MY STORY

For several years I wore hand-me-down clothes. Paying rent was a problem. Fate moved us from financial plenty to financial scarcity. Which is when my journey to become a Chartered Accountant started. The prime focus of my career was to earn money.

Sub-consciously, I developed a fear of failing at my job, of losing my job, of being ridiculed for not performing. This led to my perfectionism (until recently I thought this was a good quality to have), long hours at work, seeking validation, etc. I did not realise the cost. The pleasure of watching my son grow up, of not having more memorable moments with my wife, of sacrificing my health, etc.
Climbing the corporate ladder is a natural progression in life that society endorses, and I was no exception. The money was never enough. Even when I became a CFO, I wanted more. A bigger salary, a bigger company, more status. I put on masks to hide my introvert nature, carried my stress home, and assuaged my guilt with expensive gifts. I faced toxic environments just because I labelled quitting as a sign of weakness. Self-care was ignored with a sense of pride.
One day the penny dropped. I was living someone else’s life. I achieved much but remained unfulfilled. Friends, cousins, colleagues of my age were succumbing to diseases. My son was talking about getting married – when did he grow up so fast?
Now, I have identified what matters to me most. My goals are more aligned to my values and strengths, there is no need to wear masks, I have replaced fear with joy as a motivator for life. Life is more fulfilling with no room for regrets.
Except one. If only I had someone to guide me, be my coach so I did not have to wait for life to teach me what I now know. Which is why I am now a coach to high achieving finance professionals like you, to guide and condense into a few weeks what can take a few years to learn from life.

WHO AM I

I am a finance man by profession and a coach by passion. I climbed the corporate ladder to become a CFO. I ‘had it all’ and yet, life felt unfulfilled. The idea of a larger company, a higher salary, a bigger title was not all that appealing. I knew something had to change, but what…? How…?

So, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery. I read books, did programs, talked to many people, and took on a variety of coaches. After many years of highs and lows, excitement and despondency, I have learnt and experienced a better way to live.

Life is full of paradoxes. We are called high achievers because of what we have accomplished, but in our heart life feels incomplete. We continuously upgrade our phones and laptops but neglect to upgrade the software of the grey matter that runs our life. Our lives are spent being busy as a bee, but decades pass by in the blink of an eye.
Formal education and apprenticeships equip us to earn our living, but no one shows us how to live with happiness and fulfillment.

I have become a professional certified coach, to pursue my passion of helping high achievers desiring fulfillment in life to leverage off my experience and “achieve” in months what took me years.