In a nutshell
My purpose is to get the best out of others. Have you ever had a moment, in which suddenly a lot of different puzzle pieces fell into place, creating a picture where before there was chaos? A moment where you go “huh!“, a light comes on, and there’s a sparkle in your eyes? Those moments for others are gold to me. And this kind of gold is what I’m digging for.
Hi! My name is Jonas Fathy, and I’m a coach, facilitator, psychologist, strategist, and just all-around geek. I use my skills and expertise to help others overcome the barriers they face. To do this, I draw on a variety of skills from what could best be described as a non-linear career, that somehow in the end still made sense.
This is my website; a place where I want to share my thoughts, lessons I’ve learned, and experiences I have made. I hope you will find value in them!
My story
Today, I have a strong sense of my purpose and why I do what I do, and what is important in life for me. It is a great feeling to be in this position, and I am genuinely grateful for it. But: it hasn’t been a straightforward journey. More than once, I felt stuck. If that’s how you feel – or if you’re just interested in who I am – I’ll share a little bit of my story with you.
In hindsight, some of this may seem pretty straightforward – particularly in an online format. I can assure you that wasn’t how it felt at the time, and it took me nearly a decade and lots of help from others to get to where I am today. All I can do is give you a taster – if you’re curious, feel free to reach out for a virtual coffee chat!
Early career: discovering purpose
I began my career in Germany, in the not-for-profit and arts sector. Professionally, I co-founded and ran a small performing arts (fire shows) business, tutored students in maths, studied not-for-profit and arts management (“Kultur- und Medienmanagement”), and worked in marketing and business development for a large theatre in the Southwest.
In 2015, I moved to London. Here, I focused on my fire show business, while also juggling a number of freelance side-gigs. I loved almost everything I did – from bartending in a very traditional pub, to educational tour guiding, to some more marketing and business development work – but none of it was particularly well paid, and it was hard to make a living. Not wanting to compromise between a sense of fulfillment and the ability to economically live a decent life, I began a journey of discovery of purpose.
With the help of others, I explored purpose, my values, and what’s important to me in life. Eventually, I realised that what had drawn me to the arts, had been less about the arts themselves, and more about their effect on people: their ability to surprise, challenge assumptions about the world, and maybe – hopefully – enable people to engage more effectively with their world. This was true for everything I did: as a bartender, I loved giving people insights into their beverages and a different appreciation for what they consumed; as a tour guide, I loved to give people a different perspective on the environment they moved through, and what it could mean to them and the society they lived in.
Exploring how else I could live this purpose (and eventually make a living), I discovered coaching in 2017. I began basic coaching training, took on practice clients, and worked towards overcoming my own limiting beliefs and towards becoming a coach. Soon, however, I found Pilotlight – the organisation I have now been working for since mid-2018. And I love my job!
Today: Pilotlight and more
Pilotlight facilitates and promotes the sharing of professional skills to help charities help people most effectively. It does this by bringing together charities, businesses and individuals to amplify their impact through organisational development projects for its charity partners.
In June 2018, I started as a Project Manager focusing on the Pilotlight 360. In these 10-month long projects, senior leaders (we call them Pilotlighters) support the leaders of a charity partner with their expertise and experience, guided and collaboratively led by the Project Manager who acts as a manager, facilitator and coach. To me, this role has been an incredible privilege that I will certainly write more about soon.
My work at Pilotlight – and my purpose – is all about people. To build on my practical skills on experience, from October 2020 to September 2021, I completed a masters of science degree at University of East London in organisational and occupational psychology.
In September 2021, I became a Programme Manager, with a view to taking on oversight of the Pilotlight 360, supporting other Project Managers, while also continuing with project delivery.
My story obviously doesn’t end here; I am still here, still learning, and still developing. I am writing this in December 2021, with a tremendous amount of gratitude towards all the people I have met in my life and who all together enabled me to be where I am today. I hope that you have found this story so far interesting and in some way useful. If you would like to reach out, be it for some proper coaching or just a chat over coffee, please feel free to send me a message!
My Values
Being present
I act flexibly and adaptive, with an open mind and awareness of myself and others.
Integrity
I act with honest coherence, consistency and reliability.
Service
I support others to overcome the barriers they face.
Responsibility
I take responsibility for my situation, and expect others to do so as well.
Challenge
I challenge myself and others to be the best version of ourselves.
Outside of work
For me, the distinction between work and personal life has never been that strong, likely due to my early career as an entrepreneur and performer. Nowadays, the distinction is easier to draw, but I still enjoy keeping busy. I found that doing a variety of things keeps things fresh and moving – almost like an ‘active break’. Some people like to go hiking, I like to do things like these:
Coaching & Mentoring
At Pilotlight, I mostly work with groups; however, I love working one-to-one too! That’s why throughout the last few years, I have continued to coach individuals, usually one or two per year. At some point in my life, I hope to make this a bigger part of my life, but for now, I am enjoying the balance. If you are interested in getting coached by me, please feel free to reach out and we can see if I have the capacity to do so.
Trustee at Rubicon Dance
Since September 2020, I am a Trustee for the fantastic social arts organisation Rubicon Dance, that exists to unlock self-expression, so that people discover their potential, feel motivated and connected to the world.
President at European Juggling Association
Since August 2020, I am President / Executive Chair of the pan-European foundation European Juggling Association, whose exists to use the power of juggling and performing arts to connect people across borders and differences, creating beautiful and joyful moments together.
Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin Ryu
I am also a passionate martial artist, studying a fascinating and rich traditional Japanese martial art called Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin Ryu. Since 2018, I have the honour of leading a dojo in London and the Southeast: the Shinwa Dojo.
