"Knowing yourself
is the beginning of all wisdom"
~ Aristotle
For about 15 years, I'd forgotten who I really was.
I'd built a successful career in broadcast television, but I was living on autopilot, prioritising external rewards over internal alignment. My relationship with my true self had taken a backseat.
I knew I needed to make changes, so I followed my intuition and began exploring the automatic patterns driving my behaviour. I found my way to the philosophy at the heart of many wisdom traditions: 'Know thyself'. I discovered that self‑knowledge really is the master key to genuine transformation in life and work. Knowing yourself brings the clarity to see what needs to change, and the confidence to change it.
I’ve done the legwork so you can benefit from my research, training, and experience. Time and again I see this approach work, enabling clients to unlock the changes they want to create.
Finding My Own Way
I worked in the TV industry for years, managing big personalities and intense deadlines. I was living the media lifestyle but feeling increasingly disconnected from anything meaningful.
I knew I needed to make changes but I had no roadmap, just a willingness to explore as I embarked on an intense period of personal and professional development. I followed my intuition and natural curiosity to explore human wisdom traditions and domains many professionals avoid.
Not everything worked. Some training proved worthless, and some paths led nowhere. But I found real gems along the way - approaches that actually 'rewired' me from the inside out. The biggest breakthrough came with the discovery of the Enneagram which allowed me to understand my core personality dynamics. Suddenly I could understand what was driving my behaviours, and take action to make changes.
What I discovered through that intensive exploration became the foundation of this Authentic Life practice: when you know yourself - when you understand your personality patterns - you can work with your true nature rather than against it. This is a lesson I had to learn for myself.
What I offer now is a collection of carefully curated coaching approaches that actually work. With the guidance of the Enneagram, I provide nine distinct coaching pathways, each precisely matched to the client's core patterns.
I help people understand their personality patterns because this is the single most effective way I have found to create effective personal and professional change.
How I Coach
'Know thyself' has long been recognised as the foundation of personal growth across cultures and centuries. From Aristotle and Marcus Aurelius to Shakespeare and the modern mindfulness movement today, the message remains exactly the same: greater self-knowledge is the pathway to wisdom, personal effectiveness and meaningful results.
The idea is simple, but how do you actually strengthen self-knowledge?
The most practical and effective method I have found is the Enneagram which describes nine distinct strategies all humans use to stay in control, safe and loved. Understanding your strengths and your blind spots gives you the clarity to make better decisions and the confidence to act on them. Self‑knowledge becomes a catalyst for change, delivering a huge advantage in life, career, and leadership.
As well as your coach, I’ll be your personal guide, trusted advisor and thinking partner. I’ll share my perspective, support and challenge you, and offer feedback on how I'm experiencing you. Most importantly, I’ll match my approach to your specific personality structure, because what helps one person move forward won’t necessarily work for another.
That's why this approach works.
I hold a Postgraduate Certificate in Business and Personal Coaching from Chester University and I'm an accredited Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation - a credential only 3% of coaches achieve. I'm also an International Enneagram Association Accredited Professional with nearly 10 years of dedicated practice. Each year, I commit to one major training project to challenge myself and keep growing because I can say with certainty it's the small incremental changes over time that create lasting transformation.
Other Interesting Stuff You Might Like to Know About Me
❋ I studied Physics and Music at Cardiff University - a combination of subjects that reflects how I see the world. I combine art and science, bringing analytical precision and creative intuition to every session.
❋ I am a passionate student of ancient Egyptian wisdom and I have learned to read Egyptian hieroglyphs. I write about the connections between Egyptian wisdom and the Enneagram in my online publication 'Pesedjet: The Wisdom of Nine'.
❋ I have a deep love for the natural world and believe strongly in our responsibility to protect it. This connection to nature influences how I think about balance, harmony and sustainability, themes that show up in my coaching.
❋ As a gay man, I understand what it means to navigate authenticity in the face of bias and discrimination. This lived experience informs how I support all clients – whatever their background or identity – on their own path towards authentic self-expression.
❋ I have an uncanny knack for random celebrity encounters - I've had Christmas Day lunch with Peter Gabriel and his family, interrupted a row between the Bee Gees, been serenaded by Dolly Parton, and met Stephen Hawking.
What Clients Say
"I love Robert's structured approach which gives me a feeling of security. He has the ability to put his finger on exactly the right point in a very empathic and respectful manner. It is his own authenticity, which has helped and encouraged me to find my own. "
Bert Overlack
"Robert is an absolute star! With the most supportive and open approach together with tools, techniques and methodologies that really resonated with me, he transformed my mindset and took me on a voyage of discovery for which I'll be ever grateful."
Gary Lake
"What a journey this has been! I feel calmer, clearer and I understand myself a whole lot better. Robert's coaching has not only been very productive for my career, client relations and with colleagues, but has also had a great positive effect on my personal life and my self-awareness."
Henk Gieskens
Curious about working together?
Book a free 30-minute discovery call.
It’s a relaxed space to talk about what you’re looking for, what’s been getting in the way, and how coaching might help. We’ll explore what it would look like to work together with no pressure. Just an open conversation about where you are and where you’d like to go.
Want to get in touch?
I’m always happy to connect and explore what you’re looking for.
If you’d like to know more about my coaching approach, have a question, or just want to start a conversation, send me a message and I’ll reply within 24 hours.