Welcome
Hello, thanks for coming by - I'm Maria
I've been on a mission to make a difference for most of my working life, and it's taken me across the world and back again. From tiny start-ups to large organisations I've learnt alot but I do my best work when I'm closest to the people and communities I work with. One of the reasons I co-founded the non-profit Illuminate and now focus on coaching and mentoring.
“The coaching was challenging yet enjoyable and I always felt looked after.It’s helped so much at work but it’s the insight into how I prefer to manage personally and professionally that will stay with me. I like the way Maria is relaxed and easy going but professional and determined so I knew I’d get results – thanks Maria.”
I work with smart, intelligent and thoughtful individuals (just like you) who want to do the work they care about in a way that is right for them. Whether I mentor or coach, it's individualised and personalised development, practical without being prescriptive, focused on expanding your thinking and getting you the results you want.
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Remember, this kind of bespoke development is only expensive if you don't see results.
My journey began a long time ago, teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) in South East Asia, where I learned to engage with diverse groups and make learning relevant and enjoyable. Later, completing a Level 3 Award in Education gave me a strong grounding in designing and delivering impactful and engaging training courses.
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​Since then, I have continued to build and expand my experience designing and delivering personal and professional training, courses, talks and coaching programs both face-to-face and online.
I hold postgraduate qualifications in Personal and Business Coaching (2007), a postgraduate diploma in Social Work, a level 3 Award in Education, Mental Health First Aid certificate and I'm a founding member of the Universal Coaching Alliance. I'm insightful, intuitive and if you like personality profiling I'm a protagonist ENFJ-A.
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In 2008 I co-founded Illuminate Charity, a CIO our mission was to deliver professional high calibre coaching and training for people who could not access coaching through poor mental health or financial restrictions. There's more about Illuminate over here.
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Every person and situation is different, and your context, responsibilities and ambitions will shape how we work together. So what about you, where are you going?​​​​​