Coaching with Leonnie Graves

One-on-one coaching to help people overcome life's challenges. I focus strongly on communication and leadership coaching. I guide clients to find their innermost blocks and help them work through the blocks thereby discovering their deeper, stronger communication skills.

Coach

Voxy

I design and teach English language sessions based on the learners' goals. 

- Every session includes an authentic resource and a follow-up task, such as a role-play or a 
    conversation around the topic of the resource. 
- Following each session, I provide written feedback, including notes on new vocabulary and/or grammar 
    points. 
- I also suggest onward study including another resource to help the learner continue with their 
    studies beyond the classroom.

English Second Language Tutor

Lingo Live

Design courses to develop the coachees’ communication skills both for in and out of the workplace; 
Specialize in areas such as:

-	Structuring an interesting presentation;
-	Developing an engaging presentation delivery style;
-	Providing feedback to team members and managers alike;
-	Mentoring team members and training them to become mentors themselves;
-	Persuading and negotiating;
-	Developing clearer pronunciation;
-	Growing in confidence in public speaking;
-	Active listening;
-	Honing listening skills so that no information is missed during fast paced meetings;
-	Speaking up confidently in meetings;
-	Developing strong interview skills;
-	Honing strong interpersonal skills such as becoming more assertive and saying, ‘no’;
-	Developing confidence in all areas related to use of the English language;
-	Growing in self-awareness;
-	Growing coachees of all levels from interns to managers in their ability to work effectively.

 Build bespoke interactive material;
 Write comprehensive feedback including points covered and all new vocabulary;
 Teach in an agile manner allowing me to make changes in real time depending on the students and the situation;
Ensure a psychologically safe space for everyone in every lesson;
 Observe body language and non-verbal cues to ensure students are at ease and are following    the lesson properly;
Correct grammar, pronunciation, and all aspects of English learning in a gentle yet clear manner; Elicit answers to concept checking questions (CCQs) to ensure that the students have understood;
Conduct task-based exercises such as practicing an interview or going on a business trip;
Invite questions throughout every lesson to create a space of continuous learning;
Demonstrate complete patience whilst helping the students learn and practice;
Working online I have to fix technical glitches in real time and talk students through fixing theirs.

Language and Communication Coach

As a leadership coach, I firmly believe in creating a safe and supportive space where trust and confidentiality thrive. I meet clients where they are, emphasizing adaptability by tailoring coaching sessions to suit their unique and specific needs. Through a commitment to deep work, I guide individuals through introspective processes, cultivating significant personal and professional development and helping them unlock their fullest leadership potential. Sessions are founded upon an empathetic approach that empowers clients to navigate challenges, inspire teams, and achieve their professional aspirations.

Leadership Coach

EF English First

I taught English to students all over the world. I taught group classes and specialized in private classes. My students ranged from university students to directors within major corporate organizations. As part of EF’s 360 feedback culture, I was regularly reviewed by my students and would receive a score based on my performance. For private classes I had an average score of 98% and for group classes an average of 97.4%.

Tasks and Responsibilities:
Designed custom classes to teach productive and receptive skills. For example; I designed a table of all the Continuous Verb Tenses; also, I found fun, dynamic and easy ways to teach idioms;
Designed interesting and engaging warm-up questions so that students were able to break down their active language filters from the beginning of the lesson;
Used Total Physical Response (TPR) to enable beginner level students to follow the lesson with ease;
Delivered written feedback after both Group and Private lessons, outlining areas for improvement as well as noting particularly good work;
Conducted free conversation classes if desired by the student;
Built up rapport with the students resulting in many returning students for private lessons.

English Second Language Teacher

The Yoga for Wellness

Planned lessons around a different theme each class such as heart chakra opening;
Read the room and tailored the class accordingly;
Designed and conducted a four day Wellness Course;
Researched history around the philosophy of yoga that could be discussed during class;
Took care to stick to a sensible time frame for each part of the class;
Held space for people to experience Yoga and Meditation often for the first time;
Met and greeted the clients as they arrived to help them settle in and feel comfortable;
Made myself available after each class to further discuss the clients’ experiences during the class;
Made adjustments in a delicate manner to yoga poses, as necessary;
Offered modifications and use of props as necessary to ensure that all clients could practice;
Ensured that all clients felt relaxed and comfortable throughout the class;
Used different approaches and communication skills depending on the class;
Worked to understand where students struggled, and where a bespoke approach was needed;
Connected with students to understand what they hoped to achieve through my classes; making
sure they reached their goals
Did 360 feedback; always wanting to improve my teaching skills, understanding class feedback
was very important to me

Yoga Teacher

EBRD

I was responsible for managing numerous projects from cradle to grave.
Tasks and Responsibilities:
Mentored the person to take over from me in all aspects of Project Management;
Assisted in the selection of a new team member to work alongside me;
Assisted the Bankers and Clients with Project design and implementation;
Drafted Terms of Reference and Budget for the Projects;
Sourced and secured funding for both TC and Bank Funded Projects;
Ensured proper Consultancy Procurement and Selection;
Prepared Contract Requests, Amendments and Extensions for all Consultant Contracts;
Ensured full donor visibility for all TC Funded Projects;
Checked expense claims

Senior Administrative Assistant

The power of great communication has always played a major role in my life. I studied languages at university and was exhilarated by the experience of crossing social and cultural barriers by meeting people in their native language.

Later, after 5 years in the corporate world, I decided I wanted to travel the world and left to teach yoga and meditation as I explored the countries around SE Asia. During my travels, I experienced some significant trauma; this led me to dig deep within myself to find my innermost strength. In doing so, I came to realize my greater purpose in life; I realized that I wanted to help people find their own deeper selves and learn to share and express the beauty of that deep inner self. This led me to coaching which has been the fulfilling and passionate path that I’ve enjoyed ever since. I thrive off seeing my clients find clarity, purpose, and passion in all aspects of their lives.

If you'd like to have a call to see if we might work together, just hop into my DMs.

The thing that used to work for me just didn’t anymore.


What once felt supportive had started to feel heavy.


I'm an early bird; usually after my morning walk, I head straight into my office to tackle some admin work.

But lately, something felt off. 
Not wrong exactly, just stale, dull, stagnant.


So this week I’ve been trying something different.


I've been sitting on my veranda, overlooking my garden, with fresh air and birdsong.

And honestly, it made all the difference.


I feel refreshed, calm, more peaceful and more productive all at once 🙂


So often, we get stuck in patterns that once served us beautifully, but have become outdated for our life and who we are now.

The routine that once energized us becomes the thing that drains us.

The approach that worked perfectly just doesn't anymore.


Yet we keep doing it anyway, because it's familiar and because change feels harder than staying stuck.


But sometimes all it takes is one small shift.
Not a complete life overhaul.


Just sitting somewhere different.
Trying a new route to work.
Doing the same work, but in a different order.


Small changes, integrated smoothly and sustainably, can open up space you didn't even know you needed.


What's one small thing you could shift this week, not to fix yourself, but to freshen what's gone stale?

Leonnie Graves

Trauma-Informed Coach | Neurodivergent | Guiding anxious, transitioning professionals back to trusting their body’s wisdom | ICF ACC

"Somehow I don't think I could have done it without you :)"


This message lit up my inbox after a client made it through the holidays without drinking for the first time in years.

We never once talked about "quitting" or "cutting back."

Instead, we got curious about what the drinking was doing for her.

What we unpacked was that it helped her:
Tolerate some social anxiety;
Feel a sense of belongingness (allow her party persona to come out with ease); and
Access fun and silliness (parts of herself that she didn’t want to lose).

Fair enough. That's intelligent, not broken.

But when she learned to access those same things without alcohol, grounding before going out, honoring her own boundaries, and, above all, trusting she could be fun AND sober...
The drinking just naturally fell away.

She didn't need it anymore.

What really changed for her was that she learned to trust herself.

Not her colleagues respecting her boundaries (though that came later). 
Not willpower or strategies to "resist."
But rather, she learned that when she said, “I’ll go out and enjoy some mocktails”, that is exactly what she did.

Your coping mechanisms aren't character flaws. 

They're your system doing its best with what it has.

And real change happens when you learn you can trust yourself again.

Sometimes the hardest part isn’t what’s actually happening; it’s pretending it isn’t.


The pressure to "be fine" is exhausting.
A client joined our call recently with the biggest smile.
When I asked how she was doing, she beamed,
"Happy New Year! I'm great! Super great!”
The energy was almost suspiciously bright.

I asked how her holidays had been.
And then the real story came out.

Her aunt had been rushed to hospital on Christmas Day. The whole family spent Christmas in A&E. Her aunt's home now, but still needs a lot of care. 

My client's been splitting herself between work, her own family, and showing up for her aunt.

But she assures me,
"I'm fine! It’s all fine! Everything’s fine!"

I used to be this person too; performing 'fine' while crumbling inside.

And here's what I've learned: "Fine" is often a full-time performance.

We smile when we're exhausted. We say "great!" when we're barely keeping our heads above water. We show up vibrant because we think that's what is expected of us.


But our bodies know the truth.

That extra brightness? That's effort.
That performative energy? That's protection.


The most valuable thing you can offer yourself in such times isn't advice.
It's permission to stop performing.

Permission to say "Actually, this has been really hard."

Because change doesn't happen in the performance of fine-ness.

It happens when we feel safe enough to tell the truth about what we're carrying.

Then we can start to let go of those heavy weights we carry around with us.

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