I didn’t always want to be a lawyer. I kind of fell into it. As a child, I had wanted to become a nurse, and as a teen I considered social work. But I did better in my A Levels than I had anticipated, and this led me to a different degree. To get into training as a solicitor in Northern Ireland an aptitude test was required. I found that I enjoyed doing the exam and came out feeling that I had the aptitude to be a lawyer. 
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I started training and I dealt with a mixed bag of criminal law, litigation, family law and conveyancing. I visited prisons and police cells and dealt with clients as diverse as petty thieves, those accused of attempted murder, victims of violence, victims of industrial and other accidents, to those buying and selling property. 
 
I moved to Dublin and worked as a general practice lawyer in two firms over 2 decades.  Less prison cells, but still lots of interesting cases and fascinating people. I loved it. I loved the variety and the stories of real people never failed to amaze me! I got to see the whole range of human behaviour and I found it so interesting. From people who really needed access to justice, to those who just wanted to know when they would receive their inheritance.
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Somehow, over time, I lost my love for law. I still liked it, but I didn’t love it. With my children growing up and family life becoming busier, I re-assessed my values and concluded that full-time, full-on employment just didn’t fit me anymore. I needed more time for family and more freedom both in time and location. I went to a coaching information night and spent my time nodding enthusiastically. I really got it!
 
Coaching was the logical next step for me. I was still meeting people and hearing their stories. I was still using the people skills I had honed over 20 years in the legal profession. And crucially  for me, I was still involved in making change happen for clients in a positive and empowering environment and seeing them progress. And non-negotiable for me was that I was still ENGAGED with human beings and their stories. I was feeling the love again! 
 
And so, Engage Life Coaching was born.