Engineering Manager Coachingbecause there's no undo button for people.
Maybe you just got promoted. Maybe you've been doing it a while and you want to get properly good at it.
Either way, you're responsible for actual humans now.
Humans below you that need support and humans above you that want answers.
Sessions from £350.
We'll tackle the actual thing happening on your calendar, in your Slack, in your nervous system or in your career. Whether something's on fire or you're just serious about getting better. This is not generic life coaching.
It's Val-gets-it, we'll-sort-it coaching.
I've been a manager for over a decade and operated at all levels in the organisation. I know what you're living, what you're trying to achieve and what you're not saying.
Who I work with
Front line engingeering managers (EM, SEM, Head of a small team) that want to grow, be a badass manager or get some immediate help with whatever is keeping them up at 2am.
"I've been promoted and I have no idea what is expected of me now."
"Everyone keeps bringing me problems like I'm the adult in the room. Am I?"
"I know I need to have the hard conversation. I just really, really do not want to."
"My team is a mess and I don't know what to do."
"I'm managing up, sideways and down and nobody warned me how weird this would be."
"I'm trying to protect my team's energy without setting myself on fire."
"I got here by being good at the job. Now the job is making other people good at the job. Help."
"I used to manage engineers. Now I manage managers. Nobody told me those are completely different jobs."
"I need to decide whether to stay, go, push back, or ask for more."
"I'm not in crisis. I just want someone who's got my back while I figure out the next level."
Why work with me
I've led teams, held power, and been in enough genuinely difficult situations to know what they look like from every angle. I've coached people through missed promotions, hard pivots, burnout, bad bosses, and the quieter thing: wanting more and not quite knowing how to go get it.
Whether something's on fire or you just know you're capable of more than this, what I bring is the same: focus, directness, good humour, and someone who has been in most of these situations and came out knowing what actually helps.
I'm autistic, which means I don't do performative nonsense. You get someone who will get to the actual thing faster than you expect, and be genuinely in your corner while we do it.
What happens in a session
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01
We dive straight in
You don't need to have it packaged. Bring it raw, bring it half-formed, bring it at the point where you've been turning it over for three weeks and getting nowhere. We're working it from the moment we start.
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02
We get to the heart of it, fast
You tell me what is going on. We work out what the actual problem is, what the real constraint is, and where the pressure is really coming from. Not the version you've been telling everyone else.
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03
We work out the next steps
This is not an hour of talking about your feelings. We look at what you're about to do, what it will kick off, and whether it's the right call.
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04
You leave with something real
You leave knowing what you think and what you're doing next. Most people are surprised how much shifts in an hour.
Still thinking "yes, but what even is a coach?" I wrote the fuller, swearier explainer here: What's A Coach Anyway?
What happens next
Pricing
Most clients expense this through their L&D budget. It fits within a standard allowance. If you are self-funding, there are options worth knowing about.
£350
The Decisive Hour
One session. When you need to think clearly before you act.
- You have a decision, a conversation, or a situation you want to get right.
- We get to what's actually going on fast. Not the surface version. The real one.
- You leave knowing what you think, what you're going to do, and why.
£800
The Campaign
Three sessions. When one conversation won't be enough.
Save £250 vs. booking separately
- You make a move, see what it kicks up, and get support on what comes next.
- I already know the context. No re-briefing, no starting over.
- For the situation that has more layers than you thought when you started.
£250/mo
The Advisory
Not a crisis. A corner. Someone who already knows your situation, every month, without you having to explain it again.
- Weeks 1 and 3: you send me one email. I read it and either acknowledge or come back with 2-3 questions or observations.
- Week 2 is yours. Use it. Do the thing.
- Week 4: 30 minutes on a call. I already have the context from your week 3 email. We get straight into it.
- No re-briefing. No starting over. I already know your situation.
New to working with me? No problem. We'll start with a short discovery call to make sure it's the right fit before anything is booked.
Let's do thisAll sessions are subject to my disclaimer and terms.
Real people saying real things
Promotion
"By September I'd been promoted to Director of Engineering -- much faster than I'd expected."
I asked Valerie to be my career coach when I joined Speechmatics as a senior team lead in January 2024. We had regular sessions during the year, and by September I'd been promoted to Director of Engineering -- much faster than I'd expected to achieve. Val's coaching was a huge part of my ability to hit this goal.
She's helped me identify the ways to be most impactful, organise my thinking when facing complex problems, and navigate challenging interpersonal struggles. Above all, she's helped me see clearly my strongest traits, which I may not have seen in myself otherwise.
Her coaching gave me a huge boost in both confidence and competence, and helped me appreciate my strengths and seize opportunities to excel in my career.
Growth and clarity
"Val brought a rare combination of honesty, humour and practical strategy to our coaching sessions."
I've worked with Val both as a colleague at Thirdfort and as my career coach since 2023, and she's had a significant impact on my career.
When I started working with Val I was unsure which direction I wanted to take my career in, and was failing to thrive in my work environment. She helped me identify my core values, what I actually wanted from my career and how to make the most of my current situation. That clarity made a real difference to my future career plans and day to day working life.
Val brought a rare combination of honesty, humour and practical strategy to our coaching sessions. Providing a valuable sounding board for ideas, she knows when to challenge and when to offer advice.
If you're an engineer, manager or technical leader looking for a coach who genuinely understands the industry from the perspective of neurodivergent woman you need to speak to Val. Five stars, no notes.
First EM role
"She was my first manager when I began the EM role and she was truly transformational."
I am thrilled to recommend Val as an exceptional leader and mentor. She was my first manager when I began the EM role and she was truly transformational, guiding me in ways that shaped my career path. I have sought her support as a professional coach on a number of occasions since, and her influence continues to have a positive impact on my journey.
What sets Val apart is her unique ability to blend insight and coaching. She skillfully draws out my own insights while complementing them with her extensive experience, creating a powerful learning environment.
Leadership growth
"I have learnt more from working with Val than I ever thought possible."
When applying for my first EM role, the recruiter told me, "Oh, you'll talk to Val first. She is something special." He could not have been more right. Ever since that first Zoom, Val's energy, expertise and passion have been a guiding light in my career.
She is authentic, tough, compassionate, and absolutely will not give you an easy ride. I have learnt more from working with Val than I ever thought possible.
New leadership role
"She coached me through the practical issues and emotional regulation needed to excel."
I've always believed that when you move into a new situation, the best thing you can do is reach out to people who have been there and done it. Little did I know when I reached out to Valerie the huge impact it would have on me.
She coached me through the practical issues and emotional regulation needed to excel in this role, and avoid traps common with people moving into more leadership-oriented positions from technical backgrounds.
