Congratulations to Marina Markova on winning first place in the “Transformational Personal Journey” category of the COACHING.UP case competition!
Deep, sincere, emotional—this case truly leaves a lasting impression.
I sit in the classroom with a paintbrush in my hand. In front of me—a blank sheet of paper, staring back at me almost reproachfully. The scent of oil paints lingers in the air, a soft murmur of voices surrounds me. Anxiety knots my stomach.
For the art competition, I need to paint a Christmas tree and a pile of gifts. But the boxes are wrapped in colorful foil, with reflections that are so difficult to capture on paper. My lines are uncertain, my colors—dull.
The instructor approaches and gently explains what I can improve. He speaks calmly, even kindly. But I can’t hear him anymore. Something inside me breaks. One thought spins endlessly in my head: “You’re talentless. You’ve been attending these classes for so long, and you still can’t even paint a simple box!”
I walked out of that class and never returned—not just to the courses, but to painting altogether.
Years passed. At 30, I made what seemed like a crazy decision—to change my profession and enroll at COACHING.UP University.
And do you know what I discovered there? A completely different world. A world without criticism and judgment. A world where people support you, where they say, “You’re already doing great. Let’s see how we can make it even better.”
Coaching became more than just a profession for me. It became a way of life. I learned to hear my inner voice, but now it spoke differently. It was no longer my enemy. It became my friend, my support. “You can do this. You’ll succeed. Let’s try again.”
And then something amazing happened. While studying, I enrolled in an acting class—something I had always dreamed of but never dared to try. At the graduation performance, we performed in front of an audience of 200 people. And you know what happened? I stepped onto the stage and… forgot my lines.
Before, this would have been a disaster. I would have frozen, thinking about how terribly I had embarrassed myself in front of everyone. But instead, I took a deep breath, smiled, and carried on. No one in the audience even noticed I had stumbled.
And then… I picked up my paints again. For the first time in years, I started painting. And it felt like coming home. Like finding the version of myself I had lost in that classroom all those years ago.
Coaching taught me how to navigate challenges, how to support myself in moments when everything seemed to be working against me. It helped me understand that I have the right to be imperfect. That I have the right to try, to fail, and to start again.
Last year, I earned my ACC ICF certification. Now, I am actively building my coaching practice.
But most importantly, I’ve learned how to be my own support system. I’ve learned how to be my own friend.
And you know what I’ve noticed? That inner voice, the one that once tore me down, now says: “You’ve got this. You are worthy. You can do this.”
And I believe it.
Author: Marina Markova,
ACC ICF Coach
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