9 Careers Tips From A Business Coach

A significant issue I frequently encountered throughout my career was a lack of support and adequate resources available to women. My eventual decision to transition into coaching was further prompted by the noticeable trend of women leaving the fashion industry in their 40s and 50s. Recent data shows more women left the workplace last year than in the previous two years combined. Women don’t feel they can discuss their unique challenges, such as managing family responsibilities alongside professional duties. I saw that becoming a certified coach would enable me to mitigate this talent drain by offering support to individuals both within and beyond the fashion industry. Today, my focus is on transformational rather than therapeutic approaches, which aligns with my lifelong passion for actualising customer needs. I have identified clear parallels between recognising fashion trends and finding ways to deliver them in a timely manner, and assisting women in discovering and realising their emerging potential.

Women often face significant challenges in achieving a balanced life. They are frequently required to do the ‘double shift’, managing both professional responsibilities and domestic duties concurrently. It means balance is an ongoing practice that requires constant attention. Sometimes life will be challenging, but you can create counterbalances. When facing extreme moments, look at balance from a month-to-month perspective rather than expecting perfection daily. Life is incredibly difficult for women trying to build careers while creating fulfilling personal lives. Throughout my career, I’ve watched talented people burn out and give up entirely. Santalan’s mission is to help them optimise future opportunities with support. My entire life, I struggled with balance, treating it like a place I could eventually reach. Every time I left a job, I told myself the next position would give me better work-life balance, but it never did, because mentally I wasn’t approaching life in a way that would create balance. I’ve come to understand that balance isn’t a destination – it’s a daily practice and lifelong effort. 

One of my biggest mistakes was believing career success would make everything else work. You can run a £5 billion company but if you’re burning out, it’s not sustainable. Success isn’t getting a promotion if you haven’t seen friends for weeks, nor is it having endless fun if you’re not earning enough. External business coaching provides a safe space for honesty. Leaders can admit their struggles without fear of judgment. At Santalan, our coaches bring legitimate business experience – in my case, 30 years of fashion commercial experience across organisations from start-ups to multibillion-dollar corporations. This combination of safety and expertise allows leaders to address skill gaps and develop capabilities that might otherwise remain undeveloped, resulting in more effective, confident leadership – and a more well-rounded life, both professionally and personally.