Lir Cowman
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Pragmatic, calm and positive. Deeply interested in and curious about my clients. Helping people transform is what drew me towards coaching - a single hour can change your life. As one client, who just did a single deep dive session, said:
"I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.... I feel like I found me again and that is thanks to you.“
What to expect
My general approach is holistic, supporting growth at both the personal and the professional levels - your work life and your private life are always enmeshed. I draw from a wide range of frameworks, tools and techniques - I don't believe a single approach works for all, but tailor my approach to the individual. I’m usually democratic in style, knowing the client will find the best solution - but I'm plenty more direct where I think it will help!
My background
By background, I'm a consultant - I've done decades in senior management (operations / delivery in startups and agencies). Coaching is pretty much the opposite of this - and I love it: it's even more practical than the advice-giving of consultancy. Beyond the simple practical support - it's transformational; it can help people (and companies) change in ways they never dreamed possible.
Training, qualifications & experience
ICF ACC credentialed
- Accredited Coach Training - Barefoot Coaching
- University of Chester - Post Graduate Certificate in Business and Personal Coaching (in progress)
- MBA in Technology Management (Open University)
- BA Arts (English Lit, Psychology - First Class)
- Various project management qualifications - Scrum / Agile / Lean / Prince2 / PMP.
Experience: A lifetime of coaching - this is my natural approach, to listen and question - and I began my coaching business formally in 2018
Member organisations
The International Coach Federation is the professional association for personal and business coaches worldwide.
Coaches can become accredited by the ICF, who have three grades of membership: Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Master Certified Coach (MCC), with the different categories standing for different levels of training and experience. Master Certified Coach's have achieved a substantial level of training and experience.
Members of ICF are accountable to a professional code of ethics.
Areas of coaching I deal with
Fees
£85.00 - £150.00
Free initial in-person, telephone or online session
Additional information
Hourly rate: £100 per hour
Options:
- Free introductory 30 minutes - what coaching is and how it can help, with usually a few minutes of 'coaching' time.
- 1.5h deep dive sessions - £125
- Set of 6 sessions - £500 (under £85 per hour)
When I work
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See detailed availability and book your first session here: https://www.lir.coach/book-a-coaching-session/
Further information
Typical profiles that I work with:
- Startups. Founders / CEOs / CTOs etc, all working out how to do a load of things they've never done before, and who aren't clear on their path to success in a bumpy environment.
- Agencies and consultancies - C-suite and senior leads, and also mid-level folks looking to level up and become their best selves; people figuring out the right path forward for them.
- Tech industry in general - I've had decades working in or with a huge range of companies in the tech industry, from pre-seed startups to household names like Google. Knowing the context helps in coaching.
- LGBT+ folx- I'm family myself, and I've worked with a wide range of people across the whole rainbow. One of my main clients is Consortium.lgbt, and I'm a speaker at diversity and inclusion events
- Immigrants - where is 'home' for you? I'm from Ireland originally, have lived away from it for most of my life, and know how it feels to start in a new country.
- Leadership questions - women in leadership; "impostors" in leadership roles. I've spent decades as a (female) senior manager in male dominated environments; and in the tech industry without any technical qualifications (my degree in English Lit, specialising in Anglo Saxon, proved less practical than I hoped). Even the most outwardly confident male clients I have suffer to some extent from impostor syndrome.
Testimonials
“I made the decision after our conversation that I needed a change of job… I went out to the interview feeling confident… got an email from them early last week to say that I got the job. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I also got the courage to email my boss and tell her (my concerns). I feel like I found me again and that is thanks to you. I just want to say a huge thank you for helping me.“
- Eilís, Cork, Ireland – after one single initial session.
"Understanding what was top-of-mind was most important to me at that point in time. Often I have multiple concerns/issues to deal with, and talking those through helped prioritise. Lir is good at helping you understand your priorities and identifying actionable next steps."
- Andrew Forkes, Product Director, Omio
"I’m in the middle of a career change and felt stuck so I needed a coach to work through some personal and practical work issues. Lir is a fantastic coach, and has a pragmatic, calm and positive approach. She has so much experience of working with people at different stages of their career in different work environments. When we started working together I felt excited but unsure of myself. Now I feel more confident and have clarity on where I want to be and my next steps. It really helped me to acknowledge my achievements and look towards the future."
- Nicola Carranza, Marketing Consultant – Emerging Tech
