Career pivots are rarely linear — especially when you’re stepping away from a prestigious legal profession into entrepreneurship.
For Nikki Alderson, the transition from courtroom advocacy to executive coaching wasn’t impulsive. It was intentional, layered, and deeply personal.
Today, she works predominantly with female lawyers across the UK — helping them return from career breaks, step into leadership, and build sustainable, high-performing careers without sacrificing wellbeing.
Through platforms like Humans of Fuzia (HOF), which spotlights leadership, entrepreneurship, coaching, and women empowerment globally, stories like Nikki’s demonstrate how professional reinvention can become a catalyst for collective change.
From Courtroom to Coaching: A Purpose-Driven Shift
Growing up in Sheffield, Nikki initially imagined a career in journalism. But a school work placement with a court reporter changed everything. Observing courtroom dynamics sparked her fascination with law — and eventually led her to the Bar.
As a barrister, she handled complex and often emotionally demanding cases. Yet despite professional success, something felt incomplete.
A pivotal coaching experience during a personal crossroads reignited her direction. Coaching didn’t just help her recalibrate — it stayed with her.
“I realised how powerful coaching was. It didn’t leave me.”
While still practising full-time at the Bar, she undertook rigorous coach training — including NLP certification and extensive coaching hours — balancing trials, preparation, and family life. The transition was demanding, but deliberate.
In August 2017, she officially launched her coaching business.
Raising the Bar: Supporting Women in Law
Nikki’s book, Raising the Bar, was inspired by her own experiences and reflections during this transformation.
Her coaching now focuses largely on women lawyers aged approximately 35–55, including:
- Women returning from maternity or career breaks
- Senior leaders seeking progression
- Barristers aspiring to Silk or King’s Counsel
- High-performing professionals navigating confidence, resilience, and wellbeing challenges
Her clients often face both internal and external barriers — from self-doubt to cultural expectations within the legal profession.
For Nikki, the most rewarding part isn’t personal recognition.
“Seeing highly talented, brilliant women break past those barriers… that gives me the most pleasure.”
She sees herself not as the driver of success, but as the conduit helping women access their own capability — faster and more confidently.
The Hardest Part of Building a Coaching Business
Unlike many solopreneurs, Nikki was already accustomed to self-employment as a barrister. Managing accounts, generating work, and operating independently weren’t new.
The real challenge?
Messaging.
Helping high-achieving professionals understand that coaching isn’t weakness — it’s leverage.
“The difficult part was communicating that coaching isn’t something to be embarrassed about. It’s an investment.”
Reframing coaching as strategic advancement rather than remedial support was a key turning point in her visibility and positioning.
Building Authority Without Over-Outsourcing
While she has administrative and technical support, Nikki now retains ownership of her marketing voice — particularly on LinkedIn and through her website.
Her visibility strategy focuses on:
- Thought leadership on LinkedIn
- Speaking engagements
- Events and workshops
- Educational content and resources
- Direct website engagement
For senior professionals, trust is built through credibility, consistency, and clarity — not volume.
2026 Vision: Transformative Impact
Professionally, Nikki is developing a comprehensive service offering for barristers’ chambers — helping them:
- Analyse retention data
- Identify dissatisfaction triggers
- Implement training and coaching systems
- Sustain culture change through coaching communities
This represents a shift from individual coaching to systemic impact — elevating not just lawyers, but entire professional environments.
Personally, her word for 2026 is “transformative.”
She is equally committed to wellbeing, fitness, and leading by example — reinforcing that high performance must be sustainable.
Execution Insight for Coaches & Leaders
If you work with high-performing professionals:
- Position coaching as acceleration, not correction.
- Speak to leadership identity, not just skill gaps.
- Demonstrate tangible outcomes.
- Align messaging with ambition, not vulnerability alone.
Professionals don’t buy coaching to fix problems.
They invest to elevate performance.
Redefining Success in Traditional Professions
In fields like law — where tradition and hierarchy run deep — change can feel slow.
But leaders like Nikki Alderson prove that transformation begins one conversation at a time.
Through Humans of Fuzia, voices like hers remind us that women empowerment is not just about entry into leadership — it’s about sustained progression, systemic reform, and personal agency.
Connect with Nikki Alderson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkialdersoncoaching/lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3B7g2pku7ARQuXg8Cx1dyErw%3D%3D
http://www.nikkialdersoncoaching.com/
