Case Study:
Give me back more
meaningful time

Nicola Martin, Marketing Agency MD

I own a busy marketing company and online magazine, which involves the management of a small, creative team and multiple clients.  Following a traumatic 5-year period during which I supported my sister through terminal breast cancer until her death in June 2020, my 13 year old twin nieces came to live with me and my partner. 

I was grieving deeply, for myself and nieces, and on top of this my life was changing rapidly. I was also going through menopause and so the perfect storm of physical, mental and emotional stress was taking its toll. 

I had visited Tamsin for a yoga retreat in France in 2018 and found the entire experience to be restorative and invigorating. During that time we took part in a group coaching session centred around the art of questions called the Flow Game, which I found to be incredibly empowering – challenging, yes, but ultimately, a focused yet compassionate approach to my problem at the time. 

During lockdown I tuned into her weekly online yoga sessions, took part in an online 6-week breathwork course and used the techniques she was teaching to help manage my stress levels.  I continue to take part in her 2-hour Sunday morning sessions and 1 hour mid-week session to this day.

In early 2022 Tamsin offered an opportunity to take part in an online coaching session the same Flow Game technique I had used during my visit to France.  We were asked to think about what was holding us back or causing difficulty in our life. By posing this issue as a question, we would find the focus for our session.

Such was the feeling of overwhelm at the time, that I struggled to find the question I wanted to ask.  I knew it was related to a lack of time for myself and tied up in saying no to both professional and personal commitments that were draining me of energy and leaving me feeling frustrated - and sometimes angry. 

In the first instance, Tamsin helped me shape my frustrations into a clear and focused question - one that felt meaningful and proactive rather than a grumble! From here, we used the Flow Game to explore the various facets of this question in relation to my life, desires and ambitions, creating a series of both small, easy win changes and longer-term goals that would help me to keep my new-found momentum going.  

We made time to check in after one month and although not all of the issues had disappeared, I had already made notable improvements had a clear plan moving forward. 

It is often difficult as a business owner to split personal and professional commitments, the two are so closely intertwined. But I feel now as though I can make firm choices, that work for me, the team and my family, without feelings of guilt or overwhelm. 

I have stopped working on weekends to catch up on hectic weeks; I rarely work past 5pm – and yet I have billed more out in the past 3 months than any other first quarter of the past 5 years. 

I am less stressed at home and more present with my family. And importantly, I am finding time for myself and the creative endeavours that matter to me on an emotional level.   

It sometimes goes off-piste! Of course it does. But the tools I have in place help me to identify the early warning signs more quickly, and to apply the techniques to manage busy times more effectively.  

This isn’t a magic bullet; you will need to be honest and commit to helping yourself along the way. But I can assure you that Tamsin is the teacher you never knew you needed.  She is intuitive and compassionate, and yet practical around the limitations of everyday life and the human condition. I have attended various business leader courses over the years and have found Tamsin’s to be the most enlightening and results-oriented of them all. 

If you want to move your business or career forward, unblocking your challenges, while remaining true to yourself and those around you, then Tamsin is the coach for you. 

Based in Perth, Scotland.