This episode is part of our 'A Day in the Life' series, where we talk to coaches about their real lives and businesses. What happens when creativity, personal story and deep self-reflection find their way into coaching? In this warm, honest conversation, our host Maxine Bell, talks with Paul Williamson, Group Head of Talent Development at ATG Entertainment. He has designed acclaimed in-house leadership development programmes, helped to build a successful internal coaching faculty, and coached leaders at all levels within the organization. Paul traces his path from a creative childhood filled with art, drama and storytelling, through management roles, to becoming a qualified coach. Like many people, he was steered toward more 'sensible' career paths, but his creative instincts never left him, and he came to see creativity as a powerful tool for transformation.
Central to Paul's practice is Childhood Story Work, the approach pioneered by Dr Sarah Hill. He explains how looking at your own childhood story and its influences can reveal surprising connections between early narratives and present-day behaviour, work he describes as "transformational for me personally." Paul sees his role as creating a safe container for deep exploratory work, one that invites people to call on "all aspects of who they are, including their creativity." Drawing, music, imagery and metaphors help clients move beyond intellectual defences and into deeper layers of meaning.
Running through the conversation is the question "Who am I?", which Paul returns to throughout his work and his own life. It shapes how he shows up as a coach, from his shift away from structured models like GROW towards a more intuitive, emergent style, to his commitment to self-care, supervision and reflective practice. For Paul, the goal is genuine connection: finding out "what lights up their soul."
You will learn:
· Understanding the early narratives that shape us can reveal the influences behind present behaviour and empower clients to change limiting narratives and create real transformation.
· The importance of creating a safe container for creativity and deeper, exploratory work.
· The power of asking 'Who am I?' and 'How do I want to coach?'
'I think if you can encourage people to step into that childlike space of wonder and possibility, you can start to get wonderful results.'
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For the episode resources and guest bio, please visit:
https://www.associationforcoaching.com/page/dl-hub_podcast-channel_day-in-the-life-of-coaches-childhood-storywork-creativity
