Coach Tales: Sally Clarke
Coach, Author, Speaker, Yoga Teacher
Coaches do incredible work everyday, however, a lot of this work happens behind closed doors. So we, at Medoo, have made it our mission to highlight and augment the extraordinary work of coaches. We are relishing the opportunity to get to know our early adopters deeply, as we build our product and community.
We’re delighted to present to you, the first in our series of coaches’ profiles, the inimitable Sally Clarke! In this post, we deep dive into Sally’s journey and experiences from lawyer to yoga teacher to coach, speaker and author.
You wear many, many hats, Sally: Coach, Speaker, Author, Yoga teacher - to name a few. We find this so inspiring! Could you please share a little bit more about your journey into coaching?
Thanks! My coaching journey started when I was teaching yoga at surf camps and luxury hotels in southern Morocco. I loved teaching yoga, but found myself loving the conversations I’d have with students afterwards even more. I’m naturally a good listener and a great questioner – this is part of the reason I was a successful lawyer, before burning out and turning to yoga!
I trained and then started coaching officially in 2017. It’s deeply fulfilling to help and guide people to greater fulfilment and authenticity every day. At first, I found it difficult to stay present and listen deeply – I was too concerned about getting it right, and being liked. These days I really trust my skills and intuition. This benefits my clients too – they have breakthrough moments faster and need fewer sessions with me. I love offering this kind of effectiveness!
Recently, I delved deep into research about burnout. Having been through it myself, I wanted to understand its causes more fully and help my clients who were in burnout, or healing from burnout. I also collaborated with a burnout researcher to produce an annual Global Burnout Study. Diving so deep has made me much more fluent in topics around burnout, but also more broadly in wellbeing and self-awareness and empowerment practices.
For the those among us who are not yet aware of what coaching is, could you perhaps describe what coaching is, and what it isn’t?
Coaching is having a non-judgmental guide at your side to help you get clear on who you are, what you want in life and how to get there. It’s not so much about hitting goals as about improving your decision making and skillset, and aligning day-to-day life with your authentic self.
Coaching is not a fun chat with your mates. I ask tougher, more direct questions than your friends might, and call you out on patterns of behaviour that they probably wouldn’t. It’s also not therapy – if you think you might need help from a psychologist, you can ask a coach to gauge this in your first session together. It all depends on your needs.
As we move into a highly connected, yet somehow more disconnected world, what role do you see coaching playing in people’s lives, and why?
There’s a lot of uncertainty in life – there always has been, but the pandemic has really brought this to light. Working with a coach is an effective way to work through limiting beliefs or deal with challenges so you feel empowered and aware, not overwhelmed. Coaching helps you deal with issues faster and more effectively, and builds the confidence to do so on an ongoing basis.
It’s like, yes, you could spend years developing your self-awareness and work through inner issues by yourself. Or you could do so in a few months with the support, objectivity and skillset of a coach. Life is short: opt for coaching!
Thank you for sharing your journey with us, Sally. Putting your author hat on: I believe you have a new book releasing soon, is that correct? Could you perhaps give us a sneak peek of what to expect?
I do, thanks for asking! 😊
I published Protect Your Spark: How to Prevent Burnout and Live Authentically last year, which is a framework for fortifying yourself against experiencing the chronic stress that leads to burnout. I’m about to release Relight Your Spark: How to Heal and Evolve after Burnout. It’s a guide to the first four key steps to healing from burnout (Breathe, Rest, Nourish and Talk) and on how to experience what I call post-burnout growth. Burnout was a transformative experience for me, and many others. It can be for you, too.
Would you like to add any other thoughts or comments?
Yes! Working with a coach myself has been enormously helpful in getting clear on what I want, who I am, and what feels right. If you’re curious, many coaches offer a free first session – use it!
What is the best way for people to find and/or follow you online?
I’m based in the Netherlands and work with clients globally. You can find me at www.salcla.com, or @salcla on Instagram and Twitter. Please feel welcome to connect!
At Medoo, our mission is to help people design and live intentional lives. We seek to create a deep connection between coaches and their clients by bringing to life a purpose-built coaching companion tool.
If you are interested in trialling Medoo, or have any questions/feedback for us, please get in touch with us via email on hey@medoo.life.