video below taken from my bedroom window in Zambia) - more of that to come later…
What does a Wagtail have to do with coaching?
Every morning, at 5.30am, this incredible bird tapped at my bedroom window, whilst I was living in Zambia with my family on our one year adventure living and working in Africa. The Wagtail thought its reflection was a rival to be attacked. It didn’t give up, returning every morning to endure the same frustration and anger, leaving after a few hours disappointed, but hopeful that the next day might be different.
This wagtail however, had so much more to offer. It’s a super intelligent bird, collaborative and a great communicator (with other birds, obvs). This determination, focus and passion, applied in a different context, could move mountains.
Seeing the wagtail each morning reminded me of some of the lessons I’ve learnt from my coaching clients:
When times are hard, often the person we are fighting is ourselves. We can choose to stop.
If we repeat the same actions over and over again, we’re going to keep getting the same results. We can choose a different behaviour.
If we pause to slow down and think, we can see things from a different perspective, with a new awareness. The impossible becomes possible.
Determination, focus and passion, when fired in the right direction, or shared with the right people, can help you achieve your wildest dreams. We can choose where to direct our energy.
