OUTCOMES
Here’s what some of my clients say about how coaching has impacted them and their teams.
MY CLIENTS
Many of our clients are CEOs, Directors or senior business leaders.
My coaching draws upon over 20 years in marketing communications, so many of our clients work in creative industries and media, for example in brand management, digital marketing, advertising agencies or media.
Many are in the IT and financial sectors, and some are in the education and charity sectors. Even actors, musician and TV producers.
Here’s what they say about how my coaching has impacted them.
LEADERSHIP COACHING
“I have worked with Duncan for the past 18 months on developing my skills as a senior manager and technology leader. Duncan’s coaching style is practical and solution-driven and covered a wide range of areas from preparing for high-stake presentations and meetings to assessing and improving my leadership style. Duncan provides ho nest feedback and challenges which has allowed me to develop new insights about myself and others. The in turn has encouraged me to try out new approaches and ideas with some very positive outcomes, including a promotion with significant additional responsibility.”
JD, Head of Software Development
“Duncan has provided me with an excellent opportunity to work on my leadership and management skills by challenging me each session around how I work with my team and peers. This has been extremely valuable, and I feel that I have gained a real insight in to how I might better lead my teams and about how my behaviour can both positively and negatively impact on people. There were quite a few light bulb moments!
Duncan has also supported me to problem solve some of the more practical elements of my role in order that I can better develop my leadership style this includes supporting me to develop and implement improved reporting structures, and my time management concerns. I am truly indebted to Duncan for his investment in me.” AW, Operations Manager
“I met Duncan at Conscious Leadership during 2017. He’s been my coach since. Duncan has more compassion and enthusiasm for his job and for people than almost anyone I’ve ever been with. It’s amazing how he is able to connect with you and help you during coaching sessions. I definitely recommend Duncan, a great talent everyone wants to work with.”
Luis Palacios, Senior Business Leader, Cisco
“In my first conversation with Duncan I could sense he was someone who would break through the barriers and get me to open up. I wasn’t too certain what I wanted to get out of the sessions but I knew I wanted support with my career development – whether to move into a new area (or give up on a ‘career’) or step up. Duncan helped me see what was inside myself anyway and helped me to help myself. I feel more confident and positive about not just about my career but also who I am as a whole person.”
ES
“I have been working with Duncan for a year where his coaching has supported my development and focus on my next career steps. This has led to me making positive changes in career direction and gaining a new role.
As a follow-up we also planned the first 100 days in my new role. This had a real impact in laying down the foundations and focus areas. This gave me a kick-start and also ensured I covered what was important in the role to be successful.
Duncan’s coaching style was to always pick up on the detail and ensure nothing was missed. The session was then written up to allow reflection time. We also discussed what the focus was at the start of each session to ensure maximum impact. This gave continuity and clarity to the discussion with action points each time. This style worked for me and I would recommend Duncan for anyone looking to take that next step in their life and career.”
PD, Senior Business Leader, Cisco
TEAM COACHING
“Duncan and Julie’s sessions have allowed to explore some of our faults as a team and individually and I welcome the opportunity to find better ways. I have enjoyed the sessions and tried to throw myself into them and they have done a lot of good. We took some big steps forward. Supporting each other has improved as there is more understanding of competing priorities and divergent views.”
Head, Leading Independent Senior School
“I was very impressed with how at ease Duncan and Julie made the team, and the visual and interactive methods they used to enable us to extract the thoughts we needed to define our direction were incredibly insightful. Our sessions were tailored based on how the team responded and then developed between each one. By the end of the process the team could feel a remarkable difference in how we felt individually and collectively, and it has left us with great tools and motivation to continually improve.”
Peter Yates, Director of Account Management, Axonn
“A brilliant training course that gave me some really useful tools. Duncan is very knowledgeable and passionate about the course content. He has a professional but approachable manner that puts you at ease very quickly and helps you to have the confidence to share your opinons.”
SP, Integrated Agency, London
“For me, the most useful thing was the structure, time and space he gave us to learn more about each other and, thus, better understand where each of us is coming from in our work separately and together. I really enjoyed the sessions and would recommend them to leaders who want to improve their team and who are committed to this approach of doing so.”
Head, Leading Independent Senior School
“The experience our team had with Duncan and Julie was one that naturally developed over the sessions, much like a friendship. I think at first people were shy opening up a part of themselves that rarely gets seen in the workplace, whilst others were much more comfortable with the process. What is great is that Duncan and Julie have a dynamic that allows you to feel comfortable and brave without needing to take yourself too seriously, which helps open up communication. Although we still have some more work to do as a team, I am grateful for the techniques we learned and the shared space we had to “play” with each other. The main thing I have taken away from the sessions is the level of comfort that I now have interacting with my team, as I feel that I know them a lot better.”
Adrienne Burns, Director of Client Strategy and Implementation, Axonn
“I would recommend Duncan and Julie to support your Senior Leadership Team in having challenging conversations with difficult and/or established staff. It gave us the tools to engage staff in learning conversations about performance, students and teaching.”
Pam Mason, Headteacher, Marshalls Park School
CAREER CHANGE COACHING AND CAREER COACHING
“Duncan is immensely skilled at his craft. He is exceptionally intuitive, open, non-judgemental and trustworthy to the core. Duncan accepted and really understood how vulnerable I felt, especially in the early sessions. He quickly ascertained my preferred style of communication and empowered me to progress the coaching at the speed I wished. Always considered. Never rushed. Duncan helped me pause, breathe, look up and around and embrace this opportunity to be selfish in terms of following a career path that makes me happy. I learned to question myself and my working life more, to be more honest with myself and not to shy away from difficult questions. It was a bumpy journey, there were tears – but a lot of laughter along the way too. I’m now following a totally different career path; Duncan helped me to close my former career chapter with grace and to transition into the new. Following coaching, my friends, children, husband and wider family have all noticed the change in me – my mum told me recently that she feels that the ‘real me’ has returned. Clichés aside – I feel alive again.”
MK
“Before I started the coaching sessions I was completely unaware where to turn to in terms of career. I knew I wanted to change it but I couldn’t decide to what and where else to look for. Duncan was amazing and all sessions helped me in different ways and gave different prospects of myself and of what I want to do professionally. Although our main focus was on career, Duncan also helped me to know myself even better and how to use my skills and strengths both personally and professionally. Now I’m very happy and confident with the decision that I made of what I want to do with my career. Duncan is a very warm person with a big heart and a love for his job that transpires in everything he does.”
IM
“It’s no exaggeration that working with Duncan has changed my life. His support and guidance has helped me in so many ways… not just from a career aspect. It’s kinda been like therapy… It’s been raw, eye-opening and all-encompassing. It’s made me search deep, think hard and ultimately helped me to really believe in myself. I’m no longer a bystander in my life. I feel empowered to take everything I’ve learnt and move forward. I now know who I am, where I want to be and have a clear path of how to get here. Thank you, for being my travel companion on this journey to finding myself…”
BR
“Through personal coaching with Duncan, he helped me find clarity in a way previous coaches hadn’t. It is a real pleasure to work with such an open, present, authentic, warm, sharp person. I would highly recommend you speak to Duncan if you are looking for a coach.”
JT
“I thoroughly enjoyed my career coaching with Duncan, as it was about so much more than just deciding what I wanted to do to earn money. The whole process focused on me as an individual, diving into what my values were, where my strengths lay, and what motivated me, to ultimately find the perfect career that would tick all my boxes. I found the sessions very therapeutic, and learnt a lot about myself along the way. Duncan always provided a safe place for me to dive deeper into “me”, and I’m so happy I’ve come to an outcome that fits me as a person, and that I know I will not only enjoy, but be good at too!”
SF
“Duncan is a curious, powerful coach, with a generous heart. His magic is in the way he brings all of himself to the coaching, getting alongside you in the ‘sandpit of you’ as a provocative playmate.”
JP
“In just 5 sessions Duncan gave me clarity and clear solutions to both my personal and professional issues. He provided complete focus and step by step solutions to the right direction I should follow. Superb, I was quite amazed and reaping the benefits in just 2 months! Thanks Duncan.”
AS
“Duncan is a fantastic guy – he genuinely cares about people and has a real skill for bringing out the core of who you are and what you want out of life. I was pretty down on my career and the choices I’d made before I started working with him, and I can safely say that he has helped me tremendously with changing my mindset and my approach. He’s so positive and full of warmth, I instantly felt like I was in good hands. He’s also patient and perceptive – listening intently to what I said and then helping me unpick the tangled mess of thoughts, fears and hopes that would tumble out of my mouth. With his support, I was able to move to a new job and handle all the anxiety and doubt that came with it, but beyond that – he’s helped me cope with uncertainty and embrace it even, which has made me feel less anxious about the future. I will miss our sessions, but I know that I can always come back should I need his sage advice again!”
MM
“Duncan has helped me leave a decade long job… to a fulfilling new path that is perfect for me! He has stimulated to make the leap and coached me and nurtured me in a professional and thorough manner. I am so lucky I found him and I want to thank him for helping me move forward into an exciting phase of my life! Thank you! Bless you!”
JA
“For me, there’s a ‘before’ and an ‘after’. He’s had a profound impact on how I approach my work and career. I came to him with a simple problem: “why do I hate my job so much?” And he not only helped me answer that question, but armed me with the tools to move beyond my own negativity and see my career (both past and future) in a positive light. Crucially, what Duncan has done is give me back my confidence. Knowing what you’re good at, why you’re good at it and what your goals are, has made me so much happier. Duncan is a caring and passionate guy. He’s highly perceptive and sensitive and was able to set me off down a path of self-discovery without ever being judgemental or leading. I recommend him to just about everyone I meet.”
IS
“When I was looking for a change in my career, I got in touch with Duncan. He helped me to unlock my potential and to better understand where I wanted to go and what I wanted to reach in my career. With his professionalism, he allowed me to see better how to use my strengths to achieve my goals. Sometimes we already know everything but we need someone able to switch on the light. Duncan was important to find my current job, as he motivated me to look in the right direction.”
FA
“Duncan’s career coaching provided me the platform I needed to reassess my career path and the clarity I was lacking to make the next step forward. Through frank and open assessment , Duncan was very quickly able to build a mutually agreeable profile of me, allowing us to make informed decisions, cutting through a great deal of uncertainty and setting me on course for my next destination. With the benefit of the confidence Duncan instilled in me, I continue my career path with a renewed sense of confidence and self belief.”
DO
“I came to Duncan for career coaching, but he has helped me with so much more than that. In our sessions, I was able to identify areas of my life that needed attention, plan goals and actions that worked for me and as a result I feel much more balanced and contented. His advice has also been invaluable in allowing me to open up and work more closely with team members. And one of the main discoveries for me was the pride and satisfaction that can be found by ‘leaning into’ and working through uncomfortable situations. Its a skill that I’m sure will help benefit me for a lifetime. I would strongly recommend to anyone that’s considering coaching to work with Duncan to help achieve their goals.”
GP
“Duncan’s career coaching programme helped me to get clear about my job ambitions and career goals. I embarked in it after having left my previous job with the intention to change for the better. Before I worked with him I found it hard to define what I really want in life. His systematic approach and especially some guided fantasy journeys gave me a much clearer insight into who I really am. This now helps my decision making. I know that it was right to leave my previous job and have a clear vision where I want to be in 10 years’ time. Duncan also encouraged a positive outlook on obstacles. Change is still tough but I trust that I will get there. Duncan is a very warm, supportive and friendly person with a clear mind. I found it easy to relate and talk with him, and to trust him. He had a good feeling how to solve difficult situations. I can thoroughly recommend him, he is exactly the right person to work with if you intend to find the real you.”
MS
“I began working with Duncan in 2014 following a recommendation from a friend. I wasn’t desperately happy in my job and had reached a point where I needed support to identify if I was in fact in the right career, just the wrong company, or perhaps explore something entirely new but had no idea as to what! The career coaching sessions with Duncan involve a number of exercises and conversations to help explore and understand your personal and professional motivations, skills, values, achievements etc. If you are willing to put the effort in, then you will see the value in this as it really helped me to look at things from a different perspective. After a couple of weeks working with Duncan I had the courage to resign from my job and now have a new role which I hope will be hugely rewarding both professionally and personally. Duncan is everything you need from a coach, he is friendly, focused, inquisitive and probing yet fully respectful of your boundaries but most of all he is incredibly supportive. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Duncan and would consider working with him again in the future.”
JW
“Duncan provided the right support – understanding my predicament, re-assessing my personal and work attributes, and exploring the opportunities. Duncan pushed me to categorise ideas I had in my head for ages and to focus on what really mattered. Key to all of this was accountability. Accountability for doing the right changes to better myself. Duncan was determined for me to succeed and not settle for second best – essentially to get out of my rut and make a significant change for the better. I feel that Duncan helped me to reach my career and life step change ambition. Over a flexible period of around 6 months, I was able to plan out a long-term future direction. The outcome of working with Duncan was a very positive experience and I’d highly recommend it. The benefits greatly outweigh the time and cost (you can’t put a value on job satisfaction and a balanced family life where everyone is happy!). The whole experience has also allowed me to put a new perspective on work; allowing me to work more smartly to achieve defined short and longer-term goals. Now the plan is in place and it is up for me to achieve it, but I know I can always turn back to Duncan should I ever need that extra bit more support, help and direction.”
RT
“I was apprehensive about coaching and had no idea what to expect (the sessions were a gift) – but Duncan immediately made me feel relaxed and comfortable enough to be open and honest about my feelings, he really is very easy to talk to. He very quickly pinpointed areas that I needed/wanted to think on, even though I was unsure of them myself (not an easy task) and encouraged me to think about these in a refreshing and interesting way. Duncan’s a very positive person, but also very practical and quite methodical, so I came out not only feeling positive myself, but motivated to think about my life and make the changes that would improve it. I feel clearer in myself now about what I want, who I am and where I’m going.”
KB
“In 2013 I started working with Duncan on a series of coaching briefs and focused on a career change management course. During my coaching sessions, I explored my career challenges and aspirations to develop a life plan and new career path. Duncan managed a challenging client with energy, enthusiasm and honesty, which resulted in insightful, explorative coaching sessions to develop both my professional and personal life through his motivational coaching sessions. On completion of the change management course, I understood my skills, values and my own personality traits to progress my career and develop a life plan for my future career goals. My wife has noticed changes and improvements at home from me personally, which is the most important to notice since I started my coaching. Duncan has found his vocation and will be a very successful coach. He is brilliant in this field. I’m proud to be part of the journey and personally I feel calmer and happier with my mentor, who is Superbad. I am still working with Duncan and still being stretched by his mentoring to achieve my long-term career aspirations and goals. I would recommend Duncan for life coaching and team workshops, one-to-one mentoring or team development.”
AH
“Duncan’s career coaching took me gently on a deep and searching journey and helped me to appreciate and be confident about my personal and professional strengths, and enabled me to discover those things that I want to be in my life, both personal and at work. The process culminated in me finally being able to make a decision as to ‘the next big thing’ for me, something which had been holding me back for so long. A really positive experience.”
JH
“Duncan has the ability to listen actively and enquire with authenticity. His approach works best for those who are unsure of where they are heading, of what their vision or goal is, those faced with a complex situation and want to untangle it, to go back to basics of who they are and what gets them going. Having never had life coaching before, Duncan’s coaching got me thinking, asking myself meaningful questions, raising awareness of those elements that make me tick without being fully conscious of them. I’d definitely recommend Duncan to anyone looking for a coach.”
EW
“In the sessions I had with Duncan I found myself at times both surprised and challenged. In particular I was helped to approach dating in a new way – an area that up to now felt like hard work and something to grit my teeth and endure rather than enjoy. Duncan helped me to find a way to take the pressure off and begin to enjoy the experience of meeting new people. Through having space to talk, I became more aware that I tend to keep a lot of the stuff that I am uncomfortable with, or don’t like about myself, within and I have a desire to be more free in expressing how I feel and who I truly am instead of feeling as though I have to somehow keep this to myself. Finally, I have been made aware of the need to develop a part of me that feels a bit left behind at the moment. I talked quite a lot about ‘living outside the box’, having more fun and letting my hair down. Duncan’s coaching helped me to see the need I have for a more balanced life and I am starting to find ways to make this a reality.”
FM
“Coaching sessions are helping me to discover what my strengths are and how to apply them in all different life scenarios. Duncan is such a committed and motivating person that it shows how things can be achieved in the easiest way. To better meet myself and to know who I am is what I highlight of these sessions.”
EA