Georgina Pawley is passionate about helping others enjoy successful, fulfilling careers through coaching, development, and support. She believes that physical and mental wellbeing are critical in enabling people to thrive, not just survive. In addition to being a qualified coach, Georgina has studied personal training and nutrition, and she runs a wellbeing retreat for executives in Spain. Outside of work, she enjoys adventure travel, climbing mountains, and cooking.

What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before starting your corporate journey/venture/initiative.

I studied Modern Languages at The University of Manchester, which gave me the opportunity to live in France and Ecuador as part of my degree. I didn’t have a clear goal for my career at first. After university, I did some journalism work, became a translator, and then started my career in sales. I spent 18 years working in executive recruitment before deciding to start my own entrepreneurial venture and move into coaching and professional wellbeing.

Every industry that is now a large-scale, top-notch business once started as a small idea in the minds of entrepreneurs. What was that idea or motivation that made you start your business/initiative? What motivated you within to say YES, go for it?

During my career in executive search, I saw firsthand how the quality of the leadership team impacted the success of the business and the culture of the firm. In recruitment, I was busy finding people and helping organizations hire them, but it was clear that there was a lack of investment and support for those people once they joined. Especially toward the end of my career and amid the COVID pandemic, I saw many great people leave their careers, burnout, or struggle with fast hire/fire situations that affected their mental health. I knew I wanted to be part of the solution, which is what inspired me to create a professional wellbeing retreat. My business started there and has grown into broader executive coaching and leadership impact services.

Would you like to share with our young budding women entrepreneurs the change you would like to see in the world if given an opportunity?

I’d like to see more women in leadership roles where they feel confident, represented, supported, and encouraged. I want women to succeed without having to adopt masculine ways of working or behaving, but rather to leverage their own strengths and differences to their benefit.

Women are a growing force in workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. There are cracks in glass ceilings everywhere, with many women breaking through to carve out a space right at the top of the pyramid. What are your thoughts about women leadership today?

I still think there’s a long way to go. The traditional setup of organizations does not support female employees in the same way as it does men. While some women understand how to succeed and build careers in male-dominated environments, many others get stuck at the middle management level, despite having the intelligence and ability to go further. Often, the challenge for women is systemic within an organization, compounded by the extra responsibilities they have outside of the workplace.

What’s the most important thing you have learned in your personal life and professional journey? What is your personal motto in life?

Hard work alone is not a good enough strategy for success. You need to build a wider skill set and remember the importance of networking and relationships. Your support system—friends, family, colleagues—is really important, as is looking after yourself, both physically and mentally.

With your grit and determination, you are making a considerable impact, breaking through, and serving as role models for many budding entrepreneurs. What would you want to say to our young women leaders/audience reading this?

Aim for the stars, trust in yourself, stay curious, do what you love, and be patient—but not too patient!