Hi, I am Daniela
If you are curious about me and my transformation journey so far, have a look at "My Story".
If you are only interested in checking "My Qualifications" skip to the end and you will be fine! Some testimonials are here too!
My Story
Though I am the one writing about myself, I am still the most surprised to be expanding out-of-my-comfort-zone and sharing my view of the world.
I am a natural (over)thinker, planner, methodical, patient, kind, and curious human being that went on a self-development quest and found a (super)power through coaching and NLP (and some other self-development studies along the way). Then I struggled a bit to follow my calling but eventually found enough self-love, confidence, and clarity to go on this new career adventure. And here I am today, transformed by my journey, empowered by my knowledge, and supported by myself and something bigger than me.
The First Steps
I am part of Japanese family, third generation in Brazil. Growing up, I was quiet and introverted, mostly keeping (everything) to myself – even if I had something to say I wouldn’t dare. I remember teachers would say: “Speak up, Daniela” to encourage me to speak louder, but that just had the opposite effect and I wanted to disappear from my seat! Similar situations happened at school, Engineering graduate school (Food Engineer!), MBA and only after a few years into management positions that I started developing the confidence to speak-up and say my mind – and start liking it.
The mentoring programs and initial leadership roles at the workplace gave me a start to understand the power of connection and feedback. In those years, I got to see and feel how connected relationships and honest constructive feedback are not build on most people – despite their best intentions. I quietly decided (in my mind) one day I wanted to help people (like me) deal and grow from the challenging experiences.
A lot of life experiences can teach that we are not in control, especially when it comes to time, others, and the weather. For me, the journey into motherhood was a tale of resilience, grief, depression, patience, financial-physical-and-mental exhaustion - but after 7 years of endurance I finally had my happy beginning.
The Quest
Becoming a mother was the real spark for my self-development quest and world expansion. I became curious to understand “all-my-brain-could-absorb-and-more” about “baby and child development, positive psychology, human behaviour, learning processes” sorts of themes while tending to my own confidence-building as a new mum.
Exploring this new world was so rich and fulfilling that going back to project management lost its appeal. I was fortunate (and forever blessed) to be in a position I could transition to a full-time work as a hands-on-mother and so I did. It felt like the natural path, but still a hard career-life decision and - like all the new roles we play - required identity and routine adaptation until it felt comfortable as “the new normal”.
Even when it is your choice, transition into new roles require adaptation.
In 2020 (also known as the year the world rebooted into something new) I decided to focus on self-development. I was having a hard time with myself, feeling disconnected and looking for a higher purpose (like many might relate). This journey prized me with this found (super)power.
When school reopened in London after the first half of the year (we lived in London from 2019 to 2021) I enrolled in this top Coaching Academy for a Personal Development Diploma and an NLP Diploma. I also started courses about Bio-Emotional Management, Positive Discipline, Psychology, and the Science of Well-Being. I loved learning and expanding my mindset with all these scientific information. The quiet-on my own theory learning was great. And comfortable.
The Prize
The real superpower came when I started practicing. I had to overcome self-doubt, more self-doubt, a lot of procrastination and more self-doubt to move into that out-of-my-comfort-zone experience. But the prize was incredible, it was a huge amount of self-confidence I built by working as a coach with real clients, putting tools and methodology at use, improving state, and seeing progress and smiles. My found power was active listening and bringing people’s inner power into the light; was being able to have a conversation that helped them feel lighter and empowered.
To help others be their best versions and find their own superpowers, I had to work (deep) on my own inner world – with the support of NLP coaches, therapy, and loved ones for sure.
My transformation was enabled by finally seeing myself as the hero of my story, by finding self-love, self-awareness, self-confidence, self-esteem inside my own strengths (not outside), and by looking forward to an extraordinary life.
I feel grateful for my journey so far and I am very hopeful and curious for the future. I keep doing the work on myself because confidence and happiness are built and kept on a daily basis. This space is a little gift for me, to give the little quiet girl a space to speak up her voice and vision of the world.
Daniela Fukumothi
My Qualifications
I am a certified Personal Development Coach by “The Coaching Academy” in the UK and ICF (International Coaching Federation) approved; I am a certified NLP Practitioner by “The Coaching Academy” in the UK and a member of the ANLP (the NLP Members Organization and Community). I am a certified DISC profiler by “The Coaching Academy” in the UK.
I have 12+ years of management consulting, project management and leadership experience, having worked for one of the best global Consulting companies in the world and its clients. I have a Food Engineering degree and an MBA in Business and Technology Management.
I have also studied courses like “The Science of Well-Being” by Yale University; positive discipline with “Positive Parenting Solutions”, “BioEmotional Management” and I am a certified Reiki practitioner.
I speak fluently English and Portuguese – working sessions in both languages.
How I Work
I have a passion and genuine interest in supporting others to achieve their potential, caring that we all enjoy life while in the journey.
I want to see people smile more. I like people to feel better with themselves and others, feel empowered and self-loved. I would like people to find their kind and honest internal voice and be their own best support.
My services are quite flexible and inclusive, and the best way to check fit, approach and timing is to contact me by email! I can offer a 30-minute discovery session to get you started.
See "Services" and "Testimonials" for more information.
Client Testimonials
I hope you can notice how different experiences and benefits these incredible clients achieved for themselves! Coaching is the process, yes, but after the session is over, the power and knowledge is yours, these results came with their motivation and actions!
And best of all, and I feel this enormous positive and proud feeling of these incredible people – have I said these people are incredible? They are! Very! - notice the state of confidence and pride they had when they wrote about their journey. I hope you can notice what I mean. And to all my clients, even if you are not mentioned here, I hope you are keeping up with that confidence, clarity and energy in your journeys! I support and believe in you! Always!
"In the end of the coaching sessions, I could realize that there were significant impacts in different areas of my life. I believe even the first step of setting my first big objective in life, as the first basic and simple step of the coaching was already capable of provoking important reflections in what I want for my life, bringing excitement for my present and my future. Along the next sessions, all the conversation and exercises we worked to overcome the challenges related to the objective, not only worked very well but allowed me valuable reflections and knowledge of techniques. All this new understanding is overdoing the scope of my objective and impacting other areas of my life. In general, through these practical and theoretical tools, the process gave me personal growth and evolution and made me confident to achieve any objective, from the little everyday one to my big lifelong dream." (10 sessions)
"I've started the sessions thinking I would begin another regular "coaching session" as we usually have in the business environment, but I was really happy and surprised on how Daniela was able to make me feel comfortable during the sessions making me accountable for my next steps and showing me it is ok if things are a little bit out of the track as long as we find a way to ensure we can finally get back there. She was able to show me with subtlety how my view of the problem could broaden up and expanded so there were hidden options that I couldn't see in the first place. Daniela was always very professional in all sessions, and she is clearly passionate about Coaching. She has guided and supported me on my next steps, and I am really glad we were able to define a clear path for me to get there. I would definitely continue the coaching sessions with her." (5 sessions)
"My biggest learning was the importance of recognizing inside myself “what do I really want”.
I realized that most of the times we want something without deeply understanding if those are really our wants. Also recognizing that we have the means to get where we want to get, mobilizing our resources and our network to get to our final desire, which in fact increases the importance of being clear on what we want and where do we want to get. Another point that surprised me positively were the exercises given to connect with myself, my personality and ambitions: the wheel of life, be/do/have, values of life. I think it is important to state that I feel they are means that open really fertile possibilities to be analysed, but still, it is necessary to have a sensitive and intelligent person to explore these possibilities from the exercises. And I am certain that Daniela was this person. The coaching led me to a very significative and profound process to understand what I want for my life and what I want for my professional life and how to have both areas potentialized and not conflicted. To have lived through this process is a very big achievement for me." (4 sessions)
"Daniela is an amazingly talented, natural coach. Her value-centred guidance challenged me to think beyond just “the search for happiness and contentment” and focus more on finding a career and vocation that would capitalize on my passions and strengths. Her knowledge about personal relationship experience were particularly valuable to me. Her uplifting, positive, and calming personality make her easy to open up to and wonderful to work with. She has been an incredible coach and the strategies and lessons she has provided have inspired and motivated me to live a life in congruency with my values and passions. Daniela is truly one-of-a-kind, and I would recommend her to anyone looking for an intuitive, sincere, and deeply passionate coach." (4 sessions)
"To go through the coaching sessions was essential for me to put together a strategy for a future career change, respecting my personal and professional moment and that gave me an important vision on what path to pursue. I was very satisfied with the result, and I already started the things we discussed together. The impact of this work reflected directly in my new choices, and I am very excited to start my new professional journey." (3 sessions)
“Daniela was always extremely professional, had active listening and empathy through the entire process, which gave me confidence to deal with the deep issues of myself. She managed to bring simple ways and tools to solve or address problems. I will definitely use them in the future. I just loved doing the exercise about values. Simple questions but we never stop our daily routine to make those reflections. And I believe that this is perhaps the greatest benefit of the coaching: having someone to take you out of your comfort zone and “force” you to move and seek for your achievements. I am so glad that Daniela was my coach in the period of my life that I most needed.” (4 sessions)
“When I started coaching with Daniela, I had 2 big questions I would like to explore, the first was which professional path to follow and the second (and more complex in my opinion) was to understand why I couldn’t get on with some projects. Throughout the process to clarify these questions, Daniela worked with great empathy, without pressuring me to have answers, but led me by questions and exercises that helped me understand what I want and especially what I do not want. During the coaching process I was becoming clearer which professional path I want to follow and how to prepare to walk that path. Another very important point in my case was realizing that not having the answer of “how to do” often prevents me from reaching the goal of “what” to do. To understand why I did not move on with some projects, the coaching process with Daniela led me through a self-knowledge journey. With some difficult reflections and never before explored by me. Of course, to answer this question I came up with several reasons and not just one – but a great discovery by me was the understanding of how hard I tend to treat myself. From the discovery with Daniela, she taught me to be nicer to myself. I still have a long way to go, but after coaching is much clearer how to go that way and most importantly it is much clearer what pitfalls I usually put in my own way, and knowingly how to recognize them, I can now act to avoid them.” (16 sessions)