The sessions with you, your book, and your authentic style and approach to leadership and development coaching have served me greatly in the first months of my first-ever directorship and gave me great tools to continue the journey at all levels. I would recommend the experience to anyone in a similar situation, but also in general. Moreover, I felt connected and present in all the sessions, which, given that most of them happened remotely and the fact that I’m not a native English speaker, I think we made it work pretty well. As a result, I reflected a lot between sessions and tried to map my learning to daily work. Your analogies, primarily through karate, but also in general, your references and sharing of experiences underpinned with Neuroscience shaped a message that worked just great and was very inspiring. Also, your book is incredible; I think I told you that reading it felt like being in front of you.

Thank you again.

CA, Director of Engineering – Technology

I have known Phil for many years having worked on several projects together, the most exciting of which has to be his incredible “You Can Live a Black Belt Life” book, which is literally – as it says on the cover, ‘the gift of life development.’ Therefore, when my teenage daughter needed some support and coaching to help her over a hurdle in her life, I turned to Phil. Phil spent time with my daughter, showing great understanding and empathy, and helped her understand the neuroscience behind some of her feelings and reactions to situations. He discussed coping mechanisms and gave her tools to help control her feelings that I’m sure she’ll continue to use throughout her life. The outcome after her time with Phil was astonishing. My highly anxious, easily rocked daughter showed more confidence, resilience and calm than I have ever seen before. Her new approach to things is “what’s the worst that can happen”, which has already enabled her to experience things she would have previously avoided due to the stress and worry of the unknown. She is now approaching the next phase of her life in complete control. I cannot thank Phil enough for his words of wisdom. If you’re looking to work with a transformational life coach – Phil is the coach for you.

Happy mum

When I first met with Phil, I was repeatedly frustrated with issues and blockers I was experiencing with my work. I have always been told at annual reviews that my resulting approach is holding me back and was at the time was also going through a grievance which had left me very emotionally affected. I didn’t know at the time that coaching would benefit me but one of the leaders at my company put us in touch, and from that first meeting the impact he has had on my life has been almost immediate.

I will admit that when it was initially suggested I had been on the fence about the potential benefits. But Phil’s warmth, enthusiasm and openness are immediately evident and from the first meeting I could tell that he was genuine. The trust and openness that we have built through our sessions is very strong and I have ended every session with a strong enthusiasm for progress and to practice my learnings. He works hard to develop a tailored approach, and all of his guidance is backed up by his broad experience and a wealth of knowledge.

Because of this, any reticence I had felt was very quickly lost and I was fully engaged in all of our sessions – which passed so quickly. I can feel that the transformation within myself has been large for such a relatively short time working with him. Every meeting gave me new understanding of myself as well as the professional and human environments in which I work. I have new tools to cope with the challenges I face, and I feel the benefits not just in a professional environment but also with my personal relationships and in wider social settings.

Since meeting Phil, I’ve had people I’ve known for years comment to me that my approach seems different and that I’m dealing with challenges much better. Despite my progress, I know that this is only the first step in my journey but it’s one I’m much more positive about than I was at the start. Thank you so much Phil for setting me down this path, and for all of your encouragement and help!

Looking forward to our next session.

Dan Sowden

When I first started my coaching programme, I was 29 years old, working in the City of London and feeling pressure from all areas of my life, predominantly from my career and my social life. The feeling of not being on track and the continual self-doubt caused a lot of anxiety; to escape from which, I’d neglect my routine and often press the self-destruct button to escape the adversity I was feeling. All the more upsetting was I knew my own potential. This just added to the pressure I was experiencing. I was undoubtedly in a negative feedback loop that had been building for roughly 5 years and hitting my confidence and my happiness as a result.

I undertook this programme as a recommendation from a friend at work. Before the programme had even begun, just the thought of knowing I was entering into something that could potentially change my outlook on life had become a centering thought. Because the coaching was spread over 12 weekly sessions, there wasn’t anywhere to hide; Phil gained a thorough and honest view of my life and personal nuances. As well as the accountability to create change, it allowed for all areas of my life: past experiences (both good and bad), limiting beliefs, ideas and prominent thoughts to be raised, discussed and evaluated. 

How often are you able to spend time getting to know yourself? My time over the last few months has been extremely meaningful. Throughout the entire journey, I’ve built my self-esteem and developed tools that will take me forwards in life and give me the edge. The most meaningful outcome, of which there have been many, has been the collapse of the limiting belief system that has been holding me back.

Phil has an exceptional understanding of the human psyche. His generosity with his time outside of our sessions demonstrated how invested he was in helping me get to where I wanted to be. His practical and light-hearted approach to life has been extremely refreshing and I look forward to continuing my journey with him. 

This is the biggest gift you can give yourself. The only way to create life-changing change is change. I’ve given a structure to my life, and I feel less judgmental, more in-tune, more present and happier as a result. For anyone undertaking this programme, be as honest with yourself as much as possible and trust the process to get the most out of it. There are sure to be some exciting times ahead.

Thank you for all the love and commitment you showed me and for making the sessions so fun! You are a great mentor and a great friend, and I’d love to continue our journey together when the time is right.

Chris

When I met Phil for my first coaching session, I was fighting a daily battle with negative self-talk which had slowly chipped away at my confidence and self-esteem. I was in a 21-year battle with an eating disorder and I didn’t feel I had the strength to manage anymore. I felt exhausted and desperately unable to carry on. 

Sitting with Phil that day I felt instantly in a completely safe place, overwhelmed by his non-judgmental, compassionate, genuine approach. Phil helped me unpack my challenges and inspired me with his passion, knowledge and belief in the power of the coaching process. I left with a huge sense of relief and faith that I was taking a positive step forward in my life. 

As my sessions continued, Phil stood by me on a journey of self-discovery, and gave me the space, encouragement and confidence to grow and create really positive game changing habits, practicing them free from fear. I developed a better understanding of my values and abilities and each week I felt myself walk taller and shine brighter. I became accountable for my own development, able to try new things, armed with a kit bag full of tools and wisdom which was growing week on week. I was able to make choices and I felt increasingly more self-aware. Suddenly my horizon was growing, I enjoyed moments where I felt completely present, my negative thoughts were silencing, I was discovering a self-worth I felt I had lost a long time ago and I had a new capacity to design goals that I could live, breathe and feel excited about.

With Phil’s encouragement I started to believe that it was possible to throw away the ‘eating disorder’ label I have worn all this time, and that doing just that would be a powerful choice. With his help I realised, I had the strength, tools and the self-worth to let any harmful negative thoughts and behaviours pass and not have a hold on me anymore.

This new way of embracing life, accepting things outside of my control and understanding who I am is having a really noticeable impact in my work, my relationships, my health and my belief in myself. I have since celebrated achieving both work and personal goals, made memories to treasure, learned new skills and for the first time in years I feel comfortable enjoying time to myself. Phil’s coaching has not only provided me with a new beginning, but I can say with complete honestly that I believe it saved my life. 

H

I was reluctant to contact Phil as my issues were so personal. However, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

With Phil’s expertise and help I found the solutions I needed and another perspective towards life. 

I found clarity in my decision making and thought processing and this helped me set and achieve goals.

I recommend to everyone that investing in yourself through coaching is so rewarding and in particular using Phil’s unique skill sets will help you achieve your goals. 

Mike