Testimonials

"Thank you for helping to organise such a very enjoyable and useful day. It was really one of the best training days I’ve had for a long time. I’m sure that it will really help the team to become even more fabulous."

Mark Greco, Engagement Manager, Creative and Cultural Skills

"I have known and worked with Creative Alchemy for some time now and can thoroughly recommend them for all of the following areas: creative training and development; talent management and retention; executive coaching; goal planning and setting and staff morale/motivation training. Claudie has helped my company strongly clarify our direction and priorities as well as tackle some long term issues very successfully. Her methodology works and delivers immediate results. What's more, she is a charismatic person who always brings clever thinking and insight to any situation."

Maurice Flynn, MD, Open Doors New Business and Marketing Consultancy

"Claudie created and ran an excellent communications workshop for the partners at Swan Turton. We were highly impressed by her intelligence, analytical skills and ability to deal with a room full of lawyers on such a complex subject as communication. Claudie’s approach introduced us to new techniques which we are now trying to put into practice. I look forward to working with Claudie again."

Tom Cowling, Partner, Swan Turton Solicitors

"You have delivered WAY more productivity from my team members in only 4 short months. Quite simply they are making us more money. Indeed we have decided to increase their daily charge out rate (and their own income) by 60%, because they are delivering that and more for our clients. You've been great for them, and great for our business. There is one other thing that impresses me about your work. I've worked with management coaches and consultants before. Some have delivered impressive results. But in a way their work is easier because they work with highly motivated business people who are driven to succeed. You work with highly talented creatives, who can be so much trickier to figure out. Your success in helping them achieve more make you pretty unique. And I think we'd be hard pushed to find someone who is able to unlock this potential as well as Tamara can."

James Kirk, Director of Attention, Hubbub UK.

"We engaged Gavin to undertake the formal evaluation of our Transitions graduate project, a substantial piece of work which involved extensive research, and in-depth analysis - both quantitative and qualitative. The findings helped us to understand our successes and what we needed to change to improve the way we work. On the strength of this work we have since commissioned Gavin to conduct a strategic analysis and make recommendations to market and deliver the next phase of our overall strategy. Gavin has been particularly ‘user-friendly’: he has been notably responsive to our business needs, and consistently sensitive to the ethos which underpins our work."

David Perkins, Manager, Prospects

"I'm down to earth, at best, and cynical, at worst, when it comes to concepts like coaching. Claudie engaged me immediately. She has a woodworm-esque way of infiltrating your thinking, doing and being. Her influence is subtle but overwhelming. We have scaled my neurosis and fronted my fears - I now feel better equipped to do this for myself. The conventional patterns of my thinking and behaviour have been re-routed to connect more integrally with the values I hold closest and the ambitions dearest. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been partnered with such a gifted coach."

Jane Pollard
Head of Creative Strategy, Beggars Group

"As I participate in the 1-2-1 coaching provided by Creative Alchemy, I gain the necessary self-awareness to fully appreciate the gaps in my career thinking and development. The insights gained, coupled with acknowledgement of the progress I have made prior to this work has, ultimately, allowed me to develop a strong concept of the type of creative leader I want to be in my career now and going forward. And, most importantly, I'm developing the leadership skills and creative mindset to make my career concept a reality."

Stephanie Haughton-Campbell
Senior Engagement Advisor, Creative & Cultural Skills

“Claudie has facilitated some remarkable sessions as part of the Music Leaders Network with skill, confidence and diplomacy. Individually, I’ve found her dedicated coaching style to be very open and honest, as well as challenging and supportive in the right measures. She has had an immediate impact on how I value my existing skills and I know that this is only just the start of that development.“

Charlotte Ray
Director, PRS Foundation

"I attended Claudie’s workshop ‘Unleash your Creativity’. I was very impressed by the way that Claudie worked with us as a group of strangers, putting us at our ease and enabling us – through talking and practical exercises – to identify and share those things which block our creativity, and those people and things that inspire us. In a relatively short space of time, I felt that Claudie had enabled me to find the insight to challenge my own creative blocks and empower myself to reconnect with my inspiration. Challenging these creative blocks can be a difficult process, but Claudie handled the session with sensitivity and great understanding and I hope that everyone else got as much from her session as I did."

Miriam Levin
Head of Outreach, English Heritage

“There are so many things you have done for me its hard to pin point them all and I’m so excited about all the things you have yet to help me discover.
Thanks to you I have actually found my USP and developed my business into what I really want, and something that really works. I’ve even been able to set real goals which have never really worked for me before as well as being able to pinpoint in me what really matters. You have introduced me
to an incredible network of people who I didn’t know existed and pointed me towards the right books at the right time for my business. I cannot recommend you enough. The one exciting thing is how you
made me realise that it is all already in me and that I’m using all the strengths and talents I already had. I kind of stumbled on this pure realisation throughout the sessions in such an incredibly true and natural way it’s fabulous. In my business books you are my saint Claudie...”

Lupe Castro
Brand Launch Consultant

"Working with Claudie has produced immediate and measurable results. I contacted Claudie at a turning point in my freelance writing career. I needed help with creativity, productivity and organisational skills in order to take full advantage of the opportunities that were coming my way. In a few short months, I've not only been able to address those issues, but also the more profound underlying issues that I hadn't even realised were there. I am now producing more work of a better quality than before I started the sessions. I am also far more organised than I was which has enabled me to take on more work and earn more money.

Coaching has changed not only the way I work for the better, but has changed the way I feel about work and myself. Claudie is incredibly easy to get along with and has been ready and willing to deal with any issue that has been troubling me. Understanding that what appeared to be insurmountable obstacles are in fact solvable problems with very practical and easily applied solutions has boosted my confidence hugely. I have had numerous "light bulb moments" during the sessions which have enabled me to make many positive, and often instantaneous changes to my behaviour that have proved highly beneficial. I've found the process enjoyable and extremely worthwhile and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking to make positive changes in their lives."

Andy Lynes, Freelance Food Writer


"I was lacking in the confidence I needed in my chosen field of journalism. After only a few sessions with Claudie and I felt empowered. Her intelligence and analytical skills focused my attention on the important issues, and her enthusiasm and support boosted my motivation and commitment 100%. Claudie’s coaching gave me the mindset and tools to push myself forward in order to get the perfect job for me. After two months I landed my job at The Independent."

E Bray, The Independent.


"Claudie has a helped me enormously in being able to focus on my goals; professionally, creatively and personally. She is an extremely professional and motivated coach with a sympathetic and gentle energy which is very contagious.
Claudie has helped me in such a profound manner, that I don't recognise the person that I used to be before she became my coach. I was stuck in a rut and descending further into a life of mediocrity. Claudie has encouraged my confidence and assisted me in re-evaluating my love and ambition to direct films. I have since directed an award winning film and have started my own film production company with the ongoing support of Claudie."

Martin Kerem, Director
Mystic Monkey


"Claudie Plen has led courses at Limmud on creativity and the releasing of creative blocks at two conferences. Claudie's sessions are amongst the most well received sessions on creativity that Limmud has run. Claudie is skilled at working both with those working professionally in the creative fields such as writers and artists and those who feel that they are inherently uncreative. We regularly recieve requests to invite Claudie to present again at conferences. Claudie is able to create a great rapport with participants and helps all of them move forward on their creative journeys. Claudie is also very willing to enter into discussion about the needs of different groups and tailor her sessions accordingly. She is a joy to work with and I heartily recommend her to anyone hoping to develop confidence and strengths either individually or in a group."

Naomi Soetendorp. Art Zone Co-ordinator. Limmud 2002 - 2005


“I found Claudie both relaxed and informal, the calm methodical approach was very cleansing. She is a very understanding person, There were lots of new avenues that I would never have looked into without her direction.

It was great both to talk on the phone and to meet up. Coaching is a great way to move forward with your life and Claudie's energy and enthusiasm was so encouraging.

Sharon Kashden
MD, Brief & Sassy


The process of Coaching is an extremely beneficial approach for anyone who wants to move forward in their lives. I find the process of talking to my life coach therapeutic and ultimately productive.

As my Coach, Claudie Plen takes a genuine interest in my objectives and dreams and always encourages them. Taking a neutral standpoint, she can observe and give insight to areas in my life that have become neglected through the stresses and pressures of work. With careful consideration, she helps me to find out what is important to me and what is holding me back: then I can move closer to my goals.

Claudie is always friendly and encouraging, never judgemental or imposing and this makes it easy to talk to her openly and more honestly than I would a close friend. More than anything, Claudie has helped me to tackle my life in a positive and “head-on” fashion and after only 3 months I am already feeling the benefits.
I would recommend a series of sessions with Claudie Plen to anyone who feels they aren’t quite where they want to be yet, because she can help you unlock the strengths and energy that deep down we all have.

Melanie Reynard
Recorded Picture Company


Coaching was a very positive experience for me. At a time when I was feeling overwhelmed and I needed support, coaching provided me with a space and structure to help me to understand my feelings and to work out my priorities. It gave me confidence to move forward in my life. I found Claudie to be incredibly empathetic, supportive and reassuring. She is open and non-prescriptive in her approach and I valued this highly.

Anon
Artist/Teacher


I attended a workshop organised by Claudie Plen at an interactive educational retreat. Claudie instantly made the participants in her workshop feel comfortable with one another. She got us to tap into our creativity which we then used to express ourselves in very open and honest ways. Claudie truly has a knack for skilfully listening to people and helping them more clearly articulate the goals that they wish to achieve.

Joshua Bloom
Academic