Licensed Firework coaches

I help smart women redesign a workable and fulfilling career path after motherhood. My clients have taken time out to raise their family and are ready to re-connect with their professional self. But simply diving back into their old industry isn’t going to cut it. They want space and support to get clear on their skills, strengths and passions, to explore other avenues and think differently.

My mission is to champion and challenge you. Help you shake off the doubts and ditch the procrastination. Reawaken your self-belief and get you in action. I am passionate about helping women not lose themselves amid the highs and lows of motherhood. I want us to be able to reconnect with who we were, finally create space to take stock, and find a realistic way to realise the dreams or ambitions we still have. There's a lot of life still to be lived as your children grow. Don't you owe it to yourself to make a conscious choice about how you spend it?

Languages: English, Greek

www.marlenephilippou.com

Hi, I’m Marlene, 

My passion is to empower and inspire people to lead conscious lives!

As humans we evolve, we change, circumstances shift and each stage of life brings new opportunities. I believe in creating new futures that inspire us throughout our lives.  And I love to work with my clients to support them discover what is important to them, define goals that really matter & figure out how to get there. Often this involves helping people see things from a new and different perspective, which in turn changes the way they behave and ultimately impacts what is possible. Changing perspectives can also ignite new energy and passion and allows us to let go of old stories that are holding us back.

Within my own quest for self-discovery, I have come to understand that it is only when accessing the most authentic expression of ourselves, that we can find meaning and purpose in our life. Everything we have lived, everything we have experienced, leaves its mark on our own cells. It is a valuable part of us. And always, a great starting point in our inner journey!

I have trained with the prestigious Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) and Firework and I am an Accredited Certified Personal Development Coach & Licensed Career Coach. I am a respected and long-time contributor in the Cyprus community with a commitment in the field of education, youth empowerment and women’s leadership development.

Through S.M.A.R.T. Options Educational Services, the organisation I founded 25 years ago, I have counselled & directed 15,000 students and mentored & supported hundreds of women with career plans and how to sustain a healthy work-life balance. 

With 40 years in the working arena and after a multitude of roles (employee at both small companies & multinationals, business-owner, teacher, trainer, employer, active volunteer & citizen, working mother), my belief is that there is nothing that can’t be conquered if we set our heart to it.

For nearly 3 decades, I have served wholeheartedly a number of international professional women’s associations through various positions of leadership. In 2004, the Cyprus Federation of Business & Professional Women, nominated me for the Young Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award, while in 2011, I was appointed by the European Commission, a Mentor for the European and Cyprus Networks of Mentors for Women Entrepreneurs.

As my client, in your journey of growth, I am your co-pilot to help you navigate with clarity and confidence. During our time together, I put you centre-stage and I listen deeply, respecting you as the author and expert of your own life. I ask you questions to bring about clarity for you and challenge your perceptions and assumptions when it will serve your purpose and goals. I also bring in acute intuition, curiosity, empathy and warmth, together with good humour and an always positive and optimistic mindset to support any situation.

I have travelled many roads within my quest to finding my own Truth and Purpose. And where I am now, my life and career paths have never been more representative of who I am and of what I want to be bringing into the world.

I can guide you there too. Let’s join forces!!

Helping achievers, athletes & adventurers reconnect with their purpose, passion, wellbeing & style.

• Overwhelmed?
• Disillusioned and looking to reroute or re-energise but not sure how, what, when, where or why?
• On the brink (or in the mire) of burnout?

If your answer to one or all of these is a resounding YES, then stop, and let’s take stock together before concocting a bespoke plan to get you heading onto a track that leads somewhere you actually want to go. 

Coaching with me is designed to help energise, uplift & propel

How is this possible?
1) You begin to truly understand & accept yourself for who you really are, not who others think you are or should be.
2) You believe in & commit 100% to any goal you set - even ones you've shied away from or felt you've failed at for weeks, months or decades.
3) You start seeing progress, fast.

No matter, your age, stage or bank balance, Unlock your Extraordinary™ is at the heart of everything I do. 

Famous or 'normal', royalty or feeling in a right old, royal mess, you'll be treated as the unique individual you are, one courageous enough to share that you could really do with a wee helping hand through a dark, confusing or trying time in your life.

The safe space of a connected coaching partnership requires you to be open and honest about where you're at, why that's not working for you, and where you really want to be and why. It’s worth it! There's something incredibly powerful and propelling about finally admitting you can't do it all alone and need some genuine, tailored support.

When you take this bold step, realigning your priorities with your unique strengths & experience - and with committed, connected, expert support in place to help you get there - exciting things can happen, no matter what bumps and detours transpire along the way. 

You have to take that first step but when you commit to yourself and the future you want to shape, I’ll be running alongside to keep you on track and upbeat.

One life, and every day counts, so if you're at all on the fence about whether coaching could be the way forward for you, book a no strings 30 min connection call with me https://calendly.com/kit-up/connection-call - an opportunity to ask any questions you may have. 

Connection is key and time is precious for us both, so after listening to what it is you’re experiencing & would like to, I’ll be utterly honest about whether I believe a joint partnership could energise your future. 

Whether we ever meet or not, please know that change is always possible & there is always hope - ALWAYS. Sometimes we just need some consistent care, appropriate challenge and genuine encouragement to uncover it again.

Never stop believing!
Kit

As a Certified Life and Career Coach I support clients through challenging life and career decisions, with either personalised Life Coaching sessions, or a more structured 12-week Career Transition Programme.

Currently based in Dubai and with the benefit of modern technology, I work with men and women residing in the Middle East, UK, US and further afield. The one thing my clients have in common is that, despite being successful, they find themselves in a place of transition, feeling stuck, overwhelmed and unsure about what to do next in their personal lives or professional careers.

In working with me, clients move from this place of frustration and doubt to feeling optimistic and energised. They gain confidence about their strengths and the transferability of skills, as well as a clear vision of a new career or chapter in life and conviction about what to do to get back on track. This may involve radical change, so together we set goals and develop action plans to create the necessary structure to achieve success.

My coaching practice is informed by my own experience of working in organisations across the commercial, academic, health and charity sectors. I have lived in different countries, coped with redundancy, burnout and my career has changed multiple times. I have adapted from being a career woman to a mother of two, juggling family life, my coaching business, as well as captaining an internationally competitive team.

As a coach I am passionate, perceptive and I like to create a safe, yet fun and motivating environment for clients to achieve what they never dared to think possible.

I combine design thinking and coaching to support innovative professionals through exciting transitions.

My coaching style is open, warm and creative. Clients say they find sessions with me inspiring and energising.

I mainly work with women in their late 30s and 40s, balancing between overdemanding careers in multi corporations and family life. They are often new mums set to modify their current job, or embark on a completely new journey.

I am a career coach backed up by a degree in psychotherapy. This combination allows me to understand you on a professional as well as on a personal level. An additional benefit is that I once was where you are now. I've had first-hand experience in career change, which makes me an even better guide through your career change process.

If you are stuck in your career I can arm you with the right tools to change it. If you are dealing with internal conflicts or trying hard to fight those limiting beliefs, that stop you from escaping your dissatisfying routine, I specialize in helping you.

The approach I use combines Firework coaching method with transactional analysis, a psychotherapeutic method with excellent techniques to overcome personal stagnation. My work is primarily based on discovering your core professional and life values, as well as the purpose of life. We then investigate your strengths, dealing with tools that help you use the full potential of the knowledge and skills you have already acquired.

All of my clients highlight that working with me is first of all fun, but also inspiring. Especially since I can relate to their situation due to my own experience.

I specialise in coaching professionals in their 20s and 30s who are unhappy or unfulfilled in their current career and want to do more meaningful, rewarding and impactful work that fits them better.

You may be working in a job that looks great on paper, yet you feel deeply disappointed with how your career has turned out. You're optimistic that there must be a brighter alternative.

If you're feeling completely stuck for ideas, unsure what new career would be right for you, or you don't know where to start in the process of changing career, I'm here to help. Through my 12-session Career Change Programme, you'll discover a new career to pursue with confidence and excitement, an action plan to get you there, and a deep understanding of yourself to inform future career decisions.

I'm a personable coach in my 30s with a calm, positive and friendly manner. As your personal cheerleader I'll support you through your career change and, when needed, I'll challenge you to ensure that you get the most out of our work together. I'm an attentive listener and prioritise building trust with clients to create a safe, open and supportive relationship.

I specialise in Career Change / Transition

I coach over zoom, each session is structured but open and I like to work with people with a completely open mind. My experience is very entrepreneurial, so expect some out of ordinary ideas.

Career / leadership coaching and judicial appointments for solicitors.

Eclectic and evidence-based coaching psychologist e.g. I have used psychometric tools to provide evidence of return on coaching investment and as an ex-HR practitioner/trainer and assessment centre specialist/independent lay panel member, I have insight into selection processes to help candidates succeed at job interviews of all types.

Personal Leadership & Career Coach; Strengths & Resilience; Outdoor Coaching options

Connect with your strengths, build your confidence & reboot the bits of your life that are flagging or simply just stuck! A blend of outdoor and indoor coaching - coaching packages designed to help you revive, resource and reboot your life or career.

What people have said about working with me:

"Without Sarah I honestly don’t think I would have had the confidence to secure a new role; her support, tools and guidance in how to deal with my anxiety and doubts about joining a new employer in a more senior role have been fantastic". HR Lead

Clients also tell me that...

I’m approachable and upbeat, work creatively and intuitively, balancing a sense of fun with positive challenge whilst creating a supportive and encouraging environment which brings out the best in people.