Hello...I'm Nikki Thomas
I’m a career coach and the founder of Essential Coaching. I’m also a workplace psychologist and I’ve spent many years supporting organisations and individuals through periods of change. I know how difficult change can be. And how much easier it is to navigate when you’ve got the right support.
I help high-performing individuals find fulfilment at work, through impactful, practical coaching.
Things I love
Learning...
Podcasts, books, lectures – I’m all about learning and developing.
Travel...
I’ve dived with sharks in Indonesia, hiked across a glacier in Patagonia, sampled a LOT of Argentinian wine, sailed from Panama to Colombia and spent weeks in the Peruvian jungle.
Being creative...
I love to write. I enjoy taking things I’ve learnt and reassembling it into a coherent story that might help others.
My story
Natural curiosity
I’ve always been fascinated by what makes people tick. I was drawn to study Psychology as an undergrad and completed my Masters in Organisational Psychology. Here, I became intrigued by the science of how and why we change and adapt in the workplace.
Time to change
I spent 10 years in the corporate world of Change Management. Whilst I enjoyed supporting teams through periods of change, what I loved most was the informal coaching and support I gave individuals. I’d also had some amazing managers along the way who’d coached me through uncertainty, helping me grow and develop. I’d seen first-hand the value of coaching. This is what I wanted to do more of.
Travels beckon
I took a year out to travel around South East Asia and South America and returned feeling sure that I wanted to start coaching….one day. I was plagued by a little voice of doubt and it took a few more years before I started my Diploma in Transformational Coaching and set up my coaching practice.
My portfolio career
Fast forward a few more years and I have found the right balance for a fulfilling career. I call it my ‘portfolio career’ – a mix of behavioural change consulting and, most importantly, the opportunity to coach individuals through change. I’m no longer questioning what I do for work – I enjoy it and appreciate the space it gives me to do the things that light me up. My mission now is to help others find the same career fulfilment.
