Elizabeth Hammond is a pioneering neuroscience educator, coach and speaker with over 22 years’ coaching experience and multiple qualifications ranging from traditional coaching techniques to the latest cutting edge neuroscience, we talk to her about the personal trauma, what motivated her successful corporate career and how and why she dedicates her life to helping others...
You worked your way to the top of the corporate ladder, founder numerous companies, what was your drive and inspiration?
My motivation to be super successful was basically my identity and my ego because i had such a traumatic, challenging and insecure childhood, with the premature death of my mother, the disappearance of my older sister and my younger brother suffering with drug addiction and subsequently going to prison, my identity quickly became my career, I was financially motivated, Incredibly driven and ambitious, I worked hard because that was my way to feel as though i was safe and secure. I would also say my father, who was an incredible man and a hugely motivation figure in my life, made me feel as though i could do anything, and growing up with 3 brothers I saw no reason why i couldn't achieve what i wanted to achieve in a mans world, so thats exactly what i did.
You are now a Neuroscience educator, coach and speaker, was this a change of career path or a natural progression from a leadership role?
It's actually a bit of both, it was in many ways a natural progression, as a head hunter at a senior level / board level as i was doing, its all around who are you? what do you want? whats working? I used to meet extremely successful people, some of whom were incredibly unhappy and I always wondered why? I didn't really get it, I was working with clients who believed they wanted a particular shape and style of leader but they hadn't actually worked out who or what already existed within their team, they often recruited a reflection of their own image so they ended up with a team who had the exact same strengths. Looking at people, what drove them, what created them and seeing the amount of highly successful people who were very unhappy was fascinating to me. So in that way it was a natural progression, its not an unusual move for someone with a strong searching / head hunting back ground to move into coaching but for me it was an entirely new career and I have never looked back.
What are the main benefits of your coaching and who seeks it out?
This is a difficult question to put into words, as its quite an unusual product, effectively what I have done it take my 23 years of coaching and the vasts amounts of learning I have undertaken and distilling it into a guide. There is a lot research, medical (MFRI) research thats shows the traditional talk therapy such as psychotherapy doesn't work, the results are often mediocre at best and a lot of people believe it can actually make things worse. My job is to educate my clients, give them the techniques, tools, science and knowledge so they can take back control, yes, I make them feel heard but they could easily go and see another person for that, I provide a different way of looking at things, typically a session is 2-3 hours, and initially i don't encourage them to talk too much, because unless they have the tools do deal with the emotions they are 'firing and wiring' that feeling in the brain, ultimately its all around education and science.
Most valuable life lesson you have learned?
There are just so many...I think the biggest one is you have to find it within yourself to take control of your mental state to be able to be happy, if you are constantly looking for external influences you will be disappointed, it's about looking within and taking back control.
Best piece of advice you have been given?
Stand in your truth, be a decent person, be the best you can be, show up, and if people don't like you - let them go, you can't please everyone. Just be you, as women we have grown up in the culture of 'people pleasing, which is exhausting and achieves nothing. That and don't judge a book by it's cover, we live and work in an environment where friends and colleagues come from so many different cultures, languages and backgrounds.
You do a lot of philanthropic work as well as offering pro-bono coaching to those who cant afford your services, do you believe in the power of paying it forward?
Oh this could also apply as the best piece of advice - if you want to feel better about yourself go and do something for someone else, yes its about paying it forward but I do it because i love it, helping other people is selfless and selfish, because you feel good about it too, i have the opportunity do to it and I couldn't think of anything better than helping others and making a difference in the world, its the best feeling ever, and its not about recognition, I have friends to offer their time and donate extraordinary things but don't allow their names to be published, because they don't seek recognition, they want to fly under the radar, and i think its an incredible thing to do, and anyone who can, should.
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