#BEYOUROWN MEETS JILL RITCHIE

We meet Jill Ritchie of Jill Ritchie, Life Coaching with over 21 years experience of working within the ever-changing ‘corporate world’, along with 16 years experience in the management & coaching industry. Having worked with some of the most successful and amazing humans across the world and as a committed certified, accredited life coach, Jill aims to support as many people as she can, to ensure they stop accepting anything less than 10/10 in all aspects of their life. Jill has always loved coaching and championing people to fulfill their goals by working with her clients one on one to ensure they break through their limiting beliefs and achieve their maximum potential.

Hey Jill, can you introduce yourself to us?

I’m Jill Ritchie of Jill Ritchie, Life Coaching. I help people across the Globe transform their lives.

Can you take us through your journey to where you are now?

I had 21 years experience of working within the ever-changing ‘corporate world’, along with 16 years experience in Management & coaching.  I was definitely not the best version of myself during this time, however, I had become so conditioned to believe that I had to stay in my ‘comfortable safe zone’ that I became extremely stressed, which then effected everything in my life. In January 2018 I was faced with an opportunity to move away from that environment and do something completely different. Moving out of a secure corporate role to become a Life Coach was a huge leap of faith. 

Being a Mum to 2 little Boys I was terrified, I had a huge responsibility to take care of them, but I knew that I was born to do more. Helping people become the best version of themselves is definitely my calling. This came from me being the worst version of myself over the past few years. From then, to now my life has completely changed.  I am now an advanced, accredited life coach and have worked with some of the most successful and amazing humans across the world.  As far back as I can remember, I had always loved coaching and supporting people to smash through their goals, but never believed I could actually live my dream, and do this as a job.  That was until I got out of my head, connected with my heart, and invested in my own self-care.

What is a day in the life of you like?

I wake up at 5:15am most mornings. I meditate, I practice gratitude, and I journal. I then set an intention for the day ahead. I then either go to the gym for 45 minutes, or I read.  But every morning, I ensure that I get up before anyone else and practice self-care.  This is non-negotiable.

Then it’s time to get the kids up and out to Nursery & School. My Boys are still very young, so as you can imagine it can feel like a bit of a military operation getting them out the door… “eat your breakfast”, “where’s your school bag?””put your shoes on”  That chat’s on repeat daily!

I then go back home, switch on my laptop, and connect over Zoom or Skype with my amazing clients from the comfort of my own home.  Each client is different, which makes my job so interesting.

Showing up, and helping them make incredible breakthroughs is the best job in the world. I‘m so lucky that I also get to pick up my children from School most days. I have the best of both worlds. We all eat dinner as a family which is lovely, and once the kids are in bed, I usually do more 1:1 coaching, and if I’m not doing that, I’m enjoying some R&R.

What was the concept behind launching your career as a global life coach?

For me, it was a no-brainer that I wanted to go global with my Coaching.  There are over 7 billion people in the world, and so many are not living to their true potential.  My mission is to reach as many as I can.

How is your business funded, is it bootstrapped, self-funded ect?

Self-funded to start and now operational.

Can you tell us more about your brand DNA and ethos?

I love this question. My brand is me. I show up every day as me and speak my truth. I used to think I had a set of values that I lived by, but it wasn’t until early this year, I realised I didn’t at all. I now regularly check in with my values every morning and through connecting with them I’m able to live by them every day.

How are you helping ambitious women to live their best life through your coaching methods?

Many of my clients come to me with one or two things in mind that they would like to work on to achieve a goal.  When I hold the space for my clients, it allows them to really listen to what’s going on. Often, we strive for a goal or a milestone in life, but we don’t really know why.  We think we know, but through my coaching, I allow my clients to really connect with their ‘Why.’  Something magical happens when we do that. They become a force and unstoppable.

Can you give us 3 useful tips for becoming the best version of ourselves? 

1. Practice self-care daily. Put yourself 1^st.  Once you do that, everyone around you will get the best version of you including you.
2. Surround yourself with positive people who will encourage and support you. If you are not getting this from the people in your network, get a new network.
3. Don’t let fear and conditioning stop you making changes. You were not put on this earth to play small. You are a gift, you deserve to and can live a limitless life.

Who does the team involve behind you?

At the moment, I have no team, the only team behind me is my incredible family, who help me with childcare when I’m working.

Where can you see yourself within the next 3-5 years?

I see myself travelling across the globe, inspiring thousands of people every day to live a limitless life. I also want to become the best role model for my children and allow them to experience different cultures, with incredible people, allowing them to be open to what is possible.  I’d also love to write a book. I absolutely love writing my blogs, and the feedback I’ve had so far has been amazing.

What strategies do you have in place when looking at the expansion of your coaching business?

I’m currently operating globally, but the dream is to reach more countries, through connecting with as many incredible people as possible.

Can you tell us what areas you have struggled in professionally?

Being in the corporate world for many years, I struggled to accept that 1 size fits all. So often, we can make snap judgements of people who have a different opinion, or think differently to ‘the majority’. Often people are dismissed, or pushed to the side, if they act a certain way, that’s not in line with ‘brand values’ I’ve always struggled with that. We become so conditioned to behave and act a certain way, to fit in, to stay under the radar, or to be liked. We often lose our identity, because we are so desperate to ‘fit in’.  That is something I’ve struggled with.  If we open our eyes, and minds, and connect with people’s stories, we could be more compassionate, and understand why people behave and act the way they do.

Have you ever had any other mentor? If so how has this benefitted you to grow?

Absolutely, I have a life coach & a mentor. This for me is an essential part of my growth as a coach and as a person.

What outlets do use to market your coaching services?

I can be found on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter & Instagram. I also blog every two weeks, and this is featured not only in the blog section of my website but also can be found on Thrive Global & Kivo Daily (under Women at Kivo).

Which methods are you using to build your own support network?

Again, personal self-care and the love/support from my family.  Having my own life coach and mentor is an excellent support network. I also listen to audiobooks around personal development as much as I can, when I’m in the car, or have time to myself.  I have connected with so many incredible people since I embarked on my own transformational journey. I love supporting Women in Business, so as much as I can, I will attend their events and share their business with my own Network.

What do you believe are the common misconceptions about the coaching industry and how are you using your platform and voice to educate people more?

I think one of the main misconceptions is that “life coaching is a luxury” If I’m honest, I used to think the same. I had never invested in myself before this year. Sure, I had invested in material things like clothes, shoes, and handbags, but I had never really invested in what was going on inside me.

Since it wasn’t tangible, the thought of spending money on something I couldn’t physically see was so scary.  When you really think about it though, we can have all the material things in the world that make us look and feel physically great, but if we don’t feel truly happy and fulfilled inside then how happy are you? I speak about this through my Live’s that I do across my Social Media channels and through my blogs.

What would you like to see changed for millennials in business?

More opportunities to be themselves, take a chance on an idea and be given the support. I’d love something inspirational to be in place to encourage everyone to recognise, and get excited at showing up and embracing the real them, without fear or judgement.

What is the best piece of business advice you have received to date?

To make investing in yourself a priority.

What is the number 1 critical lesson you have learned in your career so far?

Trust yourself. You have all the answers.

How do you create an evenly balanced work and personal life?

This definitely takes practice, and I still need to check in with myself daily.  At the beginning of setting up my own business, I was trying to do everything at once, I hadn’t really mastered the balance all that well. I had to remind myself pretty early on that to be the best Mum, coach and serve my clients powerfully, I had to ensure that I had the right balance.  

I ensure that I check my planner every evening and that I have built in at least 1 hour of self-care every day.  As my business is online, It’s so tempting to be reactive to messages on social media, but I always try to make sure that my phone goes on to flight mode when I go to sleep and most of the time I don’t turn it back on until I drop the kids off at school & nursery.  Most things can wait until after 9am, it’s just a habit most of us have created by looking at our phones as soon as we open our eyes.

The highlight of your career so far?

Trusting myself and facing my fears. Had I not faced my fears, I would not be helping others do the same. My clients tell me that they have never felt so happy in their life.

What gives you ultimate career satisfaction?

I have the absolute honour of helping men & women breakthrough their limiting beliefs and achieve huge goals on a daily basis. I love it when I see the differences in my clients in a matter of weeks.

What challenges have you seen to have been presented during the growth of your coaching career?

In the beginning, I used to compare myself to other coaches. The expression ‘comparison is the thief of joy’ this is so true. I had come from a career where you were always compared to others, on a daily basis.

Naturally, this was pretty hard-wired in my subconscious mind. I used to look at other coaches and compare all the time.  My own life coach & mentor helped me massively connect with my heart.  When I did that, I was able to recognise the things that made me unique and different. I was ‘me’ there’s only 1 me, and once I understood this, it became my superpower.

Which other leading entrepreneurs and pioneering game changers do you also admire and why?

There are so many incredible female entrepreneurs out there, but one that stands out for me is Michelle Mone (Ultimo). Years ago, I watched her speaking at a young person speaking event in Edinburgh.  She spoke of her incredible life story, the good, the bad and the ugly.  As a 9-year-old girl, she believed she was destined for big things in this world, her journey as an entrepreneur started then. She had so many knocks but never gave up. She followed her gut, her heat, and her soul. 

She was hours away from going bankrupt, slept in her car, got herself down to London, and did everything she could to ensure she got her business off the ground. She is a shining example of how true grit can lead to Global Success.

What is a good article or book you have read recently?

The two books that changed my life were ‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne & ‘The Miracle Morning’ by Hal Elrod, so I need to mention them. There are so many amazing personal development books out there just now, and I’d recommend reading or listening to books when you’re around the house, or in the car, or commute to work.  This has and continues to add huge value to my life on a daily basis.I’m currently reading Letting Go by David R Hawkins.

Top 3 go-to Podcast channels?

1. ‘Boss Mom’ by Dana Malstaff.
2. ‘Your Kick Ass Life’ by Andrea Owens.
3. ‘Supersoul Podcast’ by Oprah.

I’m also supporting my local girl ‘Mummy JoJo Uncut’ Her podcast is so real, honest & right up my street.

How do you measure your own terms of success?

How I feel inside. Ticking a ‘to do list’ is all well and good, but I have to be true to the real me.  I have to show up fully for my kids, my family and my clients.  I know when I have achieved that by how I feel. If something isn’t feeling quite right, I need to check in with myself, recalibrate, and listen to myself.  I hold all the answers, we all do.  Sometimes, we just need to give ourselves permission to hit the pause button, listen, and trust ourselves.

What does #BEYOUROWN mean to you?

For me, this means ‘Be you’ the real you not what society thinks you should be, not what you think you should be to fit it. Just you, happy, sad, funny, quirky, loud, crazy. If this is all you, then be it all. 

There’s only one you, so start to love the real you, warts and all. Don’t play small, to make others feel better. Show up every day, don’t put a limit on your potential.

Lastly, what is next for you?

I want to role model a limitless life on my terms, being me.

Twitter: @LifeCoachJR

Instagram: @justjillcoaching

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jillritchiecoach/

Website: https://www.jill-ritchie.com