I’d been following Steve Allman on LinkedIn for a while. His posts were funny but also brutally honest about leadership life in a charity. I bit the biscuit and have just completed 6 months coaching. I thought I had a big question about my future - I felt I couldn’t cope being a parent and a charity CEO and was doing neither well. Turns out I needed to address my exceptionally unhealthy work ethic, pace and boundaries. Fast forward 6 months and this so-called biscuit guru has got me to the point where I can mostly coach myself. I’ve also got a stack of practical tools to help me manage myself and others better. The most important lesson though was that you can’t have a home brain and work brain. Something I’d convinced myself was possible. I had not addressed some personal life stuff and it was influencing all my relationships. I was second guessing my own gut instincts and obsessing about the perceived impact on others putting my own feelings, time and happiness last every time. And the harsh reality is that there are those that will take advantage, even in a charity. I never thought I’d have a coach let alone one that made me both laugh and cry in the same hour, Being a CEO can be lonely, the sense of responsibility you have for your team, beneficiaries and community is intense. It’s rare anyone checks in on you. Steve has been in it, seen it all and reads between the lines like no other person can. Having space and time to be listened to, supported and guided is game-changing. To all those charity CEOs or leaders out there, get a Steve. Lucie Muir, CEO, Wildscreen

I got a huge amount from working with Steve and I'd recommend him to anyone, particularly if you are struggling to find the time to step back. Doing so really gave me the opportunity to get much better perspective both professionally and personally. Steve is really personable and easy to get along with, so it's really worthwhile whether you're looking at working with him over a short or longer period. He uses tools which you can put into practice in your every day work, so you can really feel the difference very quickly.

Daniel Marshall, Director of Business Development, Citizens Advice

Steve is great! There are lot of coaches out there of varying quality, but Steve has walked the walk and can clearly and compassionately talk the talk. He was consummately professional - well organised, focussed and absolutely knew his stuff. I got such a lot out of every session - highly recommended!

Lauren Williams, Chief Executive, Vision North Somerset