Brand story: getting to know the face behind the brand
Hi I’m Kathy Hayman and I’m the Loving Life Coach.
Is there a story behind your business name?
Yes there is – at the time I was thinking about setting up my coaching business Robbie Williams song “I love my life” was released. It sounds a bit narcissistic when you first hear it but when I found out he had written the words for his children, it has a whole different meaning, is very empowering and really touched me.
At about the same time, both of my children, now in their twenties, called me up independently and in conversation told me how much they love their lives. It got me thinking that actually loving life is the most important thing we can do and that is how The Loving Life Coach was born.
Why did you start your business?
I have been involved in my own businesses and helping other start-ups for most of my working life but I felt a need to move into a different area of more personal support for people particularly those in business. My business life has been a roller-coaster and I have experienced highs and lows. I therefore feel that I have the experience and empathy to help people to gain balance in their business and personal lives so they can love their lives.
What are your super powers?
I believe that I have a very down to earth approach that makes people feel comfortable talking about their goals, challenges etc. with me. According to one of my clients – and I quote – “coaching sessions with Kathy leave me feeling strong, positive, focused and determined and she helps me open up infinite doors of possibility which I didn’t even realise were there”. I think that counts as a super-power!
What are you passionate about?
Living the best life I can, being the best person I can be, learning and growing so I can achieve my goals in life and help other people do the same. Life is meant to be loved and I hope by helping my clients do that the ripples can spread.
What do you want to be known for?
Helping other people recognise and achieve their potential – and having fun along the way. I get immense satisfaction for seeing my clients make a difference in their lives and realise they can achieve whatever they want.
What is your most proud moment in business so far?
There have been a few over the years but my most recent proud moment as a coach was when a client of mine who had real self-confidence issues and felt she was stuck in a job – and a life – that she wasn’t happy in – applied for her dream job and got it!
We had gone through a process of her defining what she wanted and reframing her thoughts about herself and she was willing to put the work in to believe she could have a better life and future. She was so happy to get the job and many other things in her life started to fall into place. That made me proud!
Name a failure and how did you overcome it?
This is a big one for me and not a story I can go into detail in here. The short story is that some years ago I became involved in a business venture which was intended to have life-changing results for those of us involved. However the project didn’t work out and I stayed banging my drum until the bitter end even after others involved had long-since jumped ship!
I learned a lot of hard lessons from that experience, which was very difficult at the time for lots of reasons I will share another time, but looking back on it I learned such a lot about myself, about human nature and about business that it sent me down a much different path. I absolutely know I wouldn’t be here, as a person and as a coach, if I hadn’t gone through this and it’s something I am very grateful for now.
Favourite thing about being a business owner?
The feeling of having endless possibilities and opportunities to pursue doing what is right for me. There is a responsibility in being the boss of me but the freedom that comes with it is priceless.
What advice would you give someone who is just about to launch a business?
The absolutely most critical thing is to really understand why you want to do something. I go through a process with my clients to really nail this as I have seen so many people aiming for goals they don’t really want and are not even aware they don’t or having goals that are not really in alignment with their values. This makes achieving a life you love either very hard or impossible!
The equally important thing is about having the right mindset to achieve success – this is a big area and is a constant process of learning and self-awareness which is a big part of what I do with my clients as I believe it is critical for success.
If you had to live on a desert island for a month, what 3 things would you take with you?
My kindle with as many books downloaded on it as possible and a magic charge that lasted the month, my duvet and a fresh water supply and the hope of a lemon tree on the island! I know that’s really 4 things but I do like to put lemon in my water!
Tell us something nobody knows about you
I’m a pretty open book especially with my nearest and dearest but the thing not many people know about me is I’ve always wanted to be a drummer and would love – just once – to play drums with a live band! Maybe I need to get myself a coach to help me achieve this dream 😉
To find out more about Kathy and how you can work with her, click here.
