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The CAKE Coaching Champion Award – Miro Vala – The Winners Story
Julie Starr - Miro Vala - Nicola Millbank
CAKE was delighted to award Miro Vala of Worldwide Fruit the CAKE Coaching Champion Award at their recent coaching and mentoring conference, The Coaching Conversation.
Miro was nominated by the HR Director, Tricia McCarron. She said “Miro is our ‘go-to’ person; he’s so passionate about helping others develop and has taken his role further than anyone lease in the business. He’s continuing his own development in his quest to help others. Recently he requested to work part-time, so he could create and develop his own coaching consultancy, and we were delighted to be able to support him with this.”
Here’s what Miro had to say when we caught up with him after the conference.
Congratulations on your award Miro. The judges recognised your vision, passion and energy for your coaching practice. The judges said how impressed they were with the work you are doing supporting the coaching culture within your organisation, going over and above your job role, and described you as a very worthy winner. You must be delighted.
“It feels great. I’m thrilled and honoured. The award isn’t just a recognition of my coaching work, but also, it is a recognition of those who have supported me on my coaching journey, from my managers and colleagues at Worldwide Fruit to my peers, coaches and coaching supervisors who I have worked and studied with over the past 5 years.”
CAKE believe that coaching it the vital ingredient in people development, we know you share that belief because for many years you have devoted yourself to promoting the importance of coaching at work way before it became the hot topic in business as it is now. Where did your interest in coaching stem from?
“This is a very interesting question. The more I have immersed myself in coaching, the more I realise it has been in me all along. I just didn’t pay attention to it until 2013 when I happened to attend a two-day coaching skills workshop facilitated by Nikki Millbank from CAKE. In my mind, this workshop triggered a tsunami of curiosity and subsequent learning about coaching, which formed my belief that coaching is the most effective way of learning and achieving. To me, coaching is a natural way of working.”
As well as supporting others to grow and develop, you are also committed to your own development and are currently studying with Henley Business School, for your Master’s Degree in Coaching and Behaviour Change. Tell us how your coaching journey started.
“As I already mentioned the two-day workshop was just the beginning that leads me to take up numerous other courses trying and learning various coaching styles and techniques to the point where I’m currently in the final stages of my MSc in Coaching and Behavioural Change at Henley Business School. At the start of my journey, I attended many coaching conferences and workshops where I met and listened to other coaches and got the feeling of what the coaching industry is like. As a side effect, I became a regular to some of the events. And most of all I took every opportunity to coach.”
You have recently changed your working hours in order to develop your own coaching consultancy; the business said that three days of you were better than no days, which must be great to hear… What are your future plans for a coaching career?
“Actually I have been part-time for over a year now. My employer was supportive of the move which has given me the time to focus on my studies and establish my coaching practice. I formed a company called Better Sage which in fact becomes a platform for my future coaching career. My plan has been to provide a coaching environment that is valued by clients and coachees in the UK and overseas. I will continue to develop my coaching accreditation towards mastery and keep raising awareness of the benefits of coaching.”
Congratulations again Miro, you are indeed a very worthy winner and a true inspiration. We would like to wish you success in your studies and your future career.
For more information on The Coaching Conversation and CAKE, Coaching Awards email slice@cakepd.co.uk
