By the time she joined The Coaching Institute in September 2019, Casey Williamson had tried a stack of careers but none of them moved her closer to her dream of working between New York and Melbourne.
The 37-year-old had been a primary school teacher, Deal or No Deal briefcase girl, owned a chocolate business, eaten a fake rat while playing a zombie in a Rob Lowe movie and worked in her father's conveyancing business.
"I was always very entrepreneurial. When I was little I tried to convince my friends to start a babysitting club and was always interested in building things," says Casey.
"I saw big possibilities."
Planning to start a business involving awareness of native Australian food ingredients, Casey hired a business coach but she soon realised, "I want to do what you do ... I was always interested in human behaviour and think I always knew I had the potential inside me but didn't know how to access it."
Casey called TCI's 'Captain Marvel' Bianca Bennett, and "she believed in me and she actually cared, and that was more confirmation of what I want to do for people.
"I want to hold their dreams for long enough that they can start to see what's possible."
The Melbourne mother-of-one—her son Henry, 6, is "my biggest teacher, everything I haven't developed in myself he has nailed"—tells how she's already doing that, six months after her "totally transformational" Foundations of Coaching Success training, and how she has plans to have a turnover of $450K next year with her business The.Courage.Project.
“At TCI I have just found so much community and support and guidance. My journey has just skyrocketed and I'm so much better at making mistakes, and I feel I know the actual steps to take."
Where did you start your coaching journey and where are you now?
I started in level one then signed up to Pro Coach on my first or second day of FOCS. That was a no brainer. It was clear this was my mission and would be a lifelong journey for me.
What was a big turning point for you?
I'd done a bit of work with the crystals and incense and tarot cards and stuff, in that more magical thinking space, but it wasn't making any money and I was starting to get resentful: 'These people aren't showing up to my free challenges but I want to help them.' When Mary Jensen shared that by going to successful people you can make a much bigger impact, I thought, 'Wow, I need to go here.' I'd always had issues with the corporate world but it's so true that whatever is in the way is the way. I thought, 'Gosh, that's actually who I am, a high achiever who won't accept mediocrity.' I want an exceptional life and I want to find people like that who have recognised there's something missing.
The biggest milestone?
A big one for me was my FOCS weekend. I've had a lot of trauma around men and abusive relationships, and I asked Joe Pane to help me heal that. He pulled me up to coach me and that led to a huge realisation. I joined BNI which was a quite male dominated environment, which was very triggering, but I knew I had to confront this stuff and have powered through. At the moment what I'm getting is male clients and a big transformational thing has been viewing them not as threatening males but boys with an inner child. That has been really amazing, to let go of my perspectives and shift my thinking of what people are capable of.
How many clients do you have now?
I have six, five of whom are full fee paying. I've had some pro bonos as well. There's so much more that I'm capable of: my goal is ten private one on one personal coaching clients then ten business clients, and group coaching programs. Business Skills has helped me identify how I can make such a bigger impact through the online world.
Your most successful marketing strategy?
What did you love most about your TCI journey?
FOCS was really transformative because I came in so cynical and so guarded and very closed off. I desperately wanted for this to be something, and to just be held and have that nurturing warm space.
What challenged you the most?
My own stuff getting in the way and just working through that. Also all of the reactions I have to things, which was part of the reason I chose TCI. I was reactive to it and triggered by it. It looked very masculine, all that black and gold, and I was really scared of Remi. There's parts of her that I haven't accepted within myself, that kind of 'I'll call you on it' element she has, and that striving for excellence. Remi ruffles feathers and we need to ruffle feathers to get where we want to go. So I chose TCI because I knew it was going to challenge me in a way that would help me grow into the person I was inside.
Your advice for other fabulous TCI coaches?
Follow the system, lean into the discomfort, know what's in the way is the way. If you're feeling reactive to something, get curious.
“Everything I do at TCI is just phenomenal. So much value and the content is so applicable. We get so many big wins. I feel like I'm at home with my people, the people who also felt weird and out of place and were asking deeper questions. TCI has made me recognise that I belong and I do have so much value to give.”
How much time do you spent learning at TCI?
I’d say probably four to five hours a week but I need to be spending more. I get up early at 5am and do a little bit at night but I'm trying to have a default diary so I'm prioritising those activities I'm avoiding.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I would love to be working between New York and Melbourne. I would love to have some staff on my team so I can maximise my time actually serving. I would love to be working with some big companies helping them transform their culture. I'll have online programs, be doing presentations. I'd also kind of like to be working towards my passion project, giving back and helping women move on from divorce and domestic violence. In order to do that I need to set myself up and be earning quite a lot. By this time next year I want to have turned over 450K in one year, then I'll go for 850K.
Casey Williamson is an insatiably curious lifelong learner who adores "cheese, wine and really good food." She is dedicated to exploring through art, culture and music, and "I love to go on journeys," she says. "I'm a bit of an escapist—I love to be taken away by stories and I find people fascinating. I have slight FOMO about all the places I won't get to visit and the books I won't read but when I look back at all the things I’ve done and tried, I’ve lived an incredibly rich life with much more to come."
The unlikely definition of true wisdom