Who’s Russ?

A bit about me.

Hi - I’m Russ. I live with my partner of 22 years, my two teenagers, plus ‘Elsie’ my rescue dog in the UK, and I work in London and Yorkshire, plus internationally online. I’m a devoted family man with a love for the great outdoors, sporting activities (biking, tennis, surfing, running, darts……) and travelling when possible, because I like to see how other cultures deal with life. And I never feel better than when I’m in the sea and sun. I think I’m solar-powered.

I’m a coach but I prefer to describe myself as a ‘co-pilot’ as this describes the coaching process I adopt to empower people like you - who may feel you’re not on the right path in life, or are struggling with health, identity or career blocks - to discover your ‘new’ direction and make positive change in your life. I want you to feel happier, and I’m there on the journey with you.

I’m compassionate, a creative solutions thinker, I have an adventurous spirit, am curious about the way we think and are programmed to think, and even though I’m no longer in my earlier professional career, I won awards for large scale innovations which are still being used today, so I like to think outside the box. I made a mark.

Helping others is a huge part of my purpose and passion. I have been on my own journey of self-discovery and have plenty of life experience to call upon. I know what it’s like to have had a difficult upbringing with caregivers who have perhaps let you down, or you may never have received the quality guidance you deserve. I was raised by a single parent in a household rife with stress and anxiety. I lost my father to suicide, and I have experienced burn-out and chronic illness in my striving to create what I thought was a successful life.

I had very limited beliefs, hadn’t dealt with my trauma, and I was absorbed with negative self-talk. I was very sick and unhappy in all aspects of my life. I felt I was failing as a father and as a provider.

What did this look like? I was overworking, wasn’t present at home, was striving to improve but at the expense of my health and my family. I was outwardly very successful professionally, but inside was dealing with anxiety, self-doubt, low confidence, and lots and lots of people-pleasing.

I wanted to be in control of everything - never letting go or going with the flow. I wasn’t able to appreciate the now, as I was so focused on bettering my future and wanting more. I was only really happy when doing extreme activities and was dopamine hunting all the time, but without focus.

I lacked peace and true fulfilment. My achieving was for its own sake, and not with my health and wellbeing in mind. It was hellish. I had a physical breakdown and contracted pneumonia and CFS.

I eventually turned it around with external help. Initially I believed that I just had to ‘get on with it’, push and work harder to make things work! I thought coaching or mentoring was for someone else and that my situation was just something I had to figure out myself.

How wrong I was. I now know through my coaching education that I had all the tools & resources I needed to find my way. I was just lacking a coaching framework and the understanding of how our mind-body connection is pivotal to health and wellbeing.

Once I sought coaching/therapy help, through that transformational process I discovered the purpose that I had been chasing all my life was right in front of my nose. Now, I understand how to focus on self-care and my mental health. I’m in control of my health and my emotions, how I spend my time and where my energy goes. The way I see the world and myself has changed irrevocably.

The three most important things I now believe are:

The way we talk to ourselves matters.

Science has shown that our brains are plastic. We’re all capable of the change we want to see in ourselves - we’re not fixed, either at what we’re doing in life or who we are. We’re renewing cells daily, and we can renew thoughts and actions daily too. We just need a few nudges and pearls of knowledge to get us there.

We all need and deserve help. (Coaching isn’t a luxury, health (mental or otherwise) is wealth.

Contact me above for a free discovery call to find out how I can best help you.