Real Stories of Alignment and Growth

From Burnt Out and Undervaluing to Thriving and Charging Her Worth

Vickie Rogerson, MD of PR Agency and Founder of Homage to Fromage

Before:

I had lost all love for my work which I was once so passionate about. I didn't know why. I felt burnt out and that it would be easier to get a job rather than running my own business. I didn't know what to charge for projects, hated quoting, and was losing a lot of money by undercharging. I was earning half the money I earned in employment because I was too scared to charge more.

I was always second-guessing how much people would want to pay me rather than what I wanted to be paid. I'd frequently knock money off an invoice before even sending it as I was worried the client would say it was too expensive. I thought clients would laugh at the cost and that my services weren't worth that much.

I said yes to everything even if I didn't want to do it. I frequently did small bits of work for free rather than having a conversation about money. I never set boundaries. I was working from home and had no pride in my appearance. I knew I had to do something as I didn't want to spend the rest of my life working in my spare room.

During:

Life before coaching with Aleksandra feels like a distant memory now—I've changed and grown so much since then. Now, my business is thriving. It changed with a thousand different nudges and realisations.

Aleksandra helped me to work through and let go of my worry. She helped me to focus on what makes me happy, to work less and earn more. I changed my whole business model, took on fewer clients, and charged more.

My biggest learning was to say NO, and in return I secured more work. I trusted in the universe to answer me. I focused on positive collaboration and inspired action. I refocused on success, not worrying about failure.

After:

I'm so much happier now. I believe in myself. I have an office that I go to every day and I make an effort with my appearance. This has really helped me separate work from my home life and I feel good about myself.

Everything that I put on my original vision has now come true and I'm now thinking bigger about what's next for myself and my business. I now understand the value I add and have overcome the fear of charging my worth. This has happened gradually, and what seemed impossible six months ago is now what I'm charging.

I'm no longer afraid to set boundaries and say no to things that don't align with what I want. I no longer feel I have to please people or put other people's needs above my own. I now invest time and money into my business. I understand my ideal client and the type of work I want, and I prioritise promoting my business.

Ultimately, Aleksandra helped me find my inner voice, to be the confident, powerful badass woman that was inside me, but I was fearful about letting shine. I connected with the vision for my business and let it flow through me. I gave myself permission to focus on myself and step into my power.

"I nearly gave up. Now, my business is thriving. With a thousand different nudges and realisations, Aleksandra helped me and my business to flourish and thrive."

From Foggy and Uncertain to Clear and Empowered

Then Senior Manager, now Director, Big Four Financial Services, APAC

Before:

Life before starting this process was uncertain, difficult, and almost foggy. I didn't have any direction and I genuinely did not know what I wanted. My biggest fear was getting to the root of my guilt, my anxiety about being a high achiever, and asking for what I want—mainly because I felt like a fraud. I doubted myself constantly, mainly because nothing ever felt 'right' but it was starting to get better.

I'd done regular therapy for depression and anxiety, which was unbelievably helpful and got me to a place of strength, but I had never invested in my future and myself like this before.

During:

The biggest struggle when I first started working with Aleksandra was picking apart my learned and conditioned beliefs and being truly and openly honest with myself about my wants, needs, and values. I feel much clearer about all of these things now.

After:

I am absolutely in a position of strength. Over the past few months I have been totally frank and honest in terms of personal and professional wants and needs.

I have clarity on where I want to be and what I need to do to get there. I have a clear understanding of what makes me happy, what gives me energy, and what my values are.

I've never felt more in control of myself and never felt more successful. I have signed a contract for a Director role that I genuinely really wanted, is more aligned with my purpose and values, and was able to negotiate working from a different country for 8 weeks of the year—something I would have been too scared to do previously. I honestly can say that I have never felt more happy and fulfilled.

What made the biggest difference was unpicking WHY I couldn't ask for what I wanted and rectifying this. This single thing has held me back for the majority of my life. Now I can safely say that this won't happen again.

"I've never felt more in control of myself and never felt more successful. I honestly can say that I have never felt more happy and fulfilled."

From Surviving to Thriving

Business Development & Marketing Director, Middle East, Engineering

"I want to start by saying thank you. The tools that you taught me, and the confidence that you gave me really helped me face up to some pretty chunky challenges. In the last year, we've gone from a 10% to 30% growth business. I've had to double the size of my team, put in a layer of line management.

We've had lots of challenges on the personal front—people with some really serious physical and mental health issues—and I think the combination of all of it, on reflection, had a pretty serious opportunity to get really overwhelming.

But I think that the skills that you taught me in terms of being grounded, using my emotions as data, staying in that Growth Mindset, and being mindful of when I am prone to slipping back into a Survival Mindset, have really been transformational. It's helped me not just to survive but to thrive in this new environment.

It's about fortitude. I'm being a lot braver and bolder in the conversations that I'm having. I'm being a lot more vocal. It's been life changing."

From Low Point to Revenue Doubling

Partner, Regional Head Office, Accountancy Firm

"When I met Aleksandra I was at a low point in my career—I had excelled in my profession and risen to a senior position in my firm when circumstances arose whereby I was questioning my role in my company, and even questioning myself and my own abilities.

Aleksandra was a fantastic sounding board—helping to diminish my negative thought patterns and refocus on positive thoughts and actions.

The transformation was rapid—aided by regular discussions with Aleksandra to keep me on the right track—and it was not long before I was feeling like my 'old self' and I could clearly see this attitude shift impacting on my client interactions. In six months, my revenue generation more than doubled and I feel more resilient to deal with any future setbacks."

From Disconnect to Authentic Leadership

Managing Director & Business Owner, Recruitment

"Before I started working with Aleksandra I felt like there was a divide between how I showed up in my business and my personal life. I was finding it hard to truly motivate myself to drive my business forward because of this disconnect. Before Aleksandra started coaching me, I wasn't even aware that this was the issue. My biggest fear previously was to show authenticity and vulnerability with my team and peers.

I had worked with some excellent business coaches in the past. With hindsight I now realise that I had fundamental mindset limitations which were holding me back. Working with Aleksandra really allowed me to see the bigger picture and has allowed me to focus on taking my business to the next level.

I am now enjoying taking my business in a new strategic direction. I am much more focused on the tasks which have the greatest impact. I am doing less procrastination and feel less fear of putting myself out there in the wider world, especially through digital channels. I have a clear message to communicate and I'm not afraid of it."

From Overwhelm to Clarity

Manager, Economic Consultancy

"Before beginning coaching with Aleksandra, I was frustrated in my work, unsatisfied with my work/life balance, and questioning whether I could progress further in my career. In short, my spirits were low after an overwhelming first six months in a new managerial role.

Before turning to coaching, I had 'vented' with colleagues. My colleagues sought to reassure me that my performance was good and that my frustrations were resolvable. However, my frustrations were such that I was lacking trust in my colleagues.

I had never had coaching before and so was unsure if it was for me. I was sceptical whether a handful of sessions could help me overcome what felt like fundamental issues I had with my workplace.

Now, I am much more positive about work—and, by extension, life more generally. I better understand which of my own behaviours and personality traits were causing me trouble in my new role. I also have a much greater confidence in my ability to succeed and progress in my new role. This comes from a much clearer understanding of which of my personal attributes and qualities stand me in good stead."

From Lost to Grounded

Manager, Global Technology Company

"I came into this process thinking I would get clarity around what I need to look for in a job, in order to be happy. Over the time we spent together I've got so much more.

I now have the tools to look after myself, be more productive, and establish new habits. I now hear the negative voice and know how to deal with it. More importantly, I have introduced the positive voice which I didn't really have before and it is making such a difference."