testimonialS

paula nickolds

General Merchandise & Clothing Commercial Director at Sainsbury's

‘Sam’s capability in coaching and leadership is evident.

My experience of Sam is that she is an empathetic and perceptive individual whose combination of insightfulness, care and commitment to helping people to realise their full potential is compelling as both a leader and a coach.

She understands a great deal about relationships and has lots of experience of the challenges of leadership from the various leadership positions in which she has successfully delivered.

I have seen her skilfully navigate coaching and mentoring relationships, making a real difference to those she has worked with and I know she’ll utilise these skills as coach or consultant to gain insight to find the right solutions for forward momentum.

I would certainly recommend Sam, both as a coach and as an expert in leadership and employee engagement.’

KAREN MITCHELL

Sales Director, Asia Pacific for Lantmannen Unibake

' I wanted a coach as I knew what I wanted to achieve from my professional and personal life but it felt rather large and I didn’t know where to start. My husband, myself and our two young children were excited to be emigrating from the UK to Australia but I also wanted to develop my own career so I knew I needed to plan and understand how I could successfully manage relocating my family without sacrificing my career.

I met with Sam face-to-face initially to discuss my situation, but the majority of our coaching was done virtually. In 8 months preceding my departure, our conversations were wide-ranging but Sam’s keen listening picked out my blind spots where I didn’t notice opportunities for different approaches in my remit. Or other ways to view my situation that I only saw as an obstacle. Sam used questioning to encourage me to find my own answers to my own ‘perceived’ blockers. She’s skilled at picking up on particular words and phrases that led to insightful discussion, helping to dig deeper into relevant areas in a firm and supportive style.

Definitely helped by Sam’s coaching, when we got to Australia, I had a plan already underway and, whilst not everything went smoothly, I had different options to respond to these challenges. After a year in Australia, I absolutely have the professional role I wanted, with the family transitioning well into the life we all hoped for.

I would strongly recommend working with Sam as she proved to be an excellent coach for me.'

SIMON JACQUES

Director at Futures Office Interiors Ltd.

Joint Owner and Founding Partner of Oxhey Village Brewery

'Engaging Sam as my Executive Coach has worked really well for my development and for my business. Sam’s coaching is effective at improving my decision-making as her objectivity introduces different elements for me to consider so my final decision is therefore better refined.

I unpack a lot of my thinking with Sam which helps me to process it and since having a confidential, executive coach, I feel more able to handle my stress levels, meaning I am more present at home as well as at work. Sam’s coaching achieves an important balance as it can feel therapeutic, yet she still holds me firmly to account for what I said I will achieve. I have learnt about myself through coaching and I re-engaged Sam‘s support when our first executive coaching package came to an end and this arrangement continues to support me well.

I would highly recommend Sam as an executive coach.'

SENIOR LEADER

'It was really valuable to have an independent partner to talk to. Sam was able to challenge me in a way others I don’t think are comfortable to and also from a different perspective.'

SPECIALIST LEADERSHIP ROLE

'Sam’s style was a good blend of listening and prodding/provoking by asking me questions that challenged my assumptions and got me to really think about why I feel certain ways in certain situations. She is a very good listener....She also challenged my thinking and offered up other avenues that I wouldn’t have considered on my own. Sam is supportive but also offers up challenge which really progressed the conversation.'

Simon Hawtrey-Woore

The Outdoor Executive Coach

On Sam’s facilitation capability as Programme Manager at the BRC Leaders Summer School 2022

'I think your humour was fantastic and I think it’s really important. Self-reflection and development are very worthy and can be intense and I think you had a wonderful balance with that with your humour and your energy. You never waived to show care, you never wavered for the quality of the messaging delivered or being off message, but you did keep it at the right time. In fact, your timing was probably of the essence in terms of when you kept the mood light and when you changed it - it was really inspiring to watch and how you held the group.'