19 Years in London: How Becoming a Chameleon Made Me a Better Coach

A few weeks ago marked 19 years since I moved to London. Nineteen years of living in one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Nineteen years of coaching people from almost every corner of the globe.

And it's made me realize something: I'm a chameleon!!!!

Not in a fake way. Not in a "tell people what they want to hear" way. But in the way that great coaching requires - the ability to be a thousand different versions of yourself while staying completely, authentically you.

Where It Started: Portugal

I started my career in Portugal, working at my dad's consultancy company. I was in my early twenties, doing training, workshops, some individual coaching. And honestly? It felt easy.

Everyone was Portuguese. Same culture, same references, same unspoken understanding of how things work. There were no cultural nuances to navigate, no need to adapt my approach. We all spoke the same language - literally and figuratively.

Then I moved to London.

London: The Ultimate Training Ground

Suddenly, I wasn't coaching people like me anymore. I was coaching people from everywhere. Japan, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Australia, China. Every session was a new world.

London became my training ground for something I didn't even know I was learning: the art of adaptation.

People say London is "traveling without traveling," and they're right. I've been lucky to live here for 19 years, surrounded by friends from all over the world. You get to experience so many different cultures, customs, perspectives - all without leaving the city.

But it wasn't just London that taught me this skill. It was actually getting on planes and traveling to 70+ countries.

What Traveling Taught Me

When you travel, you learn to adapt or you suffer.

The way I behaved in Japan was completely different from how I behaved in Cambodia, or Iran, or East Timor, or Tanzania. In Japan, I couldn't hug and kiss people the way I naturally do as a Latin person. I had to read the room, understand the culture, adjust.

But here's the thing: I was still me. I just learned to express different parts of myself depending on the context.

And that's exactly what great coaching requires.

The Art of Being a Chameleon (While Staying You)

I had a friend visiting recently who overheard bits and pieces of my coaching sessions. Afterward, he said: "Wow, every time I heard you with a client, it felt like a completely different approach. Like you were a different person."

Exactly.

With one client, I can tell them to fuck off (lovingly, of course). With another, I'm more formal, more reserved. With some, I'm funny and goofy. With others, I'm direct and challenging.

It's not fake. It's not acting. It's about recognizing that we're complex humans with different layers, different moods, different energies. And each client needs a different version of me.

It's almost like being an actor - but you're always playing yourself. Just different parts of yourself.

The 15-Year Client

I have a client I first worked with 15 years ago. I helped him land his dream job. He stayed in that role for 15 years. He even named his daughter after me.

Recently, he decided to leave the company and came back to me for coaching. During our session this week, I told him to go fuck himself.

He laughed. Hard.

Because we have that kind of relationship. We've built that level of trust over 15 years. I know his style. I know when he's making excuses. I know when he needs a kick in the ass versus gentle encouragement.

Could I do that with every client? Absolutely not.

But that's the point. Every client is different. Every relationship requires a different approach.

There's No Formula

Sometimes I know within the first session what version of Emma a client needs. Sometimes it's immediately clear - we click, we connect, we're off and running.

Other times, it takes 10 sessions before I feel like we've truly connected.

When you're working with a new client, you start more reserved. You're feeling them out, building rapport, seeing what kind of connection you can establish. Some people open up immediately. Others take time.

There's no formula. Everyone is different.

My job is to read people - to understand when someone's not opening up enough, when they're giving me the answer they think I want to hear instead of the truth. My job is to challenge them, to ask the right questions, to go deeper.

That's always been one of my superpowers: reading people quickly. Since I was a kid, I could do it. Obviously, having a Master's in Psychology helps, but it's more than that. It's intuition. It's experience. It's having met thousands of people from hundreds of countries.

The Chameleon Advantage

Traveling taught me to be a chameleon while staying authentic. It taught me that adaptation isn't about losing yourself - it's about expressing different parts of yourself depending on who you're with.

When you're sharing hotel rooms with strangers, sitting on 20-hour bus journeys with people you've just met, navigating cultures completely different from your own - you learn flexibility. You learn to find common ground. You learn to connect with people who are nothing like you.

And that's exactly what coaching requires.

I don't coach cultures. I don't coach nationalities. I coach humans.

Yes, cultural awareness matters. Yes, understanding someone's background helps. But at the end of the day, every person is an individual. Every client is unique.

My job isn't to apply a formula. My job is to adapt.

The Londoner

19 Years Later

Nineteen years in London. Seventy countries visited. Clients from over 150 countries coached.

And the biggest lesson I've learned?

Great coaching isn't about being the same with everyone. It's about being yourself - in a thousand different ways.

It's about reading people, adapting your approach, meeting them where they are. It's about knowing when to challenge and when to support. When to be funny and when to be serious. When to tell someone to fuck off and when to hold space for their tears.

It's about being a chameleon - while never losing yourself in the process.

That's what 19 years in this incredible, multicultural city has taught me. That's what traveling the world has given me. That's what makes me the coach I am today.

Love and truth, Emma

Ready to work with a coach who adapts to YOU?

I don't believe in one-size-fits-all coaching. I believe in meeting you exactly where you are and creating a completely tailored approach to your unique journey.

If you're ready for coaching that's as unique as you are, let's talk.

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