About Darren

Most Business Owners don’t own a Business, they own a ‘Job’ – I help the brave ones transform their ‘jobs’ into profitable businesses that work, so they work less!

“Darren’s coaching helped me bring order to chaos” – Haydn Johnson, Chartered Accountant, Practice Owner – Lifestyle Accounting, Nelson, New Zealand.

So….what should I tell you about the IrishCoach?

I’m still learning ‘who I am’ – I get glimpses now and then…sometimes I curse the usual one is ‘fer fecksake’…

I’m 38 yrs old, married with 2 boys and herald from good old Northern Ireland, where I started my career as an engineering apprentice (seems like a long time ago). I’ve been fortunate to experience a variety of manufacturing, engineering, management and leadership roles in my career and have worked in Northern Ireland, Silicon Valley CA, Auckland, New Zealand and most recently Nelson, NZ. I’ve always been interested in traveling, seeing the world and part of my business vision is to work with clients all around the world so that we can spend a bit more time with loved ones in Ireland, coaching as I go…..good deal for the wife and kids!!

I am passionate about learning, growing my businesses, growing myself and helping others do the same – continuous improvement is very important to me and was instilled at a young age racing motorcycles – practicing, fine tuning, physical training, strategy and mindset, making mistakes, falling down and getting back on again, preventive maintenance were all big lessons I learned from my sport and I’m so grateful to my parents for taking me racing.

I have experienced first-hand how quickly a great company can die through poor leadership and poor cash flow management. When 25 others and myself were made redundant from a environmental engineering company in 2002 I made the decision to go out on my own. I collaborated with three colleagues to set up our own company, we flipped a coin, I got heads and the Managing Directors role – didn’t have much of a clue about being the big M.D!

In a few short years, we led the company to grow steadily and be consistently profitable. When I sold my share of the business to immigrate to New Zealand the annual turnover was over £900,000 – with a healthy bottom line. What I was most proud of was that we re-employed some of the original staff that were made redundant and we fought against the odds to prove a lot people wrong – we could do it and we did! The business has continued to grow and prosper and this makes me smile inside.

The success of the business in Ireland was not just about my leadership, we had a fantastic team and the success achieved was due to everyone’s effort and commitment to getting the job done well and growing the business.

A great deal of my learning has come from not doing things the right way first time and I believe that a key factor in being successful comes from making mistakes, taking a few knocks, learning and then choosing to get back up and into the game, using the insights gained to do things differently and better the next time…

In 2008 the ‘Ward Family’ moved from Auckland to Nelson (worked as a Business Unit Manager in Auckland) and I bought a franchise to become Red Hot Business Coach. I had just completed an IIC Accredited Diploma in Life Coaching and Business Coaching and saw an opportunity with Red Hot Business Coaching to apply my business experience and knowledge in helping other business leaders to achieve their goals (and if I’m totally honest with you…..I wanted to be back in the drivers seat again, running my own business).

I delivered the holistic Mastermind Business Coaching programme in Nelson for almost 2 years (with average success) and decided to take the learning and experience gained to create Highly Effective Coaching. I exited the franchise amicably and my valued clients stayed with me through the transition.

I have been personally coached now for over 4 years (no one needs a coach like a ‘coach’ ) – I believe that ‘good coaching’ is not about telling people what they need, should or must do, that’s advising and not coaching, coaching for me is about working with business owners and professional individuals to accomplish their vision and goals, helping them to overcome the obstacles and challenges in their path.

As I mentioned….I’m passionate about building successful businesses and I enjoy the challenge that sustained business growth brings, along with the coaching business I’m also a Director/Owner of catering business and a gourmet patisserie. I’m proud that both businesses create employment for others and I’ve learned that no matter the nature of the business, the fundamentals are always the same. I continue to learn as a business owner and as coach, I really enjoy being able to test coaching strategies and tools in the businesses we have created.

My interests are many: motocross, mountain biking, fishing, kayaking, camping, watching a good movie, quality time with my wife, boys, family and friends. I have a keen interest in Theory of Constraints and completed a weeks specialized training at the TOC LEAN Institute in the UK in Team Dynamics and the TOC ‘Thinking Processes’ – I love personal development, learning and I still get to tick my ‘engineering boxes’ developing business and coaching tools!

For me a business is a profitable enterprise that can run without you – if it can’t then it’s just a job, if you’re happy with just job then I’m happy for you – I partner with business owners who are hungry for much more!

My Coaching philosophy and beliefs

Our coaching partnership is co-creative; you and I explore together, share together, form meaning and develop strategy and actions together. There is no division between us, you have given me permission to coach you. I will not be an authority on your life or on your business. You are the expert on your life, your business, and your organization.

You are more than capable of achieving much more than you already have.

Your past is no indication of your future.

Your beliefs about what is possible for yourself, your business, your professional/personal life are your only limits.

Listening to you and hearing you is more important than talking.

What motivates you must be understood, your core values must be understood.

Alignment between your beliefs, your values, your vision, strategy and environment are fundamental to your ongoing achievement and success.

The law of cause & effect applies to us as individuals and to the world around us.

Greater self-awareness leads to personal mastery and both together are fundamental to personal and business growth.

I will not critise or judge you.

Our coaching relationship is completely confidential.

I will stretch you beyond your comfort zone when necessary.

I will not be an authority figure in your life, your business, your organization or your professional life. Self-generation is much more empowering than someone telling you what you need to, have to, should, must do.

The coaching I deliver is totally holistic focusing on the individual and the business/organization. It all starts with you first!

To become more effective we must change how we see things and see ourselves.

Some individuals needs cannot be met by coaching and I recognize individuals with those needs.

I commit to you 100% providing as much support as possible – I expect the same commitment from my clients.

There is always a way and there is always more for all of us.

Every problem has an answer and every problem is an opportunity to grow and improve.

My Coaching style

My coaching style adapts to suit you as a client and your current reality. Simply because you are unique and a coaching style that works for 1 client does not mean that the same style will ‘work’ for you.

Sometimes with you…I’ll be an equal contributor in brainstorming ideas, sharing coaching conversations, and through sharing tools and technology.

Sometimes….I’ll role my sleeves up and get stuck in to help you get something done.

I see my role as your coach as being present to:

facilitate your thinking and learning,

to help you integrate new knowledge, new ideas into your business/organization, your life,

to help you interrupt negative conditioning that’s not serving you,

to help you form new habits that do serve you and your goals,

to help you focus, help you get clear, help you solve problems,

And I am there to always provide a safe reflectional space for you to step into that’s totally confidential and is based on the freedom of sharing thoughts and ideas.

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