Coaching
Your stories are your power. How can you use it to achieve your goals?
All our stories are created in relationship with other people and with that in mind, here is a short story on how I became a coach. Welcome to the coaching arm of my business.
During my time advising founders and creatives as a business consultant and lawyer, a few clients suggested that I explore coaching. Initially, the idea did not resonate with me because in my professional world, I had been exposed to a specific type of corporate executive coaching.
For me, coaching was a word that either felt like part of a stiff organisational structure or fuelled a false stereotype of what a life coach was. It didn’t feel fun, yet.
Encouraged by my clients, I did more research and re-harnessed my academic background in cultural anthropology. I developed a way to combine my experience of the art of storytelling with the craft of coaching, in a way that worked for me and spoke to those who felt some sort of connection with storytelling or creativity.
Alongside a full-time job, I decided to invest money and time in learning. I became a certified coach and worked with a range of clients from artists to corporate executives to founders to athletes. In parallel, I was exploring the idea of reinventing my first business.
By 2024, I was ready to run my own business (again) and write my next chapter. I left my corporate job, started Freshly Ground Stories and added coaching as a new and exciting part of Freshly. Welcome to coaching; a partnership that can help bridge the gap between the story you routinely tell yourself and the story you want to tell.
Keep reading to explore client stories, pursue your curiosity about coaching or book a call to have a chat.
If you’d like to book Izzy as a speaker, you can reach out via hello@freshlygroundstories.com or better yet…
What is coaching?
Beyond the stereotypes.
Coaching is a partnership where individuals or groups are empowered to reach goals or successfully manage transitions in their lives and careers.
Using professional International Coaching Federation (ICF) standards, creative frameworks and the art of storytelling, coaching can harness the power of your story and your strengths to help you achieve your short or long-term goals.
Unlike mentoring (giving advice) or therapy (exploring the past), coaching is a forward-looking and goal-oriented partnership. Through asking powerful questions, coaching uses established theory, techniques and frameworks designed to help you flourish
The coaching industry has typically underserved people of colour and other cultural minorities. Freshly’s coaching aims to be culturally conscious with a firm belief that everyone is storyteller (with stories that need to be heard) and a firm value that everyone in society should have access to the transformative power of coaching. Freshly proudly represents the growth of minority coaches, as well as removing the barrier to entry for many who are seeking coaching.
Find out more by exploring this page, reading up on coaching or booking a free discovery call.
Is this for me?
Some examples of themes coached on so far:
Client Stories
“Having Izzy as a coach has been an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling experience. I felt empowered to make some big practical and emotional changes to my career that I have been too scared or worried to face. Izzy’s approach is inquisitive and playful, and she really understands the specific context of being an artist. I felt completely at ease and confident to put the work into practice. Would highly recommend booking in!”
Willy Hudson - Writer & Theatremaker
“Going into the coaching session, I was both excited and anxious, as I had never experienced something like this before. One of my biggest concerns was finding someone who understands me—someone who shares a similar background, whether that be in career, culture, or ethnicity. Often, it’s hard to open up to a stranger who lacks that context, as context is everything. However, Izzy instantly made me feel seen and understood. Even if she had been from a different background, her respectful, open approach really stood out. She listened attentively, gave me space to express myself, and never came across as patronizing or superior. She also made it clear that this was a coaching session, not therapy, and took the time to explain the differences, setting clear expectations from the start. Izzy created a comfortable and supportive environment, and as a first-time coaching client, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I left the session feeling understood, relieved, and with clear goals in mind.”
M.Khairat, Founder (Forbes 30 under 30), Media Company
“Thank you for such an eye opening session! I have done some coaching before, but by comparison, this session felt very comfortable and got straight to the heart of my issues. Your reframing and suggestions gave me loads to think about after the session and I’m happy to say I have put our tools to work with great success!”
E.N - Founder, Education Tech startup
“There was a story brewing in my mind for six years that I felt needed to be told, but I wasn't able to put anything to paper. At the time, I was struggling with writer's block on and off for almost a decade; it was soul-crushing. Enter Izzy. She helped me reframe the writing process and overcome obstacles that were holding me back. She also guided me on how I can pivot into being a writer/director full-time. I am now working on bringing my idea to life, and I've written more consistently in the past nine months than I ever have before. I highly recommend Izzy as a coach- she will provide you focused guidance and the months you invest will save you years of futile effort.”
N.A - Writer
“Speaking with Izzy has been really useful. She has experience in a professional services environment, so she understands the broader industry context of the issues that were on my mind. This is invaluable.”
Nick - Legal Executive
“Izzy was very good at quickly making coaching and what I could gain from it more understandable. She asks the right questions to get clarity and I left sessions with her feeling more structured in my thinking and with a sense of direction. This was impressive as I had not articulated these thoughts on my career before and she was able to quickly grasp my situation and help me identify what was motivating me. I would recommend Izzy to stimulate important conversations and coach you through transitions in your career and life.”
R.A - Private Equity Professional
“Izzy helped me understand the barriers that stop me from achieving my goals. She is great at helping clients reach their own conclusions by guiding them to the right decisions instead of influencing their choices.”
F.S - Writer
“I am very grateful to have Izzy as my coach. From our very first session, the space she has held for me as well as the momentum she has helped me create have been unwavering. Izzy has a unique ability to see my potential and strength where I often couldn’t, whether she was aware of it or not she always encourages me to hustle just a little bit harder. Thanks to Izzy's coaching, I have grown so much personally as well as professionally.”
H.H - Full-time mum re-entering professional life again
“I found Izzy at a point in my career that was full of doubts, confusion and a heavy dose of imposter syndrome. I had so many ideas for growth, but I was completely stuck, held back by limiting, unfounded beliefs that created inertia instead of the excitement I was hoping for.
Sometimes, you just need someone to help you edit your thoughts and give you permission to find your path gradually. That’s exactly what Izzy did. What surprised me most, and what I really took away from our sessions, is that I actually had the answers all along. I just needed simple, intentional steps to clear the fog and quiet the doubts. Izzy brought that clarity in the most thoughtful and compassionate way, never rushing me to problem-solve or forcing quick fixes.
Each session left me with something valuable: resources, tools, reading and podcast recommendations that not only expanded my thinking, but helped me be a little kinder to myself. I learned how to slow down and refocus on what truly mattered in my creative journey.
One of my favourite moments was when Izzy happened to be in the same town, we took our session to the beach and had a walking session. It was such a refreshing way to reflect and connect. I’d absolutely recommend Izzy to any creative navigating a block, or feeling a bit lost and needing a gentle nudge in the right direction.”
Afshan Ahmed, Journalist, Communications Consultant & Sports Advocate
“Izzy is not your average coach, she brings so much more to the experience. It felt creative, exciting and authentic. She has an ability to get to the heart of the problem, quickly, so that in a short space of time, I achieved a significant shift. I left the session with clarity and a renewed passion for my work.”
Rachel Crowther, Founder, Squash
“This fulfilling journey with Izzy has been nothing short of transformative. What started as a deep desire for validation and support has grown into a space of real reflection, clarity and growth I’m incredibly grateful! how many daring questions we’ve unpacked together. It’s a humble, grounded, and deeply human space that has helped me recognize and cling onto some of my hidden gems within Thank you, Izzy, for helping me step into my potential.. thanks for you honesty, humor, and so much heart”
Producer, Netflix
How do I find the right coach?
I am a Certified Coach through Lumia, an ICF Level 2 accredited school. This means I have trained to the PCC level, clocked 100+ hours and am undergoing constant education, training and accreditation in the coaching industry to keep up my skill set.
There are lots of different routes to becoming a coach. It’s important that every potential client does their own research on what they are looking for in a coach in terms of experience, qualifications and skill set, just like you would with a personal trainer. Just as important is ensuring there is chemistry between you and your coach. Signing up to work with a coach requires a commitment from you, but it also should be fun. If you are curious about coaching with me, or simply want to know more about how to find a coach that’s right for you, I’d recommend booking a no-obligation discovery call.
