Shams Essack

Executive and Business Coach

Are you ready to take your career or business to the next level? The coaching I provide will inspire, support, challenge and empower you. I am a certified coach with a diversity of clients including executives from JSE listed companies, senior managers, entrepreneurs, business owners and start-ups.

My coaching philosophy is based on trust, honesty, and accountability with a focus on a growth-mindset. From my training and experience I have found that a customised and eclectic approach to each client and situation works best. I focus on directive, action and results-based coaching with elements of NLP. I take a holistic view of each client and work with each person to identify and set and achieve authentic goals.

Continuous professional development is important to me so that I can provide my clients with up-to-date coaching tools hence I am a member of COMENSA and regularly attend industry events.

My passion for coaching is driven by my purpose which is to empower my clients to achieve sustained success in their careers and businesses.

I have 20 years of leadership and management experience as an executive and as a business person. As CIMA’s Corporate Communications Manager for sub-Saharan Africa I won two staff awards with my team. For the last 9 years I have been running Eska Consult, my corporate communication, digital marketing and strategy consulting company. I work with clients in the private, public and non-profit sector to deliver a variety of services, training and coaching to add value to their businesses

I have walked the path of an executive in a global organisation and as a business person. Based on this real world experience I approach each coaching session with an understanding of the context that each client is immersed in.

Clients often seek me out when they are going through a challenging time at work or in business and find that coaching assists them with identifying and changing limiting beliefs, behaviours that are no longer working for them and shifting into more optimal ways of thinking, being and doing. Some of the outcomes are improved personal and professional performance, enhanced resilience, more constructive communication and more productive work relationships as well as a higher level of intrinsic motivation, focus and productivity.

During my time as a coach and a coaching client myself I am a firm believer in the power of coaching to transform lives which often results in improved performance in the workplace and in business.

I coach via Zoom, WhatsApp video, Skype and in person.

Her clients have the following to say:

“I remember the day when I asked Shams Essack to be my business coach, not really knowing that it would put me on this tremendous trajectory to success. She has catalysed a great amount of growth, both personally and professionally. Trusting, and kind – but also a force to be reckoned with. I believe that I am in Forbes magazine, thanks to the coaching that I received. I would highly recommend her – but only serious applicants need apply!”
Adrian Furstenburg, international award-winning handbag designer featured in Forbes Africa magazine 2018. https://adrianfurstenburg.com/

“Shams Essack coached me when I was going through a difficult time in my life, my business was failing, I had just moved back home to Pretoria from Cape Town and I was struggling with my MBA studies. It was a very confusing time in my life and Shams with her compassionate, yet firm style of coaching helped me get clarity on the next steps to take. I remember at the time I was considering quitting my MBA studies although she didn’t try to lead me to a certain decision. I ended up deciding to stay and now have competed my MBA. I would recommend Shams’ coaching because coupled with her coaching training and experience, she has both corporate and entrepreneurial experience.”
Busisiwe Hlatshwayo, MBA

Personal:

I used to be an intrepid adventurer who parachuted and went scuba diving and qualified as an Advanced Diver with NAUI. Now I prefer more sedate activities such as reading non-fiction books, writing (one business book to be published in 2021 and another in 2022) and traveling. Before lockdown I had visited 22 countries, including Namibia, Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Singapore, Thailand, India, China, Spain, France, the UK, the US and Brazil. I have two sons aged 21 and 17 and have been married twice for a total of 24 years.

Coaching is a vital resource during this time of fast, exciting and challenging changes of a VUCA and pandemic world. More companies, professionals and business owners are investing in coaching as they experience the value of having a trusted coach on hand to empower them to navigate obstacles and the seize opportunities of our Fourth Industrial world.

You can contact Shams Essack on shams@sessack.co, +27 83 709 8109 or visit her website at https://eskaconsult.com/coaching/

Coaching Qualification:

ILS Certified Coach (May 2016). This coaching qualification is accredited by the ICF and COMENSA. ILS was established in 2007.

Academic Qualifications:

BSW (UB), BA (Hons) (Wits Film School), MA in Media Studies and Journalism (Wits).

Other:

Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Accounting (online courses, Gordon Institute of Business Science).

Sandton, South Africa