TGt Meets... Shirley Hensher

We've been speaking to Business Coach Shirley Hensher of The Change Agent about her job role and life in Swindon!

Describe your job role in one sentence…

As a coach, I help clients shape working lives which are aligned to their values and aspirations, by helping them develop the skills, behaviours and beliefs to get more out of each day and have the confidence to pursue their goals

What’s the most enjoyable part of your job?

Seeing clients have that light bulb moment and become energised and motivated when they realise what they want to do with their working lives or how they could enjoy where they are again if they learn new skills or ways of thinking.

And the most challenging?

As a business person; business generation and getting people to appreciate the value of coaching as a sign of success not failure are obvious challenges.  As a coach, I am not supposed to give advice but guide my clients through careful questioning to their own solution.  It can sometimes be challenging to keep my ideas to myself!

What are your professional goals?

My personal objective is to live a life of fun and learning, and meet interesting people along the way who want to work with me to realise their potential and who will challenge me to grow my capabilities and thinking.  Coaching is my main business but I love the variety and enrichment of working on other businesses such as project management and property.  I would like to get the point when I can support myself through the earnings of any one of those businesses.  

How do you like to spend your time off?

Some of my time away from coaching is spent on personal development but I also run and lead a ladies’ running club here in Swindon (I am about to qualify as a UKA  Level 1 Running Coach).  I also enjoy visiting art galleries and antiques fairs and I love to crochet (blankets and scarves mainly).  I also support local charities Swindon Civic Voice and Inner Flame.  

What do you think attracts business people to Swindon?

There is a huge amount of talent and enthusiasm in Swindon, a great mix of housing options in the town and surrounding villages, and the location is ideal for accessing so many parts of the UK.  I came here 25 years ago having intended to leave after two – but there was just no reason to leave given the range of career opportunities provided both locally and in easy reach by train.  As a business person and Switch on to Swindon Ambassador, I have come to appreciate the amazing amount of support for business, large and small, both formally and through networking.

describe Swindon in 3 words...

Creative, green, entrepreneurial

You have a meeting booked that suddenly gets cancelled, giving you a few hours to yourself in Swindon – what do you do?

That’s easy, if in Old Town, I’d stroll around Town Gardens and pop into the Museum and Art Gallery (a real gem with a fascinating collection of Modern Art).  If closer to the town centre, I would have a mooch around the Designer Outlet as I love our railway heritage..and a bargain!   

What has been your biggest achievement to date?

One answer to this is finding a wonderful husband (Ian of Thrive Personal Training) who has supported me through many incarnations of my career.  Perhaps more relevant to your readers is that I have created a working life which works for both me and those closest to me, and which brings out the best in me.  It took a lot of hard work, learning, saving, courage, and some coaching, to create the freedom I have today.  Although corporate life has much to offer it, and I miss it sometimes, I am proud that I was brave enough to step off that hamster wheel to create a business from scratch and go in a very different direction.

What are your plans for the future?

I have much to do to build the business and broaden my client base to reach more people online and via mastermind groups and workshops.  Ian and I want to expand our property portfolio substantially but are also considering investing in a motorcaravan.  Now that’s taking business freedom to another level!