Learn About Paula

Why did I want to become a coach?

Hello everyone, I’m Paula Cohen. This seems a good place to start doesn’t it? Good, let’s get cracking then! So… my journey started in an unusual way. 

As a kid, I was massively into athletics. I did well too, I was the National Champion 3 times, and the Under23 European Cup Winner. 

Happy Days!

What it taught me

My athletics taught me about people, about mindset, about determination, about psychology. It eventually taught me how to not throw up after running 400metres, but that lesson took a while to sink in, I can tell you! But enough about that … 

The BIG lesson though, was just how much people are capable of when they work with a great coach. Without a shadow of a doubt I wouldn’t have achieved half as much as I did without Jim Harris. 

Even though he was a cranky, pipe smoking, old bugger!

Oh what a banker

Because I was so focused on my athletics I wanted a job that didn’t interfere with my training or my weekend races. My friend was already working for a bank and she said it was an easy job, the money was good and the social life was great. 

I was sold! Fast forward 19 years & I’d had a great grounding in people and leadership development, training evaluation and change management. 

But I’d well and truly fallen out of love with all the corporate bull****!

Going independent 

I used my redundancy payout to buy a franchise with ActionCOACH.

Another phenomenal place to learn. With 1000 coaches around the world, the knowledge and support network was fan-flippin-tastic.  The only slight problem was actually getting the business off the ground.

Where were the punters? 

Starting at the peak of the recession in 2008 probably wasn’t my brightest move. (That’s an understatement Cohen!)

The first couple of years were tough. Really tough. Mounting debts. Sleepless nights galore and constantly asking myself whether to keep going or give up.

Good job I’m stubborn 

Looking back now though, I’m grateful I went through that struggle. Not happy. But grateful. 

Because I have a deep understanding of just how heavily financial pressure can weigh. So when I’m talking to a fellow business owner who’s struggling, I get it.

Don’t get me started

It’s why I’ll never pressure anyone to commit money for coaching that they can’t afford and why I never use long tie-ins. 

And I have little respect for the coaches who do those things. But we’ll leave that there before I get properly ranty!

Let’s get up to date!

So fast forward 13 years. I handed back the franchise in 2015, and have been solo ever since. 

It allows me much more flexibility and chance to be the person I truly am. Terrible sense of humour and all!

What now? 

So if I pull all of those little tangents together, this all leads me to my big, hairy, audacious goal. Which is to help people realise just how much they’re truly capable of, and then help them to achieve it. 

I’m not driven by making loads of money, or global domination (although both are in the plans of course.)My clients successes are the things that warm the cockles of my heart. 

Because I genuinely believe that small business owners are capable of SO much, and often just need that coach / guide / mentor / whip-cracker to help them achieve amazing things. I want to change the world. One small business at a time. 

And maybe, just maybe, you might be next!

What really lights me up is the successes my clients achieve…

  • Like H who went from not being sure how she was going to pay a £2000 VAT bill to generating £200k the following year through a completely new income stream
  • Or D who was struggling to pay his mortgage when we first worked together, to turning down a multi-million pound offer for his business 2 years later
  • Or A who lost 4 stone through no advice or help of mine whatsoever, but the plans and vision for her business led her to reassess the vision she had for herself and make some huge changes

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