Hidden Gems: Meet Claire O’ Connor of Claire O’ Connor Coaching

Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire O’ Connor.

Claire, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

If you’d met me in Ireland just a few years ago, you’d have found me standing on a floodlit sideline, signing autographs after filming a national TV coaching series, the air cold, the crowd still buzzing, the smell of grass and rain. Unmistakably Irish.

Life was full. I was a teacher, a mom, a national sports analyst, a familiar face on Irish film, television, and radio and someone who’d spent her life chasing excellence through sport, storytelling, and education. From winning All-Ireland medals to leading roles in musical theatre, I’d built a life that was vibrant, connected, and very visible.

Then came America.

On a dark November morning in 2022, I woke up in Atlanta: no cameras, no crowds, no community.

The Land of Opportunity, yes… but also the land of complete reinvention.

Starting from scratch was humbling. Coaching, at its core, is built on relationships of trust, honesty, and accountability and I didn’t know a soul.

But I knew how to build from the ground up. Years of sport had taught me consistency, resilience, and perseverance. So, I showed up. Every day.

I joined a local business club, where I soon became a leader.
I was asked to cover Irish sports for ESPN, reconnecting me to my roots.
And slowly, one conversation and one connection at a time, I began to grow something meaningful.

I poured two decades of experience in education, wellbeing, and human performance into researching high-performing women : those thriving professionally but quietly burning out behind the scenes.

That research became my 90-day program, *Back to Brilliance*, designed to help high performing women move from overwhelm to clarity and confidence.

With results came a mantra: Relief in one hour, clarity in one month, and transformation in 90 days.

From there, the work expanded.

Today, I coach corporate leaders and teams and individuals across the U.S. and Ireland, blending neuroscience, psychometrics, and emotional intelligence to help leaders thrive personally and professionally.

What began as a single client relationship has grown into a thriving business, now booked into 2026 and built on trust, service, and transformation.

When I think back to that woman on the Irish sideline signing autographs, I smile.

She thought her story was complete. But really, that was only the opening act.

The real story began when I stepped off that plane in Atlanta , ready to build a new life, one meaningful relationship at a time.

Like any mountain range there are many peaks and some troughs, but thats the story of life and I am so grateful that mine is here in Atlanta, doing what I love and changnig lives everyday.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Those peaks and troughs came in many forms.

Enter the world of social media!

Now, I was never *media* shy. I’ve done TV, radio, even musical theatre but *social* media?

That was a whole different stage.

Putting myself out there as *me*, promoting my own work… oof. That was uncomfortable at first.

I made plenty of mistakes (still do sometimes!), and in the early days, I missed home terribly.

My body was here, but my heart and mind were often back in Ireland.

I missed my friends, my family — all the familiar things.

It would have been so much easier to start in Ireland, where I was well known, I thought

There were weeks when business was slow, and I wondered if I’d done the right thing.

But those quiet weeks became my teachers and I always had my own coach.

Every stumble taught me something new about resilience, visibility, and what it really takes to build a business from the ground up.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?

What started as simple one-to-one coaching has grown into something much bigger, a space where real change happens.

My *Back to Brilliance* 90-day program was born from working closely with women who were doing it all, yet feeling disconnected from themselves.

From there, the work naturally expanded into the corporate world, where I now facilitate workshops and coaching for leaders and teams who want to grow their people and their culture in meaningful ways.

I’m very proud that most of my work comes through referrals.
I think that says everything about the results and relationships built along the way.

What sets me apart? (apart from the Irish accent of course!), is twenty years of teaching, facilitating, and truly understanding how to read a room and the people in it.

My clients say that my acountability and support outside of our sessions was game changing for them.

I know how to bring people with me on a journey, one that’s human, honest, and transformational.

Working with high-performing women is where my heart lies.

They’re brave, driven, and deeply committed , not just to their own success, but to their families, teams, and communities.

Helping them reconnect with who they are and lead with calm confidence, that’s what I’m most proud of.

Services include:

* 1:1 Personal & Executive Coaching
* *Back to Brilliance* 90-Day Women’s Group Coaching Program
* Bespoke Corporate Coaching for Leaders
* High-Performance Team Workshops
* Myers-Briggs Psychometric Assessments for Teams

What matters most to you?
What matters most to me in business is helping people grow in ways that truly last.

I believe there’s value in both fast and slow.

It’s important that people feel the impact of coaching straight away, that sense of “I can do this” the moment they leave a session.

But true transformation takes time. In every coaching journey, there’s a slow drip of new psychology, tools, and ways of thinking, intentionally paced so it doesn’t overwhelm the already busy, high-performing people I work with.

I care about giving people the tools, insight, and confidence to lead and live better.

It’s about creating transformation that lasts , change that continues to unfold long after their journey with me has passed.

Personally-what matters most to me is my family: my husband and children, my parents, my brother and four sisters, and our extended family who keep life full and connected. I’m deeply rooted in the communities I volunteer in, and they remind me daily of the power of giving back and belonging.

Living a meaningful, healthy life is at the heart of everything I do.

I love to travel, try new experiences, and keep a sense of curiosity about the world. *Zest* is one of my greatest strengths. I get genuine joy from sport, music, and simply being around people.

Life is richer when it’s shared, and I try to live mine in a way that celebrates that every day.

Pricing:

• 0 Day Back to Brilliance Group Coaching Program $3997

Contact Info:

• Website: https://claireoconnor.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claireoconnorcoaching?igsh=OGJxdnRzN2MzYnhv&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/claireoconnor
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@claireoconnorcoaching