Coaching on the "self" bit of self-employment
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LUCIA FONTAINA-POWELL
Faffing, flailing or downright frantic?
As an independent spirit, you chose this path for freedom, flexibility, and purpose. Yet the fantasy (four-day weeks, meaningful work, a happier you) isn’t quite matching reality. And the productivity hacks, content sprints, and bossy business mentors are only getting you so far...
That’s because self-employment isn't just about skills, systems, and strategies. It requires constant self-leadership. After all, you are your business—meaning your energy, self-belief, and emotional capabilities are your most valuable assets (not the video course gathering digital dust in your inbox).
You’re full of brilliant ideas and intentions...but procrastination and overthinking get in the way of action
You’re overwhelmed by comparison, advice, and “5-step formulas”...which leaves you feeling confused, behind, or pissed off!
You’re proud of taking the “alternative” path...but it often feels invisible to loved ones with “normal” jobs
You like the freedom and autonomy of working for yourself...but the emotional ups and downs feel harder than expected
You’ve got an exciting, purposeful vision...but you keep doubting if you’re cut out to make it happen
You’re over hustle culture and you're redefining “success”...but you still want to have ambition
You left a full-time job because of long hours and tricky people...but you struggle to switch off and set boundaries
Maybe this sounds familiar...
You know you need to put yourself out there...but self-promotion feels icky, draining, or vulnerable
Things aren’t quite going to plan…
and that’s totally OK.
What you're doing is hard—that’s why it’s the “alternative” path.
But it’s not a lack of discipline, ambition, or “secrets to success” that’s the problem. It’s basic stress responses, deep-rooted self-doubt, habitual behavioural patterns (people pleasing, avoidance, procrastination), and a whole lot of social conditioning that are quietly running the show.
Yet when there are pitches to prepare, accounting to do, and emails to send (not to mention your actual deliverables), we get distracted from doing the deeper work. The solutions we are sold only scratch the surface. Often, we end up replicating the very systems, habits, and relationships we were trying to escape in our old jobs.
I get it.
It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made (and it eventually, it led to me becoming a coach).
But I won't pretend self-employment has been plain sailing. I quit my job to recover from burnout, only to burn out again. I ignored red flags and got screwed over. I held back from putting my ideas—and myself—out there.
And of course, working for yourself can be lonely. You don’t have the manager, colleague, or HR department to support you, bounce ideas off, or give you a performance review. On LinkedIn, all the other founders and freelancers seem to know exactly what they’re doing (spoiler: they don’t). There’s only so much you can talk to family, friends, and partners before their eyes glaze over.
I quit my job in startup marketing to become a freelance copywriter.
I realised that most support for self-employed people focuses on what to do (post more, pitch more, network more), but not how to be. It neglects the huge identity shifts, vulnerable wounds, and beautiful self-growth that will absolutely surface when you are your business.
Now, I coach fellow independent spirits to develop the self-trust and emotional resilience to weather those inevitable ups and downs. And in fact, it's this deeper work that breeds the elusive strategic clarity, productivity, and confidence the business "gurus" try to sell us.
That's why I believe every self-employed person needs a coach.
Build trust in yourself and your vision
Understand the root cause of emotional blockers, not just push through them
Define success on your terms, not someone else's
Tune out the noise and back into what actually works for you
If YOu're ready to...
Approach self-promotion in a way that’s authentic, sustainable, and even enjoyable
Learn to work with uncertainty, instead of fighting it
... THEN YES
Is Sounding Board right for you?
Understand the root cause of emotional blockers, not just push through them
I’ll act as your sounding board and thinking partner, helping you understand what’s really getting in your way, work through blockers, and stay true to your values, purpose, and vision.
This isn’t about instructing, advising or pushing—it’s about giving you space, perspective and evidence-based insight.
We’ll work together for a three-month period, giving you dedicated time to consistently commit to yourself.
- 3 months of 1:1 coaching, every other week
- Weekly email check-ins for extra support and momentum
- A personalised Notion hub with detailed session notes, capturing key insights, action points, and recommended resources
- Access to the Sounding Board Library, with tools and exercises to guide you outside of and beyond our sessions
What you won’t get
Coaching is not an overnight fix or a step-by-step plan to becoming a millionaire. I’m not here to diagnose you, “fix” you, or tell you what to do. Fundamentally, I’m here to help you get to know yourself—and what you do with that knowledge is up to you.
There are lots of coaches out there who’ll promise to show you the secret to “living your dream” and earning six figures. I’m not one of them.
If you thrive on self-reflection and have faith in the process of growth, by the end of the programme, you’ll have:
What you will get
A space where your work, fears, doubts and dreams are fully heard and understood
A steadier relationship with the emotional highs and lows of self-employment
Clarity on what’s actually getting in your way—and the tools, perspectives, and courage to move forwards
Ways of working and living that give you stability, meaning, and joy
Greater trust in your own judgment, decisions, and direction
“[Lucia] got me thinking in ways that I never have before. I love how she combines psychology with coaching. I’ve worked with coaches before that have been great in my business, but when it came to tackling mindset stuff and getting that little bit deeper they lacked.”
anonymous
“My sessions with Lucia allowed me to take time out of my hectic schedule and really focus on me. [Coaching] allowed me to really think about what I was doing, both day-to-day and in the long run. Lucia would somehow manage to take all my messy thoughts and worries and help me sort through everything and create a clear path for me to action in both my professional and personal life.”
Lindsey, FREELANCE DIGITAL MARKETER
“I've had a few stints with therapy in the past, but I've been in the more strategic, action-oriented realm for the last while, so it was refreshing to take a step back with coaching that takes this deeper approach. I would absolutely recommend Lucia.”
LORNA, FREELANCE CONTENT SPECIALIST
“I've noticed a huge change in myself since starting coaching with Lucia. Lucia helped me a lot with identifying where some of my anxieties and worries were coming from and how to work through them in an understanding way. I always felt heard and understood which really helped me not feel so 'alone' in freelancing! I feel like a calmer and more collected version of myself."
LAURA, FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER
If you’ve tried business coaching that was all about goals, metrics, and action plans—but it didn’t cover the doubt, fear, or exhaustion...
If you’ve done therapy, but struggled to translate this insight into your work...
Sounding Board is for you.
Sounding Board is for you.
BOOK A CONSULTATION
the investment
£900
(paid in full or instalments)
THIS INCLUDES
6 x 60-minute sessions + weekly check-ins (across 3 months)
A personalised Notion hub with session recaps, to-dos, and tailored recommendations
Access to the Sounding Board resource library, packed with tools, theories and exercises from the worlds of coaching psychology, neuroscience and psychotherapy
If you’ve tried business coaching that was all about goals, metrics, and action plans—but it didn’t cover the doubt, fear, or exhaustion...
Sounding Board is for you.
Sounding Board is for you.
well, how about we make some time for you?
BOOK A CONSULTATION
the investment
£900
(paid in full or instalments)
THIS INCLUDES
6 x 60-minute sessions + weekly check-ins (across 3 months)
A personalised Notion hub with session recaps, to-dos, and tailored recommendations
Access to the Sounding Board resource library, packed with tools, theories and exercises from the worlds of coaching psychology