The Beginning

I am passionate about self-development. I believe that learning and moving forward in life is a necessity. We always learn if we allow ourselves new perspectives and keep an eye open for upcoming opportunities. 

I am proud to have a colourful background. I am a former gymnastics coach, manager, mentor and educator. I worked in high paced environments, I wanted to reach all expectations and I moved forward in positions. I was a Yes-Woman. I was hungry to learn more, do more and try everything that comes in my way. I was determined to reach the highest level of satisfaction and I believed that anything was possible. I was born and raised in a small village in Hungary with a population of 500 people and I had to work super hard to secure a top management position in the UK’s largest leisure provider in London. Overall, I lived in 6 countries (Hungary, UK, USA, Qatar, Singapore, Italy) and visited over 50. I enjoy working with and experiencing extraordinary cultures, getting to know divergent mindsets and meeting people at different walks of life.

Reached the Limit

After gaining international experience and travelling around the world I started losing interest and lacked in both professional and personal goals. I had everything I wanted: good job, fun lifestyle, excellent friends, opportunities to grow, various travel destinations within reach… But I wasn’t happy. Something was missing. I felt unmotivated, lack of enthusiasm, almost depressed, gasping for air while I had plenty. I could not figure out what it was. I felt I reached an invisible ceiling and I could not see the way forward. During this period I also started to experience physical abnormalities. After a few years of examinations and constant doctor's appointments I was diagnosed with an overly rare and progressive motor neuron disease. The cause is unknown and therefore there is no cure or treatment. The news was devastating and I could not find a logical explanation. I was angry, upset, scared and I felt betrayed by the world. I felt that this news was the last drop in the glass on the top of all the insecurities and my search for a happier life. My doctor recommended that I radically change lifestyle, including personal and professional areas so the deterioration may be slowed down. 

The Force

The lifestyle changes forced me to take care of myself and to look at life in a different perspective. It was a major challenge for me to give up on my routine, my expectations, my dreams and my planned future. I felt I had 2 forces within me: the classic examples of the angel and the devil. The angel wanted me to stay disciplined, follow all the recommendations and put my health first. The devil wanted me to keep going forward, try more, do more and live life like never before because it is not known how long I can enjoy a quality life. Eventually, I had to accept the fact that finding new ways of living and setting advanced goals was a must. I started to retrain my brain that everything happens for a reason and that life happens not TO me but FOR me. I realised that wanting more and being afraid of losing out on moments is not the only way forward. In time I learned to live with the disease. I slowed down and I started to enjoy the little, simple things in life. The process took a bit of time (a few years actually) and required lots of mental and emotional strength. My health is now top priority and my time is more valuable than ever before: I only want to spend time with people I care about and on tasks that are important and rewarding.

My Life Today

After careful consideration and re-prioritising my life I turned a direction in my career as well. I am now focusing on giving back to the community and serving others. I moved away from gymnastics and I started a coaching journey. Coaching aligns with my values. I was always interested in developing people and I feel I can truly make a difference in someone’s life without influencing the person. Coaching allows me to find meaning in my work and to connect with others in non-traditional ways. It also gives me the opportunity to connect with myself and to continue my own development while communicating with others.  

I started my approach the same way as any other coach does: having one conversation at the time. However, as my disease further deteriorated and started to affect my speech I had to amend my strategies. I decided that I will focus on group coaching so I can reach more people within the same time frame and offer my services at a lower price point. Furthermore, I decided to specialise in supporting coaches to build their coaching business. I believe in the power of coaching and making a better world together. By coaching coaches I multiply my mission and the ripple effect on our global community echoes.

Together we can make a huge impact on people's lives and I am fortunate to have everything I wanted so far. It is a wonderful feeling to be happy with what we have instead of constantly going after something we don’t have yet. I travelled the world, I now work for myself and I live where I want. I am currently travelling around South and Central America; something I always dreamed of doing but never had a chance. I am at the stage of my life where I feel it is time for me to pay forward. I still believe that anything is possible and I am determined to reach the highest level of satisfaction. With or without a progressive disease my attitude hasn't changed, only my mindset. I want to move from a life of success to a life of significance: my goal in life is to provoke thoughts and make a positive impact in whatever way I can. 

I look forward to meeting you and working with you to reach your goals in your life and in your coaching business.

Keep smiling!

Ilona

 

If you want to read more on how I specialise in my coaching, follow here.