Mark Hart

Before we worked together my biggest challenge was battling imposter syndrome on a number of levels – both in terms of questioning the value that I could continue to bring to the workplace in the future, and even just as a human.

I’d let my inner critic, imposter syndrome and accommodating other people drive a persona in me that I had actually not liked, respected or valued. I suppressed the authentic Mark, which exacerbated difficulties with my emotional and mental wellbeing.

I wanted a positive change and to improve my personal resilience, and I didn't have enough structure to help me with that. I was very grounded in emotions and feelings without the structure to break out of that cycle - and it was slow progress.

I said to myself “if you don't sort this shit out, you are not going to stay on this earth in a happy state!” I wanted to be fulfilled in how I operated my life. And balancing work with other factors was important.

I had some tools from work-based management activity, some pieces from my recovery from depression, counselling techniques etc but they weren't complete - it wasn't a complete toolkit.

To use a mechanical analogy, rather than a light service to get a car through an MOT, I feel like I've had a complete full service, the bonnet has been lifted up. All the plugs, the filters, everything has a good inspection!

The process with Charlotte gave me the complete mental toolkit to really thrive at life, including tools and coping mechanisms around the inner critic and the imposter syndrome - it's a blend of things that provided the complete toolbox.

What I have most appreciated is that from day one, I felt at ease. From day one, I felt a huge commitment. From day one, Charlotte’s openness around her own experiences, and her life ups and downs showed resilience and ongoing challenge – because she is human.

Alongside this, because of how I am wired and how I operate at work, I took a huge level of confidence around her professionalism and credentials and how she operates in business. And her commitment is absolutely massive.

I don't think I had a full awareness of just how committed Charlotte is and the steps that she takes to support her clients - her allies, her friends - through this process. It’s fantastic.

One of the biggest outcomes from this for me is that I now have a capability to stand my ground against things that do not represent the authentic me. That is a complete sea change from an individual that for long periods of my life (and certainly in recent years) had been very unhappy, unfulfilled, very passive and pleasing. I had been aggressive, resentful and angry inside. I am now living a completely authentic life.

I feel I have now got the capability and the toolkit to live a life that I'm proud of, proud of who I am and authentic. And I really don't mind if people like that or not. I'll spend time with people that do like that. Rather than trying to please everybody, and pleasing at the cost of my own personal happiness.

Some may have doubts about the level of work that is involved and if they’ve got the bandwidth to do the work they need to take control of this.

If you commit to this journey, the investment in time and effort and change, it will be worth it. Of course, you can’t just click your fingers and it’ll be done in milliseconds – it is hard graft. It's different, it involves change, sometimes it feels uncomfortable, these are all natural feelings. So, do you choose to embrace that?

I doubted that I had the commitment, doubted that I had the resilience and I doubted that I could drive such a positive change over this period. But I’ve gone from really looking at things through a negative spectrum, to embracing the opportunity for further change through a positive spectrum.

The old me would have been nervous and anxious about changes. And the new me is embracing the challenge.

If I compare it with buying something material that's going to depreciate, this experience has provided life, this is provided opportunity. This has provided resilience, and positivity in whatever I do in the rest of my life. How do you put a value on that?

And I’ve been there - I've had the great big F-off houses, the enhancements, the material things at various points in my life, and really, they're irrelevant. What is important is how you live your life in a fulfilled and authentic way.

It’s so important for me, because how on earth can I expect people to believe in me if they don't actually get the sense that I’m operating to be the true, authentic me?

And why would you not want to invest your wealth in you as an individual? Surely the value of that investment is going to pay back so much more. I find it ridiculous that people do not place themselves as the area that they should be making their primary investment. You know, nobody else is going to invest in you. Nobody else has got the capability to use an investment in you. You've got to want to do it.

The results that I’ve enjoyed have further reinforced that I will never, never stop developing and improving my capability to live a joyous life. I don't see this as the end, I see it as an intensive learning phase that's provided more clarity and tools and opportunities.

And Charlotte supported me all the way through – she sent books that would help me and that was a hugely powerful thing, I remember the first time she did it. It’s so positive that it made me think “Wow. This person really cares about me, they've acted so quickly and sent me something that is linked to topics we've discussed”. But you’ve got to read the books and do that work!  If you go into this without commitment, you are going to be very passive. It is a journey, and its work.

In summary, it’s one of the best investments that I’ve made – it's right up there with the life-changing laser eye surgery that I had!

Charlotte is truly authentic and somebody you can relate to, and that drives a very open approach to confiding in discussions and really being open about what you want to get from the investment in time, money and effort that will be made on this journey. Fantastic.