Kate Stapleton is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with her. She impressed us with her strength of character and passion to help others.

Her journey is one of profound resilience and transformation. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and living with bipolar disorder, she was forced to leave her career in finance and reinvent her life, not just for herself, but for the people she now helps through wellness and mindset coaching.

Her story is a testament to the power of acceptance, inner strength, and the relentless pursuit of purpose even in the face of immense personal challenges. Far from letting her circumstances define her, she has chosen to focus on empowering others to take control of their well being, blending coaching with tools like hypnotherapy and visualization to help clients overcome internal obstacles and embrace lasting change.

Her approach is truly unique. Drawing from her own battles with mental and physical health, she brings deep empathy and practical strategies to those struggling with fitness, nutrition, and motivation, reminding them that “fitness begins in the mind.” Here is what she said…

Meet Life Coach Kate Stapleton:

Name: Kate Stapleton

Pillar: The Spirit, The Mind, The Body

Who is this coach for: Anyone who wants to achieve their fitness goals faster and in a much more frictionless way.

How they can help: By evaluating the clients’ history and using various tools and techniques like the GROW model, hypnotherapy, and role play, just to name a few.

First of all, how are you and your family doing after these Pandemic times?

The pandemic was a struggle.

I was in a poor mental state in the run up to the pandemic, and it exacerbated everything I was struggling with.

My mother, who now lives with me, was in a nursing home, and I have distinct memories of talking to her through a fence as she sat in the garden.

Now, however, I am single, my son has left home to start a new life, and, as mentioned, I have Mum living with me.

Things are fine, and it is a relief that the virus is now “just another bug.”

How did the coronavirus pandemic affect your clients? Did it affect you at all?

I wasn’t coaching during the pandemic, but it has helped in terms of the general acceptance of video calls as opposed to in person meetings.

What are the biggest lessons that you learned in this pandemic?

I learned acceptance during the pandemic.

There was nothing I could do to influence it.

In terms of the Spheres of Influence tool, it wasn’t even on the page.

I had two choices: I could either tie myself in knots over what was happening or accept it and move closer to serenity.

This took quite a while, and this is a useful tool given the state of the world today.

The Origin:

Tell us about you, your career, how you started with your coaching career?

My career started because I became disabled overnight with MS!

I was diagnosed in 2014 but had very few symptoms until July 2022.

I went from fit and active to needing a wheelchair and being in intense pain.

I had to give up my job working in finance and decided that I needed to make a life for myself that I could manage from home.

I had been interested in coaching for a while and pursued a course, set up a company, and gained experience.

To date, I have 70 hours of coaching experience and membership of the AC.

The business wasn’t successful, as my target market was too niche, so I have now complemented my learning with a personal trainer qualification (I came into remission by the grace of God) and nutrition studies as well.

I now offer wellness coaching with a heavy focus on mindset towards exercise and nutrition, fitness begins in the mind!

What was your biggest obstacle that you had to overcome in your life that made you who you are today?

The biggest obstacles have been my mental and physical health.

I have bipolar disorder and multiple sclerosis, which can still affect me today.

With my mental health, I am very well treated with effective medication, and when I gave up alcohol entirely, the medication became far more effective.

My MS presents with fatigue, so evening activities have to be carefully planned, and pain, which is managed with strong pain relief so I can live a normal life.

The Coaching Style:

How do you innovate with coaching your clients?

I innovate by exploring clients’ history in terms of their weight gains, losses, and activities pursued.

I draw on my hypnotherapy training to help them visualise the person they want to be, including the sounds, smells, and atmosphere around the person they imagine, as well as their physical appearance.

I help them create the whole experience of being that person, then internalise it so they can refer to it when their motivation is low.

What’s unique about your coaching approach?

I follow the GROW model initially.

Then, in review sessions, I look at the client’s week and examine the emotional impact of events and how it shapes their progression toward their goals.

It is almost a counselling approach, except it is forward facing.

Because my coaching is focused on wellness and health, the mind and body connection is something I take very seriously, and my sessions reflect the importance of this.

What benefits do your clients get after working with you?

The benefits my clients experience include adherence to a wellness programme and having the tools to deal with what life throws at them.

Acceptance and control are two features of my programme, and my clients learn to manage their lives with minimal stress.

Do you use any specific tools to be efficient with your clients?

As mentioned, I use GROW, and I brainstorm with clients to look at options.

I role play to help build courage in clients, to set boundaries, and to deal with obstacles presented by other people.

The Impact:

If you had a super megaphone that, when you speak into, the whole world will hear your message, what would you say?

Be nice to each other.

What is the greatest lesson you have learned in your life?

The greatest lesson I have learned is that I need to relinquish control of everything and everyone around me.

I am not in charge, God is in charge (I have a strong faith).

I can act in certain ways, but I cannot control outcomes.

I may have some influence on them, but it is not down to me to control people, places, or things.

I have wasted time and energy trying to control all factors around me, and it doesn’t work.

Your final thoughts?

Deal with any resentments you have towards other people.

See your own part in fallouts, and go and make amends to the person you have animosity towards.

I’ll give an example, I had experienced resentment towards someone I knew from the local dog walking scene, and one day I walked straight past him with a cursory “hello.”

He sent me a message saying he felt the full brunt of my abruptness.

I replied a couple of days later with an apology for my rudeness, even though the resentment had come about due to his initial criticism of me.

My message to him resulted in a friendship between us.

Pride and ego can rule us, and it is important to stay humble.

Where Can You Find Kate Stapleton?

If you liked this interview and if you would love to upgrade your mindset and align with your fitness goals so you can achieve them almost effortlessly, in a faster, smoother and much more frictionless way, schedule a FREE discovery call here and see how Coach Kate can help you.

You can also check her website for more info about her and her coaching options.

And if you’d like to connect with her more personally, you can do that through LinkedIn or by sending her a direct message on her Email kate@project-transform.me or WhatsApp. It was an honor having this interview with her.