Coach in the Spotlight: Gemma Rogers

Why did you decide to become a career coach?

I originally qualified as an Integrative Health Coach in 2015 whilst I was still working as a knitwear designer. This process gave me a solid foundation as a coach, but it became very clear to me early on that nutrition, although fascinating, was not the right direction for me.

A year later I went to Costa Rica and trained as a yoga teacher. 

When I returned, I decided to work with a career coach who used the Firework Programme.

I loved it and gained so much as a client, that I knew that I wanted to use it myself to help other people.

But first, I took the opportunity to work as a Health and Wellbeing Mentor and Yoga teacher in Spain. This was my official springboard towards the career path I wanted to take. It wasn’t perfect, but it was perfect for that moment in time. It gave me the space to clarify my next step. I knew I wanted to redirect my coaching practice towards working with individuals on career transition, so that's when I decided to train as a career coach.

I have a passion for working with people who are in creative industries or feel they have lost touch with their creativity.

But I've also worked with women who are re-entering the workforce after starting a family and people who need help in clarifying whether a particular job role or interview they are facing is the right step. Whatever the situation, my work revolves around helping people gain clarity and identifying what’s right for them.  

It was only after I gained my license with Firework that I recognised that I definitely wanted to give private coaching a shot.

 

I enjoy working with people who are in creative industries or feel they have lost touch with their creativity.

 

Why did you decide to train with Firework?

It resonated with me.

Because I went through the programme as a client, I understood its impact firsthand, so it gave me the confidence to go for it.

Also, because I already had the background coach training, I knew that I wasn’t signing up for another one or two years of study, so that made the decision straightforward.

After I trained with Firework, I realised I wanted to give private coaching a shot. I finally felt I had direction and a stable foundation upon which to build my coaching practice. Up until then, I'd had doubts about what to do.

 

What was the experience like?

The training day was excellent as it provided the opportunity to focus on specific aspects of the programme. We were able to role-play with the exercises and discuss our learning as we went along.

This helped me understand how to get the most out of the tools and instil confidence in my ability to use them effectively with my clients.

I found it so useful to connect with other coaches from different backgrounds – all with the common thread of wanting to broaden our offering and skills as a coach.

The online conference calls in the months after the training were extremely beneficial in supporting us with teething problems. I found it so useful to hear how other coaches were using the programme with clients and building their businesses.

 

What did you implement in your coaching practice as a result of what you learnt?

I started using the Firework programme straight away.

The initial training helped me get started and the manual was a useful reference point as I started to integrate these new tools into my work.

I now provide an end-to-end programme, but I also used the tools I acquired through Firework and have incorporated these into other programmes I offer.

Ultimately Firework has given me greater confidence in my ability as a coach and a framework and foundation to build my practice on.

 

What sort of clients have you worked with? How do you typically work with your clients?

My clients are varied and interesting.

I worked with a print designer who shifted into furniture refurbishment and teaching.

There was another client who wanted to return to work after having a family. She moved from a multinational corporation to exploring the world of hypnobirthing.

I also coached a yoga teacher who had discovered that turning her passion into a career had started to suck the joy out of it. The goal here wasn't necessarily career change so instead, we worked together to realign her work to create more balance.

I typically work with clients on a 1:1 basis online, rather than face-to-face – I like the freedom that online coaching brings.

Now I mainly offer a 12 session programme which clients can pay for upfront or in instalments. I have offered one-off sessions in the past but have found that for people to really get the most out of the process, there needs to be some continuity. 

 

How have you built your coaching business? What have been the most effective ways you've found clients?

I've attracted clients through advertising on apps like Bidvine and Bark, where people are actively looking to work with a career coach.

I put a lot of effort into my website, which not only looks good but clearly explains who I am and what I offer. 

I think what's important is finding what feels right on a personal level. We all have different ways of doing things and I'm learning to filter out the noise of what "should" be done and instead, tuning into what works for me.

I haven't deliberately spent time promoting my business on social media, however, with the creation of an authentic profile, I've inadvertently attracted new clients via LinkedIn.

I've learned a lot by trying different strategies. Overall, I feel confident having Firework as my roots as it's so simple to explain to prospective clients.

 

We all have different ways of doing things and I'm learning to filter out the noise of what "should" be done.

 

What are the biggest rewards for you as a career coach?

The most significant thing has been helping clients gain clarity and confidence in making a career change and defining the right path to go down.

It's interesting how clients tend to begin to attract new job opportunities as we work through the programme together. 

Having started with Firework as my foundation, I've been able to branch out from offering just career transition coaching to providing a holistic coaching approach for confidence and balance, career strategy and more bespoke coaching.

I love that I can use a variety of different tools, such as guided visualisations, which helps my clients look at life through a holistic lens, bringing the idea of getting fulfilment from all aspects of life. I also get a lot of fulfilment from helping others manage anxieties and self-doubt when it comes to their career, because I've been there too. 

 

What advice do you have for someone considering becoming a Firework licensed coach?

If you want to add alternative ways of working to your coaching repertoire and branch out into more creative avenues of exploration with clients, then Firework provides a flexible framework from which to do this.

 

Gemma Rogers is a licensed Firework career coach helping creative individuals find clarity, confidence and fulfilment in their working lives. She is a trained yoga teacher and is currently studying towards a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and Certificate in Children’s Counselling. Find out more about Gemma at www.gemma-rogers.com.