Antonia Bartels is an ICF Associate Certified Coach and the founder of Coaching With Kooks. With a background in executive search and career transitions, she specializes in personalized coaching for women and men navigating complex career and leadership transitions. Her work focuses on helping clients regain clarity, confidence, and alignment during pivotal moments like maternity leave, career plateaus, or stepping into senior leadership roles. Antonia’s holistic approach integrates her expertise in career development and personal growth, empowering professionals to lead with authenticity and purpose. She also collaborates with businesses to enhance employee engagement and retention through tailored coaching programs.
What sparked your journey as a coach/entrepreneur? Was there a moment, challenge, or person that pushed you to take this path?
My journey into coaching and entrepreneurship was shaped by what I saw in the corporate world and what I felt within myself. Working in executive search and career transitions, I helped people land their dream roles. But many of the high-achieving professionals I worked with, especially women in leadership, felt something was missing. They were navigating burnout, career plateaus, or a deep sense of disconnection.
That’s when I realised career decisions are never just about the next job. They’re about identity, confidence, and alignment.
To support people at a deeper level, I trained in integrative coaching and became an ICF-accredited coach. Coaching gave me the tools to help clients reconnect with what truly matters, especially during pivotal transitions like returning from maternity leave, navigating redundancy, or preparing for leadership roles.
Launching Coaching With Kooks felt like a natural next step. Today, I offer personalised career and life coaching for women (and men) who want to lead with purpose, clarity, and authenticity on their terms. I also work with businesses that want to offer their employees an exceptional employee experience. Coaching can be especially useful when employees are stepping into new roles, facing career transitions, or struggling with leadership challenges.
Tell us a bit about what you do! What’s the purpose behind your business, and how does it make a difference in people’s lives?
At Coaching With Kooks, I offer personalised career and leadership coaching for women (and men) navigating big, often complex transitions. Whether that’s stepping into a new role, returning from a break, or reassessing what success means. I also work with organisations to enhance employee engagement, retention, and overall performance through tailored 1:1 and group coaching programmes, helping teams and leaders navigate change with clarity and confidence.
As a career coach and personal development specialist, I work primarily with mid to senior-level professionals in high-pressure fields like law, accounting, and consulting. Many of my clients arrive at a crossroads – burnt out, feeling stuck, or quietly questioning whether their current path still reflects who they are.
In a world overloaded with advice, books, blogs, podcasts, I help them cut through the noise and reconnect with their inner compass. Together, we clarify:
- Who they are beyond the job title
- What they truly want from their career
- How to take aligned, strategic action toward lasting change
One client, a founder navigating redundancy after maternity leave, came to me feeling depleted and unsure of her next move. Through our work, she rebuilt her confidence, reconnected with her strengths and values, and ultimately returned to the workforce with renewed clarity and purpose. She later told me that the impact of our sessions extended well beyond her career – that it changed how she showed up in her life.
That’s the heart of what I do. This work is about more than just career progression; it’s about helping people step into alignment so they can move forward with confidence, fulfilment, and a stronger sense of self.
I like to let my work speak for itself, so let me share this with you:
“Working with Antonia as my coach has been a truly transformative experience that has positively impacted both my personal and professional life. Our journey together began during a challenging time when I was grappling with self-doubt after being made redundant on maternity leave. Antonia not only helped me navigate through my insecurities but also provided me with the tools to regain my confidence and reassess my career path.
Antonia’s personalised approach to coaching created a safe and supportive environment where I felt comfortable discussing my fears and ambitions. Her tailored exercises and insightful guidance enabled me to gain a deeper understanding of my strengths, values, and aspirations, allowing me to make informed decisions about my career.
Thanks to the techniques and strategies I learned from Antonia, I am thrilled to have re-entered the workforce with a renewed sense of purpose and confidence. The impact of her coaching has extended far beyond our sessions, as I continue to apply her invaluable lessons to my daily life.
I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to work with Antonia and cannot recommend her coaching services highly enough. Her dedication, expertise, and genuine commitment to her clients’ success make her an exceptional coach, and I look forward to our continued collaboration as I thrive in my new role and continue to grow professionally.”
TONI G | FOUNDER OF FRANK EFFECT
Thinking back to the start of your career, what were some of the biggest challenges you faced in establishing yourself as a coach/entrepreneur? How did you work through them?
Starting out, one of my biggest challenges was learning to be patient with the process, with growth, and with myself. When you’re building something meaningful, you naturally want results quickly. But I had to reframe success as something built on small, intentional steps – not overnight wins.
Another early hurdle was trying to wear every hat. Like many entrepreneurs, I initially felt I had to do it all – coaching, marketing, admin, web design. But over time, I realised that the most sustainable businesses are built through collaboration. I now work closely with an SEO expert and a marketing communications strategist, which allows me to stay focused on what I do best: coaching.
Letting go of the need to “do it all” and investing in the right support network changed everything. It freed up time and energy, but more importantly, it brought better results for my clients. And that’s what ultimately builds a thriving business – results that speak for themselves.
Is there a milestone or achievement you’re really proud of that you’d like to share?
One milestone that stands out was being featured in The Australian Business Journal. It wasn’t just a proud moment; it was a powerful validation of the impact my work was having.
That recognition came at a time when I was supporting several clients through high-stakes transitions: navigating redundancy, returning to work after maternity leave, or stepping into senior leadership roles. Seeing that work acknowledged on a public platform reinforced what I already knew deep down – that this kind of coaching can create real, tangible transformation in people’s lives.
It also reminded me how important it is to celebrate the wins, especially when you’re often focused on helping others behind the scenes. It gave me the confidence to keep showing up, expanding the business, and deepening the work I do with every client.
Women are making big moves in workplaces around the world, leading alongside their male counterparts. What are your thoughts on women in leadership today?
I’m a big believer that diverse leadership isn’t just good for culture; it’s good for business. When women are part of the decision-making table, especially in senior roles, we see stronger collaboration, more inclusive thinking, and better outcomes across the board.
Research backs this up: companies with more women in leadership roles are 15% more likely to outperform their peers. But beyond the numbers, it’s about representation, empathy, and the ability to lead with both head and heart.
What excites me most is that we’re moving away from outdated leadership moulds. More women are leading in ways that reflect their values and strengths – not just mimicking what leadership used to look like. That authenticity is powerful. It permits others to show up fully, too.
The future of leadership is collaborative, emotionally intelligent, and inclusive. And the more women step into their power, the more we redefine what great leadership truly looks like.
What advice would you give to future women leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs?
First, don’t try to go it alone.
One of the biggest myths about leadership or entrepreneurship is that you have to have all the answers. In reality, the most successful women I’ve worked with and the most fulfilled are those who’ve built strong support systems around them. Find your people: mentors who challenge you, peers who understand you, collaborators who lift you up.
Second, trust your way of leading. You don’t need to fit into a pre-existing mould to be effective. Your empathy, your intuition, your values – these are strengths, not weaknesses. Embrace them.
I think of a client I worked with – a talented software engineer who was made redundant and had just three months to find a new role or leave the UK due to visa restrictions. The pressure was immense. But instead of moulding herself to what she thought companies wanted, we focused on bringing her true strengths and story into the spotlight – reworking her CV and LinkedIn to reflect her unique approach to leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving.
That shift from trying to “fit in” to owning who she was made a huge difference. She landed a new role in time and walked away with more than just a job: she had clarity, confidence, and a deeper belief in herself.
Get in touch:
www.coachingwithkooks.com
LinkedIn: Antonia Bartels
Instagram: @coachingwithkooks
