The story you tell yourself is the one you live by

Hey, I'm Anne.

I’m a way seer, or you could say a pattern-breaker, someone who has spent years learning to notice the beliefs running my life from the inside: the ones that kept me from daring to make a change when it was time to, that stopped me from asking for help, that made me shut down when it was time to speak up.

I believe that one of the most important things we are here to experience in this lifetime is to be ourselves, the truest version of ourselves. To sing our metaphorical song.

For me, that was also literal. Most of my twenties were devoted to building my voice and pursuing a career as a singer. I went against the grain, trying to become an artist in a family of scientific minds, and that experience of following a passion that didn’t fit the script is behind so much of what I do now.

I dropped out of university where I was reading English, philosophy, and psychology. It’s almost poetic to find myself where I am today. Much of my work springs from memoir writing and journaling, alongside studying and teaching Buddhist and Asian philosophy, coaching, and somatic practices, while leaning on ACT, IFS, self-narrative, and other tools that help people understand themselves from the inside out.

I wouldn’t be where I am had I not also become a meditator, and eventually a meditation teacher. Mettā, aka loving-kindness meditation, and mindfulness taught me to notice the thoughts and emotions moving through me, and the physical reactions that accompanied them. Simply put, thoughts are stories, and many of them were not serving me. I’m still learning to be with it all, and to meet experience not just in the head or the heart, but in the body too.

As a coach, I’m not here as someone who has arrived. I’m here as someone who has put in the hours to understand the path, and who has built the tools, training, and practice to walk alongside you on yours.

My own story is ironic. I used to think I was bad at telling stories. I carried that belief for years after a botched attempt to entertain my extended family at a big holiday gathering.

Meanwhile, what skill do you think you need to sell luxury women’s shoes but stories!

In my personal life, that belief had me hold back from sharing myself. At work, it became the bedrock of my career. Over my years at Christian Louboutin, I edited press releases while never daring to write them, and yet I was writing brilliant emails to CEOs of major global brands. Emails that required precision, empathy, strategy, and voice. I was doing the thing while telling myself I couldn’t do the thing.

That gap, between what I was capable of and what I allowed myself to claim, shaped my career for longer than I’d like to admit. It also became the foundation of everything I now do.

I spent seventeen years at Christian Louboutin, rising from the shop floor to Senior Vice President of Global Communications. I helped build a great company. I helped a brand find its voice at global scale. And after I left, I faced the challenge of finally understanding my own.

02  WHAT WE ACTUALLY WORK ON

Most people come to me thinking they have a communication problem.

Or a self-expression problem. Or a confidence problem. When we go beneath the surface, we usually find an inner story problem.

Not the story you’re telling others, but the ones running your life from the inside. The stories that make you edit out your thoughts before you’ve opened your mouth. The ones that keep you circling the same annoying patterns. The ones that have you keep quiet or fail to jump at the right opportunities.

The work is also about allowing ourselves to go beyond what our rational mind tells us we are allowed to dream. Part of what we do together is clear the ground, and then open the space for something new to emerge.

I work with where you’re at, not where you wish you were.

We might tackle the things you keep leaving out, the stories you tell yourself, the beliefs that live under the surface, and the patterns or obstacles that keep repeating. We might work with your voice and self-expression, whether at work, at home, on the page, or on a stage. And we might work with your dreams, your orientation, and the practices that help you develop inner knowing, from visualisation and goal setting to presence, mindfulness, and listening.

03 WHO THIS IS FOR

People who are ready to piece their story together. Who want to surface the meaning. Who are ready to dive deep, collect the pearls, and need help stringing them together.

Beyond the metaphor, it could be:

People who have a sense that something in them wants to move, and who are eager to find what’s in the way.

People navigating a transition, personal, professional, or both. A new chapter, a creative block, a dream they have trouble envisioning. Those who have been through burnout and want to rebuild trust in themselves.

People who want to be heard, privately or in the world, and know they have a story, a perspective, or a voice that hasn’t yet found its full expression.

People who think they have a communication problem, a confidence problem, or a visibility problem, and are willing to discover what’s underneath. People who want to take up space and make their voices heard.

That is the deeper purpose of this work.

Steve Jobs once said: “The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation to come.”

If that’s true (and I believe it is) then the question of who gets to tell their story, and whose story gets heard, matters enormously.

The inner work of understanding your own story is also, always, the beginning of something that reaches outward. When we understand ourselves better, we express ourselves from a place of inner knowing — and in doing so, we touch something in others. We help them rethink their own story.

That is the deeper purpose of this work.

04  HOW WE WORK

My coach Martha Beck likes to say that the coach is meant to be the window, not the light,

not to illuminate, but to help you see through whatever you need to see through. That is the stance I bring to every session.

I meet you where you are, with presence, empathy, and deep listening. We begin with your story, orient to what matters now, and stay flexible when life asks for something different.

With your consent, we will go beneath the surface to where images, memories, words, and insight are waiting. The work is co-created, and you’ll be able to see the progress in your own words.

05  A NOTE ON WHAT THIS SPACE IS

This is not a space of productivity.

You do not need to arrive having done your homework, hit your milestones, or prepared a progress report. This is a space of personal discovery, exploration, and connection to yourself.

You may have objectives, and I may give you homework, but the work is for you, not for me.

What I hope you’ll find here is a quality of presence, a clearer sense of who you are and what you stand for, and, perhaps, a genuine enjoyment of the process.

Inner inquiry asks a lot of us. It invites us to face change, fear, and hope, and to do so with courage. Yes to accountability, but no to pressure. Especially not the idea that inner work has to be productive.

06  KIND WORDS

What my clients say

"Our work together has helped me create clear goals with meaningful outcomes for building my business and brand. When we started, I had a book launching in one month and had not done much prep work for the launch. Since our collaboration, I have appeared on two podcasts, been featured in two magazines, and a speaking event. You also helped me understand how to build my brand through storytelling and make it authentic to me. You have nurtured my creativity and helped me to achieve real outcomes. I was also standing in my way with limiting beliefs, and through your mindfulness approach, it has helped shine a light on the blocks I was putting in my path."
— Jessica Faith Graham · Therapist and author of The Love Inside

"When I started to work with Anne I was completely lost. With her unique mix of business and spirituality, she helped me transition out of my corporate mindset into believing and doing what is true to myself. I started to trust in myself again. I would not have been able to do it without her!" — Alex

"Working with you has changed my life. You have given me my story — how precious is that? And you have given me the confidence to make this move now, without fear." — David

"If you're waiting for a sign to work with Anne — this is it. When I started coaching with her, I had one clear question in mind. By the time we finished, I had twenty more. And that's a good thing. Anne created the space I needed to untangle my thoughts and stood beside me to explore uncharted territory, always ready with some words of wisdom and a quote or two. Her presence and way of seeing the world absolutely changed mine. And I have no doubt she'll change yours too." — Anonymous

"Anne is a holistic and strategic thinker — and incredibly easy to talk to. Through our conversations she encouraged me to step into moments and experiences where I felt my best. Together, we celebrated my strengths and discussed strategies for carrying that energy into all aspects of my life. In a short time, I've referenced back approaches that we worked on with much success." — Danielle

"She had a deep understanding of both me and my business, bringing attention to details I had overlooked and expanding my understanding of what I had to offer. Anne guided me in reassessing my values and ensuring that how I present myself aligns with who I am and what I stand for. I enthusiastically recommend her to anyone seeking a profound exploration of their business and a meaningful way to articulate their story." — Julia

"I'm not sure words can describe the impact you had on me — I am still digesting the experience, synapses are still firing. You are pure magic." — Sophie