Coach of the Quarter Highlight – Atika Scott de Martinville

Why do I coach?

After 17 years in the corporate world, my husband and two kids decided to live a new adventure, 10,000 km from France. My personal life and professional experiences taught me that the biggest obstacle to a fulfilling and successful life is ourselves – we are experts in getting in our own way. I decided to fully embrace a new career as a coach to help individuals get a more fulfilling and successful life and career, enabling them to align their mindset, skillset, toolset with their goals.

My favorite personal quote, inspired by an African proverb, is:

"When there is no obstacle-enemy within, we become unstoppable; there is Nothing we cannot Be, Do or Have"

I believe that one of the fundamental dimensions of leadership is leading our own self. I believe leadership is more about being able to "lead your ship" first in any situation. My goal is to help my clients strengthen their mental and emotional muscles to go fiercely after their goals and dreams with resilience and agility.

Being a Coach is an honor and a privilege to me.

What’s the most satisfying part of coaching?

Helping my clients connect to their authentic self, letting go of their self-limitations, living a more intentional and purposeful life and career.

What influences your coaching style?

My coaching style is highly influenced by my personal experiences. I have been exploring different fields of research including mindfulness, coaching and performance science, neuroscience, cognitive and positive psychology.

I hold a Ph.D. in Computer Science and am at ease with complexity. I can reframe my clients' challenges with simplicity, helping them see the big picture and focus on what really matters. My goal is to help them leverage their actions to get the best results.

Another strength of mine is connectedness to my clients. I build trust with each client and believe that our connection is essential to a successful coaching relationship. I believe without trust, nothing is possible.

What are the most common topics you tend to coach?

The most common topics are:
  • Moving towards the next level of leadership including from individual contributor to manager.
  • Gaining clarity in career goals.
  • Overcoming new work-life situations including onboarding, first-time manager, first leadership position.
  • Developing leadership:  What is the individual’s leadership style, build self-trust and confidence, increase presence and assertiveness.
  • Relationships: Including how to build trust and able to have difficult conversations with upper management and other colleagues.

What is your advice for someone looking for a coach?

The founders and operations team are outstanding professionals, doing phenomenal work behind the scenes. Secondly, being part of a fabulous group of supportive coaches I connect with regularly. They are all highly experienced and knowledgeable. We share and learn from each other about best practices, tools, and resources.

What is one of the most memorable moments in your coaching career?

One of my clients started coaching when she was an individual contributor in her organization and hesitated to apply to a management role. She finally got that job, and since then, while continuing coaching, she is part of the executive leadership team of that same organization. She is a role model now and an advocate for coaching as a critical success factor in her success.

What do you do when you are not coaching?

I love cooking; my parents are from Morocco, and I learned to cook all my mother's best recipes, from Couscous to Tajines. I am also curious about cuisines from all over the world and love to try new recipes.

Living in the Pacific Northwest for the past ten years, I enjoy hiking and discover new places to visit, rain or shine.
And of course, traveling back to France, Morocco, and Europe to visit my family and friends whenever possible.