My Story
Megan McIlrath is an entrepreneur, wife and mom, who is the woman behind the growth mindset coaching practice. Before we dive into what that means, here’s a little inside scoop.
She was born in Johannesburg on the 24th of April; a true Taurean who sees herself as grounded, unafraid of hard work, stubborn as a bull and loyal to a fault.
Megan moved to Cape Town in 2007 to complete a Bachelor of Social Science (Honours) degree specialising in Psychology at the University of Cape Town. Thereafter, she decided to ‘take a year off’ to ‘have a bit of fun’ in the event management arena. She joined an events logistics company, and then went on to start her own company which is still going strong after 12 years. Here’s where the personal experience comes into play. Megan’s business was a rollercoaster ride that saw fluctuations between R2m to R5m annual turnover and an overdraft that prompted a business restructure to get out of debt. All the while, she dealt with daily HR and staffing roles, clients who had incredibly high expectations and her personal struggles with imposter syndrome and a lack of self-confidence.
It was 7 years into running her own business when Megan found that the hard slog was neither financially rewarding nor personally fulfilling, with passion and energy replaced by resentment and fatigue. Eventually, physical and emotional burnout compelled her to question the sustainability of her current behaviour, and to seek the guidance of a professional coach. By sharing her business desires and working hard on her personal development, Megan discovered that event management wasn’t where it was at. So, she shifted her focus towards mental health. Grounded by her psychology degree and personal experiences, Megan trained as a professional coach through SACAP (South African College of Applied Psychology). She then opened her coaching practice which focusses on cultivating a growth mindset in her clients.
She is registered with ASCHP (Association for Supportive Counsellors and Holistic Practitioners reg no: WCW/174) and is a member of COMENSA (Coaches and Mentors of South Africa). She’s a weekly volunteer counsellor at Hope House where she combines the forward thinking, solution driven approach to coaching with her counselling skills. The art of giving and rising to the challenge of being pushed outside of her comfort zone fulfils a special place in her heart. And finally, as if all this isn’t enough, Megan also regularly sees a coach for her own personal growth and development. May it never be said that she does anything in half measures.
Certification
