1. Introducing myself… Hi, I’m Louise Evans and I’m the founder of mylifegenie coaching. I’ve been married for 10 years and have twins aged 6. We live in Nottinghamshire and share our home with our pesky Schnauzer Jasper.
2. Why I work… I love being at home with the children yet I have always known that one day I would work for myself. I love creative thinking and really enjoy encouraging people to think of new possibilities and solutions. I feel I am helping them make a difference to their lives and therefore in turn I am making a difference to mine. I carry a strong image in my head of a little girl buried under several layers of duvets each duvet representing something that burden my clients. Perhaps it is a fear of the unknown, or a lack of direction. My satisfaction comes from seeing my clients throwing off those layers and releasing their inner ambitions and hunger for something new. It is seeing them smile and say “I did this!”
3. What I appreciate most about being a working mum… For me it’s about having the best (and worst) of both worlds. It’s the pleasure and reward of having the family around me, whilst being given the space to think and follow my own interests when the children are at school. I can put my “me” hat back on and go with the flow… I also think being a mum has helped me to show my ‘softer side’ more readily. It enables me to get to the heart of what drives my clients more easily.
4. What is working particularly well for me at the moment in my life as a working mum… The sense of connection with others has always been of real importance to me. I’m lucky in that I can walk my children to school in the morning and I have met some amazing people doing the same. The simple gesture “morning” has opened up a great support network of open and honest people that I now use as sounding boards and sources of inspiration for my business. I see them as my extended team.
5. What are the most challenging aspects of being a working mum? It’s about using my limited time resource wisely. Working from home there are many distractions so I have to be selfish with my time. I’m great with the theory but not so good in practice. Also in accepting that by putting “my children first”, I have to consciously acknowledge that work may sometimes fall behind. What’s more is that working on my own means I’m the only one really close to the business. Especially in the early days of a start up, this can be a lonely experience, since it can be hard to explain to other people what I do.
6. A bit about my career or business… Mylifegenie helps career focused women and mums to re-establish their passions for doing the things they love to do the most. I help my clients uncover and release their inner stifled creativity and their thirst for something new. Together we find a sense of purpose and build the foundations of confidence and clarity and create a plan to make their dreams a reality. Mylifegenie helps women discover who they want to become and enjoy being seen for who they really are.
My working day starts around 6.45am while the children are still asleep. With the first coffee of the day in hand I write down all the things that flood into my mind. I got the idea from reading The Artist’s Way Morning Pages by Julia Cameron and it really works to help me clarify and prioritize my thinking. A to do list comes later if I need one. After the school run I take Jasper for a walk in the park and this too serves as a space to think and clarify my thoughts. It kick starts my intentions for the day and my sense of purpose. He’s a great companion and never answers back so everyone is a winner. I work most weekdays until 3.30pm and then revisit any urgent outstanding work after the children’s bedtimes if I need to.
8. How I sometimes make things harder for myself… Sometimes I overcomplicate things and consider too many “what ifs”. I can spend far too long worrying about how something I have written will be perceived or wondering whether it would be of interest to anyone. I have to learn to just do it and I am getting there, kind of. I also want to be able to reap the rewards of working for myself now. I can become impatient and frustrated that my ideas don’t take off straightaway but I have to accept this as a reality. Over time I have learnt to recognize the signs of when I am getting in my own way and I make a special effort to utilize these moments to connect with other people either in person or over the phone. I now know that I need a burst of interaction to help me move forward.
9. What’s “me time”? Whilst I like my own company I also really enjoy spending time with friends. I love trying new things or going to different places. We travel quite a lot as a family and I love to see the children soak up new environments and experiences. I love the way they recount their memories when we get home.
10. What I would do with an extra hour each day… Sleep more!
11. My golden rules of how I manage to balance work and life… I’m clear about my priorities – children first then work
I try to consciously accept my priorities and acknowledge the longer term pay off Be true to myself and be proud of who I am Trust my instincts as they are usually right.
12. What prompted me to work with a Coach… I have always known that I have wanted a career that fitted around the children whilst they are young but I haven’t always known how to best go about it. I find working with someone who only works in your interest with only your success at heart can make a real difference to the approach you ultimately end up taking.
13. Why I chose Coaching Mums/Amanda… I remember ringing Amanda several years ago when I was considering the new career route of life coaching. I made several off the cuff calls to people in the industry hoping they would give me a real insight into what the job may entail. Amanda gave me her time and she gave it happily. Since then I have worked with Amanda on a number of her programs and feel that she has always offered warmth and a place of safety to really explore myself.
14. What I have achieved from coaching with Amanda… Amanda has allowed me to move on with my dream of working for myself and has showed me several paths of possibility. She has armed me with lots of practical resources, introduced me to several of my peers who I would now be lost without and has provided an excellent sounding board for any fears or sparks of creativity along the way. I am even appearing in the May edition of Candis Magazine. This I could not have achieved without her. Working with Amanda I am now more confident as a coach and am more open to trying different ways of working. I am more curious with my clients who I find respond well and at a much deeper level. I feel now that I am achieving something again for me outside of the family I am a happier person in general and that makes my children happy too.
15. If you want to connect with me, here’s how…
Email louiseevans@mylifegenie.co.uk
Website www.mylifegenie.co.uk
Twitter mylifegenieuk
Facebook My Life Genie
Linked In http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/louise-evans/13/252/28a
