Floss Andrews is a Mindset Coach who supports footballers, their families and those in the sports industry to thrive on, off and beyond the pitch. Here, Floss explains why you should never be busy for personal development (whether you kick a football about or not)
Essentially, I help people who work in the super intense environment of football, to understand who they are as people, rather than as what they do for a job. This allows them to flourish despite the pressures. I am also a farmer’s wife and a mum of a 12 and 13 year old.
When did you have the idea for Mindset Five and what had led you to that point? How would you describe your career path?
The idea came to me when I was working at Norwich City FC and got to see behind the scenes at the Academy and First Team. I saw a lot of the great work that charities and companies are doing to support people in football who have been affected by the intensity, pressures and harshness of it. But to me there was a gap in the preventative space, to work with people to build them up so that they had a strong sense of self and the rollercoaster of football therefore wouldn’t affect them so drastically.
My career path up until this point was very varied, however it was always in the sports industry, and mainly in football, and the common theme running through all my varied roles was connecting with people and getting the best out of them. The only problem was I didn’t know how to get the best out of me while doing it! So, in April 2020 I ended up leaving a great job at Norwich City FC because I felt I was unable to manage work and a family and that I was letting everyone down.
When did you launch Mindset Five and how is it going?
After I left my job at NCFC I didn’t really know what to do to be honest. I wasn’t sure how to work in football and have time for my family and I felt completely stuck and lost. It was at that point my sister introduced me to a life coach she knew, Fatima Badini. Working with Fatima was like magic; she literally turned the lights on in my head. It all became clear exactly what to do, so I retrained as a Life Coach and, as soon as the course ended, I set up Mindset Five. It was the start of the summer holidays so perhaps not the best time to start a company, in hindsight, but I knew I had to just start.
What coaching services can you offer and to who?
I coach a whole variety of people ranging from Directors to backroom staff to PAs to Broadcasters. I have a Signature Programme which gives confidence, clarity and self-conviction, a programme for players to approach a change to their playing career with positivity and direction, but I also create bespoke programmes for individuals with specific targets in mind.
What is it about working in the football industry that you love?
I have always loved sport; the passion and commitment make it a very exciting environment to work in, and when I got a job working at the Premier League, in 2004, I started to really appreciate and understand the business side and I got hooked. I have since spent time at Clubs like QPR, Chelsea and Norwich City which broadened my knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the industry on many levels.
Do you get a sense that wellbeing is being taken much more seriously by employers?
I think that football is finally catching up a bit with this, and there is a lot more happening in this space. Having said that, I still think the taboo of showing weakness, if you want to work on your mind, lingers, but I am hoping that the work that I and others are doing is helping to change this. There is also still a whiff of “I’m too busy for personal development”, but I am hoping to change that too, bite-sized chunks at a time.
What are your hopes and dreams for Mindset Five – and are you glad you decided to go it alone and set it up on your own?
I would absolutely love for it to be normal in football and other sports to work on the mind as much as the body and the skill. If Mindset Five were to be a part of that, working across Clubs, then even better. I am delighted that I took the action and started Mindset Five, and I would love it if it grew to be a team of us working there, across clubs and sports. That’s my aim – as well as to be good enough at golf to coach my clients while playing a round, but my golf pro tells me that’s an ambitious goal from where I am!
Visit Mindset Five.
Featured image of Floss Andrews – supplied
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