Coaches Corner with Andréa Watts

1. Who or what inspired you to do what you do?
Studying an Art Therapy course taught me to understand the power of images to unlock unconscious thinking. This led me to run collage workshops for bereaved carers as part of an annual course. When carers were invited back to speak to the new group, without being asked, they brought their collage and used it to share their story. Because I now knew it was a powerful tool, I used the same method myself when going through a career transition. As my unconscious became conscious knowledge, I realised how stuck I felt. However, the images in my collage, and the work I’d done with carers, served to motivate and inspire me to leave my job and set up UnglueYou.

2. What do you find the most challenging about your work?
Helping potential customers to understand the nature, benefits and value of using collage as a personal and professional development tool. Although this has become easier over time as I’ve learnt to articulate it better. But it’s still a journey in educating others. Fortunately, I enjoy public speaking.

3. What’s the biggest lesson you have learnt in recent years?
That self-care is the most important habit you can develop, as it impacts all areas of your personal and professional life. By its nature coaching requires a great deal of emotional energy. Therefore, if you aren’t intentional about creating time and space for self-care, your wellbeing will suffer. Meaning you won’t have the energy, or resilience to support clients and run your business. That’s why I now ensure my self-care is as high a priority as anything else on my business plan.

4. If you could wave a magic wand and have one wish for you or your coaching practice, what would it be and why?
For me to wake up tomorrow morning and my website, sales funnels and online training packages be exactly as I want them to be. Instead of having to spend time learning how to do them myself or speaking to someone else about doing it. That way I could concentrate all my time and energy in the business on doing the things I love. Coaching, delivering workshops, speaking engagements and nurturing relationships. Bliss…

5. Tell us a fact that not many people know about you …
When I was twenty-two years old, and my daughter had just turned one, I started a business called Nursery Crafts. I used fimo, a modelling clay to decorate door name plates and picture frames with traditional nursery rhymes. I ran this business until my daughter was six and I got a full-time job. Looking back, I can see that I always had an entrepreneurial spirit, with a desire to incorporate my love of art.