No limit in career change

She’s a woman on the move.

Weltevreden Park businesswoman Karen Turner shares on how she took a complete career change at a stage that no one would ever think it could happen.

“I was yearning to breach the gap between really living and just existing,” says Turner.

It was five years ago when 46-year-old Turner (at that time) left the job she always did and followed her passion.

“I previously worked as a teacher and later worked as a sales executive.”

Turner is now an Associate Certified Meta Coach. Meta coaching is a modality of coaching that looks at people’s belief systems. Turner explains that meta means above and in order for personal change to be sustainable, they work at the level of beliefs, values, frames and intention. “All our behaviors are due to beliefs that we hold in place, be they working for us or not. Meta coaching looks at meaning and purpose together with the necessary actions.”

When she first moved into the coaching industry, she was working for a company and currently, she is self-employed.

She does corporate and personal coaching, which among other things, includes wellness coaching. Within the disciplines, Turner says she also does Lifestyle and Inner Mind Sports Coaching. “People sometimes confuse this type of a coaching with psychology.” She explains that this deals with the mental side of coaching which, she says, is important for sports people to undergo. “It touches on how to deal with failure, how to bounce back, how to separate what I do from who I am.”

Another challenge in the industry is that coaching is not yet regulated and so there are some uncertified and unaccredited coaches in the market. “In the sports arena, inner mental coaching is under utilised and requires more promotion and awareness of the benefits,” she added.

The variety of people, and services she offers, is what gives her even more pleasures with what she is now doing. “What I enjoy most is that what I do never feels like work. I also have a need to give back and share my experiences and this is a platform to do that.”

Seeing the impact of what she’s done in people’s lives, is bliss to her. “Due to the various types of coaching I do, I’m constantly doing varied work and meeting new people.”

The married mother with two daughters says she doesn’t find it hard to juggle through all the roles and responsibilities. “It’s all about setting your priorities well. I always make sure that I spend quality time with my family.”

Details: karen@insideoutco.co.za