HELLO,
I’M SADIA GHAZANFAR
Women’s Leadership Coach & Facilitator for Mission-Driven Organisations
I believe the world is hungry for a new kind of leadership - one rooted in care, courage, and compassion.
When women lead from authenticity rather than perfection, they create space for others to do the same.
They model a way of leading that invites honesty, trust, and humanity.
That’s where real, human leadership begins.
I help women, and the organisations that support them to:
Quiet the inner critc
Unlearn the habits that keep them stuck (perfectionism, people-pleasing, and imposter syndrome)
Build emotional and nervous-system resilience
So they can speak up, set healthy boundaries, and lead with clarity and self-trust - at work, at home, and in life.
I’m a certified women’s leadership coach, mental fitness practitioner, and facilitator with 10+ years of leadership experience and 7 years coaching women across the world. I partner with mission-driven organisations to develop their female talent through evidence-based coaching and workshop facilitation.
Why This Work Matters To Me
For much of my career, I carried the weight many women know well: self-doubt, pressure to prove myself, burnout, and isolation.
As an eldest daughter, a high achiever, and a woman of colour in leadership, I wore strength and achievement like armour, believing that holding everything together made me worthy.
I know what it feels like to navigate roles and workplaces not always designed with women, especially underrepresented women, in mind.
My Turning Point
Everything shifted when I finally admitted I was struggling and reached out for professional support.
I realised I couldn’t keep navigating the pressure, expectations, and power dynamics of the workplace on my own. Pushing through was no longer working.
Reaching out wasn’t a moment of weakness.
It was my first real act of courage.
With a trusted confidant, I could safely explore my blind spots, self-limiting beliefs, and the patterns that were quietly keeping me stuck. That space challenged me, softened me, and expanded me.
And it taught me something I see now in every woman I coach:
Courage is the moment we choose honesty over perfection, connection over control and self-compassion over self-criticism.
Courage comes first. Confidence follows.
The Work I Do Now
That experience became the seed for Slay Your Dragons in 2018. It led me to train as a professionally certified coach so I could become the objective, trusted partner I once needed myself.
Over the past seven years, I’ve deepened that work through continuous training, research, and embodied practice. I’ve coached hundreds of women across the world - each navigating her own fears, transitions, and inner critics.
All of this forms the foundation of my coaching framework, The Courage Compass.
The more women I work with, the clearer one truth becomes:
The biggest battles women face are internal and completely transformable.
Not by thinking or pushing harder.
Not by striving for perfection.
But by shedding the patterns that once kept them safe…and learning new ways of leading that support who they are becoming, not who they had to be to survive.
How I Help
Slay Your Dragons is a space that helps women rise above internal barriers (fear, perfectionism, people-pleasing) and step into leadership and career paths with clarity and self-trust.
I believe every woman deserves a safe and supportive space to explore her fears, ambitions, and potential, particularly within systems not always designed to uplift her.
My coaching and facilitation draw on evidence-based tools and somatic, trauma-aware practices. I support both individuals and organisations to create cultures of courage and psychological safety - spaces where people can show up authentically, speak openly, and collaborate with trust..
Why Embodiment Matters
I’ve learned that once women feel safe in their bodies, they have a foundation for lasting change. From that place, we can reframe and rewrite internal stories, regulate emotions, tap into self-compassion, and lead with intention and purpose.
That’s where true confidence begins - embodied, sustainable, and deeply rooted.
I walk beside women as they build the courage to become who they’re meant to be, and in doing so, help redefine what leadership can look like.
Ready to quiet self-doubt and lead with courage?
Let’s slay dragons together. 🐉
“Until you make the unconscious conscious,
it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
Carl Jung
My Core Values
COURAGE
I believe in choosing courage over comfort. By taking bold action, facing self-doubt, and stepping into the unknown, women can move beyond fear, meet their inner critic with compassion, and open the space to grow, lead, and thrive.
COMPASSION
My approach is rooted in understanding - helping women overcome internal barriers by meeting them where they are, without judgment. Compassion creates an environment where personal growth can flourish.
CELEBRATION
I believe in honouring every win, big or small, and celebrating each step of the journey. Celebration isn’t just about the final success, it’s about recognising the growth along the way and empowering women to acknowledge their progress with pride.
My Approach
I believe you are already enough, just as you are.
My integrative, whole-person approach helps you cultivate the courage, clarity, and
confidence to lead yourself and take control of your career.
Courage to Step Forward
We uncover and confront the internal barriers that sabotage you (self-doubt, people-pleasing, perfectionism, to name a few) and develop the courage and commitment to face them, together.
Compassion to Grow
Nurturing yourself is key to growth. We’ll work on developing self-compassion and practising emotional regulation. You’ll learn how to quiet your inner critic and treat yourself with the same kindness and empathy you show others.
Celebrate Every Win
As you continue to grow and step into your power, we’ll focus on celebrating your wins—both big and small along the way. This reinforces positive momentum, helping you recognise your progress and amplify your confidence for continued success.
My Credentials & Experience:
Professional Training
& Certifications
+ Professional Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation (ICF)
+ Certified Transformational Coach
+ Certified Mental Fitness Coach - Positive Intelligence
+ Trained Facilitator in Tara Mohr's Playing Big Tools
+ Regular supervision and mentoring to ensure safe, ethical practice
+ ICF member committed to upholding the ICF code of ethics
Academic & Professional Background
+ Affiliate Practitioner & Scholar at the University of Michigan
+ BA(Hons) Business Studies, University of the West of England
+ 10+ years of operational leadership experience, supporting teams and navigating complex organisational dynamics
Lived Experience & Integrative Approach
+ As a bi-cultural woman, I bring an intersectional lens that blends insights across identity, leadership, and wellbeing
+ Deep personal experience of career transitions, redundancy, burnout, grief and entrepreneurship giving me grounded empathy for the challenges women face
+ Additional training in trauma-aware coaching, positive psychology, coaching for grief/loss/uncertainty, group coaching, and somatic practices - supporting an integrative and holistic approach
Something a little personal...
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![Sadia Ghazanfar - Personal Information - Books]()
Fact 01
I love the process of transformation: people, pottery and pickling.
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![Sadia Ghazanfar - Spirituality]()
Fact 02
I grew up immersed in Sufism. I’m a spiritual seeker and love all things mysticism. In my practice, I weave together ancient wisdom and modern science.
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![Sadia Ghazanfar Being in Nature]()
Fact 03
Being in nature, especially close to trees, is my happy place. Nature and green spaces ground me and nourish my soul.
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![Sadia Ghazanfar Learning Bass Guitar]()
Fact 04
I'm learning to play the bass guitar.
It’s a humbling experience as an adult learner!
Community Care, Matters
I firmly believe that education is the gateway to empowerment. Empowered women create positive ripples within families, communities, companies AND society at large.
Partnering with community interest companies (CIC) to make my work accessible to historically underserved communities, matters to me. I’ve collaborated with Beyond The Mix in Bristol and Mioë Creative Productions in Swansea.
If you’re interested in exploring collaboration opportunities, please get in touch!