Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarah Senan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sarah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

I am now a Life & Leadership Coach with my own coaching practice, but before this, I worked in retail management – a job that paid well but took a lot of time, for 13 years. In my final years in that career, I did double duty – working full time, while building my business.

The decision to shift came from my love of working with people while in retail. But I realized that I couldn’t focus solely on the people and development, in a way I’d like to. Further, I was tolerating so much of my job, so I pursued coaching. It’s been an amazing fit!

However, training to become a coach wasn’t enough. I had to get the proper certifications AND start a business that I’d feel comfortable enough to walk away from my 9-5 that was paying the bills. Time management and stepping out of my comfort zone were two huge components! And I had to manage all of this while still performing my full-time job, and building confidence in a new field.

Now that I have 8 years under my build, 5 of which were full time, it’s been a beautiful full circle moment to be able to support other people step in to their own roles as a business owner, as they navigate their own transition. The best advice I’d give someone making this sort of shift is to make confidence in your craft the #1 priority! Yes, it’s important to do the business stuff, but it means nothing if your confidence isn’t there.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a life and leadership coach, and I support individuals and leaders to better understand themselves so they can fundamentally shift how they operate. In essence, I help people figure out what’s REALLY in the way. So often the blame is on some outer thing, when really it’s the way someone sees the world that stops them from moving forward. I’ve helped people find clarity in their careers, switch careers, manage their imposter syndrome, tap into confidence, and work on avoiding conflict, among other things.

I joke that everything is googleable, yet people still aren’t getting what they want. That’s because it’s not about having the right action plan, but feeling empowered to step in to the action plan – that’s where I work with my clients.

In my coaching practice, I specialize in one-on-one leadership coaching and training, utilizing an approach that delves into the core of one’s energy and mindset. My goal is to help clients use their true strengths and overcome obstacles, in order to most importantly, achieve lasting success. Through our sessions, my clients gain clarity, build confidence, and develop the skills needed to make progress where it matters most for them.

I’m particularly fascinated by the intersection of personal and professional lives, recognizing that our challenges are often layered. To create meaningful change, we must explore the underlying issues and understand the ‘thing under the thing.’ This holistic approach allows for more profound growth and sustainable transformation.

I am most proud of the 100s of clients I’ve worked with and their ability to sustain the changes they’ve implemented. I love hearing from a client, years later, and they share they are still in a state of success due to the work we did together.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

Absolutely! I love what I do, so much! There are days I pinch myself that this is what I get to do for work! And, on the days when things are heavier personally, I never once resent having “to go to work”.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I had to pivot during the COVID pandemic. I had only left my full time job 9 months prior. My whole business model was based on in person workshops, trainings, and networking. I was so excited because in March and April 2020, I had 7 in person gigs lined up! The strategy was working! But then the quarantine began and my calendar was wiped.

I found ways to pivot, and leverage the new virtual world in a way to still keep going. In a lot of ways, those pivots actually offered MORE sustainability. At the time, though, it felt really scary.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sarahwahibasenan.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahwahibasenan/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahwahibasenan/