“Career coaching with Rachel was one of the best investment decisions I have made. Thanks to Rachel’s coaching, I am now working in exactly the type of organisation I had long aspired to. Being new to how coaching worked, I wanted Rachel to give me the answers to ‘what next in my career’. Instead, Rachel worked with me, providing lots of excellent literature and exercises for me to complete and ponder on.
As a result of our coaching, I had a clear view on my skills, strengths, values and what motivated me. In spite of finishing our formal coaching some time ago, I find the lessons and tools are still benefiting me today in my career. Rachel was an exemplary professional coach with a style that works very well – personal yet fantastic insights.
Rachel’s listening skills and her ability to convert what I said in our sessions to illuminating questions helped me develop and work towards my ultimate goal. Rachel’s network is deep and wide. She introduced me to those within her network where she believed there may be mutual benefit and that too proved to be brilliant and very helpful.
I have recommended Rachel to many of my friends, clients and colleagues. They have all had the highest praise for her. I highly recommend Rachel if you are looking for a new role, a change in career or for professional advice.”
Lara Keenan, Partner
“Coaching with Rachel Brushfield ring-fenced time and space to focus on my CPD and career strategy, very useful for a busy partner in a law firm. I found the process of coaching insightful yet practical and it helped me to understand myself in-depth, such as my personal values and motivations, which will ensure that my career strategy evolves in a direction to maximise career fulfillment as well as professional success. I now have more clarity about what direction I want to take long term and have made an important decision which will begin to move me there. I now see my skills, knowledge and experience more clearly and with fresh eyes and many new possibilities. Rachel’s coaching style is thorough, supportive, practical, respectful and flexible, and I found working with her inspiring.
I would recommend that anyone who wants to think about who they are and what they want considers personal coaching. It helps you to take a step back with the support of a trained sounding board with many useful tools, and time for you to focus. Without the structure and support of coaching, change may not happen because the busyness of everyday life and work can understandably get in the way. I feel really excited about my future.” Jane Flaherty, Partner.
“I met and chatted with Rachel Brushfield at a Law Society careers event at a time when I was at a major career crossroads. I decided that career coaching support through my transition was a wise decision, chose her as my coach as someone with a lot of experience working with lawyers and specifically specialising in portfolio careers and self-marketing. I am very glad that I did.
I found coaching extremely helpful, receiving expert guidance tailored to your own personal circumstances and with an unbiased objective mind to help guide me to a positive future. Rachel helped me to create and always keep sight of a career vision and optimistic view of my working life, make plans and hold me accountable to actions to make them happen in reality. I have always been very interested in personal development, and coaching with Rachel helped me to challenge in a practical, beneficial and constructive way to create even greater self-awareness, and to shine a light to identify some new insights on some of the ways in which I stop myself. Deep down reflection with a highly experienced career coach like Rachel is invaluable, especially at a major career crossroads. Her support included: guidance on creating a CV and biog which reflects who I am and about which I feel proud, insight into how to market myself including a verbal business card and networking, and invitations to useful networking events.
Rachel’s coaching style is highly focused on you as an individual, and is practical, intuitive and progressive. I now have confidence to develop my own self-managed portfolio career for the next phase of my working life and feel really excited to maximise career fulfillment and leverage my skills, experience and knowledge to date.”
Evelyn Davies-Jones
“I met Rachel at a Law Society Returners course. I liked her energy and style immediately. She simultaneously completely understood the pressures and realities of working in law and having the identity of someone who does not fit neatly into the university -> law school -> law firm box. Women who have done many other things, women with families, women who have moved, women who have multiple interests and, dare I say it, talents and competencies, women who want to proactively design a working life that works for them but who are also grounded in the reality of today’s practice. Not only that, she could work with me from where I was, seeing what I had to offer as something positive, and helping me to embrace that also. In the past, I was often sabotaged by relentless self-doubt, perfectionism and learned negativity. Rachel helped me with infinite patience and encouragement. Lo and behold, the inner dialogue has changed for good, and life is offering wonderful creative professional opportunities also. As she taught me workable tools to breakdown career planning, confidence issues, researching & applying for opportunities, the process brought great clarity. She gave me confidence that a non-conventional ‘portfolio’ career could actually work. She helped me overcome the mountains of discomfort coming with starting new skills/jobs in my 40s. I will keep checking in with her for ‘tune-ups’. She has helped me get clear, prioritise and make great internal and external shifts.”
Olivia Streater.
“Rachel is motivated by helping others and her style is inspiring, supportive and caring. She explains different concepts in simple terms and aims to interact with her clients by placing the onus on themselves, thus allowing them to reach a solution that it is good according to their unique personal needs. Coaching with Rachel has given me clarity about who I am and what I truly need, practical steps about how to tackle communication and relationship challenges and a clearer strategy regarding my career progression. It has allowed me to learn how to reflect on the past and seek better results in the future. This experience has been incredibly useful and has given me a better understanding of the world, helped me to take action quicker than if I solely relied on my personal insights and enabled me to realise my potential.”
Sofiya Nikolova.
“Rachel is a calm and perceptive person who introduces you to your own talent and abilities and then helps you to utilize them to an effective end. And then, when success arrives, Rachel continues to guide and promote you in her own distinct way. She is marvellous and has been a return on my investment a thousand-fold.”
Rachael Williams, Ombudsman, Financial Ombudsman Service.
“I took a giant, but necessary, step when I decided to move away from my secure position as a government lawyer and into a new life. I was determined to reinvent myself in an entirely new role as an international consultant. I had investigated, as much as I could on my own, what such a transition would entail and how I needed to proceed. However, lacking role models and practical advice, I eventually found myself floundering and without direction.
I was, therefore, extraordinarily fortunate to meet Rachel at a London women lawyers networking event. She was warm, enthusiastic and confidant – and interested in me and my plans! I absolutely feel that my decision to work with her was pivotal for me. Her coaching helped me on both theoretical and practical levels. She led me to understand more fully why I wanted to move forward and gave me many practical tools to enable me to do so. She was supportive and understanding throughout our relationship.
I would strongly advise anyone who wishes to transition into a different type of career, or to diversify a career, to obtain the help and advice of a professional coach. And I would unreservedly recommend Rachel Brushfield as that coach.”
Jennifer Button, Consultant – Governance and Justice.
“Rachel started working with one of our Partners about a year ago. Her results have surpassed both the Partner’s and my own expectations. This was a challenging brief, helping an already talented individual to “reinvent” themselves due to changing market conditions, enthusiastically taken on and sensitively delivered. Rachel is also a prolific writer of articles and most recently an in-depth report covering all aspects of talent management. She is tenacious, resilient and good fun to work with. I have no hesitation in recommending her to you.”
Charlie Keeling, COO, Field Fisher Waterhouse.
“Rachel’s combined coaching and talent management expertise has really worked for me. She has helped me to think through and get clarity on a vision and strategy for myself and the steps to get there. Rachel is skilled at putting herself in other people’s shoes and helping you to identify how to overcome blocks. She really does go that ‘extra mile’ – she’s full of practical and creative insights and ideas. I would strongly recommend her.”
Sarah Langton, Clifford Chance.
“Executive coaching with Rachel Brushfield at EnergiseLegal has provided me with time and space to think, amidst a busy schedule, with practical tools to plan and manage business development and engage with my team strategically and in a way that works for them and for me, playing to my strengths. Rachel understands lawyers well and adapts her approach to the unique needs of the individual. She has in-depth knowledge of the changing legal market and helps you come up with your own answers. Coaching is a time efficient and effective form of CPD ideal for busy lawyers who want to achieve excellence at work, increase self-awareness, identify their goals and develop a strategy and tools to help achieve them. It was a pleasure working with Rachel and I would certainly recommend her to those considering management coaching to develop their skills and progress in their careers.”
Bernadette Daley, Partner Employment & Training Partner, Mayer Brown International LLP.
“Executive coaching with Energise has given me greater self awareness and confidence and Rachel’s coaching style was perfect for me. I have achieved all my coaching goals and alot more. I would happily recommend Rachel as a coach to other L&D managers, as well as within my firm”.
Sue Beavil, Learning and development manager, Reed Smith
“Coaching works and Rachel’s got what it takes.”
Peter Cornell, Managing Partner, Clifford Chance
“Coaching with Rachel Brushfield at Energise provides energy, insights, tools and new ideas to invigorate a busy fee earner. The sounding board and time and space that the 121 personalised time enables re-energises you, provides different perspectives on challenges, leads to new contacts & networks, and gives shortcuts about the role of social media in business development.!
Caroline Wallis, Partner, Boyes Turner
“Coaching gave me a sounding board and the kind of nurturing line managers should provide regularly. The coaching experience was fantastic. I entered the first session as a cynic, but through Energise’s support, I now feel more empowered to achieve in every facet of my life than I have for a very long time, if ever. Thank you.”
Stephen Fitzmaurice, Clifford Chance
“Marketing and brand awareness is something lawyers tend to think should be done by the firm’s marketing team. Rachel showed us that actually we have all the skills, which will focus and can build and grow our practices into what we want them to be. I have really enjoyed working with you and I have learnt a lot.”
Rachael Smethurst, Equity Partner, Henmans LLP
“Useful, enjoyable marketing to develop your business.”
Helen Taylor, Associate, Henmans LLP
“Inspiring and practical guidance that was made enjoyable by Rachel.”
Gemma Nicholls, Solicitor, Henmans LLP
“Rachel has lots of down to earth practical advice. She provided us with all the right tools to go out and win new clients. She’s relaxed and easy to communicate with.”
Louise Golding, Partner, Dehns
“Rachel is knowledgeable in a wide variety of different marketing areas, and very willing to apply her knowledge to our needs.”
Phillip Webber, Partner, Dehns
“It was a good mixture of inspiration and practical suggestions. Rachel listens to what you want and helps you to see how you can achieve it.”
Adrian Samuels, Partner, Dehns
“Rachel is a highly talented, inspiring and analytical coach. In this busy world, Energise will help you to identify who you are, what you want to do and how to get there.”
Emma H, Associate
“Rachel helped me through the process of making a change to my career, enabling me to find a more fulfilling role with my current employer. I was very confused and daunted at the start of the process and didn’t know how I could make the change but Rachel helped me see how to break this process down and how to test ideas for change against my values. Rachel is full of great ideas and really helped me see that making a change like this is not as scary as it might first seem. I would recommend her to anyone who wants to change career or direction but doesn’t know how or where to start.”
Nicola F, Senior Associate
“I was unhappy with my choice of career and felt enormous pressure from my family to pursue something that just didn’t feel right. Rachel provided an ideal non-judgmental space and time for me to really think about my needs and what is really important to me. She also provided incredibly useful tools to focus on the various issues at hand, which helped me to figure things out for myself in a time that would have been unimaginably longer if I hadn’t had them! I have identified what really mattered to me and coaching has given me the confidence to take the time to figure out what will really work for me and allow me to fulfil my full potential. For all of that I am forever grateful.”
Valerie Teller, Barrister
“Rachel has been coaching me for the last few months fully supporting and encouraging me to move on to new opportunities. She has been a tower of strength, giving clear and comprehensive tools to identify my skills. She enables her clients to understand their abilities and develop their skills which gives them a powerful direction for their new enterprise.
She also has an extensive knowledge and understanding of lawyers abilities and the possibilities for them in the future job market. She has the unique ability to look ahead for exciting new opportunities while most lawyers will look back at the traditional roles. During the coaching and even when it is finished, Rachel puts her clients in touch with valuable contacts, makes introductions whenever she can and involves her clients in projects to give them experience and add to their skills. She does everything within her power to make sure her clients succeed.
I highly recommend Rachel for anyone who is stuck in their career or needs to find something new for whatever reason – she is an inspiration.”
Jenny Brewer, Former Senior Partner, Stone Rowe Brewer
“Coaching with Rachel Brushfield gave me the self-belief and encouragement to achieve my career goal of moving in-house into a broader commercial role. She helped me to proactively find a job that fits my values and motivations, stimulates me intellectually and with a healthy work life balance. We set a deadline and beat it by 2 weeks. Rachel’s coaching style is insightful, personalised, flexible, positive, structured and creative.”
Clary Maynard, Legal Counsel, WorldRemit
“I just read your chapter on the gender balance. Excellent stuff, it’s good to see the analysis is finally getting beneath the surface and working out what it is about the business model that pushes women out. Personally, I’ve always felt that it’s just that women are smarter than men and more prone to making rational, non-ego driven choices. And it simply doesn’t make sense to stay in a big law firm, for anyone. Anyway, congratulations on another great piece of work.”
Michael Bradley, Managing Partner, MARQUE Lawyers Pty Ltd.
“I can honestly say I am very impressed and would be delighted to provide a review. In particular, I thought your chapter dealt with a slippery and sometimes controversial issue with clarity and a degree of practicality not often seen. I will be recommending this section to those involved in our Women Partners initiative. This is a concentrated burst of thoughtful analysis and practical pointers. In a jargon-prone discipline, the author quickly gets to the heart of their topic, bringing clarity to key talent-related issues affecting law firms with a minimum of theatrics. This little volume punches above its weight.”
Stephanie Abbott, Director of Knowledge, Learning and Development, Mayer Brown JSM (about the IBA Talent development book for which we contributed a chapter on ‘Women in the law’).
“Advice on marketing is legion and often depressing to read. It leaves the unwilling or unhappy marketer feeling impotent, inadequate and a misfit. All the more refreshing therefore to be met with Rachel Brushfield’s premise that you should find what you love to do and do more of it.
Hooray, we cry – no more awkward silences at networking events, no more cold-calling or uncomfortable trumpet blowing! Well she is not going to let you off quite that lightly, but in this challenging light-toned interactive workbook, the mythical concept of what is marketing is comprehensively debunked. As a result of this deconstruction all of those promotional activities that make many lawyers squirm are broken down into more manageable tasks that therefore lose their ‘queasy’ nature. The advice is ‘to start small and easy’ and be comfortable with ‘imperfect actions’ as being better than no action at all is wise counsel.
The section headed ‘blocks about marketing’ struck an immediate chord, and the section on ‘procrastination management’ would have worked wonders for me if only I hadn’t put off reading it for so long! Will it change the way you market? Well, like any tool, it is only as good as the effort put into using it, but as a practical companion for someone attempting to make a breakthrough in this area, Rachel’s workbook has much to offer.”
Katherine Southby, Editor, The Association Women Solicitors’ Link magazine.
“When Rachel first told me she was going to write this publication she asked me if I thought the topic was a relevant one; I confirmed that indeed it was! Highly relevant given the changing landscape of the legal sector in the UK with Market Consolidation, Outcomes Focused Regulation, Alternative Business Structures and potential external investment into law firms all driving firms to develop different strategies and approaches; the “do nothing” option is no longer an option. There has never been a more important time to focus on the development of law firm talent. The traditional levers of high salary increases and bonuses are not as accessible as they used to be to the majority of lawyers, their need/desire for more engagement has never been greater and we are seeing the different aspirations and needs of the new generations of lawyers. So Rachel’s timing for this publication is spot on as is the breadth of the subject matter she has covered; a testimony to her skill and dedication!
Rachel has sketched the landscape well by capturing the key issues firms are facing and the methodologies they are employing. She has identified the drivers of change very well and then gone on to express the needs of the different levels of legal professionals from graduate recruit through to Partners be they newly promoted, established or brought in as lateral hires. Also are included in the analysis are other important groupings like women and the new Generations Y and “Millennials”. Rachel then analyses the different types of professional development delivery and how to engage with the lawyers around them; a very thorny topic! A very good section analyses the traditional skills lawyers need in the new market but more importantly the new skills which will become more prevalent in the changing market including such as pricing, project management and people engagement; the new breed of law firm professional will need to be very different in the future. Throughout her analysis Rachel backs up her own views and ideas with a wide range of experts from within the legal sector who operate in a variety of roles in recognised firms.
The publication ends with a series of very relevant case studies from a variety of firms, in terms of geography and size, around topics that have been discussed earlier in the book. They are very readable and practical and give the reader good insights into what has been achieved already by leaders in the marketplace. It is a good way for Rachel to complete the portrait! So all in all a very good and relevant publication which will give good ideas and insights to Managing Partners, Chief Executives, HR and L&D Directors and more broadly to those interested in the future of the legal market in the UK and beyond.”
Charlie Keeling, Global HR Director, Clyde & Co LLP (about “Professional development for lawyers”, Ark, October 2012.)
“If you’re looking for an up to date exploration of the world of professional development in the legal sector then the “Professional Development for Lawyer” report by Rachel Brushfield will fit the bill. Rachel has interviewed numerous people including managing partners, lawyers at various stages of their careers, L&D professionals and people in law firm management roles, and as a result Rachel has produced a comprehensive guide to the current state of professional development for lawyers. The report provides a number of perspectives and case studies but it also provokes thinking, and I’m sure learning, for those already well versed in learning and professional development. Rachel covers everything from explaining what CPD is and the current work of the LETR to highlighting the changing landscape of the legal marketplace and the emergence of ABS following the Legal Services Act. The report contains a collection of approaches for delivery used in law firms of different sizes and focus. The essential skills for the legal market and what firms are now doing in the leadership and management development space and social media are also addressed in some detail. This report provides an all-round view from international as well as UK based contributors of the role of professional development in an ever changing environment for law firms and is a useful reference for all involved in the professional development of lawyers.”
Sue Beavil, Senior Training and Development Manager, Mayer Brown International LLP (about “Professional development for lawyers”, Ark, October 2012.)
To read more client testimonials, including non-law firms and individuals, click on this link:
http://liberateyourtalent.wordpress.com/energise-client-testimonials/