What Our Clients Say
Having struggled with a fear of public speaking forever the thought of giving a presentation to a conference of 150+ and participating in a panel debate completely TERRIFIED me. Seriously – when I’m walking to the podium I might as well be walking to the guillotine! Over the years I’ve attended about a dozen presentation skills courses – presenting with confidence; presenting effectively; presenting for the terrified – none of which came remotely close to tackling my overwhelming nerves. After a couple of sessions with Annie – and having implemented the step by step structure we developed together and read up on the suggested resources – the result was pure revelation – this stuff actually works! In spite a few weeks of sleepless nights worrying about it – and the usual fortnight before meltdown – I felt positive and energised on the day – and actually quite enjoyed it! Bizarre but true!
My ex-boss who was in attendance (just to add to my nerves) said I was ‘brilliant’ and lots of people sought me out during the breaks to say how great they thought my presentation was, how well I handed the Q&A ‘grilling’ and how they thought the rather maverick approach I’d taken to income generation was spot on. I’ve also had a few follow up emails from various delegates and speakers (including the Conference Chair) to ask if I’d be willing to collaborate with them on joint projects in the future! Am completely bowled over by the response really! These strangers actually liked me!
So a HUGE thank you to the wonderful Annie Thompsett – for her invaluable support. I have FINALLY found that all elusive ‘anchor – a presentation I can be proud of and look at back at the next time I’m having a wobble!
I cannot recommend Annie highly enough – her professionalism, exceptional listening skills and challenging, reflective, thought provoking observations have empowered me to finally believe in my ability and potential. She provides an essential space to think and focus, new tools to facilitate a different thought process and brings clarity to what can be a completely overwhelming process.
As a result of the coaching sessions I am happier and more confident in every aspect of my life and I no longer shy away from opportunities outside my comfort zone. I look forward to working with Annie for a long time to come.
Kathryn Cook UK Director, UK Association of National Park Authorities, Nov 2014.
Annie listened, didn’t judge and asked the right questions that helped me to get the answers I needed. She kept asking questions until she was happy I had made the breakthrough in my thinking/understanding. Exceptionally clever and patient, Annie is also kind, a great quality that builds the trust you need to make coaching effective. I’m blown away with how much Annie has helped me, especially as I didn’t realise I needed help to lift my confidence.
I’m much less reactive and I work harder preparing for high profile tasks. I’m organising my time better and I now have clearer focus in meetings due to better preparation.
Financial benefits are coming from my increased focus and clearer approach with much better use of my time and my improved state of mind has increased my productivity. Annie opened my eyes to the fact I was not always being honest with myself. Since the sessions I’m choosing to spend more time reflecting and thinking about what I really feel and the outcome’s I want. Before I think I was fearful and lacking confidence. I value Annie’s approach of not being judgemental but challenging at the same time. I’m also calmer due to tackling feelings head on and kinder to myself – I stop my inner critic from taking over and instead I rationalise. It has really been an enlightening experience and one I would recommend.
Thank you Annie, you have made such a difference to my work and home life!
Sue Longthorn, Director Customer Services, Admiral Insurance.
I am way more positive about how I manage my team on a day to day basis. Think this is where we’ve made most improvement in terms of tangible stuff. I am now much more confident around accountability and ownership and have been able to incorporate that more so in day to day management. We have more regular team meetings that have a structured agenda, focus on progress and actions so that everyone is accountable for the next period / team meeting. That’s a nice way for us all to remember who has said they what they will do and to ensure that we follow up on it.
Annie has been excellent throughout the time I have been working with her and I have enjoyed every interaction we have had together. Her expertise in this area, combined with her intellect and enthusiasm, always made for a positive experience for me. I was always challenged appropriately, often with thought provoking questions, and there was never a time where I was judged or what I was saying was dismissed. This was liberating, and helped me to gain greater insights about myself of which previously I was not aware of and develop confidence which is an area that I need to work on regularly. Even when there were times where I thought I wouldn’t have anything to discuss with Annie, somehow she was able to find that ‘issue’ and explore it to the point I would walk away with the confidence to address it. Annie also found the right balance of providing advice, ideas, and further learning opportunities to help me achieve my goals which was needed at times.
I was always able to leave our sessions feeling more empowered and able to improve myself and the way I work. I could do with someone like Annie in my life more often and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Annie to others and give the Coaching a go!
Overall I have been very impressed by the effectiveness of coaching, and it has exceeded my expectations.
Victoria Luke HR Manager, Welsh Water Customer Services (2014)
Andy is one of those few people to have embedded themselves into both my personal and professional lives… Andy was one of my very first managers when I joined the industry… and that was certainly a baptism of fire. He is driven, insightful and highly organised. He demands high standards of those who work with him but none as high as he demands of himself.
Andy has a nature of articulating what everyone else was thinking and isn’t interested in platitudes. His ability to cut to the core of an issue quickly and efficiently has catapulted him to be seen as one of the leading specialists in the financial services sector and rightly so… I would have no hesitation in recommending Andy to anyone and should you choose to listen to his advice and act on it you will be well rewarded .
Steve Gazard – MD Sesame Bankhall Group
“Annie is a natural at what she does. A coaching session with Annie never feels like a forced, formal appointment. Her expert manner and approach creates the most engaging environment where you can interact with ease. The quality of her challenge and questioning is second to none. Her integrity and professionalism is also hugely admirable. I’d strongly recommend anyone seeking to develop themselves to consider Annie’s coaching service.”
Sian Thomas, Principal Odgers, Bernston. (2013) Sian was Director of Communications, SportWales when working with Annie.
In my present role I am getting more from my team, enabling them to be more focused and motivated to deliver their objectives. I am also more effective in planning my time which has enabled me to focus on and fully complete major pieces of development work, key to the success of the project. I have also applied for and been successful in gaining a new post which enables me to take a further step in my career to a more senior post with a substantial salary increase. I would not have considered that I had the right skills, abilities or confidence to take on this new challenge without the support and motivation your coaching has provided me with. I just wanted to say thank you so much for your professional and supportive coaching over the last few months. When I think back now to our first session and how nervous and lacking in confidence I was, I just think you may never fully appreciate how working with you has helped me become not only a better and more confident manager, but also a better person. I will always have my “Possie Annie” in the head now!
Emma Richards, Manager Chwarae Teg 2012-2013
Andy delivered on a multi-million pound Digital Financial Services project at Egg. He is a world class Project Manager who really drives the plan and manages his team and senior stakeholders to deliver the plan on time and on budget. I would hire him again and again because he is a habitual and passionate deliverer.
Darren Fox – Head of SRC at Wesleyan Assurance Society
“I had always been somewhat sceptical about business coaching and not convinced of its value. However, Annie Thompsett is exceptional and her knowledge, approach and specific coaching skills have certainly developed me into a more focussed and driven Director in business. She is undoubtedly a class act.”
Simon King Business Development Director Hays Recruitment (2012)
“Annie provides a very professional and very competent coaching service; my experience is related to personal performance improvement for which I can highly recommended her”
Simon Kenward, Chief Engineer General Dynamics UK (2011)
Andy is a doer. He sets a clear agenda in meetings, driving the group to address the decisions and clarifying roles. Pleasant but persistent in getting people first to commit and the following them up. He’ll help you get the job done.
Matthew Foss, Policy FSA
The whole coaching experience was invaluable. I have a particularly stressful role and understanding the emotional triggers that may cause certain reactions / stress and how I can manage them is very beneficial both professionally and from a health perspective. Just to say thank you – The coaching is a very supportive tool and also a tool to help professional and personal improvement. Also, it is made much better by the professionalism and personality shown by Annie.
Brian Martin, Director Sales, Admiral Insurance.
I realised that a lot of my issues were actually caused by me and not external forces e.g. an ability to always think the worst when ‘the worst’ rarely ever happened. I have learnt skills and techniques to deal with these feelings, and that has improved my confidence and my ability to ‘think straight’ and practically. I have learnt skills which in all honesty been life-changing in terms of my approach to my own life, and the business. I think my outlook is far more positive, and I think the staff pick up on this – less bad moods, less worrying, and less panicking – all of which I now know from the course’s 360, unsettled the staff. The atmosphere in the office is much better! I think that they feel they can approach me more, and more easily
I focus on bigger picture issues, and working for clients and managing new business. I have a more positive outlook to the business and the future, and rarely respond to knock-backs anymore. And when there have been tough issues I have had the confidence to deal with them and act, and not stew on all the negatives that issue may have created. I have made efficiency savings of £60K per annum, which I am not sure I would have had the confidence to do before. In terms of the business, we have just enjoyed a record year in terms of turnover, and one of our best years in terms of profit and cash flow. 2012 is looking even better on every front Рthough it is early days. This coaching has certainly given me the focus and drive to push on.
Alastair Millburn, MD Effective Communication 2011
I have known Andy since early 2002 when we worked as joint project managers over 9 months on a strategic competency assessment initiative for a national banc assurer. We have subsequently worked together on similar projects. Andy is one of the most conscientious and detailed consultants I’ve worked alongside with the ability to focus on both business objectives and the people involved. I would have no hesitation in recommending Andy for project management roles be they at strategic or operational level.
Mike Baldwin, Director of MBA
“Annie is an excellent coach to work with. I have learnt a tremendous amount during my time working with her. She is challenging and supportive and has helped me to make a shift in the way I approach my work, which has led to improved performance. I have also hired Annie to undertake some work with my management team, which is on-going. I have no hesitation in recommending Annie – she’s fab.”
Hayley Dunne, Project Manager -Agile Nation, Chwarae Teg. 2011
“Annie has been my business coach whilst I’ve been on the 20 Twenty Leadership course at UWIC. She’s proved to be an invaluable asset to both me and the course. I’ve always been sceptical about “Business Coaches” however Annie has combined her real life experience of business, with a very well thought out process of personal assessment to deliver benefits that you can measure in hard pound notes. I would recommend Annie to anyone who thinks they may need to either have the rough edges knocked off or the smooth operation polished. She’ll bring a tangible benefit to your business.”
Richard Cottrell, Sales and Marketing Director Vista Retail (2010).
I found Andy an extremely positive driving force on the programme, able to provide the senior executive confidence around delivery and bringing clarity to complex situations. Over and above this Andy is just someone you can go to with your problems and share your concerns. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with Andy again in the future.
Andy Battman, Global Commercial Director. Burn Energy Drink. The Coca Cola Company
“Annie coached me in 2008 for a period of six months when I was considering my career options at a time of impending redundancy. Annie approached the assignment in a consistently professional manner; we had a test coaching session first so that I could assess whether Annie’s style suited me. Following that, she submitted a proposal to my organisation which was accepted. Each coaching session was well-structured and documented following each meeting. Each session had clear goals and outcomes; there was additional reading. Annie challenged my thinking, encouraged me to question habitual ways of doing and enabled me to consider via a rigorous process what my options were. Annie varied her coaching style according to the demands of each session demonstrating considerable personal and professional flexibility. I would not hesitate to recommend Annie to colleagues and to business associates.”
Sian Rees, Head of Business School University of Wales, Newport (2008.)
Andy has again and again shown his ability to take on highly challenging projects and emerge with extraordinary results. He does this through tenacity and a thoroughly structured approach. Andy can see a way ahead when most of us are throwing our hands in the air.
