A few weeks ago I had the joy of being interviewed by creative blog writer Charlotte Riley of Being Truly Me to feature in her Courageous Women series. I thought I’d share this here too as Charlotte has done a great job in capturing my story & business journey so far.
Hope you enjoy reading. x
From Mum to Marathon runner; Claire Doré, Coach to Female Entrepreneurs explains all.
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing the shining light that is Claire Doré as part of our Courageous Women series of blogs. We met in a coffee shop in the very lovely market town of Marlborough, where over coffee we talked about everything from stepping out of the corporate world and having bags of confidence, to struggling with low self-esteem after being a stay at home mum for 6 years. Claire completely turned this around by launching her first business in 2009 where she fully embraced personal developm
ent, and went on to discover her real calling.
Claire is a Mindset & Wellness Coach, with stacks of experience and energy. Her appetite for life and passion for harmony and happiness is contagious.
Join me as we explore Claire’s story, discover how her journey has unfolded over the last 9 years, and how she aspires to help mums and female entrepreneurs to really shine in life.
Where did your journey begin with your business?
I feel like my journey into coaching began back in 2009, when I launched my network marketing business with Arbonne. Within a month of starting my business I found an amazing group of inspirational and courageous women who wanted to come on the Arbonne journey with me. I very quickly needed to learn how to coach, motivate and support them. Through Arbonne I was exposed to world-class training and I was growing and developing at such a fast pace. Gaining this experience gave me the ideal platform from which to develop my own coaching style.
I spent a huge amount of time with my team, training together, getting to know them, and really getting under the skin of what they wante
d to achieve in their own lives. I helped them identify their limiting beliefs; the things that were holding them back, as well as support them to step out of their comfort zone. As a team we would create strategies to move forward in our businesses.
Stepping away from Arbonne to focus on my coaching came later, although the transition was somewhat of a blurred line. During this time I was working with a transformational coach to further my own personal growth and development. It was pretty intense & deep work, consisting of weekly 1 to 1 private coaching sessions, as well as 6 deep dive retreats across the globe over an 18 month period. The purpose was to really explore more of me, uncover my real passions, as well as help me discover my true calling…. oh and not forgetting the stuff that was getting in the way of all of that!
Whilst on this deep coaching journey, there was one pivotal point. We were having lunch in Richmond and I remember my coach asking me if I had any aspirations to speak in public and share all the personal development work I had embraced. Apparently my reaction said it all, my whole face lit up. Clearly he had helped me see my true potential, the gifts I had to share, and how I could truly help other women through my own journey & in doing so help me shine too.
I’ve been coaching and sharing my insights at speaking engagements ever since.
What was life like before you became a coach?
Very different!
I feel like I’m the new improved version of my old self. I was a full time mum of 3, and previous to that I worked in Advertising. Life was very different working in London for a big agency. I had no idea what personal development was in those days. It was a fun industry to work in when I was single, however after meeting John (my hubby), getting married and having a family, my priorities changed dramatically.
Stepping off the advertising ladder felt right after having the children, I wanted to be at home to bring up our kids (plus we had them so damn close together there weren’t many other options!!) I chose to be a full time mum (and in those days flexible working was not on the agenda like it is today).
Working in Advertising I oozed confidence, however what came as a huge surprise was that after 6 years of being a full time mum I noticed a huge change in me. How is it that doing the most important job in the world can make you feel so low in confidence and self-esteem? (and I know I’m not alone in sharing this).
Looking back now I can see how it all started (and I only became aware of all of this once I stepped into my business.) I put myself at the bottom of the pile and put everyone else’s needs first. I was obsessed with trying to be perfect (Nb. there is no such thing!) and I had no boundaries in place, so I said yes to everything. This meant I completely overloaded myself with stuff I didn’t really want to do. It never occurred to me back then, but the biggest learning was to put myself first; it was almost like I had a label of being “mummy” and Claire was almost forgotten. I felt like I’d totally lost my identity.
Stepping into my Arbonne business was a really pivotal time for me. It was an opportunity to embrace personal development, and to find Claire and really reveal her again. This coincidently is what I coach mums on now, so it’s been a fun, often emotional and most definitely an interesting journey.
What surprising lessons have you learnt along the way?
There have been many, and I’m still learning and discovering, although these 3 lessons really stand out for me.
Learning to listen more – both to my clients and even more so to my family. Taking the time to stop and listen more to my children has been a revelation. I think our children are here to teach us so much more than we realise. I’ve come to learn that they’re the ones with the golden nuggets to share, so listening has been a big lesson.
Self-care is a priority – taking care of me first has been a huge lesson over the years, although it has taken some time to realise the importance of this. When I am well and rested I am in my best energy to serve others, whether that is my clients or my family. I have learnt to take care of me first so that I can do my best work, and everyone gets the best of me too. One of my top tips on self-care is ‘the afternoon nap’…it’s always a winner!
Setting intentions & goals – this is not something you tend to do as a mum however it’s something that I now do on a daily basis. Setting goals or intentions gives me that focused mind-set, something to aim for, and the universe knows what to bring me too. This has been a really big insight, in both my work & in my running. A great example of this was when I committed to the Brighton marathon this year. I made a decision that I wanted to run it on under 4 hours, and I guess what, after huge amounts of physical & mind-set training I achieved a time of 3:58!! Would I have achieved that if I didn’t commit to it? Definitely not. Goal setting works if you engage all the senses.
What’s a typical week for you?
My week is different every week!
I do like a bit of structure to my week however generally it’s a mixed bag. Ideally this is how it goes. I devote Mondays to my coaching clients. Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursdays I work part time at a design agency working with a small team. It has been really fun helping them with some coaching, creating the culture in the agency, as well as running workshops alongside some client work too. Friday is my day for me. Thisalwaysinvolves crossfit, catching up on home stuff, a bit of pampering & meeting friends.
What has been the biggest challenge in your business?
The biggest challenge has been to get really clear with my boundaries. Although I’ve created a good structure to my week now, in the past I would allow work to interrupt me all hours of the day, every day of the week, leaving me very little time to recharge and chill-out.
By setting clear boundaries & working less, I realised that I could still achieve my goals, strive to improve myself and work on my business without the need for it to eat into precious family time or time to simply be.
What are your greatest passions in life?
Cooking, running, and cross-fit are my greatest passions, and what’s great is that they happen to compliment my business too. As a coach I need to have my head in the right place so I find all of these things, especially cooking are likely my therapy. Cross-fit and running are brilliant for my mind-set, running especially as it can be very meditative at times.
What is wonderful is that my passions have become part of my coaching and teaching. I often help clients with challenges they want to achieve. Anything from tackling a physical challenge to helping a client lose weight, health and wellness is a big part of my business.
One of the things I often say to people is, always make sure you are doing the things you love, because when you are, your soul begins to smile.
Who inspires you to grow and develop both personally and in your business?
I strive to grow and develop for me and my family. I want to be the best wife to my husband, and a great role model to my children. I want to inspire them to know they can do anything if they put their minds to it.
I want to help other mums to regain their identities, rebuild their self-confidence & believe in themselves more. By growing & improving myself I want to make a bigger difference in the world, by serving more beautiful mums & women, and helping them to share their gifts and shine their light more brightly in the world.
What are you most grateful for in your business?
It’s got to be the flexibility I have. I run my business around my lifestyle not the other way round, and that’s what I coach others to do too. I prioritise my passions & the things I love first, therefore I make sure I am available for my children and all the fun things that come with being a mum. I also plan in my training and cross-fit sessions leaving me with what time I have available for my work. It works for me and means I get to do all the things I love & be fulfilled in my business. Interestingly when I don’t do things this way I notice everything can get out of control, overwhelm can emerge, which is never good a thing, as this is when I’m no good to anyone.
What have you found most rewarding from running your own business?
Working with women who are happy to take themselves on in a big way. Women who know there is more out there for them & have more to give.
I find it enormously rewarding working with women who are up for stepping out of their comfort zone, women who really stretch them-selves to find out who they truly are. Helping them to build their confidence and get their voice out into the world is very rewarding especially if this is something that feels like a real challenge. I love to see the transformation from when they start working with me to when they leave. It’s truly heart-warming to see them align with what they are called to do & feel more harmonious in their lives.
What do you consider to be courageous?
It takes courage to do something that is a stretch, something that may feel like a risk, out of someone’s comfort zone or taking a leap of faith.
I have huge admiration for Mums who go back to work or start their own business, they are inspiring and it takes enormous courage & bravery.
What’s next for you?
That’s a really good question. I really believe everything I’ve done so far in my life and business has been for a purpose, to help set me up for the next big thing. I’m always looking for how I can truly make a difference & what I could be doing to fulfil that.
Life is a journey, and for me loving the journey is so important to understanding that everything that happens is what is supposed to be. My eyes are always wide open looking out to see where I am supposed to be going, who I am supposed to be serving, & what opportunities I need to take a look at.
In the last year, I have been helping my son through what has been a really challenging time. He reached the point where he was refusing to go to school, and after a huge amount of unravelling we discovered he had social anxiety, a mental health disorder, caused by some really unpleasant experiences at school which had made him feel stuck. What became really clear to me was that the pastoral care in the school was so extremely poor and depleted; they simply couldn’t cope with the number of children needing support & in some cases had the wrong people in these positions.
As a direct result of my experience, this has set me on the path to campaign for better education in schools with regards to understanding how the mind works. This I feel would not only empower young people to help themselves, but also prepare them for the future. With mental health disorders on the rise in adolescents, it would be amazing to get this subject on the national curriculum.
I strongly believe that when children are happy and feel safe and nurtured they can thrive, and it’s only then that they will want to learn. Anyone reading this who can help me on this mission, please do get in touch, it’s a topic close to my heart, and the UK state school system needs to wake up to this.
With regards to my coaching, I aspire to help more mums and female entrepreneurs (who may feel how I felt 9 years ago, not really knowing where they are going) find the thing that lights them up. Through my 1 to 1 coaching, and small workshops which I am soon to re-launch, I can help them to bring harmony and more happiness into their lives, and feel completely fulfilled.
We all have a calling in life, some of us more than one, and I would love to help more women find what that is for them.
Here are 2 fabulous takeaway tips from Claire’s interview;
#1 Make you the priority – For anyone who is a mum or has caring responsibilities, this can be a huge challenge. To create time and space in what can be an overwhelmingly busy schedule can feel like a liberty you just cannot justify. Yet taking the time to honour your own needs, and discover what really lights you up, can have far reaching effects for those around you, especially those in your care. Put yourself first.
#2 Let your soul smile – simply do more of the things you love, more often.
If you are inspired by Charlotte’s work & would like to get your voice heard & share more about your passions, then you can connect with Charlotte from Being Truly Me here.
Until next time, keep shining!
Claire x