With more than 25 years of experience, Amal Loring, 58, offers a combination of business coaching, mentoring, counselling, and spiritual guidance. She is qualified in a wide range of disciplines, all with the aim of helping people have a happier and more fulfilled life. Originally from Surrey, and moving to Hawkshead in 2003, she lived for several years in the UAE before returning to settle back in Hawkshead a few years ago.  

I was headhunted from the UK to work in the UAE by one of the world’s largest IT companies. Alongside my work in technology, I developed a keen interest in the mind and in understanding the ways in which people think and act. I observed that many people were unable to control their thoughts, and I wanted to share techniques that can help people learn to use their mind to work for them, rather than against them. Now, I utilise these techniques to support business owners in achieving satisfaction and fulfilment.  

My journey started when I trained as an NLP Practitioner in the US in 1999. In the ensuing years, I qualified in hypnotherapy, stress management and mindfulness, intercultural intelligence, emotional intelligence and business coaching, techniques which form the fundamentals of my approach to support individuals in building a life where they can have freedom and choice. 

Over the last 25 years, I have consulted with a wide range of clients from many different socioeconomic backgrounds and from over 200 different cultures. I have worked with large British, American and European companies who were looking to establish offices in the UAE and needed to understand how to build sustainable relationships in a diverse multicultural country. I worked with over 120 businesses ranging from entrepreneurs, start-ups seeking investment and established companies looking to grow.  

And yet, despite spending time abroad, I have always felt that the Lakes is my home and is where my heart is. I first visited the Lake District in my late teens and I just fell in love with the area, moving there in early 2003. Overseas, I faced some of the toughest challenges in life: loneliness, isolation, financial concerns, betrayal, and having my heart broken and my trust torn apart. How did I cope through these challenging times? Well, I would take my mind back to the green of the Lakes. In my mind’s eye, I would find myself sitting next to the shores of a tarn, bathed in a warm sunlight, surrounded by the sounds of nature: the birds, the sheep, and the wind in the trees. As I focused on picturing myself in this serene setting, I could feel my challenges becoming less overwhelming. I imagined the power of nature all around me.  

Inspired by the strength of the Lakes’ natural landscape, my focus is centred on supporting Cumbrian business owners on their pathway to success, happiness and fulfilment. Cumbria is a rich landscape of industrious innovation, beauty, and world heritage, and I feel passionate about working with business owners in this region.  

Many of the challenges I have encountered are difficulties that business owners face, especially loneliness, financial pressure and heartbreak when things don’t go to plan. It can be very tough running your own company. When supporting business owners, the four areas I specialise in are new client acquisition, cashflow, people and time. After focusing on these core areas, I support owners’ mission and vision.  

Whilst cashflow and new client acquisition work hand in hand to support revenue generation, money is not the be-all and end-all for personal fulfilment. I have worked with very wealthy individuals in the UAE who were in the Forbes Richest lists, and yet, they were unhappy. Money gives you choice, and thus I support individuals in attaining the right level of income to give them freedom and choice in life. A further focus of mine is on building up individuals’ confidence and alleviating feelings of imposter syndrome. 

My focus is very much about making Cumbria successful because business owners here offer many diverse products and services, and they do them well.  By this time next year, my goal is for 80 per cent of the businesses I work with to be based in Cumbria.