Jill Stirk is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with her. She impressed us with her kindness and focus.

She is a highly talented and experienced professional. Her journey, from a thriving accounting practice to transformational life coach is nothing short of inspiring. With over three decades of experience guiding small businesses and non profits, she has always had a gift for bringing clarity to both numbers and life. A major life transition and a move to the UK prompted her to explore deeper questions about resilience, identity, and purpose.

She discovered the Three Principles, a life changing understanding of how our inner world shapes our experience. This became the foundation of The Stirk Strategy, her calm and reflective coaching approach that helps people reconnect with their innate clarity and confidence. Whether working one on one or with groups, she blends deep listening with grounded wisdom to guide clients through uncertainty toward transformation.

She now channels her skills into helping individuals and high stress teams, such as those in veterinary medicine, find balance and possibility. Her work isn’t about fixing people but about revealing what’s already whole. With the belief that no one is broken, she empowers others to see themselves in a new light and remember who they truly are. Here is what she said…

Meet Life Coach Jill Stirk:

Name: Jill Stirk

Pillar: The Mind, The Heart

Who is this coach for: Anyone who wants to reconnect with their confidence and find clarity.

How they can help: Through her signiture method The Stirk Strategy.

First of all, how are you and your family doing after these Pandemic times?

We’re doing well, thank you.

Like many families, we had our challenges, but we’ve come through with a deeper appreciation for connection, simplicity, and the resilience of the human spirit.

How did the coronavirus pandemic affect your clients? Did it affect you at all?

At the time of the pandemic, I was still running my accounting practice in South Africa.

Many of my clients were small businesses or non profits, and the impact on them was severe.

With little to no governmental support available, some were forced to shut their doors permanently.

It was heartbreaking to witness the emotional and financial toll this took, not just on businesses, but on the individuals behind them.

For me, it was a sobering period.

I worked long hours trying to help people navigate uncertainty, make difficult decisions, and preserve what they could.

It also deepened my desire to support people in more personal and lasting ways.

That inner pull eventually led me to transition into life coaching after relocating to the UK.

What are the biggest lessons that you learned in this pandemic?

That life can shift in an instant.

That the illusion of control is comforting but not essential.

And that even in the most uncertain times, there is always something steady within us that we can return to.

It reminded me of the value of presence and the power of simply holding space for ourselves and others.

The Origin:

Tell us about you, your career, how you started with your coaching career?

I spent over 30 years running a successful accounting practice, supporting small businesses and non profits with everything from forecasting and budgeting to tax compliance and governance.

I’ve always been someone who helps others find clarity, whether in their numbers or their lives.

But everything changed after a major life transition and a move to the UK.

I suddenly found myself at a career crossroads.

That pause (unexpected and uncomfortable) led me to explore deeper questions about identity, resilience, and self worth.

It was during this time that I discovered the Three Principles, a profound understanding of how our inner world works.

That discovery transformed how I saw life, and became the heart of my coaching work today.

What was your biggest obstacle that you had to overcome in your life that made you who you are today?

Facing the loss of my previous career identity and starting again in midlife was a huge challenge.

So much of who I thought I was had been tied up in being capable, reliable, and in control.

Letting go of that (stepping into the unknown) wasn’t easy.

But it taught me something invaluable: that security doesn’t come from a job title or a plan.

It comes from within.

That insight became the cornerstone of my coaching practice and The Stirk Strategy.

Now I support others through similar transitions, helping them reconnect with their own innate confidence and calm, even in the midst of uncertainty.

The Coaching Style:

How do you innovate with coaching your clients?

My innovation lies in helping people rediscover their own clarity and resilience.

I don’t offer formulas or quick fixes, I create a reflective space where insight can naturally arise.

One of the ways I’ve applied this is through a new group program for veterinary practices, supporting teams who face high emotional stress and moral fatigue.

I blend quiet wisdom with practical grounding to help clients reconnect with their own inner steadiness.

What’s unique about your coaching approach?

My coaching is rooted in the Three Principles and delivered through The Stirk Strategy, a calm, reflective approach that helps people reconnect with their inner clarity and confidence.

It’s not about giving advice or managing symptoms.

It’s about helping people see their own thinking in a new light so they can experience real and lasting change from within.

What benefits do your clients get after working with you?

They rediscover a sense of calm and self trust.

Clients often tell me they feel lighter, clearer, and more grounded.

They reconnect with a sense of possibility they thought they’d lost.

In group settings (like the veterinary programs I now offer) there’s often a collective shift in how teams relate, communicate, and support one another.

It’s transformational, but it’s also deeply human.

Do you use any specific tools to be efficient with your clients?

My main “tools” are deep listening, reflection, and the Three Principles understanding.

I also create handouts, visual metaphors, and journaling prompts when helpful.

But ultimately, my work is about simplifying, not adding more.

The Impact:

If you had a super megaphone that, when you speak into, the whole world will hear your message, what would you say?

You are not broken.

You’re already whole.

You don’t need to become someone else, you just need to remember who you are.

There is a quiet intelligence within you that knows what to do… listen to that.

What is the greatest lesson you have learned in your life?

That we are not broken.

There is an inner wisdom that we often overlook in our rush to fix things.

When we slow down and listen to that deeper place, life becomes simpler and more aligned.

Our wellbeing isn’t something we have to earn or chase, it’s already there underneath the noise.

The more I see this for myself, the more deeply I’m able to support others.

Your final thoughts?

I believe we all go through seasons of becoming.

Coaching isn’t about fixing people or turning them into a project.

It’s about holding space for what’s already whole to rise to the surface.

That’s what Graceful Growth is about… empowering people to evolve with purpose and grace, no matter where they’re starting from.

Where Can You Find Jill Stirk?

If you liked this interview and if you would love to see how Coach Jill can help you reconnect with your inner clarity and confidence, go to graceful-growth.info and see if you are a good fit to work together.

If you’d like to peak a glimpse into her coaching, follow her Facebook and Instagram accounts.

And if you’d like to connect with her more personally, you can do that bythrough LinkedIn or by sending her a direct message on her WhatsApp or her Email [email protected]. It was an honor having this interview with her.