Meet Beth

Hi I’m Beth and welcome to TheCareerStylist.com

I’m a life coach, career coach and small business mentor for women based in London (although I work with clients all over the world through the wonders of Skype).

I coach women who want to style a career and business they love and live life on their terms (rather than forcing themselves into a job that doesn’t quite ‘fit’). This means being successfully self-employed - be it as a freelancer, small business owner, or a mixture of the two. It’s no longer about ‘earning’ a living but about ‘making’ a living in a way that sees you come alive as the inspired, rich and gorgeously true you.

Let me tell you more about the journey I’ve been on and how I’ve got to where I am today. I started my career in media sales before entering the world of corporate recruitment, working for a leading city agency and, latterly, for a FTSE 100 company. Despite the trappings of ‘success’- the salary, lifestyle and Prada handbags - I felt a bit of my soul dying. As much as I enjoyed parts of what I did, I knew deep in my heart it wasn’t my path. I was compromising, fitting in, playing the game; but it was leaving me miserable and stressed-out. I remember reading a quote that really hit a nerve when I was going through my own soul-searching phase. It read: "if your success is not on your terms, it’s not success at all” I realised my success was not on my terms and I had to do something about it - and quickly.

I walked away from my career in corporate recruitment for what I told myself was a short-term break. Many of my friends and colleagues thought I had gone mad (and, at times, so did I!), but I had a calling far deeper in me that told me I had to go; I just knew I had to trust it and take that leap of faith.

I decided to feed my love of personal development and coaching, going on to train with The Coaching Academy to get my diploma in professional performance coaching. The longer I was out of the 9-5 slog and immersing myself in coaching, the more a little voice deep inside was urging me not to go back to the corporate world and get sucked back into the life I had had  before. I had to give coaching my best shot.

Don’t get me wrong - it wasn’t all butterflies and roses.

I had a bucket-load of self-doubt and resistance. Would people take me seriously? What would my old managers think? And the biggy…what if I failed? Luckily at the time I had been learning all about limiting beliefs and I was able to recognise this as my own resistance and fear trying to hold me back and keep me from fulfilling my potential. I also realised that I can’t possibly live my life to please other people - or to wait for others’ approval or validation - especially from those who are have not achieved what I aspire to. I knew deep down that if I did not go for it, I never would (the idea of the ‘perfect time’ is an illusion) and I didn’t want to look back at my life and think ‘what if?’ I realised that, in the long-run, potential failure is a lot easier to live with than a string of regrets.

I started my own business by coaching anyone and everyone who sought my help and soon landed a couple of corporate coaching contracts that were just the challenge I needed at the time. The revenue I generated in those early stages was all the proof I needed that I could make a serious income doing what I loved. It was a much-needed sign from the Universe that I was on the right path and should keep pushing forward with my ambitions.

As my business evolved, I started to develop a niche for coaching people who wanted to discover the work they would love and make positive changes in their career. My background as a city recruiter gave me credibility in the area and it felt like a natural evolution in my business model.

Yet, over time, I’ve discovered that my truest, deepest passion is coaching women who want to break free from 9-5 jobs that don't 'fit' them and build their own small business – be it as a freelancer or small business owner. Perhaps it’s because the trials and challenges these women face resonate so deeply with me, having gone through, and continuing to go through, the journey of running my own business. They have a hunger, a creative spark, a courageous instinct that I find so inspiring; and it’s such an honour to partner with them to create the business and life of their dreams.

I sincerely believe that the secret to thriving in your business and career is being as authentic as possible - aligning your vision to your deepest values, strengths and beliefs.  By honing my coaching to focus on what truly makes me tick, I’m able to share with you the full range of my passions. This not only includes personal development coaching but online marketing and small business strategy; all the juicy stuff I know you need to style a career and business you love on your terms - and to make a thriving living doing it!

That’s it for now, but watch out for regular updates on the site and via Facebook and twitter and better still, why don't you join my tribe for weekly tips, tools and insights to help you style a career and business you love on your terms? To sign up just click here.