ABOUT KATIE

Your Perfect Partner to Help you Create Your Best Life

Katie Farrell Coach

Hi, I’m Katie

Lover of life, fun, freedom, spirituality, travel & the sea

Mum to a gorgeous son

…And a (so far) unquenchable passion for learning and personal-development!

 

If you’re reading this page, then I hope that means I’ve piqued your interest in The Catalyst for Life enough for you to want to find out who you’ll potentially be working with…and whether we’d be a good fit?  Let’s explore a bit further and find out!

So, let’s tell you a little about me and how I came to create The Catalyst for Life – a place where my belief is that everyone deserves to lead a life they truly love and can live on their own terms…without regrets or feeling guilty!  And through workshops, coaching programmes, a podcast and online courses, I get to share my passions and decades of training, investment and experience with you to help you get there as quickly and effectively as possible.

 

I’ve loved helping others solve their problems

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved helping others to solve their problems and see how they can make improvements in their lives.  From helping classmates with their schoolwork, to friends with boyfriend worries, to CEO’s with underperforming teams.

And for me, it’s not about simply doing things for people, it’s about guiding and empowering them with the knowledge, tools and experience necessary to be able to take over the reins and do things for themselves.

As the famous saying goes:

“Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day;

show a man how to catch a fish and he feeds for a lifetime”.

Leap of faith woman holding hands

Transition effectively through change

Like many people who set up in business for themselves, my background and experiences come from the ‘corporate’ world. I’ve had senior roles in HR, training and change management, typically helping companies to operate systems and processes more efficiently and their people to transition effectively through change, improving their relationships and teamwork along the way.

My corporate career was going well; I was in a senior management role and enjoyed the various trappings that this brought, such as regular holidays around the world, my own home, company cars etc.  However, like many of the people I’ve coached over the years, it took a series of major life events, (that sound like an excerpt from a Births, Deaths and Marriages register!) that forced me to pause, take stock and realise I wanted something else.

I’d taken a sabbatical from my job working with the NHS to live and work in New Zealand for a year, and when I returned to the UK it wasn’t long before I became a proud mum to a gorgeous little boy. I’d always wanted children and yet after receiving a medical diagnosis in my mid 20’s of polycystic ovarian syndrome, which affects fertility, I feared that that may not become a reality for me – at least not naturally.  And so, this pregnancy was even more special to me.  To this day, I still credit the training I undertook to become a Reiki Practitioner (and later upskilled to Master level) with clearing the way for my son to find me.  And the day he came into this world was the day I gave birth to more than a child…

 

Mind over Matter

Through my experience of labour, which lasted all weekend and saw me mentally crossing off almost every wish on my birthing plan, I realised that I tackled it in much the same way I have most challenges in my life; in short, through ‘mind over matter’ but which I later realised was a form of self-hypnosis, wherein I needed no pain relief throughout the labour.  Having always been fascinated by what makes people ‘tick’, I went on to study Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, whilst still working a 30 hour week, and as a now single parent.

When the global crash of 2008 then made my senior Change Management role redundant, rather than taking this as a negative, I took a leap of faith, fast-tracked my studies to qualify and within 6 weeks was up and running with clients in a brand new Hypnotherapy practice.  I helped clients in areas such as: overcoming fears and phobias, improving their confidence, to manage debilitating conditions such as IBS and chronic fatigue, and even to beat their personal records at international triathlons and national-level gymnastics.

WHERE I AM NOW

I realised that the best part of working with my clients for me was when I’d helped them overcome an obstacle.  Seeing that glimmer of hope and excitement in their eyes and helping them to recognise their strengths and true potential, then explore how they could use their newfound confidence and beliefs to achieve something they’d only dreamed of, was priceless! In fact, one client said it was like I’d given her a set of wings and then helped her work out where and how to fly – I still love that!  

So I continued my studies in coaching, stress management, neuroscience, energy healing, mindfulness and The Law of Attraction (amongst others!), building up a truly holistic approach to my work. 

However, it was only when I was felled by a series of health conditions culminating in adrenal fatigue and ME, around the same time I was selling my networking for female entrepreneurs franchise, that I realised I needed to practise what I preached more – not easy as a high-achieving perfectionist!  So I started looking inwards more, increasing my meditation, spirituality and energy work for myself and over a couple of years gradually found my way back to health and vitality. 

This whole journey fuels my passion to help other women to not just create a life they love, but to do so in a way that’s authentic and aligned to their values and strengths, that’s on their own terms…and avoids burnout!

Leap of faith woman holding hands

YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE

Has any of this resonated with you?

You may currently be somewhere similar to where I’ve been, facing the same kinds of challenges?

Perhaps you’ve been looking after your family who are now grown and you’re ready to do something for you again?

Or maybe you’ve hit that point where you realise you’re no longer happy in your career, but you have no idea what else you could do?

Or is your inner voice/gut calling for you to do something different before it’s too late?

Then please get in touch; I’m always happy to chat over a real or virtual coffee to see whether we can work together to make some amazing life transformations for you!

Distance is no barrier as I work with clients around the world via Zoom. Our first call is free, so let’s grab a coffee!

SOME FUN FACTS ABOUT ME…

Katie
My hair grows like I sleep in manure! Blame it on the Irish blood (that’s certainly where I get my curls) but I also love that it means I can have it short and dark one minute and shoulder length blonde curls the next!
Sun and sea
I love the sun – whether it’s +30 or -10; if the sun’s out, I’m happy! Just feeling its warmth on my skin puts an instant smile on my face and I love seeing that chain reaction with people, where 1 smile is caught and passed on to the next person & the next & the next….happy days all round! I love the sea – swimming in it, kayaking on it or simply sitting beside it, just hearing the ocean makes everything feel right!
Sydney
I love to travel – I’m a UK-born, optimistic, fun-loving adventure-seeker, with travelling blood in my veins! From a young age, I’ve been fascinated by other countries, cultures and languages. I’ve visited many parts of the world, from the Med, Europe & Scandinavia to the USA, Mexico, Cuba, Middle East & Malaysia, plus I lived in New Zealand for almost a year, but it is Australia that captured my heart when I first landed there in 2000..and like a magnet it’s drawn me back many times since! I’m a bit of a Nomad; in the words of the great Paul Young (80’s hit singer, from the same home town as me) – “Wherever I lay my hat, that’s my home…” When you’re happy in your skin and love life and all the opportunities it provides you with, you can feel at home anywhere.
Mum-and-Son
I’m Mum to a fantastic son, who fills me with such love, pride and joy every single day. He makes me laugh until my belly aches…and his hugs are the best! I can still do the splits! I love singing, humming, whistling, basically anything musical and you’ll find me doing it anywhere. I love learning: languages, dances, self-development books to soaking up more about this wonderful Universe we inhabit and its infinite possibilities. Did I mention I’m a huge fan and advocate of The Law of Attraction?!

WHAT MY CUSTOMERS SAY…

Katie makes you feel at ease immediately and gathers information on what you do and where you’re at in such an easy going way, methodical but conversational. Her personality profile process for identifying how you function and how you communicate best with people is really enlightening and clear to understand and she takes the time to go through it properly to make sure you get the most from it. She validates which way she would like to go and gets permission from you, explaining where she’s going and what technique or coaching she’s about to give you and for me that’s key as I’m someone who needs to understand “why” and where we’re going. The methods she taught me for managing the areas I want more control over and to attract what I want into my businesses are brilliant and so easy to replicate. I’d highly recommend Katie to any business owner, near or far, wanting more from their efforts this year. 5*

Kate C. – Hertfordshire