Coach in the Spotlight: Jenny Burrow

Tell us about your journey into coaching.

I did a maths degree at university followed by a PhD and spent ten years building my career in that field, but it never felt like it was quite the right fit for me.

I was good at my job but wasn’t motivated by the same things as most of my colleagues. I spent a lot of time feeling bored and work wasn't really lighting me up.

After years of deliberation, I finally signed up for the Careershifters Launch Pad course. That was my first experience of coaching.

Going into that course I had no idea that I wanted to become a coach myself, but the experience made me realise I’m far more people oriented than task oriented.

I explored a few different work themes, including graphic design and the wine industry, but I felt inspired by the idea of coaching.

There’s just something about connecting with someone else on a one-to-one level and supporting them through a particular challenge that lights a spark in me.

I completed my coaching qualification whilst I was still working in my day job. My coach training really challenged me, my confidence grew a lot and I learned a huge amount about myself.

I didn't set out with the intention of having my own business as I was just following my interest in coaching.

Once I was qualified, I had a few pro bono clients who wanted to continue working with me and pay me for our sessions.

So, I continued to work in my day job and grew my coaching practice in my spare time. It felt like a very natural journey.

Over the last 18 months I’ve slowly reduced my employed hours and built my client base, so I now work one day a week for a consultancy company and spend four days a week working for myself.

 

There’s just something about connecting with someone else on a one-to-one level and supporting them through a particular challenge that lights a spark in me.

 

How did you choose your coaching niche?

During my coach training I was encouraged to choose a niche so I would be able to construct a clear message about who I help.

Without any real intention, from early on, many of the issues I helped people with were around career confidence and career fulfilment.

I’d had my own experience of having what looks like a successful career on the outside – a desirable job title, a great company, salary, and benefits – but on the inside I’d felt unhappy and unfulfilled.

It’s therefore probably not surprising that I’m passionate about supporting people who are feeling like I did to find work that really lights them up and plays to their strengths. I believe the world would be a much better place if everybody was doing work that energised and motivated them, where they are able to make the impact that they want.

I love to help people to feel proud of what they do and find a way to make it fit with the lifestyle that they want.

I decided to become a Firework-licensed career coach because even though I was already helping my clients transform their lives and careers, I also wanted to develop my coaching skills further and be able to introduce new tools to my clients.

It’s important to me to make sure that I'm doing the best I can for my clients and that I’m continually investing in myself.

 

I’d had my own experience of having what looks like a successful career on the outside – a desirable job title, a great company, salary, and benefits – but on the inside I’d felt unhappy and unfulfilled.

 

How have you used the Firework toolkit with your clients?

I’ve taken some clients through the whole programme end-to-end but with others, I’ve just used certain Firework tools where it’s felt appropriate.

It’s interesting to experiment with the toolkit in this way because every client is unique and comes with a different level of self-awareness or a different level of clarity about what they want next.

Each person needs to move at their own pace too. At the end of three months of coaching, some clients know exactly what they want to do next and how they’re going to do it. For others, that time frame is ambitious.

Prior to doing the training, it was sometimes difficult to explain or sell the benefits of coaching to someone who's never experienced it.

Now during discovery calls with prospective clients, I can talk about the Firework framework. I’ll explain the three-step process which is structured and more direct than other methods, but I’m also very clear that the answers will come from the client. I’m not going to give them all the answers!

Having the framework gives me more confidence during these conversations and makes it easier for prospective clients to make the decision whether to invest or not.

 

Every client is unique and comes with a different level of self-awareness or a different level of clarity about what they want next.

 

Who do you typically work with?

I’ve coached a whole range of people, from a variety of industries, but there are some similarities between my clients.

I tend to work with people who describe themselves as mid-careerists and they’re usually in their 30s or 40s.

I’ve worked with teachers, a doctor, a management consultant, a finance business partner, PR and comms specialists, and a couple of freelancers/business owners, for example.

The common thread is that they've all worked hard and reached a point where they’ve ticked all the boxes they were supposed to tick, but now they wake up wondering “is this it?”

They often say they feel they should feel happy and successful in their work, but for one reason or another, they don't.

Perhaps it’s not a good fit for their personality or they want to make a bigger impact in some way.

They often can’t imagine what their next step will be and need some help.

 

They often say they feel they should feel happy and successful in their work, but for one reason or another, they don't.

 

What challenges have you had to deal with in your coaching sessions?

The money side of things can always present a challenge, that’s for sure!

A lot of my clients can’t contemplate the idea of taking a salary cut or “starting all over again”.

I encourage my clients to keep an open mind and explore their ideas from different angles. We’ll talk about where their skills, experience and strengths could translate into something different without them having to start at the bottom again.

Some clients are happy to dream and can generate new career possibilities but struggle to see how they can make their dreams a reality, particularly now with the higher cost of living.

There’s a desire to have more certainty around what they want to move into before they take a leap.

I'm therefore seeing clients deliberating choosing to make their career shift a longer-term project.

They’re less likely to leave their current job on impulse, but instead are spending more time exploring their options and ensuring they have the means in place to make their career change happen at a more gradual pace.

This might mean studying on the side or building a business in their spare time.

I like to remind clients that even if this outcome isn’t what they initially expected, remaining in their current career a little longer can still be an empowering choice if they have a robust plan in place.

 

Some clients are happy to dream and can generate new career possibilities but struggle to see how they can make their dreams a reality

 

How did you build your coaching practice? How do you source your clients?

Early on I was grateful to find some of my pro bono clients wanted to become paying clients.

Then some of them referred their family members and friends to work with me.

I also found myself coaching friends of friends and people who I’d met through my coaching network.

I've put some time and effort into building up a profile on LinkedIn and over the last year or two I’ve been posting regularly, which has provided me with client leads.

I’ve known some of my other clients from my previous career who reached out to me for help.

I’ve started doing more in-person networking now that this is possible and I'm looking for opportunities to collaborate with others too.

I’ve started working with an HR consultant to explore how together we can support local companies with employee engagement and well-being, client retention and talent management. I love brainstorming ideas with other people and collaborating on new initiatives – it’s a lot of fun.

My income and the flow of new clients can be unpredictable, but I’m happy with what I’ve achieved so far.

My plan is eventually to be a full-time coach, although I’m always open to exploring other possibilities or opportunities that come my way!

 

My plan is eventually to be a full-time coach, although I’m always open to exploring other possibilities or opportunities that come my way!

 

What challenges have you faced growing your business? How have you overcome them?

I grew up with the belief that self-employment was too risky.

Everyone around me was in secure, steady employment so when I started my business, I was stepping into a whole new world that I didn't really know anything about.

I'm part of a membership group for coaches who are at similar stages of growing our coaching practice.

Since the first lockdown we’ve become close friends and supported each other through some key challenges.

It’s reassuring to be part of a network of people who understand the struggles and nuances of building a coaching business.

I also joined a business coach mastermind group and have learned a lot about how to market my business.

I don't know how anybody can grow a business successfully if they're trying to do it alone without any kind of support system.

The uncertainty around not having a steady income anymore has been hard to overcome.

It takes confidence and resilience to keep moving forward and that’s something I’ve had to develop. Someone said to me once, “The successful entrepreneurs and business owners you see out there aren’t necessarily doing anything different - it's just that they never gave up”.

Sometimes I wonder where my next client is going to come from, but I turn it into a curiosity rather than something I’m going to feel anxious about. It’s important to stay in the right energy.

I was conditioned to feel like I should be working 9-5 Monday to Friday but when you work for yourself you can choose not to do that if you don’t want to.

There have been periods where I’ve been in action mode and not really stopped, but the results haven’t necessarily been better than the times when I’ve given myself time to go for a long walk or read during the working day.

I think the ability to feel comfortable with that comes with trusting yourself and making the choice to enjoy the rollercoaster of running your own business rather than being afraid of it.

I love coaching and I love that I can also choose to run and build my business in ways that feel good.

 

The uncertainty around not having a steady income anymore has been hard to overcome.

 

What are some of the results that you've helped your clients achieve?

A common theme is that my clients leave coaching with more confidence in themselves, in what they have to offer and in their ability to make important decisions.

I had one client who had been teaching for more than 20 years but was ready for something different.

She was really struggling with letting go of her teacher identity but handed in her notice while we were working together.

A while later, I received a message from her telling me she’d left and was running the first of her workshops to empower young women and help them feel more confident. She’s now also writing a book!

It’s exciting to see her doing her own thing and something she’s passionate about. In her own words she is “loving life” which is amazing to hear.

I had another client who had built a very successful career in operations and management but was feeling lost and unhappy.

He’d tried starting his own business previously, but it hadn't worked out, and he just didn't believe he had the confidence and energy to try again.

We did a lot of work to help him manage his inner saboteur and now he’s following his dream of setting up a men's fashion company.

I also worked with one client last year who had the option of voluntary redundancy. She’d always had a desire to work with children but had doubts about leaving her job.

Through exploring her values, she realised that she still wanted the intellectual challenge she got from her existing career, but knew she had to make some changes to find a greater sense of fulfilment.

She ended up staying at her organisation but working in a more flexible role so she could become a foster parent.

I love working on values with a client, because it helps them think not just about their career but their whole life and where they could be meeting those values in ways beyond what they do for work.

 

A common theme is that my clients leave coaching with more confidence in themselves, in what they have to offer and in their ability to make important decisions.

 

What's your favourite Firework tool?

I love the creative tools, including building and raiding the Ideas Bank.

I think we're all guilty of having an idea and then immediately coming up with ten reasons why it wouldn't work.

It’s great to explore what those ideas are telling the client.

Some clients have found the Powerful Self visualisation hugely helpful, which has been great for my confidence because I hadn’t used those sorts of visualisation tools with my clients before doing the Firework course.

I’ve realised I just need to hold these things lightly and be curious about what happens next.

One client said that exercise was one of the most impactful things for her about the coaching process.

I've recorded a version so she can listen back to it when she wants to reconnect with that side of herself.

 

I think we're all guilty of having an idea and then immediately coming up with ten reasons why it wouldn't work.

 

What do you wish you’d known when you started out coaching?

It’s a bit of a cliché but something I’m constantly reminded of is to start before you feel ready.

When it came to addressing the issues with my own career, I probably spent too long waiting to feel ready, or to feel confident enough.

My advice to new coaches and what I tell my clients is to keep stretching your comfort zone.

When it came to marketing my coaching business, I think I felt like I had to jump into social media straight away and start trying to attract strangers into becoming clients.

There can be a lot of pressure to have a strong social media presence, but I’ve found that simply reaching out to people I have a good connection with has led to gaining new clients.

There’s not one set way to build a business – it’s just about what feels good. Self-promotion can be done in a very natural way.

It’s about creating a connection with other people, and you can do that through social media, blogs, podcasts, or you can do that with good old-fashioned conversation!

Conversations have been the most effective tactic both in terms of attracting clients, but also it means I enjoy running my business, rather than it being a slog.

I'm an extroverted introvert so every time I'm about to jump on a call with someone that I've never met before I still feel a bit nervous but then I love getting to know people on a one-to-one level – I’m a natural rapport builder and I love creating connections.

When I focus on creating a connection, rather than on leads, or money, or clients, that's when everything flows a lot more easily.

 

When I focus on creating a connection, rather than on leads, or money, or clients, that's when everything flows a lot more easily.

 

What is the most rewarding aspect of coaching for you?

Seeing my clients grow their confidence and create the life they want – it just feels like such an honour to be a part of that.

One client recently told me that what could have been a very difficult part of her life turned out to be one of the most enjoyable because she'd had my support.

It was wonderful to hear that not only have I helped someone, but I’ve made the experience of transition a positive one.

 

It was wonderful to hear that not only have I helped someone, but I’ve made the experience of transition a positive one.

 

How has becoming a coach changed you?

I’m a much more confident person now.

I’m better at asking for what I want and I’m less worried about what other people might think.

Someone referred to me recently as Jenny 2.0 because I’m so different these days!

 

Jenny Burrow is a Firework-licensed Career Coach who works with bright but frustrated and unfulfilled individuals to create a life and career that feels as good from the inside as it looks from the outside. She currently enjoys working part-time as a scientific consultant and part-time as a career coach. Originally from Yorkshire, Jenny currently lives with her partner in Hove on the UK’s south coast. Find out more about Jenny at www.jennyburrow.co.uk