Emma Collyer is an accredited coach with the International Coaching Federation and is the founder and owner of Aspire Executive Coaching, which operates out of Ontario, Canada. She works with CEO’s, senior leaders, and aspiring leaders to help them overcome work-related challenges and be the most successful version of themselves in their careers and business.
Emma Collyer, Executive & Leadership Coach
Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
I’m the founder and principal coach at Aspire Executive Coaching and have over 10 years experience of working as a coach. I am located near Peterborough in Ontario, Canada but as I work virtually with majority of my clients, I can work within anyone globally depending on time zones!
Although we live in Canada now, I am from the UK originally, and relocated to the country in 2018 with my husband and two teenage sons. Our current pet count is five with a dog, two cats, a gecko and snake! I am hoping not to acquire any more for a while…
We are lucky to live in a beautiful area known as the Kawartha Lakes, and as the name indicates there is plenty of water around us which makes for a popular holiday destination. Think boats, cottages (large houses), waterfront living and trees.
Before I focused on coaching, I trained as a Landscape Architect and Environmental Impact Assessment practitioner, moving into management and leadership positions as I progressed in my career. Over the years, I have worked for consultancies, the public sector, a government agency, and a not-for-profit organization so I have experienced plenty of great and not so great leadership!
What inspired you to start Aspire Executive Coaching, and what has been your vision for the company from the beginning?
Coaching has been an interest and passion of mine for the last decade or so since I first experienced its transformative effectiveness on my own development. I was keen to provide help to those in leadership positions and aspiring to be leaders, as from my own experiences, it can often be a challenging and lonely place without someone supporting you.
I wanted to provide a high-quality coaching service that organizations could rely upon to get them significant results. The culture and effectiveness of an organization frequently starts at the top with the leaders, so any incremental improvements can have a big impact on teams and productivity.
Can you tell me more about the coaching services you offer and how they can benefit individuals and organizations?
My coaching services are evolving and developing as my clients’ preferences change but currently, I offer one-on-one coaching, team coaching (within organizations) and group coaching (a common topic with a group of individuals that don’t know each other!)
My clients are seeing huge benefits to their careers and workplace effectiveness from working with me. For example, I was helping several clients with their desire to move into a more significant leadership position. After working with me, they were able to secure more senior roles within 3-6 months of completion of my coaching program.
Other clients are seeing their effectiveness and productivity escalate through coaching with myself, making their jobs more enjoyable and presenting new opportunities they had not previously considered.
I am seeing a lot of interest from organizations regarding team coaching. I think since covid and the return to the office, it has presented several challenges for leaders and managers. One of the biggest issues is around engagement levels and this is something that team coaching can help with.
What sets Aspire Executive Coaching apart from other coaching services, and how do you ensure the best possible outcomes for your clients?
I pride myself on offering my clients a responsive, high quality coaching service, that can adapt to their changing needs. My programs are bespoken to individuals and organizations, and I ensure through our sessions, that clients are happy with progress against their desired outcomes, through check-ins and review points.
What do you see as the future of coaching, and how is Aspire Executive Coaching preparing to meet the evolving needs of its clients?
Coaching is becoming better known and understood through organizations such as BetterUp and Ezra who provide entirely virtual coaching services and operate as close to ‘on demand’ coaching that is easily adjusted by the clients.
It is becoming more accessible and desirable to have your own coach, so I believe the industry will keep growing as needs change and evolve.
Since COVID, I have seen a growth in interest around team-based coaching and some requests for in person sessions also, so I don’t think virtual sessions have entirely taken over. I am looking to grow the team of coaches that I can offer organizations and to expand training around team coaching specifically as I see this developing into the future.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
Regulation… currently the coaching industry is not regulated, which means that anyone can set up a business and call themselves a coach. There are no controls or accountability attached to the profession, which means you have a huge variety of skilled and unskilled coaches on the market, making it difficult to know what you will really get as a customer.
There are a few organizations trying to change this and as part of my training, I sought accreditation of the International Coaching Federation, to provide some assurances to clients of my professionalism and quality of coaching.
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today.
Moving to a different country, was an exciting and new challenge, which made me reflect hard on what was important to me, prompting me to think about what I wanted to do for a job. For me coaching and owning my own business was the obvious choice as both had been an aspiration for a long time. When the opportunity presented itself to seek out training and gain accreditation, the process of working for myself quickly followed!
If you would like some support with your career and work related challenges, please use this link to schedule a free confidential call at a time that is convenient for you.
