Testimonials

“The most sustainable outcome has been a more holistic understanding of what it takes to be a good trader. You are asking people who have been at least moderately successful to change (to some degree) how they trade, which is of course the basis of their compensation. Most of them think they know what they’re doing already. Most of them also think it is all about the market; not them.

I was initially skeptical. Think of it as an investment in yourself – a call option, if you will. If it improves your performance even marginally, the upside will compound spectacularly over the course of a career.”

“What drove the need for change was knowing that my process and skillset was right, but too often emotions got in the way, preventing me from achieving satisfying results. It was a combination of not acting to win, but rather to avoid losses. I was not feeling confident enough and constantly over-thinking everyday situations. This created a significant lack of serenity. This job is stressful and intense, but the outcome can be improved and stress doesn’t necessarily have to lead to unhappiness. My work with Tonya helped me to focus on the game plan, knowing what the best version of myself should be doing, rather than permanently keeping my eyes on the outcome (P&L). I have been able to reset my mindset more regularly when needed, forcing myself to aim for a healthy detachment from the outcome.

 
The most sustained outcome was a radical change in the team around me. As I grew the the team, my work with Tonya helped me focus on the importance of values as skillset, which lead to dramatically improved team dynamics.
 
There was also a lot of good reading associated with the work, which provided other sources of reflection and inspiration.”

“I needed to optimise my time and focus and ultimately to have laser vision to perform my key role.  Leading Minds helped me to refocus on my edges and strengths, to manage my team better and ultimately to achieve a more balanced approach to work and life. I achieved laser focused on my my life drivers and this, in turn, led to laser focus on my motivation and improved performance over the long run. Tonya helped me to think about these things deeply, to drill into and fine tune my goals.”

“Leading Minds helped me to develop the skill of listening and not only being contrarian. I developed the ability to be more open-minded, more ready to listen and not only hear mechanically. I became less attached to the idea of always being right and being contrarian. Tonya helped me to re-think my process. My expectations were exceeded and valued that trust and privacy were key in this relationship.”

“I created a more sustainable outcome by working with Tonya to fine tune my investment process. This would have been very difficult to achieve alone, especially not to be trapped again and again in the same mistakes. Tonya helped me to create a better process through a deep analysis of my core strengths and weaknesses. My expectations were completely exceeded and led to a complete change of mindset. Whether you are a man or a woman in today’s world you need to lead both at work and at home (family, marriage). Only a professional external analysis of who you are, what are your weaknesses, your strengths, your fears can help you to build the right framework to succeed.”

“Initially, my biggest frustration was fear of loosing money and the fear of not being good enough. I was too focused on the outcome and not focused enough on what I could control. Working with Tonya helped me to focus on the process, understanding the various steps of the process, understanding the ebbs and flows of intense challenges. Sustained outcomes have been increased focus, increased control, better process and increased hit ratio. I have a better understanding of how to maximise my wellbeing to fit the process. The learnings from working with Tonya are a lifelong resource.”

“I came to Leading Minds after a big promotion. I suffered from some kind of imposter syndrome and felt my performance was lacklustre. I needed to find renewed confidence and unlock all the potential I knew was within. Initially I was expecting be told how to do things differently. My focus has always been on my weaknesses and how to address them. Instead, Leading Minds helped me look within to what was familiar and natural to me. This was so powerful because it was about turbo-charging my strengths instead of trying to neutralise my flaws. What changed in me was the realisation that peak performance was not so out reach as I thought, but all the ingredients to succeed were there. I just needed to find them and combine them together in an optimal way. 
 
The amazing results that Leading Minds help me achieve have proven to be long lasting, because they have leveraged my most authentic self, as opposed to try to change who I am. By being myself and knowing how to unlock my potential, the sense of possibility and inner courage I found makes every obstacle feel surmountable and turn most challenges into opportunities. In summary, I can operate with “ease and grace” instead of forcing myself to embrace an alien style. The most sustainable outcome has been being more comfortable in my skin, feeling I deserve a seat at the table, being able to open my mind to new possibilities, which before felt too ambitious to embrace. 
 
People confuse coaching with pep talks and cheap self help literature. It is completely different to work with true professionals who have a scientific understanding of the mind. In the same way we look after our bodies and seek expert, tailored advice to improve our fitness, we should do exactly the same with our mind. Committing to this is transformational.”
“I came to Tonya because my failure to deliver results/performance was affecting other areas of life outside of immediate work/fund/performance. I was not sure what needed to be changed…but the various developments taking place in rest of my life suggested change was needed in me.
 
The focus on process aimed at achieving desired outcomes was very valuable. I was initially surprised by the holistic approach to what was at the time a very narrow goal: Improve ROI on a hedge fund. In elite competition what separates the winners from the pack is not only ability and knowledge, but also mental preparation which Tonya is skilled at honing. The measurable value was the clarification of goals, objectives and timelines and more awareness on how to fine-tune my approach to achieve sought after outcomes. 
 
Without trying to be overly dramatic, working with Tonya was a starting point for re-organising how I approach life/work. Practical exercises and opportunity for self-examination leads to self-discovery about who you are and what you want. The benefit from the process was more indirect than linear, but very real. There is a structure to Leading Minds approach that I appreciated.”
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