Concierge
Urbanity
Until recently, the role of life coach or image
consultant wasn't taken seriously, but things have
changed. As the workplace becomes tougher and
personal goals higher, it's a strength not a
weakness to look to outside professionals for
assistance in your career or private life. You may
need to be more assertive in the boardroom,
motivate your staff, get on with colleagues, inspire
clients, connect with your partner, win love and
respect from your children, and learn to like
yourself. It also helps to look good and dress well
but as the rules of menswear crumble, and the
yawning gulf of "smart casual" opens up, it's easy
to make mistakes. So welcome to Urbanity, a
newish (launched last year) men only lifestyle
consultancy which address issues such as image
styling, personal shopping, interior design, dating
(ugh, tricky that one) and life coaching. Founder
Lisa Bathurst has built on her experience in the
fashion industry with further qualifications in
psychology, image consulting and Neuro
Linguistic Programming (NLP) a technique
familiar through the high-profile work of Paul
McKenna. Bathurst's clients are chiefly company
directors and City professionals. "When it comes
to their relationships, image, and personal lives,
some of the most successful men tend to lack
confidence," she says. "I get a real buzz helping
the ordinary man become extraordinary, and I
provide the skills and motivation to change their
lifestyle so it is more fulfilling." Urbanity creates
bespoke packages and services for their clients -
many of which can be arranged for just a single
day if required. Naturally utter discretion is
guaranteed and clients receive extensive advice
and support, a follow-up service and
recommendations to preferred suppliers. Call 020
7691 9060 or email
or
visit www.urbanitylondon.com
The Handel Group
A more established player on the life coaching
scene is the Handel Group, an international
company founded by a pioneer in this field, the
dynamic American Lauren Zander. Her sister Beth
Weissenberger is co-founder and C.E.O. The
European division is headed up by Anne Jensen
Chatroux who has 15 years experience with
hundreds of professionals at global blue-chip
companies such as BP, Conoco-Phillips and Sony
Ericson. Her fluency in five languages helps, as
does a decade of working with one of the world's
largest investment banks. Jensen Chatroux is
proud of her ability to evolve the human dynamics
and politics of corporations large and small. The
Handel Group describes its role as "teaching
corporations, institutions and individuals to take
focused and powerful action in every area of life"
and this can include being successful at work,
saving a marriage, giving up smoking, losing
weight, being more productive, managing change
or simply being happy. The group's repertoire
includes private coaching, corporate consulting,
seminars and workshops, and an education
division. For the past two years, The Handel
Group has partnered with American intellectual
powerhouse MIT to develop the groundbreaking
course, Living an Extraordinary Life, as part of the
Science, Technology and Society Program. This
course, taught by HG Founder and MIT Visiting
Scholar Lauren Zander, provides an exciting,
eye-opening, and thoroughly useful inquiry into
what it takes to live an extraordinary life. The
course has been so successful that MIT funded a
grant for its continuation. In addition, this
non-credit elective has now been offered to the
Sloan Fellows at the MIT Sloan School of
Management. UK and European enquiries can be
directed to London-based Anne Jensen Chatroux
on 020 7602 0631 or 07787 548 817 or email
or visit
www.handelgroup.com
