Career coaching for marketers,
by a marketer
You don't need a coach who’s read about marketing careers. You need one who has actually lived it, who has justified the budget, built the team, and navigated the politics. That is the difference here.
I'm Debbie Gainsford, a qualified career coach and senior B2B marketer with over 25 years global experience, based just north of Sydney, I work with marketers across Australia, the UK and beyond, all sessions are held virtually.
A discovery call is a free 15 minute conversation to talk through what's going on and see if we're a good fit. No preparation, no pressure, no obligation to book anything after.
Maybe you want a promotion and you want to be smart about how you get it. Maybe you are thinking about a pivot but have not said it out loud yet. Maybe you are trying to navigate everything the industry is throwing at marketers right now, and want someone in your corner while you do. Or maybe you are sitting with the bigger question of whether you even want to stay in marketing.
You do not have to know which one you are. Coaching gives you a neutral, judgement-free space to say how you actually feel about your work, your career, all of it, and know it goes no further. You will leave clearer than you came.
You might be here because
Work with a marketing career coach who’s done the job
Most career coaches have never had to justify a marketing budget to a CFO. I have. So when you talk about being overlooked, stuck between delivering and directing, or unsure whether to stay in marketing at all, you are not explaining your world from scratch.
I’ve spent over 25 years in senior B2B marketing across tech, media, adtech and publishing, in global roles at companies including Getty Images, Reed Business Information and Skimlinks. I have been the first-time manager with no idea what I was doing, the only marketer in the business with no one to turn to, and the senior leader caught up in the politics. I have also questioned whether I wanted to keep climbing at all, and worked out a version of success that actually fits me.
That’s the part of your career that doesn't make it onto a job description, and it is the part coaching actually works on. I still work in marketing today, alongside coaching, so I understand the pressures the industry is under right now first hand, not from memory. I bring that experience together with my Diploma in Coaching from The Coaching Academy in London, as well as my Masters In Digital Marketing to my coaching sessions.
How we can work together
This is career coaching for marketers, which means we work on you and your career, not your campaigns. It is one to one, completely confidential, and led by whatever you bring to the session.
It might be a decision you keep circling, a conversation you are dreading, the question of what you actually want next, or the sense that you are capable of more than your current role is letting you show. You do not need it neatly worked out first. That is the work.
Some people come for a single session to think something through. Others work with me over time, when what they are facing is bigger than one conversation.
What areas does career coaching cover?
You can bring any topic to a coaching session: confidence, navigating change, difficult conversations, job change, career pivots, and more. If you are not sure whether your issue is a fit, that is what a discovery call is for.
Sometimes you need a marketer, not a coach
Ask a Marketer Sessions
(your chance to pick my brain)
For when you have a specific question and just need a marketer to answer it.
Whether you are a marketer working through something or a business owner who needs senior input, you can book a 30 minute session and pick my brain. Strategy, storytelling, a campaign you want a second opinion on, a career question you want straight talk on.
No ongoing commitment, just experienced eyes on the problem.
A senior marketer in your corner, when you need one.
For founders and teams who need marketing experience on hand, not on payroll. Maybe you have a team of one, or a small team, who would benefit from someone experienced to coach and steady them. Maybe you are wearing the marketing hat yourself and want ongoing direction from someone who has done it. Or maybe you just need senior input for a stretch, without committing to a permanent hire.
We work out what your business actually needs rather than forcing it into a package.
Senior marketing support, without the senior hire
What clients say about working with Debbie
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Debbie’s coaching has had a significant impact on me, at a time where I was struggling to find my place at work due to major change within the organisation and confidence issues. My renewed determination was only possible due to the increased confidence I felt I had gained during the sessions. I now feel happier at work and more confident.
— Lucy
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I truly valued my coaching sessions with Debbie and I would highly recommend Debbie to anyone who is looking to make a change in their life. I believe that without her help, I would not be where I am today.
— Jill
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Working with Debbie is great, she is so good at listening and spotting the root of each thought. I now feel much more empowered and in control of my actions and beliefs, and that has brought me a lot of confidence. I'm now in a very good place, and coaching has been key to get here.
— Barbara
Want to talk it through?
Book a free discovery call and we will see whether coaching is right for you. A relaxed 15 minutes, no preparation, and no obligation either way.