"When I was originally thinking about getting a coach, I was at a point in my life where I had hit a professional brick wall. I didn't feel like I was achieving my full potential, I was coasting through life, and that was leading to personal resentment. If I think about how that permeated into my day-to-day life, I really hated my job and was working with people that I didn't really respect or like. I wasn't feeling great about my contributions to the world or myself and that's not a nice feeling when you're someone who feels like you have got a lot to give. That's when I said, ‘enough is enough.'
Being a talent director often means that I partner with senior CEOs and CFOs to help them find people who can help them professionally. Michael is someone who I had come across who I had actually recommended to other people for his no-nonsense approach.
I'm quite fiery and I needed someone who could stand toe-to-toe with me and give me candid advice, which is exactly what Michael gave me. I'd also read his book and I thought it was excellent, so it felt like the right option. I chose to work with him but, ultimately, Michael chooses to work with you, so it was a partnership and an alignment of values, motivation, and approach.
When I reflect on where I was at the beginning of my journey with him to where I am now, I feel like it was transformational. I suffered from a lot of the things that many people who are successful in a professional environment suffer from, like imposter syndrome and sometimes a lack of clarity. When I came to Michael, I was quite clear that I wanted to do things that served me better and unapologetically, I wanted to push myself and realise my potential. Ultimately, I wanted to not be scared as I felt professionally scared for no reason, but it's the things that you say to yourself that stop you from being the best that you can be. Michael would challenge my inner thinking on everything. I replaced my own voice, which was often negative and put up barriers, with his voice, he gave me new perspective. When I think about where I was: I was scared, I was limited, and I had restricted my potential. Now, I have since started my own business, which is doing well, and I feel less afraid. I'm not scared to take on things and fail, I quite enjoy that process and I'm definitely in a better place. Am I the finished article? Absolutely not. But do I feel like I'm in the right direction of travel? Absolutely. I know what I need to do to get to where I need to go, and that is a journey that I will continue to work on, thanks to Michael.
I don't know if you believe in the law of attraction or not, but there is something about the energy that comes with being coached by him. I feel like I saw the results instantly. Some of them were as small as dropping bad habits. I had drunk Coca-Cola all my life and I made a decision with Michael that it wasn't serving me, that my diet needed to be cleaner, so I stopped drinking Coke immediately. I had a shift in attitude and perspective - within a matter of months, before our coaching had finished, I quit my job and created new professional opportunities. So the results for me started to happen very quickly.
Not only did I start my own business whilst having a full-time job, but I also started some that failed. What you get with Michael is a sense of perspective in knowing that not everything is going to be right and you're not going to win everything the first time. It's about learning, and I learned an awful lot. It wasn't hard for me to pivot from one business to another because he had coached me through the emotional pitfalls of being an entrepreneur and what that looked like, which was hugely helpful for me.
When I look at the results, there's no doubt in my mind that I got an amazing return on investment having worked with Michael. I went from good to great. For me, it was the best time and money ever spent. I think you get out of life what you put in, you've got to invest in yourself if you want to be the best version of yourself, and that's what committing with Michael means.
As a coach, Michael is the nicest arsehole you're going to meet. He’s not there to be your best friend or your shoulder to cry on, that's not his role. He's really clear on the part that he plays for you, but he is absolutely invested in your success, and will pull no punches in telling you what needs to be done in order to get where you need to go. He holds you accountable, and you're going to achieve what you set out to achieve, but he also holds himself accountable to the highest standards. I think that's why you buy into him, because you know that it's the path that he's walking himself on a daily basis. This is someone who is living and breathing what they say to you, and I think that's really important.
I think Michael is an absolute legend. I've got a lot of time for him. He wants the best for his clients and he works his arse off to make sure that they see results. Even if I didn't think that he was a legend, do I still think that I would get a lot out of his coaching? 100%. I don't think you always have to work with people you like. I feel very lucky that I do like him, but even if I didn't, I would still see immense value in Michael. He is a really good guy; he cares about his clients, he doesn't clock watch, and he gets under the skin of your problems and ultimately helps you solve them. Do I think that I will continue to have a relationship with him in the future? Absolutely, and I'd be sad if I didn't.
If I was to speak to someone who's thinking of working with Michael, I would say go and do your homework. He would probably encourage it. Ultimately, you've got to know what you're trying to get out of it. Go for a consultation, meet him, and at the end of the day, if it wasn't meant to be then I genuinely believe that it won't be, but there's nothing to lose in the process. And my personal experience has been nothing but amazing. I would say just fucking do it. Time is of the essence in life, so just get on with it. You are not going to regret the investment you make in yourself ever, and that's what I see working with Michael as, an investment in oneself. Just bite the bullet and go for it - you owe it to yourself."
Anjelic Kumedzina
