Aimee Woodley is a seasoned Business Development Consultant and Accredited Transformative Coach with over 25 years of experience in supporting individuals and organisations to reach their full potential. Combining her deep expertise in business development with a neuro-inclusive coaching approach, Aimee tailors strategies that drive growth and foster both personal and professional transformation. As a Business Development Manager and internal coach at a global creative communications agency, Aimee champions a culture of continuous improvement, helping employees unlock their capabilities and drive success. In our interview, Aimee shares how integrating coaching within organisations is transformational for both individuals and the business itself, making coaching a vital tool for growth at every level.
The Transition to Coaching in a Corporate Environment
Aimee had been working in business development for decades when she realised she had been coaching without knowing it. “I think unofficially, I’ve probably been coaching for a really long time, but just didn’t realise I was doing it,” Aimee reflects. “I was applying the coaching mindset to conversations with my colleagues, peers, teams, and even my kids.”
Her journey into formal coaching began when her children became less dependent on her. “I put my head over the parapet and thought, ‘I need to do something else for me.’” Despite her love for her role, Aimee knew she wanted to pursue coaching. “I went to my CEO and said, ‘I really want to do this coaching thing.’ They were so supportive and encouraged me to explore my options.”
Aimee eventually chose Animas for her coaching training. “I did my due diligence and looked at a long list of providers, but Animas resonated with me the most. Everything felt right, from their humanistic approach, even down to the branding.”
The Value of Coaching Across an Organisation
Aimee’s company supported her coaching journey by providing employees to coach as part of her training. “There are 500 of us in the organisation, and they said they’d be happy to feed the pipeline with people who would benefit from coaching,” Aimee recalls. This support gave her the opportunity to coach a diverse range of employees, from warehouse staff to the senior leadership team. “It was amazing to be able to coach people from all levels, especially those who would never have had access to coaching otherwise.”
Aimee quickly discovered the unique value of coaching non-coaches within her organisation. “When you’re coaching people who aren’t coaches, they don’t have any preconceptions about the process,” she explains. “They aren’t anticipating your questions, and it forces you to navigate the conversation differently. It’s much more real and challenging, which is what helps you grow as a coach in training.”
She also emphasises the organisational benefits of coaching: “The value to the business is immense because people who would never have had coaching are now benefiting from it. It’s not just individuals—it’s the ripple effect across teams. Coaching should be open to everyone, not just executives.”
Aimee also adds, “I think coaching should be part of the onboarding process when you start in a new business, when you most need that support, to navigate the cultures, and the challenges of change.”
The Value of Coaching Alongside Existing Employment
Aimee’s journey into coaching not only enhanced her role as a Business Development Manager but also re-energised her passion for her career. She finds that coaching offers a refreshing contrast to her business development work, serving as both a therapeutic outlet and a way to reignite her enthusiasm for her primary role. “Coaching has re-energised me for my day job, for sure. I love the company I work for, but I started to feel like I needed to do something different,” Aimee explains. “Since I began coaching, I don’t feel that same sense of staleness. I enjoy my role even more now.”
Aimee highlights how coaching has offered her a new perspective and provided a sense of balance in her professional life. “It’s therapeutic for me. In my current role, I have to take in a lot of information, digest it, and then plan actions. But in coaching, you don’t have to process the information in the same way—you don’t have to solutionise, and I find that really therapeutic. It’s a completely different way of working.”
The Importance of Contracting and Building Trust with Clients
Coaching individuals within an organisation who may not be aware of what coaching is, or of the value that being coached can add, requires a different approach to contracting, and Aimee has found it essential to clearly explain the process to people unfamiliar with coaching. “When you’re working with people who don’t know what coaching is, it’s really important to explain the difference between coaching and mentoring,” Aimee says. “I make it clear that I’m not there to tell them what to do. I’m just there to give them thinking time and ask the right questions to help them find their own answers.”
The feedback from her colleagues has been overwhelmingly positive. “People come into it thinking I’m going to tell them what to do, and they leave saying, ‘That was so different to what I thought.’ They realise it’s about them finding the answers themselves, and that’s really powerful.”
The Role of Animas in Aimee’s Journey
Aimee’s experience with Animas was transformative, both in terms of the training and the community. “The support you get after qualifying is one of the standout things about Animas, you’re not just left on your own after you finish the course—you become part of a community that continues to offer support and development opportunities.”
Aimee has also completed the Neurodiversity in Coaching course with Animas, which has been influential in shaping her approach. “I wanted to make sure I was neuro-inclusive in my delivery, and the course helped me understand how to adapt my coaching to different neurotypes.”
Looking to the Future: A Taste of Coaching for the Price of a Coffee
Aimee’s commitment to making coaching accessible led her to develop her “coaching for the price of a coffee” initial session offering. “When I was offering free sessions, people wouldn’t show up. But by charging a small fee, like £5 for the first session, people value it more, and are more likely to attend. It’s important to me that coaching is available to anyone, regardless of where they are in their life or career.” After a successful first session, if her client wishes for more coaching, Aimee offers additional sessions at a flat rate, which she describes as “standard across the board, regardless of what level my client is at.”
For anyone interested in affordable coaching or coaching within an organisation, Aimee invites you to reach out through her website, aimeewoodley.co.uk, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
