From Manager to Coach: How I Found My Passion (After a Decade of Unknowingly Practicing It)

For over ten years, I was a manager. I led teams and attended more meetings than any human should endure. But the part of my job I loved most? Helping people grow. Turns out, I wasn’t just managing—I was coaching and didn’t even realize it. 

The ‘Aha!’ Moment

One day, after yet another conversation where I’d spent an hour helping a team member navigate a challenge (instead of, say, checking my emails like a "normal" manager), it hit me: I enjoy this more than spreadsheets or pretending to care about quarterly reports.

I had spent a decade thinking I was running the front office when, really, I belonged on the field—mentoring, adjusting, and helping others find their groove.

Why Coaching? Because Managers Fix Problems—Coaches Unleash Potential

As a manager, my job was to solve things. As a coach, my job is to help others solve things—which is far more rewarding.

I realized I didn’t just want to tell people what to do; I wanted to help them figure it out for themselves. There’s a special kind of magic in watching someone have a breakthrough—especially when you didn’t have to dictate it from a KPI sheet.

The Leap into the Unknown

Switching careers after a two decades felt like jumping off a cliff… if the cliff was made of steady paychecks and LinkedIn credibility. But here’s the thing: passion doesn’t always announce itself with fireworks. Sometimes it whispers, "Hey, remember how you always light up when someone says, ‘Your advice changed everything’?"

So I took courses and officially hung up my "Manager" hat for a "Coach" one. And you know what? No one questioned it—except my mum, who still asks if I really won’t prefer a “stable job” (Don’t worry mum, I love what I am doing now).

The Best Part? Bye-bye Spreadsheets, Hello Real Connections

Now, instead of corporate jargon and performance reviews, my days are filled with real conversations, growth, and the occasional "Oh wow, I never thought of it that way!" It turns out, helping people unlock their potential isn’t just fulfilling—it’s FUN.

The Lesson? Follow the Joy

If there’s a part of your job that excites you more than the rest, pay attention. Maybe it’s not just a “skill”—it’s a “calling”. And if that calling involves ditching meetings for meaningful work? Even better. 

So here’s to second acts, late discoveries, and careers built on what actually makes us come alive. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a coaching session to prep—and absolutely zero spreadsheets to open.