Helping You Make It Happen

I don't need to tell you the value of thinking and dreaming big - but sometimes you can get so caught up in the hamster wheel of day-to-day work that there isn't much time left for your dreams.

Coaching is an opportunity to 'stop the world and get off' for an hour. To reflect on what's most important to you, and what you want to achieve. I'll help you take a look at the big picture of your work and life, and transform vague dreams into a clear, inspiring and compelling goal.

Even if you come to me preoccupied with a problem, I'm going to ask you what you want instead of your current difficulty. That way, you're focused on achieving something you really want, rather than avoiding something you don't.

I'll challenge you to go beyond 'good enough' and set yourself a challenge that sets your imagination alight. Once we have that, it becomes the focus of our work together. I'll help you make concrete plans and take action to make your goal a reality - including handling the inevitable obstacles you encounter along the way.

Once you know your real priorities, everything becomes easier. With clear criteria, you can decide what to do on a yearly, monthly, weekly and daily basis. Even when you have to make a split-second decision in an emergency.

We'll start with the big picture, identifying your biggest strategic priorities (if you're a business owner) or core responsibilities (if you're an employee). I'll also help you find the 'sweet spot' where the work you love to do overlaps with what other people (bosses, colleagues, clients) love you to do. We usually discover that many of your top priorities fall into the 'important but not urgent' category, and are in danger of being swamped by 'apparently urgent' demands - so we'll look at ways you can make medium to long-term tasks feel more urgent.

That phrase might sound a little woo-woo, but it's a biological fact that all creatures on planet Earth* experience daily cycles of arousal and rest as the sun rises and sets. If you're a 'morning person' you're at your most alert, focused and creative before noon; if you're a 'night owl', you do your best work when everyone else has gone home. Simply working on the right tasks at the right time can turbocharge your creativity and productivity.

I'll help you identify the times of day (or night) when you are at your best - and help you 'ring fence' these for focused creative work. I'll also show you ways to persuade bosses, colleagues and clients to accept your new schedule.

*OK there are a few organisms that live inside volcanoes at the bottom of the sea, and get their energy from the earth's core rather than the sun. But apart from them.

Many people are surprised to learn that some of the most creative individuals are creatures of habit, working to a regular daily routine. You will achieve an awful lot more, creatively and professionally, when you establish work habits that are in tune with your creative process.

I'll help you design your creative workflow so that your most important and fulfilling work takes centre stage. We start with the 'most creative times' we identified in your daily energy cycle. Then we slot in everything else - meetings, e-mail, phone calls, research, meals, and whatever else is on your plate. (And don't worry, we leave plenty of room for spontaneity and improvisation!)

Creative flow is the magical state of mind you experience when you are working at your best: the idea start flowing, the work feels effortless and enjoyable, and time stands still, so that a few hours can feel like a few minutes. Flow is such an intense experience it's probably the main reason why you chose a creative career.

Although flow is a magical experience, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has identified the critical factors that induce it, including work on a meaningful challenge, the right balance between difficulty and ability, and the absence of distractions. I can help you identify the key conditions for your own creative flow, so that you can experience it more often, and produce better work as a result.

"You'll think it's silly but" is one of the most common phrases I hear from clients when they describe their working habits. Lucky gonks, magic pens, warmup rituals and bizarre superstitions are remarkably, and among creative people - and for good reason. The neuroscientists are now confirming what we creatives knew all along - that these things act as 'triggers' for the emotional state in which we do our best creative work.

My original professional training was in hypnotherapy, which has given me a sharp eye for the little everyday triggers creative people use to get themselves in the zone. Don't worry, I won't hypnotise you, but I will help you make artful use of triggers such as a favourite coffee cup, background music, visualisation or a change of scene to access powerful creative flow states.

Priorities, routines and rituals can be powerful steamrollers to crush Resistance underfoot. But sometimes it continues to stubbornly (ahem) resist. In which case, I have a bulging bag of tricks to help you stop procrastinating and get on with your work.

It's counterintuitive, but sometimes telling yourself you need to get started can crush your motivation - and pretending you're not going to do it can bring it back to life! You may think you don't have enough willpower, but in my experience will power is parsley overrated. Often, all you need is someone to give you a different perspective on the situation, to help you discover where you've become stuck - and that's what I'll give you.

Believe it it or not, that nagging critical voice at the back of your head is actually trying to help you. Let's face it, if you didn't have an Inner Critic with high standards, you'd be satisfied producing mediocre rubbish. Problems only arise when the Inner Critic gets hyperactive, letting negativity overwhelm good judgment.

I can help you get your Inner Critic back on your side, so that it becomes an asset rather than a liability. Sometimes all it takes is scheduling separate times for drafting and evaluation. Other times it's more complex, and we need to tease out your most important criteria and make sure you are applying them in your work. But whatever it takes, I'll be 100% focused on finding the right solution for you. And rest assured, you won't be the first client I've seen facing this issue!

The creative industries can be a brutal place. You slave for days or weeks on a piece of work, only for an ignorant client to dismiss it without even understanding it. Or your boss shreds your confidence with a cutting comment. And as for the professional critics and reviewers...

But unless you're an established rock star, you can't get away with lashing out at the critic or flouncing off in a huff. If you want professional respect, you need to handle criticism professionally. That's not to say you swallow it whole - but if you're going to challenge it, you want to do it in a way that gives you the best chance of a positive resolution.

Because it's not my work at stake, I can help you take a step back and look at the situation - and feedback - more objectively. Firstly, I can help you decide whether there is any merit in the feedback (however poorly expressed). If you're dealing with a boss or client, I can help you talk to them and establish clear criteria for evaluating your work, and get it signed off to everyone's satisfaction. (I can also help you with the emotional impact of criticism and rejection - see the page about Coaching for Motivation and Momentum.)

There are few things more frustrating than a creative block. And if you're a creative professional, it can be downright embarrassing. This is when talking to a coach who understands the creative process from the inside-out can save you a world of pain.

I'll help you deal with both the creative and professional aspects of the block. Over the past 15 years I've helped hundreds of artists and creatives get unstuck - so the chances are I've probably come across a similar block to yours. I'll help you relax and take the pressure off yourself, and help you discover exactly how you're blocking yourself - and what you can do to get unblocked, fast.

We'll also look at how you manage your professional relationships, so that you continue to inspire confidence in your clients and colleagues. And once you're back on track, we'll look at how you can avoid the same pitfalls in future, so that you return to work full of confidence and enthusiasm.

Imagine what a difference it would make if you knew, with rocksolid certainty, that you had captured all your important commitments, so that it was impossible to forget them. For most people, this would relieve a major source of daily anxiety, and free up a lot of mental bandwidth for more creative and productive thinking.

It might sound hard to believe, but I've removed this source of anxiety from my working life. I can show you how to do the same, my training yourself to record every commitment you make -- to yourself and others -- in a place where you are confident you will return to it in time to get it done. Like all new habits, it can take a bit of practice and fine tuning, but once you've established it, can stop worrying about forgetting things and start thinking about more interesting things.

There's no point capturing commitments unless you act on them. Once you have robust productivity systems in place, you can crank through admin, errands, e-mails and other mundane tasks in record time, and get on with your own priorities. (Or even give yourself the rest of the day off...)

I'll teach you how to organise your work into projects, create doable to-do lists, and batch similar tasks for efficiency. I'll also show you some little Jedi mind tricks to get yourself to do those niggling unpleasant jobs you've been putting off.

If I could show you a way of actually finishing e-mail for the day, so that there was no more for you to answer, would you be interested in learning it? It might sound far-fetched, but - unless you work in a newsroom or similar job, where being 'always on' and instantly responsive is a core requirement of your role - then it's certainly possible.

By establishing firm rules about when and how you answer your e-mail, you can stop it intruding into every moment of your working life, and derailing your important work. I can help you find the time(s) of day when you can answer your e-mail without interfering with more important tasks. I can also show you how to process e-mail efficiently, emptying your inbox and keeping up with your correspondents - but not at the expense of your own work.

There are exceptions to every rule, and these are the exceptional people in your working life and you need to give the VIP treatment. These are the ones whose e-mail you answer straight away, the ones who get your private cellphone number, once you're prepared to drop everything for. They are never interrupting, because collaborating with them is one of your mission-critical tasks.

I'll help you identify the VIPs in your working life. Typically these are bosses, business partners, certain clients and key collaborators. Then we'll work out what kind of 'VIP passes' you need to give them so that they can contact you whenever they need to. We'll also look at the nature of your working relationship with them, so that you can help each other achieve more together. (See my page about Coaching for Communication and Collaboration to get a flavour of my approach to working relationships.)

Interruptions are the bane of many creatives' lives -- especially if you work in a shared office. Focused concentration is one of your most important tools, so you need to protect it as best you can. This is where communication skills overlap with productivity techniques, in talking to others and establishing new ways of collaborating.

I'll help you rehearse those tricky conversations with colleagues, bosses and others who habitually interrupt you with non-urgent demands or fake emergencies. Often, they simply don't realise what they're doing, and a simple request is all it takes. Other times, they need a little more persuading before they are willing to alter their ways. This is where I can help you find that elusive 'what's in it for them?' to communicate their requests in a less disruptive way. (Again, the Communication and Collaboration page will give you more details on how I do this.)

Don't despair if you have one of those inboxes with hundreds of e-mails waiting for a response. Or stacks of unfiled documents taller than your filing cabinet.

Following productivity guru Mark Forster's advice to 'isolate a backlog', I'll show you how to instantly clear your inbox or desk (hint: it involves a folder labelled 'backlog'!) and stop the backlog plugging up your workflow. I'll then help you carve out time to work through the backlog until it's done. I vividly remember the day I deleted the last e-mail in my 1,000+ backlog, and look forward to hearing you describe the same feeling of relief when you've done it for yourself!

Creative freelancers sometimes come to me and say they want to use the internet to 'get more clients'. Fair enough. But you can achieve a lot more, creatively and financially, if you look beyond getting clients and start thinking and acting like a creative entrepreneur.

Creative entrepreneurs use their creative talents to build thriving and fulfilling businesses. They don't just provide services for other people's businesses - instead, they create business assets of their own whose value increases over time, so that they can earn more money for less effort.

Here are four types of business asset you can create with just a laptop and your imagination:

• A brand - a consistent, impressive and inspiring public image, maintained by positive word-of-mouth from your fans
• Online properties - e.g. websites, blogs, e-commerce stores, e-learning programs and membership sites
• Permission assets - mailing lists of customers and prospects, who give you permission to contact them when you have a new product, event or service to offer them
• Products - physical or digital artefacts that you create and sell, taking you off the treadmill of hourly rates and allowing you to scale your income exponentially

I'll help you decide what kind of business assets will be easiest and most advantageous for you to create. I'll also hope to inspire you with the idea that building these assets is not just financially rewarding but also creatively fulfilling.

All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

The internet is littered with 'how to' tips on blogging, social media and marketing. But people who are making a decent living from their online activities are not so common.

The reason is that successful business owners don't just concern themselves with tactics such as copywriting, website design or optimising pages for search engines. They start with strategy, clarifying the big picture of their business goals and gameplan. Once they have this in place, their use of tactics becomes much easier -- and more effective.

There's no point churning out content on your blog, or running around on social networks, unless you have a solid business strategy that means you’re reaching the right people, in the right place, with the right message and the right offer.

I'll help you clarify your strategy in four main areas:

• Business strategy -- What are you trying to achieve with your business? What's your gameplan for achieving it?
• Marketing strategy -- Who are you trying to reach? What are they in the market for? How will you appeal to them? How will you stand out from your competitors?
• Presence strategy -- Where do your customers hang out online? How will you reach them? What homebases (your own websites) and outposts (other sites and networks) do you need to establish to stake out your territory?
• Content strategy -- What do you need to communicate to your audience, to establish you as a trusted authority? What media (text, audio, video, images) will engage them most effectively? How will you produce outstanding media content on a regular basis?

When you have the answers to these questions, you tip the odds of victory in your favour.

Sometimes marketing isn't the first thing you need to fix. If you have a business model that means you don't earn enough money from each customer, then adding more customers with successful marketing will only make the problem worse! If you can only bill 40 hours a week, or make four hand-crafted chairs, then attracting orders for 400 hours' work or 40 chairs will give you a headache.

This comes back to my point about creative entrepreneurship: if you switch from charging for billable hours to creating and selling a product, with a scalable distribution system, you can sell as many units as you like. Or if you're an artisan who can only make so many chairs a week, you could establish yourself as a high-end brand, and spend the whole week lovingly making one chair, and sell it for the price of ten of your old chairs.

This is the kind of creativity I'll invite you to apply to your business, making it more rewarding in every sense.

You may have the most wonderful product or service in the world, but if no one wants to buy it, you have a problem. This is particularly hard for artists and creatives to grasp, because if you're anything like me, you put your heart and soul into your creations - so it's very difficult to take a step back and look at them through the eyes of your (potential) customers.

I'll provide you with a fresh perspective on your work, helping you stand back and evaluate your market more objectively. No matter where you're struggling, there are always options: find new customers; develop new products or services; change your pricing structure; or simply get better at communicating what you do and why other people should care about it.

You need a decent website.

When they land on your homepage, potential clients and customers want reassurance that they are dealing with a professional. And if you want to attract the attention of influential online collaborators, or just get people to link to your blog, you should know that online entrepreneurs will judge your website - and therefore you - within seconds of landing on it. Harsh, but true.

As well as looking good, your site needs to be user-friendly enough to give you complete control over it - you can't afford to wait for your web developer to update it. And it needs to be flexible and powerful enough to serve as a dynamic media platform, publishing text, graphics, audio and/or video.

But there's no point spending a fortune on the site until it's making money and earning its keep. Fortunately you don’t need to. I usually don't build websites for clients myself, but I can advise you on the most effective (and cost-effective) options.

If you’re really bootstrapping I’ll show you how to create a professional and powerful site for less than $200. And if you have some money to spend I’ll show you how to get best value from it, by recommending web developers who will deliver a lot of value for your budget and give you a site you can use.

I’ve had clients thank me for saving them thousands of pounds by finding alternatives to big budget developers. So please talk to me before you write that cheque!

Whatever your line of work, if you want to succeed online you need to get into the media business. One of the biggest current trends in online marketing is content marketing, i.e. using educational, entertaining and/or informative media content to attract an audience of potential customers.

Content marketing can take many forms, including:

• blogging
• podcasting
• e-mail newsletters
• webinars
• free reports
• e-books or white papers
• video tutorials
• music downloads
• photo sharing

And the funny thing is, the less your media content looks like advertising, the better it functions as advertising. This is because social sharing is critical to getting your message out. Most people don't get excited enough about a sales page to share it on Twitter or Facebook. But if you publish an insanely great free resource, such as an enlightening article, a free e-book chock-full of useful advice, or a video of your last gig, many more people will get excited and tell their friends via social networks.

Because you're a natural creator, who loves to write or make audio/video/visual media (delete as appropriate) you have an unfair advantage at internet marketing. All you need to do is to channel your creativity in a direction that benefits your business. So that the media content you create attracts the attention of the kind of people who buy what you sell. And I can help you with that part. ;-)

I'll help you clarify the core message you need to get out there, to attract your fans and turn fans into customers. Once we have that, we can develop your content marketing strategy, where you plan out:

1. The kind of media (text, audio, video, graphics) you're going to produce
2. The 'content of your content' (education, entertainment, news etc)
3. The 'cornerstone content' that will be the foundation of your online marketing efforts
4. Your regular content publishing schedule

Your content marketing needs to be sustainable as well as effective. So I'll make sure you're working on the kind of media you enjoy creating. (So if you hate writing, relax! There are alternatives.) And if you're wondering where you'll find the time, we can also look at your time management, to find ways to fit content creation into your schedule.

Many people start writing a blog full of enthusiasm, but are tempted to give up after a few months or even weeks, because they aren't attracting enough readers to make it feel worthwhile. That's a shame, because they often have the kernel of a great blog, but they are neglecting important factors that could make all the difference.

I'll be happy to share my experience of building not one but two successful blogs for my own business over the past five years, and to help you use the same principles to grow your own blog. We'll start with your business and marketing strategies (see above) to make sure you create the kind of blogs that will help you reach your business goals.

Next we'll move on to your content strategy, to give your blog focus and direction. I'll help you get the right blend of different types of blog content: educational, provocative, informative, authoritative and/or entertaining. Then we'll look at the fine details such as headline writing, article structure, storytelling and proofing.

And we're not done there. Many bloggers make the mistake of thinking 'build it and they will come'. Not true. If you want to succeed as a blogger, it's not enough to produce stellar content. You need to get out there and network with other bloggers, readers, and online influencers. So I'll show you how to use commenting, guest posting and social networking to build relationships that will grow your audience.

If that sounds like a lot of work, I'm afraid it is. Blogging is not a shortcut to success.

But the good news is, if you enjoy writing and connecting with new people, it won't feel like work. And if you get the strategy part right, then over time you'll be adding value to your business with every post you publish -- in which case, blogging becomes a smart investment. If that idea appeals to you, I'll be happy to help you give your blog a boost.

Regardless of how good you are, relationships will make or break your business. Unless your customers know who you are, it's hard for them to buy from you. And if you want to catch the attention of people who can help you -- bloggers and other influencers, service providers, collaborators and potential business partners, even competitors -- you need to get out there and meet them. And social networks are the perfect place to make new connections, raise your profile and get your message to spread.

But there's no point running around on Facebook or Twitter making lots of noise and 'friends', if your social networking isn't aligned with your business strategy. Used wisely, social networks can amplify all of your other efforts, finding new visitors to your site, subscribers to your blog or newsletter, and ultimately customers for your business.

But if you're not careful, they can be a time suck, distracting you from your real work. Even worse, you could be inadvertently projecting an image that is actively harming your business.

I'll help you assess the potential value of social networks to your marketing efforts, and introduce you to different types of network. We'll look at your work schedule, and find a way to fit social networking into your day without detracting from your core activities. And we'll also look at the fine detail of what to do and say online, navigating the etiquette minefield of making new connections ('to friend or not to friend?').

When we're done, you'll not only have a manageable and effective way of finding new fans, customers and collaborators, but you'll probably find this one of the most enjoyable aspects of your marketing!

'The money's in the list' is a direct marketing mantra that has been taken to heart by successful internet marketers.

The holy grail for online entrepreneurs is to have an e-mail list of thousands of customers who are eagerly looking forward to the launch of your next product, service or event. Press the magic button, the e-mail goes out, and minutes (or even moments) later, there's a rush of traffic to your website and the cash till starts ringing. It may sound like pie in the sky, but there really are people out there who have such lists.

You can probably see the business value of having a list like that. But building it is far from easy. That level of trust takes time, creativity, integrity, and a lot of hard work.

So how do you get people to join your list, stay happily subscribed, and buy from you? (I'm assuming you know you should never, ever, add someone to your email list without asking their permission!)

I can help you build an e-mail list to strengthen the relationship between you and your audience, turning more of your fans into happy customers.

We'll develop a content strategy for your e-mail messages (see above), and I'll coach you through the process of writing a sales page to encourage people to sign up, as well as crafting e-mails people will look forward to receiving. We'll also analyse the responses you get, looking at the numbers of people who subscribe, unsubscribe, open your e-mails, click on the links, share with their friends, and respond to your offers by buying.

If you glance up the page, you can see I've devoted a lot of space to building your website, audience, reputation, relationships and mailing lists. As I said at the beginning, internet marketing is not a get-rich-quick approach. The rewards can be huge, but it takes time and effort to build the relationships and trust that will deliver sales.

The good news is, if you've done a good job on the above tasks, you will have removed most of your audience's resistance to your sales pitch. By the time they land on your sales page, they will know who you are and may well have interacted with you personally. So if they're still here, chances are they trust and like you enough to consider your offer.

But you still need to close the sale - which means knowing when, where and how to make your offer. And having a sales page that clearly lays out the benefits of your offer, deals with potential objections, and ends with a compelling call to action.

I'll help you understand the sales psychology that helps you decide when to make your offer, and how. And when it comes to writing your sales page, I'll give you the benefit of my experience as a former freelance copywriter and the writer of nearly all the sales pages for my own business. (I say 'nearly all', as the others were written by my former business partner, copywriting guru Brian Clark - and rest assured I was paying close attention to his technique!)

And if you really can't face writing the sales page yourself, I can recommend good copywriters who will do the job for you.

'Death by PowerPoint' has given presentations a bad name. So many presenters turn up with slides covered in bullet points or paragraphs of text, which they then read to the audience, that we've come to accept it as normal. It isn't. You can make a big impact by taking a different approach and applying your creativity to your presentations.

I'll show you how to structure a presentation so that it's easy to remember, meaning you don't have to use slides full of bullet points as a crutch. I'll also help you unlock your natural gift for storytelling, and use it to engage audiences emotionally and take them on a journey of transformation. And I'll show you how to create beautiful and memorable slides that complement your spoken words, even if you're not a graphic designer (I'm not either).

Once upon a time, I used to dread giving presentations. These days it's one of the most enjoyable things I do. My aim is to give you the same feeling, so that you look forward to wowing your audience every time.

Bonus course: If you work with me on your presentation skills, I'll give you access to the online version of my popular workshop Creative Presentation Skills. This will shorten your learning curve, by introducing you to the essential ideas, so that we spend our valuable coaching time tailoring the ideas to your individual situation.

Public speaking is consistently ranked as one of our biggest fears. If you’ve never done it before, getting up in front of an audience can feel terrifying. And even professional performers are not immune to stage nerves. Sir Laurence Olivier suffered from them for years, and I’ve coached many professional actors, musicians, presenters and other performers to find a door in the wall of fear.

The first thing you need to know is that stage nerves are perfectly natural. Our body uses adrenaline and noradrenaline to put us into an alert state whenever we need to perform at our best under pressure. It only becomes a problem if we turn alertness into anxiety, by worrying about things that could go wrong. The most effective performers don’t fight the adrenaline, they go with it, channelling their excitement and energy into a dynamic performance.

I can teach you to learn to love your butterflies, using powerful breathing and centring techniques to get you into the right physical, emotional and mental state to perform at your best. I’ll also teach you the mental preparation process I use for my own presentations, and which I’ve taught to many performers over the years.

And we’ll look at your relationship with your audience — the way you think about them will have a critical impact on your emotional state, so I’ll show you how to change your mental image of your audience, and give yourself the best chance of connecting with them.

And if your anxiety relates to a presentation, we can turbocharge your preparation using my approach to Creative Presentation Skills (see above).

If you want to succeed as a freelancer or creative entrepreneur, you need to learn to sell. Many creative people shy away from sales encounters, partly because it feels scary to ask people for money, and partly because they're afraid of 'selling out' if they become too commercially oriented.

But you can't afford to think like that. Your business, your livelihood, your peace of mind, and ultimately your creativity depend on you closing enough sales to pay the bills and fund your future.

Good salespeople know that the sales process begins long before you meet face-to-face with a prospect, or before they land on the sales page of your website. You will sell far more by building your reputation as a trusted, familiar and helpful presence in people's lives before you ask for the sale. I can help you establish your reputation as the 'go to' person in your prospects' minds, using the internet marketing strategies I've used to build my own business. See Coaching for internet marketing.

If your business relies on you closing sales with face-to-face or telephone conversations, I can help you with that too, based on my experience of selling coaching, training and consulting services to large and small organisations as well as private individuals.

I'll coach you on your preparation for the sales meeting, getting yourself in the right mental and emotional state to perform at your best. Then we will rehearse different scenarios, with me playing your prospect, so that you become fluent and confident with handling just about every eventuality. This means you won't have to rely on a script or stick rigidly to your presentation, but can have a genuine conversation with the other person.

After you do the meeting for real, we'll review how you got on, reinforcing the things you do well and finding solutions to the objections and problems you encounter along the way.

Networking is like sales - one of those things most of us know we should do more of, but shy away from. The word 'networking' can conjure up images of people in cheap suits pushing business cards at each other. But luckily for you, you've chosen to work in the creative industries, which means a lot of your networking should be with interesting creative people - just like you. :-)

I'll show you how to find networking events for creatives in your area, and show you where to get attractive and professional business cards without spending a fortune. (Hint: Moo.com) Then I'll coach you through what to do and say in order to connect with people, build your network and discover new opportunities.

I'll also show you how to grow your network exponentially online, using social networking sites. These are great for maintaining relationships with people you meet in 'real life', as well as meeting new, interesting and potentially helpful people online.

I'll help you identify the most relevant social networking sites, and use them effectively. I'll also show you how to integrate social networking into your working schedule, so that you reap the benefits without spending all day online and neglecting your work!

If you've ever wondered what makes other people tick, and wished you could build better relationships with even the most baffling characters, I've got something special for you. The Enneagram is the most powerful personality typing system you've probably never heard of.

The reason it's so powerful is that the nine Enneagram types are not just composed of different personality traits -- they are founded on core values, that help you understand people's fundamental motivations. Once you spot someone's Enneagram type, it gives you an insight into what matters most to them in life.

I can help you understand and spot people's Enneagram types, making it much easier to empathise with them and see the world through their eyes. I'll then show you how to influence them, not in a manipulative way, but by appealing to their strongest values and beliefs. By improving your communication in this way, you will strengthen your working relationships.

Understanding the Enneagram will give you greater confidence and flexibility in dealing with the many weird and wonderful characters you encounter in your career, including clients, colleagues, competitors, customers, bosses and business partners.

Essential reading: If you work with me on the Enneagram, you'll get more out of our work if you read my free e-book An Introduction to the Enneagram -- it will help you grasp the basic concepts, so that we spend our valuable coaching time applying them to your own situation.

'Collaboration' is one of those nice, fluffy words that sound great in theory but are hard to put into practice. Even with people you like, it's not easy to dovetail your working habits and communication style with theirs. Especially when you are both creative types, who are known for idiosyncratic work habits. And especially when they don't return your e-mails, or keep making that slurping noise while they drink their tea.

Because I'm outside of the situation, I can help you see things from the other person's point of view and avoid turning niggling problems into arguments and bad feeling. Firstly, I'll help you get some clarity on what you really need from your collaborator(s), as opposed to things you don't particularly like, but can live with. I will then coach you to communicate your needs clearly and effectively. I'll also help you identify what they need from you, so that you don't inadvertently rub them up the wrong way.

And if there's a personality clash, I can help you understand where the other person is coming from, and find new ways to communicate with them. Using the Enneagram (see above) I can show you what motivates them, and why they do things they do. Once you understand this, it will be easier for you to speak their language, and communicate with them more effectively.

When people act like assholes, it's easy to assume that they are assholes. And if you think you're dealing with an asshole, it's hard not to treat them like one. Which tends to make things worse.

I can help you take a step back from the situation, look at things a little more objectively, and assess your options before you do something that could add fuel to the fire. Sometimes, they aren't mad or bad, they are just different to you, and have no idea how annoying they can be. In a few cases, all it takes is some gentle but firm feedback, and they're happy to change their ways. I can teach you how to deliver the feedback with maximum chance of success.

And then there are the other kind, the ones who know they are being difficult but don't really care. This is especially tricky if they are your boss, client, or an influential colleague. The first thing I'll tell you is to stop expecting them to act like reasonable human beings. You've given them your reasons why you want them to change, and they aren't interested. So if you want to influence them, you need to look at what's in it for them to change.

Because I'm outside the situation, it's easier for me to spot their motivations than it is for you. I've been doing this for a while, and I'm pretty good at spotting the different types of difficult people - and what is most likely to influence their behaviour. I can then show you how to present the consequences of doing things your way vs their way, in terms that matter to them.

And sometimes the best option is to fire them, or get yourself out of the situation. Great generals know they can't win every fight, and choose their battles with care. If you want to win over the long-term, you need to do the same. But you'll want to make sure you've thought your options through carefully, and are making the decision for the right reasons. I can help you do that.

Not every difficult conversation involves difficult people. Sometimes it's harder to raise a touchy subject with someone you like, because you don't want to upset them. But that's no reason to sweep issues under the carpet. Sooner or later, you're going to have to bite the bullet and talk to them.

I can help you rehearse that tricky conversation, giving you the best chance of finding agreement without ruffling too many feathers. The most common pitfall people make in these situations is to focus the discussion on the problem, rather than their desired solution. So I'll start by asking you how you want things to be different. Once you have that outcome clearly in mind, I'll help you find ways to pitch it to the other person in language that appeals to them.

Most conflict that arises in strong working relationships comes from misunderstandings. To help you avoid these, I can provide you with an outside perspective on how your communication is likely to come across - and give you the chance to fine-tune your approach before you knock on their door.

Creative people are notoriously sensitive about their work, and with good reason. Because we put our heart and soul into it, it's hard to be objective and take criticism lightly. Which makes it tough when you're the one who has to ask them to redraw the entire thing from scratch, or change a performance they've spent weeks perfecting.

I can help you take the sting out of your constructive criticism, firstly by demonstrating genuine respect for the other person and their creative talents, and then by establishing clear criteria for your feedback. Even if you don't have their specialist expertise, you still have the right to critique their work - as long as you make your criteria clear, and don't encroach on their professional territory.

I can't promise it will go smoothly every time - so be prepared for some flouncing or tantrums. But I can show you how to communicate feedback clearly, respectfully and sensitively. And afterwards, we can debrief how it went, and what you can learn to do better next time.

(And if you're the one on the receiving end of clumsy or cruel criticism, see the sections about coaching for creativity and motivation for how I can help you handle the situation.)

Creative people hate being managed. Which gives you a problem if you are their manager.

Contrary to popular mythology, what makes creative people 'different' has more to do with motivation than creative thinking. I can help you understand the four most powerful types of motivation, how they affect creativity, and how they influence the creative mindset. I can also show you how to avoid inadvertently crushing people's motivation, by appealing to the wrong motivators.

Creatives love to feel that they are in control of their work - yet ultimately you are accountable for the results they produce. I'll show you how to resolve this tension, by agreeing clear goals while giving them freedom to exercise their creativity within clearly defined limits. I'll also help you develop your coaching skills, in areas such as listening, observation, asking powerful questions and delivering feedback.

I'll also suggest ways that you can become a truly inspiring manager, not just a 'suit', by setting your team meaningful challenges, insisting on high standards, giving them as much creative autonomy as possible, and crediting them for their achievements.

The phrase 'emotional rollercoaster' could have been invented for creative professionals - there can't be many career paths where you experience so many highs and lows, often within the space of a few days, or even hours. Obviously we prefer the highs, but it can be just as dangerous to get carried away by success as to get too despondent about failure.

And failure is no picnic either. When you attempt something big and bold, there's always a risk of falling on your face. In fact, if you never fail, you're probably not being ambitious enough. That's why the careers of truly remarkable people are usually littered with failures along the way to success. But it can be hard to remind yourself of this while you're dealing with a big disappointment.

Deep down, we know the wisest course is to take both success and failure with a pinch of salt - but that's easier said than done.

Because I'm outside of your situation, I can help you gain a sense of perspective about the rollercoaster. I can teach you body awareness and meditation techniques that will keep you centred in the midst of exciting and stressful events. I can also show you how your beliefs and expectations can trip you up, and help you adopt a more flexible and creative mindset.

Whether you're dealing with highs or the lows, I'll continually prompt you to focus on what you can learn from the experience, making you stronger, more creative and more effective in future.

When you set yourself a big audacious goal, it's only natural to experience a twinge of fear. Fear gets a bad press, but it's actually a very natural, healthy emotion. In fact, it's one of the things I look for in a client, to reassure me that you are stretching yourself beyond your comfort zone.

I call this the 'Yes but' response - you badly want to achieve something, but you are afraid of the risks involved. Yet many people mistake fear as a cue to shy away from their goals, and start worrying about all the things that could go wrong. That's the point where healthy fear turns into paralysing anxiety.

I'll help you get past that 'but', by looking at the possible consequences of taking action toward your goal, and distinguishing valid concerns from fruitless worries. I'll then teach you techniques to stop worrying and coach you to take action to ensure your concerns are unfounded.

By the time we're done, the twinge of fear will still be there, but instead of holding you back, it will spur you to get going!

Many people don't realise that success can be just as scary as failure - until they experience it for themselves. When you achieve something spectacular, it opens up a whole new chapter in your life, where other people see you differently - and it can be challenging to come to terms with your new identity.

If you're struggling to cope with success, I'll help you take a calm look at your fears. Many clients worry that they'll 'become a different person' if they embrace the new opportunities opening up for them. While this is true in some ways, it's also important to stay true to your roots. I can help you weigh up the 'new you' and the 'old you' - and combine the best aspects of both, by making time and space in your new life for the people and activities that really matter to you.

One of distinctive traits of people who achieve big things with their lives is that they have a strong sense of urgency about the future. Not content to just respond to the demands of the day, they continually look ahead at what they want to achieve - and what they need to do today in order to make their dreams come true. This means tackling difficult challenges now instead of putting them off till later.

I'll show you how to adopt this mindset, so that you fast forward to future success and use this as your motivation to tackle your most important challenges. This is harder in the short-term, but if you make it a habit, over time things will get easier as you build up momentum and influence. And I can show you how to make it a habit. :-)

If you repeatedly set yourself goals only to quit, it may be because you're relying too much on just one of the four fundamental motivators (see above). Very often, a lack of public commitment is the weakest link. If no-one else would ever know or care if you didn't follow through on your goals, it's easy to kid yourself that they don't really matter. In other words, you don't keep your promise to yourself.

Psychologist Dr Robert Cialdini has shown that commitment and consistency are two of the most powerful motivators known to human beings. When we tell other people we're going to do something, we put ourselves on the line. It's one of the reasons marathon runners get people to sponsor them, so that there's more at stake than their own willpower.

I'll help you make the right kind of commitment to the right people (for you), to make sure you follow through on your goals.

And of course, when we work together, you'll be making a commitment to me as your coach. I won't follow you around like a drill sergeant, or yell at you if you don't do it all first-time, but I will hold you accountable for your goals. Many clients say to me, "Knowing you are going to ask me how I get on" is one of the factors that helps them push through the barriers to success.

In the section on Coaching for Creativity and Productivity, I describe how I work with clients to deal constructively and professionally with the feedback they receive. But let's face it, criticism hurts. So I can also help you deal with the emotional impact of having your work trashed by the critics or shredded by a Philistine client or boss.

Because you put so much into it, it's impossible not to take criticism personally. Over time, you should naturally develop a thicker skin, but I can help you speed this process up, using psychological techniques to distance yourself from the criticism and look at it more objectively. Sometimes this involves visualisation, other times body awareness is more important.

And if your Inner Critic goes into overdrive at negative feedback, I'll show you ways to get him or her to chill out and give you a break!

As long as you care about your work, criticism is going to hurt. But I'll help you take enough of the sting out of it that it doesn't stop you moving forward, experimenting and taking the creative risks that will lead to your future successes.

Feeling frazzled by the 'always on' lifestyle? You're not alone. Many social media power users are discovering unpleasant side-effects to being hyperconnected, such as anxiety, insomnia, impatience, and loss of memory and concentration.

What was I saying? ;-)

Oh yes - as a creative who markets myself via my blogs and social media, I love the internet more than most, and I'm not going to give up my Twitter account in a hurry. So I'm not the kind of coach who will tell you internet is unnatural and you should limit yourself to one hour a day, while drinking herbal infusions to counteract the digital toxins.

But if you want to defrazzle, you need to unplug sometimes. So I'll challenge you to cut out unnecessary digital activities while maintaining the ones that have the biggest ROI.

And - brace yourself - I'll get you to build several hours into your day with no digital media whatsoever. (Yes, that does include your smartphone!). And to do stuff that engages your body and senses as well as your mind - things like exercise, manual work, hot baths, massage, and getting out to meet people in 'real life'.

I'm expecting a few squawks of protest to begin with, but by the you're feeling relaxed, refreshed and defrazzled, you'll thank me. (But that doesn't mean you can go back to checking your e-mail at bedtime!)

When things get tough and your enthusiasm dips, it can be hard to know what’s to do: Try harder? Take a different approach? Or even quit altogether?

I can help you get some perspective on the situation, and remind yourself of what you’re ultimately trying to achieve. Sometimes that’s all it takes - you reconnect with the passion that helps you push through the obstacles barring your way.

Other times, you realise you’ve been banging your head against a brick wall, so it’s time to start looking for a different way forward. Or even give up and take a new direction altogether. But you want to make sure you are quitting for the right reasons, and not just running away. By talking the decision through with me, you can do just that. I'll also help you plan ahead and avoid situations like this in future, so that you’re happier and more effective in whatever you decide to do next.

Sometimes there's no easy way to avoid a pressured situation. You have to grit your teeth and get on with it. It could take days, weeks or even months before you start to see the results that make it all worthwhile. Meanwhile, you need to take care of yourself.

Early warning signs of creative burnout include anxiety, insomnia, perfectionism, obsessive behaviour, control freakery and a sense of the crushing weight of expectation. If you pay attention to these early on, you can make changes and avoid full-blown creative burnout.

Many clients tell me that it makes a big difference just explaining the situation to me, and getting an outside perspective on what they are going through. And because I'm not caught up in it, I can help you find the options and solutions you've overlooked.

Depending on the circumstances, these can include things like: asking others for help; saying 'no' to unreasonable demands; taking time off (even if it's only an hour or two in a busy day); and stress management techniques, from my background as a psychotherapist.

But the most important thing is that you stop taking things personally and start taking action to deal with the situation. And of course I'm there to offer support and encouragement along the way.