Why you should work with us:

John Scott - Testimonial

I had recently received an ADHD and Autism diagnosis at the age of 55, and thought this would be a good time to start my own business, and business coaching seemed like a good idea.

I really wasn't sure what to expect - I'd had career coaching in the past but not got a lot out of it. This was entirely different. Michelle's obvious skills at listening and challenging were just what I needed, and the combination of someone with strong, focussed coaching skills as well as a clear understanding of neurodivergent challenges really had an impact. The coaching process was direct, challenging (in all the best ways) and supportive. I don't honestly think I could have expected better.

As result of working with Michelle, I am much more mindful of my whole self. I'd beaten myself up over procrastination my entire career, but with Michelle's coaching I saw it as both an essential part of myself, and in the right circumstances a very powerful tool. By accepting this as part of my whole life - who I am - I'm much kinder to myself when I loose focus, but also have a better toolset to bring myself back to focus.

My advice, have the intro session, see if you get on. The chemistry has to be right in any coaching relationship. But if you think it is, throw yourself in wholeheartedly. Michelle will match that commitment energy and you will get so much from it that will be useful in both your professional and personal lives.

Evi Andreller - Testimonial

I recently had a session with Michelle to work through a big decision I was facing about my career and education. I knew the session would be helpful as I've worked with her on a number of occasions, but this one exceeded all my expectations. Not only did I leave the session feeling confident about which direction I was going in, the why of my decision was crystal clear. 

Michelle created a space and used tools that helped me understand how deeply this decision was connected to my core values and once I looked at the decision through this lens, the decision was crystal clear for me. And it has been every day since. 

It is a big decision, and I still have moments of fear around whether it will all work out, but when I feel the worry creeping back in, I go back to the notes from our session and can ground myself in the why. And I am so grateful for the peace and confidence that brings.

As a coach myself, coaching is my go-to when I need to work on or through something, and Michelle is my go-to coach. She has a great intuition, a wonderful creativity in her approach, and her passion for coaching and helping others is abundantly clear. If you're looking for a coach, I couldn't recommend Michelle highly enough. 

The Disability Paradox

Non-disabled people often assume that life for a disabled person is all about limitations and suffering, when actually disabled people report similar levels of happiness and life satisfaction as the non-disabled population.

Sure, there can be a period of adjustment to new barriers when becoming disabled, but once we understand them and work to overcome them, we are just as talented, resourceful, resilient (and happy) as the next person! This aligns with the evidence-based concept of the “Disability Paradox.”

I share my story here so you can see how someone can have a heady mix of medical conditions and still craft a business and career that is meaningful and rewarding.

My Lived Experience with Disability and Cancer

I acquired my disability 14 years ago, and it profoundly changed my way of living and working.

In the past, I played hard and tried absolutely everything; travel to it, climb it, jump out of it, swim in or under it, and dance as much as I could too! Then, all of a sudden, the health privilege I hadn’t really considered in my day-to-day life was gone.

I acquired a medical condition due to an undiagnosed virus that permanently damaged my autonomic nervous system and the nerves in my blood vessels. As a result, I now live with the heartbeat of a runner when standing, and the heartbeat of someone standing when I am sat down, which means I use more energy than I should and as a result I need to manage symptoms people can’t see.

My life motto has always been to dream big and work hard to achieve it! That has not changed, as I am still inherently me irrespective of my disability, but the way I work towards my dreams and goals required new skills and strategies.

I am open about my conditions because I believe this helps to raise awareness. I have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Chronic Vestibular Migraines, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. I also had Stage 3 Breast Cancer in my early 30s too, which was a triple negative cancer with a 65% survival rate at the time. Thankfully, I can share that I have been in remission for the past 9 years.

What I Did Before I Became a Coach:

Before I retrained as a coach, I worked in the media industry. I started as a News & Current Affairs Radio Producer in Australia and then moved to London to work as a Picture Editor at the Financial Times.

These roles helped me develop experience working accurately and creatively in fast-paced and dynamic environments. They also gave me a strong understanding of commercial and organisational structures, knowledge I now use to help businesses create disability-inclusive workplaces.

Why we use giraffes as a metaphor for disability.

1. Reframing How People Perceive Disability:

Symbols that are commonly used to represent disability don’t actually represent the majority of disabled people. For example, the wheelchair icon only represents 1% of the world’s population. Also, 80% of disabilities are invisible or hidden, meaning you cannot see them from looking at a person.

The saying in the disabled community goes; “if you have met one person with a disability, you have met one person with a disability”. You could say that about all of us humans, we have a shared lived experience as humans, but we are have our unique ways of thinking and doing things too - and we celebrate that!

2. Standing Tall Through Challenges:

Giraffes evolved long necks to reach nutritious leaves, thriving in harsh environments where others can’t. The disabled community tend to experience more barriers to success because the world is less likely to be set up for us.

3. Celebrating Individuality & Community:

Did you know every giraffe’s coat is as unique as a human fingerprint, and a group of giraffes can be called a journey? This resonates with our mission: we work together, the disabled and non-disabled, to discover unique solutions and overcome barriers to success, just like giraffes reaching for those hard-to-get acacia leaves in the wild!