Case Studies
Real Results, Real People
Every breakthrough you’ll read here is based on real work with real clients - professionals, creatives, and business owners who were ready to shift something big. These aren’t surface-level wins or generic testimonials. These are stories of courage, clarity, and powerful transformation.
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Because this work is deeply personal, I honour each client’s privacy and choice. Read more about how I protect client confidentiality below:
Client Privacy & Confidentiality - No Performative Healing Here
Coaching is powerful work. It’s deep, personal, sometimes raw - and it deserves to happen in a space that feels safe, not performative.​
That’s why I don’t make clients publicly identifiable, ask for public testimonials, or push for LinkedIn kudos. If I ever share a story or breakthrough, it’s with full consent - or it's been carefully anonymised to protect your privacy.​
Many of the people I work with - often professionals, creatives, or business owners (especially around 50+) - value their privacy. Some still carry hesitation or old stigma about seeking support in the first place. That hesitation is valid. And I respect it.​
This work is for you. Not my or your feed. Not my marketing.​
If you ever decide to share your experience, it’ll be because you want to - because it feels good, not expected.
01
Client Case Study: Ewan - Reclaiming Creative Identity
Ewan M., Age: 49
Profession: Brand Designer & Strategist
Personality: Deep thinker, introvert, creative, recovering perfectionist
Starting Point:
Ewan came to me feeling disconnected from himself, stuck in a loop of performance-driven work, chasing client deadlines, and numbing his own creative instincts. His language was heavy with self-censorship and loss of identity: "I feel like a ghost in my own life." He missed the part of himself that once believed in depth, slowness, and the honest imperfection of true creativity.
Coaching Process:
We began by offering him space to unload the week's frustrations without judgment - creating immediate relief and rapport. As the session unfolded, Ewan named what he truly wanted: To help others slow down, think deeply, and embrace imperfect creativity. But he had lost touch with how.
Through a combination of deep listening, anchoring gestures, and future pacing, I helped Ewan shift from passive longing to active commitment. Using his own gestures as a physical anchor for pride and freedom, we layered a future scenario: Him posting regularly, connecting deeply with his audience, and feeling "at home" in his work again.
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Breakthrough Moment:
Ewan committed to writing his first post that very night and scheduling it for the next morning at 10:05 am - a specific time, chosen to make the goal real and actionable. The moment he imagined hitting "post" while anchoring his emotions with his hands and body was when his shift became visible: Self-belief returned.
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Result:
The next morning, Ewan texted me at 10:05 sharp. His post was live.
His feedback after the first week: "I feel like I've stopped fighting myself. I'm writing more. I AM doing what I'm meant to do."
Ewan went on to embed this new habit into his daily life, pairing each published post with a self-acknowledgement ritual: Fist to chest, coffee sip, and a moment of pride. Three months later, his LinkedIn presence began attracting the exact kind of conversations and clients he'd dreamed of.
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Coach's Note:
Sometimes success isn’t about massive overhauls. It’s about guiding someone back to who they already are, helping them remember their truth, and anchoring that state so it becomes unshakable.
This session with Ewan is the perfect reminder that the quiet, imperfect side of creativity is where the real magic happens.
Feeling a nudge?
If something here resonates and you’re wondering what change could look like for you - let’s have a conversation.
02
Client Case Study: Alan - Owning the Bigger Vision
Alan C., Age: 52
Profession: Teacher
Personality: Thoughtful, passionate, humble, quietly ambitious
Starting Point:
Alan had been sitting on a book idea for years - full of knowledge and passion, but buried under self-doubt and excuses. “Too busy, who’d even read it, was it worth writing?” he asked himself. The vision felt too big, and he felt too small to claim it.
Coaching Process:
During our 2-hour power session, The Kraken, I helped Alan unpack the layers of hesitation and reconnect with his deeper why. I didn’t push him to write the book. I invited him to see why he had to. The shift wasn’t forced - it felt like remembering something true.
Breakthrough Moment:
Alan stopped debating and started owning. “Sure, I’m a teacher - but this book? This is something bigger.” The moment he claimed it as part of who he is, the excuses lost their grip.
Result:
Clarity turned into commitment. Alan began writing with a renewed sense of purpose and power. What once felt optional became essential.
Coach’s Note:
This is why I love The Kraken. You don’t need months of coaching to find your fire - sometimes, it just takes one focused, honest session to bring it roaring back.
Feeling a Nudge?
If there’s a project, idea, or truth you keep circling around… The Kraken might be your turning point. Let’s crack it open.
03
Client Case Study: Ronan - From Performing to Belonging
Ronan S., Age: 42
Profession: Engineer in the wind energy sector, Project Leader
Personality: Calm, grounded, sharp-witted, deeply patient, quietly compassionate
Starting Point:
Ronan came to me feeling stuck in his career - frustrated by a stalled promotion and uncertain what to change. But underneath the surface was something deeper: a lifetime of pressure to perform, suppress emotion, and "be the good son." His life looked fine on paper. But it didn’t fit him.
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Coaching Process:
In our 2-hour Kraken session, we cut through the professional noise and got to the root. It wasn’t about the promotion - it was about permission. Permission to want more. To stop settling. To pursue joy, love, and his own hobbies without guilt.
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I challenged him when needed and gave him space when it mattered. We sat in the silence long enough for the truth to echo back. And when it did, Ronan didn’t flinch. He stepped in.
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Breakthrough Moment:
Ronan realized that for the first time, he was allowed to define what success meant - not his parents, not his job title, not anyone else. That shift was internal, seismic, and entirely his own.
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Result:
He stopped enduring and started living. Since then, Ronan’s life looks radically different: he’s dating again, reconnected with old passions, and shows up at work from a place of grounded self-worth. The promotion? Still on the horizon. But now, it’s no longer the prize - it’s just part of a life he chooses.
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Coach’s Note:
Ronan’s story is why I do this work. When a man finally realizes he’s allowed to feel, to choose, to want something for himself - everything changes. The Kraken isn’t just coaching. It’s reclamation.
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Feeling a Nudge?
If you’ve been living someone else’s version of your life - maybe it’s time for your own Kraken moment.
04
Client Case Study: Fraser - Remembering the Man Behind the Mask
Fraser M., Age: 55
Profession: Carpenter, business owner
Personality: Straight-talking, warm-hearted, geeky, rough-around-the-edges (in the best way)
Starting Point:
Fraser came to me buried under years of “just getting on with it.” His business ran him. Client demands ruled his time. His dream of mentoring a younger apprentice? On hold indefinitely. The real problem wasn’t time - it was the belief that wanting more made him selfish.
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Coaching Process:
In our Kraken session, we peeled back the layers of duty, pride, and old-school work ethic that had built up over decades. He wasn’t broken - just buried. Once he named what he actually wanted, the shift began: more legacy, more joy, less martyrdom.
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With grounded humour and real talk, we reframed his role - from worker to mentor, from tradesman to guide. And more importantly, from a man in survival mode to one who remembers who he is.
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Breakthrough Moment:
Fraser finally admitted that the “too busy” story was self-forged - a convenient excuse that kept him safe. When he said out loud, “I can take on an apprentice,” it wasn’t about logistics. It was about reclaiming purpose.
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Result:
He reorganized his schedule, dropped the lowest-drain clients, and is now preparing to take on his first apprentice - something he hadn’t allowed himself to dream about for years. His words? “You handed me the key I didn’t know I dropped.”
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Coach’s Note:
Men like Fraser are the reason I trust this work. Underneath the grit is gold. The Kraken isn’t about fixing people - it’s about helping them remember who the they are.
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Feeling a Nudge?
If you’ve been carrying duty so long you forgot your own dreams - it’s not too late. Let’s find your key.
05
Client Case Study: Alasdair - The Boat, the Dream, the Alchemy
Alasdair M., 46
Profession: Joiner (marquetry & restoration), part-time volunteer
Personality: Soulful, steady, sentimental, deeply connected to legacy and craft
Starting Point:
Alasdair came to me with a quiet ache - a decades-old dream of building a traditional sailing cutter in honour of his late grandfather, a fisherman. But that dream had gathered dust. Life was full - client work, volunteer jobs, responsibilities. He called it “not the right time,” but underneath that? He didn’t believe he had permission to want something so personal, so meaningful, just for himself.
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Coaching Process (in the Awaken the Kraken 6-week package):
We worked through the guilt, grief, and old beliefs that had him side-lining his own dreams. The theme that emerged again and again: restoration. Not just of furniture - but of self. Week by week, he reclaimed his right to build something lasting, something for him. The boat stopped being a fantasy and became a mission.
We didn’t just talk goals - we reconnected him to why this mattered. Legacy. Craft. Healing.
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Breakthrough Moment:
In week four, he said, “I’m building it.” Not as a joke. Not ‘maybe one day.’ Just a clear, steady truth. You could hear it land in his chest. It wasn’t about the boat anymore - it was about coming home to who he’d always been.
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Result:
Alasdair has started laying the groundwork - gathering tools, blocking time, sketching plans. The dream is no longer a whisper. It’s real. Alive. His words? “You made me believe I could. And I do.”
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Coach’s Note:
Some men don’t need fixing - they need remembering. Alasdair never lost himself. He just needed someone to hold the vision steady until he could see it again. This is why I do what I do.
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Feeling a Nudge?
If there’s a dream you’ve left gathering dust, let’s shake it off together. The world needs what you haven’t built yet.
06
Client Case Study: James - Owning the Leadership He Tried to Dodge
James C., Age: 50
Profession: Engineer (sustainable transport), passionate about woodworking
Personality: Introverted, thoughtful, dry humour, highly reflective
Starting Point:
James came to me sitting on the edge of a big opportunity - a promotion that would put him in charge of a team and a major sustainability initiative. On paper, it was perfect. In reality, he was quietly talking himself out of it. “Not worth the hassle,” he said. But underneath that? Fear. More eyes on him. More pressure. More exposure. The truth? He was afraid that stepping up would mean stepping out of his comfort zone - and he wasn’t sure he could hold it.​
Coaching Process (in The Kraken session):
In our session, we unpacked the quiet internal war: the part of him that wanted to lead, and the part that was still stuck in self-protection mode. He didn’t need hype - he needed clarity. Through targeted questions (and a bit of dry banter), we traced the pattern: James had always been the one behind the scenes, the fixer, the thinker. Not the face. Not the name on the door.
I didn’t tell him what to do. I held up the mirror - and stood beside him while he looked.
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Breakthrough Moment:
When he said, “I think I’ve been playing small because it’s safer,” the air changed. It wasn’t a confession. It was a decision point. From that moment on, it wasn’t if he would step up. It was how.
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Result:
James took the promotion. On his own terms. He restructured his team, created space for deeper work, and finally started seeing himself not just as a contributor - but a leader. His words? “You didn’t push me. You made me see the door. And then made damn sure I opened it.”
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Coach’s Note:
Some of the quietest people carry the most powerful change. James didn’t need fixing. He needed reminding - that the very things he feared were signs he cared. And that was never weakness. That was leadership.​
Feeling a Nudge?
If you’ve been sitting on something big but talking yourself out of it, maybe it’s not the wrong path. Maybe it’s just time to open the door.
07
Client Case Study: Duncan - From Designing for Others to Dreaming for Himself
Duncan K., Age: 49
Profession: Sustainable landscape architect
Personality: Grounded, thoughtful, service-oriented, quietly ambitious
Starting Point:
Duncan had spent decades creating dream gardens and eco-homes for other people - but when it came to his own dream? Radio silence. He brushed it off as “not the right time” or “maybe someday.” Underneath, though, was the belief that his dream didn’t count. That he had to keep building for others before he was allowed to build for himself.
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Coaching Process:
In Awaken the Kraken sessions, we didn’t sketch blueprints. We dug into the stories. Why was his own dream home - a self-designed, sustainable retreat surrounded by native plants - always last on the list? The answer wasn’t time or money. It was quiet self-doubt wrapped in duty.
Through questions and reflection, we uncovered the core truth: Duncan wasn’t just avoiding the logistics. He was avoiding the vulnerability of naming what he really wanted. Once he said it out loud, it stopped being fantasy and started becoming a plan.
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Breakthrough Moment:
The shift happened when Duncan said, “If I wait until I feel I’ve earned it, I’ll never build it.” That’s when it turned - from a distant maybe to a now-or-never. And he chose now.
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Result:
Duncan started the initial designs for his own space. He blocked out time in his schedule - not for clients, but for him. He’s now putting plans in motion to build a scaled version of his dream, starting with the landscape. His words? “You made me see it wasn’t selfish. It was overdue.”
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Coach’s Note:
Duncan is the kind of man who makes magic for others and forgets he deserves some too. What he needed wasn’t permission - it was validation. And once he got that? There was no stopping him.
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Feeling a Nudge?
If you’ve been putting off your dream because it feels too big, too selfish, or too far away - maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s just waiting for you to say yes.
08
Client Case Study: Callum - Waking Up the Part That Had Gone Quiet
Callum F., Age: 51
Profession: Former business consultant, semi-retired
Personality: Quietly intelligent, emotionally reserved, deeply human underneath the numbness
Starting Point:
Callum showed up feeling flatlined. Not broken. Just… numb. He’d shelved his dreams - a second chance at love, creative projects he never dared to start - because he’d quietly decided his best years were behind him. “What’s the point?” was the unspoken motto. He didn’t expect transformation. He just wanted to feel something.
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Coaching Process:
In our Unleash the Kraken sessions, we didn’t jump into future plans. We met him where he was - sitting in the silence, under layers of grief, weariness, and quiet resignation. No forced optimism. No ra-ra pep talks. Just space. Listening not just to his words, but to the long-unspoken things beneath them.
As he started naming what he missed - connection, laughter, touch, creative expression - it became clear: he hadn’t given up because he didn’t care. He’d given up because it hurt too much to hope.
We reframed that. Not into “go chase the dream” mode, but into something more grounded: it’s okay to want again. That was the strategy. To let himself feel again.
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Breakthrough Moment:
Callum’s turning point came with a quiet line, almost a whisper: “Maybe it’s not too late.” That shift - from resignation to possibility - cracked something open. The man who thought he was done started dreaming again.
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Result:
He reached out to an old friend and reconnected. He picked up his sketchbook for the first time in years. He’s not sprinting - he’s warming up. But the spark’s back. His words? “You gave me permission to want again - and that changed everything.”
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Coach’s Note:
Callum reminded me that transformation doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it hums quietly beneath the surface until someone dares to say, “What if?” That’s where the real work lives.
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