“I cannot speak highly enough of my personal experience with these coaching sessions. Cathy has a great ability to understand professional and personal situations, deconstruct them and provide an alternative perspective – which then helps understanding and planning for the way forward. I have found this hugely beneficial. Thank you Cathy!”
Nigel Finney, Hive Composites
“It’s been a pleasure working with Dr Cathy Brown over the past 12 months. She has helped us take a step back from day-to-day business functions and understand the bigger picture for our organisation going forward and how we can approach things in a more strategic and informed way. I’m looking forward to working with her again in the near future.”
Anthony Dickens, Hookshot Media
“Cathy brings a multi-faceted approach to looking at business to explore and solve issues in direction, focus and ensuring personal objectives are achieved alongside business success. I would definitely recommend Cathy, she helps to get you to ask yourself the necessary questions and focus on the agenda and coming direction.”
Paul Gadd, Protocol IT
“When you are starting a business there are lots of people offering all kinds of advice, the biggest job is to work out which ones to take advantage of, this has been very worth while and I have learnt a great deal about myself.”
Martin Croft, Desi9n, Loughborough Innovation Centre
“As a young start up we are often offered support in various forms, I can say, without hesitation, that the single most contributing factor in what we achieved last year has been the impartial advice and direction provided by our sessions with Cathy. As a young organisation, we found that often our enthusiasm could be more of a hindrance than an advantage; clouding our direction. Cathy has an incredible ability to take your passion and enthusiasm and, in a moment of clarity, channel this into objectives, deliverables, drive and motivation. This not only sustains the passion for what you do but your business.”
Alister Fraser, Designers in Residence, Loughborough Innovation Centre
“Cathy supported me during my transition to self employment. Her calm approach, amazing insight and detailed research for Testing The Water gave me enormous confidence by helping me understand the the critical success factors. I was quickly able to pinpoint the areas I needed to work on to set myself up for success. I was so impressed by the programme and I’m proud to say I am licensed to use it as part of my business. Cathy has now developed Testing The Water – getting ready for Protirement, The same rigorous research has been applied to create another excellent programme – and I’m looking forward to gaining my license to use it very soon! I’d recommend Cathy to any individual or HR specialist.”
Anna Brown
“The link between business planning and personal issues – especially the visualisation vision section was unique. Good practical insights and sharing.”
Ruth, BBC
“Picture exercise – help me understand the full extent of my business proposition and reflected on the bigger picture and helping me raise questions that I had not thought of before. Financial buoyancy exercise – understanding how others perceive me and the skills that I can share and name.”
Angela, BBC
“Reflections on ways to self manage, ideas of there being 8 core competencies and areas of focus is the greatest ‘gift’ – a relief!”
Jo Miles, Change Consultant
“The research overview and drawing my vision which allowed me to see the direction I wanted to go. Also the energy exercise and people exercise.”
Gill Andrew, SAP Trainer
“Very positively. I feel more confident about how I am going to move forward and more aware of my strengths and development areas.”
BBC Employee
“A great experience – really helped me to recognise areas I need to focus on and that I don’t have to do everything quickly, it’s ok if it takes a while to get established.”
Mandy, BBC
“Inspiring, thought provoking. Thank you!”
Angela, BBC
“I found it very good – it gave me energy.”
Jeanna Nasa, Former BBC employee
“Found the day positive and reflective.”
Norma Lucoy, Associate Director
“It was very good in terms of pushing me to think about what I really want.”
Catherine Bassett Holt, self-employed
“I am just writing to thank you both for such an interesting and enjoyable workshop last week. I really enjoyed the day and have felt very inspired and focused from it. I hugely appreciate the benefit of both of your experience and now feel I can move into the future confidently.”
Jenny Silverman, Bookings Manager, BBC Vision Post Production
“Good experience, really connected with everyone and would hope that everybody gets to attend this workshop. Great course materials.”
Hugo Boots The Chemists
“I have taken everything as a learning step towards accepting changes that I have no control over (i.e. redundancy) and changing into a positive experience, chance of a new start.”
Brigitte, Boots The Chemists
“I wanted to let you know my news. I was served my notice last week and offered a job! The role is Parenting Co-ordinator for my local council and is a newly created role that I can ‘make my own’. I was so pleased to even get an interview, let alone be offered it on the same afternoon! It ticks so many boxes for me as it draws on my education background and the project management skills that I’ve developed while at Boots and it fits my Service and Work Life Balance Anchors, as it’s based half a mile from my home.
Two days spent with you really helped me to identify what’s important to me and guided me to look in different places for jobs and lead me to this one – so thank you!
Now that this is settled, I’m going to look at starting a Life Coaching course that I’ve found in Kingston College as a taster and start going to Nina Grunfeld’s Life Club (sounds quite good). I feel like a different person already.”
Tiffany Petty, Boots The Chemists
“I recently received the ‘Testing the Water’ coaching programme from Cathy at Evolve to support me during the early phase of setting up my consultancy business Medsyndesign Ltd. The four sessions were extremely helpful and engaging, filled with much useful and thought-provoking information and insights. Cathy tailored the coaching content to my specific questions and needs. The client-led sessions had plenty of space for in-depth discussions and analysis of my proposed business and motivations. The coaching included a range of pre-work questionnaires, giving each session a focus that allowed me to refine the business aims, vision and USP. The programme is based on her own research work and years of experience of running her own business. I would recommend Cathy and her coaching and look forward to the chance to work with her again.”
Tony Mete, Medical Chemistry Consultant, Medsyndesign
“Cathy approach to business coaching was for us very helpful. It made us aware in what areas we have to evolve and improve ourselves. We are happy to use Cathy business coaching services in the future.”
Istvan Szabo , Managing Director, Szabo Software UK Ltd
“Cathy brings a wide range of skills to her coaching sessions which allows for a lot of flexibility in terms of providing highly tailored support. The sessions are extremely motivating and provide the spark to ignite new ways of thinking.”
Phil Crothers, Co-Founder XLR8
“Cathy’s ‘Testing the Water’ workshop was perfectly paced, relaxed and very productive. I would thoroughly recommend the experience to anyone considering a move to being self-employed.”
Roland Allen, NED, TeenTech
“Cathy provided me mentoring services over the last year, I was skeptical at the concept, but following our first meeting I warmed to the idea and found the meetings beneficial from a motivational aspect and caused me to look at the business from a different perspective. I would recommend Cathy to any start up company looking for guidance and personal support during their first few years in business.”
Keith Geary, MD at G2way
“Cathy worked with us for a number of individual and group sessions. We got a lot of benefit especially with the group sessions, working through and improving a number of the management aspects of the company including appraisals and a number of different regular meetings.”
Ed Young, MD CommAgility
“I attended Cathy’s “Testing The Water” workshop run for BBC staff in May 2011. I found it extremely useful in helping me focus on what will and more importantly what wouldn’t work for me for a future business/career path. The day long course was nicely paced and very enjoyable. The workshop has given me lots to think about.”
Tina Jaffray, Tutor, National Film and Television School
“Cathy provided an excellent coaching service throughout a period of around 8 months. She was a great listener and helped to bring together some new ideas for the business.”
Laura Greenman, Managing Director, Magnetic North Travel Ltd
“Cathy has helped me devise strategies for my business that fit the direction I wish to take it, and my personality. By challenging me to think about purpose, difference, goals and my own psychology, Cathy has helped me navigate some tricky moments whilst ensuring I remain positive. I value my time with Cathy; her input is important to my plan and would recommend her to anyone.”
Paul Ince, Social Media Consultant, Like Minds
“I would not hesitate to recommend Cathy. She gave me a series of career coaching sessions which far exceed my expectations of what was possible. The sessions really got to the core of my issues and Cathy provided valuable insight, advice and techniques to help me move forward with the next stage of my career. She was thoughtful, supportive, clear and focused and spent a lot of time and energy on my behalf. She was friendly, relaxed and positive. The help she has given me has made a positive difference.”
Louise Angell, Senior Digital Content Producer, BBC
“Cathy is a superb business psychologist with a rare combination of skills including the knowledge gained from her MBA and her qualifications as a psychologist. I have engaged Cathy to mentor and coach companies at the two business incubation centres that I have managed, and I cannot recommend Cathy highly enough. Hiring Cathy to work with the start up businesses meant that our relationships with tenants were incredibly positive, and our clients truly valued the assistance they were given. Cathy has been able to give real help to every one of our businesses – she is a busy lady, but if you can get some of her time it will transform the way you do business.”
Jo Derbyshire, CEO, Cresco Innovation Ltd
“Brilliant – so good for me!”