Tom Youngs

Before starting my current business, I was a dentist, but I realised that I didn't want to be a clinician for the rest of my life. I needed to decide which direction I wanted to take my career. I wanted to make sure I had an outsider's perspective to help me navigate to the path that I ultimately chose. When I was searching for a coach, it was pretty scary. I had invested seven plus years in university learning to be a medical professional, so I was at a serious crossroads in my life. I recognised I needed someone who could help me plot a path for how I was going to get out of that fear. I heard about Michael fairly organically, through searching for personal development coaches and career shift coaches specifically. I spoke to a few people and ultimately, he seemed to be the one that made most sense for me. I chose to work with him because of his no-bullshit approach. I wanted someone who could hold me accountable and drive me forward. I wanted to be pushed, and while I feel like I have a lot to offer, I wanted to work with someone who could really squeeze the most out of me.

When I first started working with Michael, I had one very obvious goal and that was to have clarity on where I was going next in my career. I highlighted to him that the technology industry was where I had wanted to work for a long time. After a couple of sessions, he introduced me to some exciting tech companies and some really fantastic people who helped me get my foot in the door of the industry. That was where I met my co-founder and current business partner Claudia, and since working at some of the world's largest tech companies together, we co-founded Vyable Beauty. When I first spoke to Michael, I said that my big goal was to run my own company, but we both agreed that at that time I wasn't ready for it as I was super immature from both a skills and career perspective. I needed to make a shift from a professional career to running a company. From working with him however, I have achieved my goal and I am exactly where I wanted to be, and as any of you who run your own business will know, it's the most exciting, thrilling, and scary thing.

I started to see the results of our coaching immediately. I think the most powerful thing that he does is that he looks at all aspects of where you are in your life at that time. So it's like an audit of where your life is; from your personal relationships and health, through to your professional and career development. He makes you draw a line in the sand where you feel that you are at that point in time, and once you set that line, you can set goals.

Within the first few months I had already started working with several startups in the tech sector. You see results fast because Michael demands results fast. I think the thing that I wasn't expecting when I first started working with him was how powerful his network is. He works with the highest performing people on the planet from all different industries and he gets you access to all of that expertise. I'm happy to say that I have a ton of friendships with people from his network off the back of that. Not only that, but Michael is now also an investor in my company and he's helping us to grow, so he's there to help you not only when you're working together, but past that point as well.

When I think about the return on my investment from working with him, it was invaluable, I couldn't put a price on it to be honest. Looking back on it now, it was a huge amount of money for me at the time but it was worth every single penny. His coaching is powerful and you pay for that. His personality is one of confidence, intelligence, belief, inspiration, and motivation and he brings all of that out in you, too. When you work with him, you get the side of him which is professional and confident. However, once you get to know him, you realise that underneath is a very loving and caring person who just wants you to be the best version of you and he will help you in any way he can. He will also help you after coaching, so this is not a ‘one-and-done’ situation, he will be there for you for the rest of your life and that's what makes him so special and so unique.

Having been through the process, all I can say is that working with Michael has been an invaluable experience. When I first spoke to him, I said I wanted to be the owner of my own business and now I'm just that. So, if you're thinking about working with him, all I'll say is just go for it and don't look back. It might turn out to be the best decision you'll ever make.