Riaza Manricks found TCI after her marriage ended and she moved cities and jobs. Now she has plans to transition from corporate to coaching: "I never thought people would want to pay me for what I do."
Three years ago, Riaza Manricks began a journey of rediscovering herself.
After a couple of years living in London, the Brisbane accounting and IT graduate had left her marriage (“I was so unhappy”), moved to Melbourne and started a new corporate role at ANZ. She was also studying to be a yoga teacher, started swapping “partying all night” for meditation, journaling and spirituality—then was introduced to a TCI coach.
That meeting reconnected Riaza with a long-held dream to become a facilitator. When she hit up a free TCI weekend event in January 2018, “I was captivated,” she says. “Matt Lavars was doing his thing and I loved it. He was wild.” She joined at Masters level and upgraded to Pro Coach around six months later.
“In some of my very early interactions with TCI I would see some of the transformations you would do with people in 45 minutes and think, ‘These people are wizards, how do you learn this?’
Since then, Riaza has grown “so much” personally and found a love for helping others: This is something I’ve wanted to do for years and leaning in and learning all the incredible things has the side benefit of helping me,” she says.
“What I’ve learned about myself has been phenomenal, simple things like expressing my needs and boundaries, showing my emotions so I can connect with another person.”
Riaza has big plans for her business and her life.
“Knowing I am one hundred per cent responsible for everything I experience is mind blowing and empowering. I love helping other people come to their own conclusion about that.”
For now, she works in corporate five days, then coaches clients after hours and on weekends. Despite the long hours, “I have more energy because I’ve helped somebody. There’s something so personal and magical about the process that I am addicted to.”
The bottom line? “I never thought people would want to pay me for what I do, it’s opened my eyes and switched me from an employee to an entrepreneur mindset.”
What has TCI given you?
Such big curiosity. Living above the line, conscious living, is absolutely fundamental and core to who I am now and the way I approach everything, in corporate life, in my family and partner. Curiosity is at the heart of that. It’s given me the confidence to do things I never thought I could do.
What do you know about yourself that you didn’t before TCI?
That I can do stuff that I never thought I could. I say yes and work out how. I’m launching a leadership program in the new year, I haven’t fully fleshed it out yet but I’ve posted about it on my socials which gave me the kicker to commit. I ran a seven day group coaching program as a bit of a taster—I just did a pretty design on Canva, posted it then knew I had to deliver.
What has this journey meant for you?
I’m learning to let go of perfection. I’ve always been a high achiever, nothing is ever good enough. I’ve totally let go of all that bullshit and now progress over perfection is my mantra.
In what way did TCI live up to or exceed expectations?
What I’ve loved is that it’s really up to the individual as to where you want to take it. You can play real safe, you can go full out, you can dabble from one to the other, be full out for two months then go and hibernate for six. There’s no judgement around that. When you’re ready to come back the community is there with so much support. After my first set of triads I got challenging feedback, and Miss Perfection over here couldn’t handle it. I ended up taking a good nine months off. Then I got back into it when I was ready. When I came back I was welcomed with open arms.
“The content we learn and the facilitators are phenomenal, that goes without saying—the surprising thing is the community and surrounding yourself with like minded people who have similar goals and are on a similar journey. It’s amazing. When you are having those down days or don’t know what you’re doing, there’s this beautiful community you can lean into."
Your biggest milestone or turning point?
Meta III was a massive milestone. I truly dropped that perfectionist bullshit and truly learned how to love and receive feedback. I now know I can replace my corporate salary with a coaching salary, I have a lot more self belief.
What makes a great coach?
Being present. Truly listening, listening for what is said and unsaid. Leaving your ego at the door and being there.
How has coaching changed your closest relationships?
It’s changed the way I show up in my closest relationships. With my partner, I’m taking full responsibility and expressing my needs, not expecting him to be a mind reader. Then with my family it’s so many things, being able to share what I learn with them, noticing our tribal cycles at play. I have understanding and compassion for other people, everyone is going through their own stuff.
How has the way you show up for your corporate role changed?
I absolutely use the skills I learn with my team and that inner confidence knowing what I’m capable of and can do. I have built a culture within my team that relies on strong relationships, people openly share their frustrations and challenges, they look for answers within the team. It’s good fun. Ive had some of my team tell me, ‘I’ve learned more from you than any other leader.’ I am about people, not products. I champion them to get other roles.
Where are you at with your business?
My business is called PRiZM. I have four or five paying clients now and they are all small business owners working through their stuff to grow their businesses. I work on the personal and business sides. Next year I want to work more with female leaders to help them to understand their own power, be more authentic, lead more authentically. My vision is ‘reimagining leadership.’
Your most successful marketing strategy?
Word of mouth.
Advice for other fabulous coaches?
I would say coach pro bona ASAP, don’t wait until you think you’re going to be ready, don’t wait until you finish your triads. In the triads you’re getting scored on a whole heap of different things. I realised I don’t necessarily need to do everything in the assessment form every time I coach. Be there for your client and don’t worry about it being a perfect session.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I’ll have my own coaching business, be working with corporations, I’ll be running women’s leadership programs and coaching executives one on one.
Three things you can’t live without?
A good cup of tea, carbs, ripped jeans.
“What would I say to someone thinking of joining TCI? If not now, when? Lean in. Jump in. It's fantastic."
Riaza is a qualified yoga teacher, human behaviour enthusiast, lifelong student and eternal traveller who is obsessed with the ocean. ‘”Sun on my face, sand beneath my feet, close friends with me—that feels like home.”
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