Welcome! I am Jessie Zhu (it is pronounced as “droo”. If you don’t feel you get it right don’t worry – this is supposedly one of the most difficult Chinese surnames to pronounce!)
My passion is to help you be your best self, live your life with passion and purpose, and honour your unique gifts to make a difference.
One of my favourite quotes is the following by Howard Thurman: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
I truly believe every human being has his or her unique gifts to offer to the world – when we do things that energises us, it makes us come alive and also make a positive difference to those around us.
Have you ever had the feeling that life is passing you by and you are living someone else’s life instead of your own? I have been there and I know how it feels. It takes me a long time to re-connect with myself and find my sparkle.
If you feel stuck and don’t know where you are going next in your career, you don’t have to do this alone. By working with me, I can help you explore the unknown with confidence and clarity, reconnect with your feelings, find your true north, and back up with actionable plans to lead a life and career you truly love.
If you want to hear from me regularly on tips to leading a happier and more fulfilling career and life, sign up to my newsletter below. As a thank you, I will also send you a special gift of my 7-day Career Compass Connection Challenge mini email course to support you reconnect with your inner compass at career (and life) crossroads.
My Story…
You must be wondering who I am and how do I get into what I do now?
The short version is that I went through a career change myself from banking to the world of coaching and leadership development.
The longer version in case you are curious:
I still remember the first day I arrived in London. It was a hot summer day in 2006. I had just graduated from university in Shanghai and got an offer to join one of the biggest European investment banks in London. When I landed in Heathrow I couldn’t be more excited about starting my banking career.
For the first few years of my professional career, I was living a life as a high-flying investment banker that looked successful from outside. However, gradually I knew something was missing deep down.
What went wrong? I asked myself.
Through a journey of self-reflection and self-discovery, I realised I wasn’t being myself. I was living a good life but it wasn’t mine. I stumbled on this “default” path that was expected of the best student in the classroom. I wanted a way out to do things more meaningful and fulfilling to me.
I looked around and noticed I wasn’t the only one.
A series of questions kept popping up in my head: Why do so many talented people seem to have lost their motivation and passion? Why do we so often let the external motivations rather than intrinsic motivations drive our decisions? What gets people up in the morning? What holds people back from going for their dreams?
I started to read and think more about human conditions, motivations, emotions as well as what drives and prevents people from making the change they want to make. I realised my deepest interest lies in people – who they are as individuals, what motivates them, how they connect to themselves and people around them, how they show up in the world, what gets them up in the morning, and what brings out the best in them.
It didn’t take long for me to find my calling once I reconnect with my own inner compass. I know I am the only one who can create my own path of life that serves me best. That’s how I got qualified as a career and executive coach and a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology and I thoroughly enjoy using my business experience and my coaching and psychological insights to help people and organisations thrive.
It took me a long journey to reconnect with myself and do what makes me come alive. I love what I do now. My work reflects who I am and is aligned with my value and purpose. Every day I feel honoured and privileged to be able to work with my clients and know that our work is making a positive difference on both individual and organisational levels.
And I want to help you to do the same – to feel energised and fulfiled in your career and to be able to do what you do best at work and make a difference that matters to you.
To find out more about how we can work together to create a life and career you love, please click here.
You can also sign up for my newsletter so that you don’t miss my blog posts and any updates I share about any new product offering or great things I think you should know about.
A little more about me if you are still reading:
What I believe in:
– Your work is an expression of your love in this world.
– Every one of us has the innate resources and potential to achieve what we want in life.
– It is never too late to become who you might have become.
– No matter what situation you are in, you always have a choice.
– What you practice, you become.
– If you change nothing, nothing changes.
– Start before you are ready.
Some random facts about me and things I love:
– I love home-made veg/fruit smoothies.
– I like going to Vinyasa yoga classes on a sunny Saturday morning.
– I love reading about psychology, philosophy, mindfulness & resilience, change-making, confidence, leadership, cooking – anything thought-provoking (or appetite-teasing…) really.
– I love travelling and photography. My favourite travel destination so far is Argentina. Here is a picture of me on a cruise ship in Los Glaciares National Park in Santa Cruz Province of Argentina.
– One of my favourite video clips is “What do you desire” by Alan Watts (highly recommend for those who haven’t seen it – well worth the 3 minutes of your time!)
– I am an INFP (for those who are into Myers-Briggs personality indicator)
Official Qualifications:
– International Coaching Federation Accredited Associate Coach
– MSc in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology (University of East London)
– MSc in Finance (London Business School)
-BSc in International Finance (Fudan University)
-Diploma in Personal Transformational Coaching, Group Coaching, Existential Coaching, Small Business Coaching
-Accredited Practitioner in MBTI and Strengthscope
– Qualified Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher
If you want to find out more about my education and professional background, you can visit my Linkedin profile.
Thanks for reading thus far!
Now I’d love to hear from you – your story, what makes you come alive, what makes your sparkle shine, or anything you would like share with me. Click here to get in touch or simply drop me a line at jessie [at] jessiezhu [dot] com.
If you’d like to stay in touch, please sign up for email newsletter plus my special gift for you below to get started in creating a life and career you love.
To your inner brilliance,
Jessie