I am a strategist and a problem solver at heart - it’s a core part of who I am and how I approach life. Problems don’t stay problems when I get involved because I confront them head on with this mentality; that in every difficult situation there is always an answer, a solution, a way out or a way forwards, and I stop at nothing to find it. Once you have the solution, you have the key to breakthrough, but you will never experience that without the consistent and effective application of a strategy to outwork your solution into the situation at hand. For that reason, I don’t just stop when I’ve found the answer - I work tirelessly and relentlessly to implement it until there is clear and demonstrable evidence of the change I want to see. That approach has served me very well in my personal life and is the driving force behind the successful establishment of Ziah. In fact, I would not be where I am today, both in life or in work, had I not understood the power of effective strategy and used that to turn my own life around first.

In taking that approach to life, I have personally and professionally seen and experienced remarkable breakthroughs, transformations, changes and development, and I am convinced that this is one of the keys to dealing with and overcoming many of the issues people face in life. To that end, I set up Ziah for the very purpose of both providing the answers and solutions that so many are in need of, as well as the advice, counsel and knowledge necessary to facilitate the development of such solutions and strategies for change. 

I firmly believe that Coaching and Consulting, if done well, can be transformational across every sphere and dimension of an individual’s life and within the context of broader society as a whole, and that both have the capacity to be life changing and groundbreaking on a personal level, as well as for communities, businesses and corporations, regions, and even nations. That is why I constantly strive to ensure every aspect of my work is done to the highest standard, and that everything we do in Ziah culminates in delivering results over and over again. 

My work within Ziah is underpinned by a combination of extensive personal experience and relevant qualification to the highest standard, having achieved a first class honours degree in Psychology from a Russell Group University (including specific modules focused on research, data analysis, clinical psychology and mental health), as well as attaining two diplomas in Coaching. It is this distinctive blend of experience and acquired knowledge that enables me to provide a highly effective service across every aspect of the business, and to deliver solutions that are not only research backed but inspired by invaluable insight, understanding and perspective.

Ultimately, Ziah exists to serve the needs of our clients, of the general population at large, and of those in positions of leadership who desire to govern decisively and effectively, and we endeavour to meet those needs to the best of our ability. Ziah was established on account of need, recognising the pressing and ever growing necessity for answers and solutions to the myriad of problems and struggles the world faces right now, along with the wisdom needed to navigate what lies ahead. It was designed to stand in the gap, to meet those needs and to provide innovative strategies and solutions, clarity and direction, and the advice, counsel and knowledge needed to inform the development and implementation of those strategies. It was designed to be powerful, impactful and ground-breaking, offering new insights and perspectives, research-backed and evidence-based programs and counsel that is grounded not just in knowledge but in wisdom and insight too.

If we are to see the change, breakthrough and advancement that is so desperately needed, we cannot continue on the same trajectory; new approaches are required that are brought forth with newfound thoughts, ideas and perspectives, and dynamic, cutting edge, and incisive interventions. Having been described on more than one occasion as a pioneer, I am always looking to bring these aspects into my work and into my businesses, and in doing so endeavour to place Ziah at the pinnacle of advancement within the Coaching and Consulting industry and at the forefront of personal and corporate breakthrough.

India Payling, founder of Ziah Coaching & Consulting. Photo by Dani Latimer.

Ziah Coaching and Consulting exists to facilitate the development and implementation of solutions and strategies in order to address some of the most complex and difficult problems we face in life, whether that be on an individual, personal, regional, national or even global level.

The need for such provision has arguably never been greater; if we take a moment to consider the world around us, we can clearly see there are tremendous challenges being faced by whole swathes of the world’s population. Even in recent years, we have seen global, national and regional incidences of war, famine, death, pandemics, economic turmoil, and an explosion of violence at various levels…. The list goes on. We have not yet seen some of these things come to a permanent ending, and the reality is that in the days ahead, such events are only likely to increase and intensify.

On a localised level, even without taking global affairs into account, people have much to contend with in day to day life - we’re seeing greater increases in the prevalence of long-term chronic health issues (mentally and physically), relationship breakdowns, family division, loss, personal trauma, financial difficulties, problems with accessing basic needs (food, water, shelter, employment), hopelessness, depression, high stress, anxiety, burnout, increased rates of suicidal ideation and death by suicide… again I could continue! Needless to say, where there are major and complex issues at hand, there is always a need for adequate provision of means to provide appropriate and effective resolutions, which includes but is not limited to timely and relevant action and intervention. All of this has to be underpinned by strategy, and it has to be targeted at both the personal, individual, localised level, as well as the larger corporate, national and global scale, if we are to see any shift in the current state of affairs at every level.

While it may be tempting to focus on one or the other, it is clear that there is a bidirectional relationship between the issues we face in life on a personal level and the well-being of the larger community to which we are connected. While personal and corporate struggles are not necessarily synonymous (as in, it is possible to thrive while your community, business, region or nation is struggling and vice versa), it is true that there are times where the state of a nation as a whole can exacerbate some of these more localised issues, causing them to expand into issues of national or global importance, and likewise, high concentrations of personal and individual struggles feed into wider culture, therefore significantly shaping and influencing the broader regional and national socio-political and economic landscape. Where people are allowed to prosper, the resulting impact is a prosperous nation, and of course, the reverse is also true - a large collective of individuals experiencing decline will eventually culminate in a national state of decline. This statement highlights a very important fact - that a nation and its people are intrinsically linked, and their relative health and well-being (including functionality and capacity to prosper) will in some way be dependent on one another. Suffice to say then, that where individuals, families, communities and populations face tremendous struggles, pressures and challenges, they must be resolved or in some way mitigated to ensure not only the well-being of those involved but the collective well-being of whole regions and nations. Likewise, when there are issues that come up on a national/global scale, it is necessary to develop and enact strategic and effective solutions, not only to guarantee the safety and security of the region/territory in question but to also protect and enhance its people and their welfare on an individual level. We emphasise this point because it is of such critical importance, and it is crucial to recognise that it cannot be a one or other approach - there is a need at both ends of the spectrum for wise counsel, answers, strategies and solutions that are deliverable and actionable to address the pressures, difficulties and challenges we face today. 

We are now in a time where that need is growing and in some cases desperate - people need answers and they need provision of help which is effective, impactful and accessible. That need is not limited to an individual person or a particular nation or territory; it is widespread and therefore must be widely accessible. That need is also not limited to an individualised basis; communities, corporations and even governments must have wise counsel in the days ahead to be able to successfully navigate the issues at hand, and they must be forthcoming with the right solutions and responses to each and every situation they are confronted with. These will not only facilitate the resolution of various national and international challenges, difficulties and crises that must be navigated, but will be fundamental in building and establishing strong and prosperous nations that enable and facilitate the growth, development and advancement of its people. 

It is for this reason that Ziah has been established - to address that need with the appropriate knowledge, wisdom and expertise on both the larger, corporate, governmental level, as well as on a localised, personalised and individual basis. We offer private consultations at a premium, and are currently in the process of developing a catalogue of resources specifically designed to promote improved function, facilitate lifestyle and behaviour change, provide the knowledge required to inform decision making and best practice, and to address some of the most common struggles and issues people face in life, providing science-backed tools and techniques to help deal with them, alongside the integration of a coaching program to facilitate the implementation process.

Our services are designed to provide widespread access to the help and intervention people need to enable them to deal with life’s problems successfully and constructively, to overcome the challenges they face on a daily basis, and to bring about much needed change, advancement and transformation in their lives. We hope to see the positive effects spill over into the wider community, such that every sphere of society is impacted on a local, national, and eventually global scale. However, we also recognise that in many of the areas we cover, there is a level of responsibility for driving change and improving outcomes that extends beyond the individual to those in the jurisdiction of government and other positions of leadership. As a result, we endeavour to provide services, including direct access to counsel through our private consulting service, that can facilitate the process of making decisions, developing policy and delivering change within the jurisdiction of leadership and governance.

About Ziah