Download our free guide to discover your values and strengths and to uncover what you really want.
Kate James is a business, leadership and life coach based in Melbourne. She is the author of six best-selling personal development books including Change Your Thinking to Change Your Life and Quietly Confident. Since founding Total Balance in 2002, Kate has worked with thousands of female introverts, creatives and leaders to help them overcome perfectionism and imposter syndrome and live in alignment with their true values.
Kate is the founder of The Confidence Course, a small group coaching program for women. Alongside Clinical Psychologist, Catherine Morey-Nase, she is the joint host of Compassionate Conversations and an annual mindfulness retreat for women in Byron Bay.
Join over 20 million global meditators on the Insight Timer meditation app to listen to Kate’s free guided meditations and 30,000 others who have taken her ten-day personal development audio course, Build Self-Belief through Mindful Action.
Like many of my clients, I spent my younger years in pursuit of perfectionism and often people-pleasing. I hadn’t yet learned about mindfulness, introversion or self-compassion.
I studied coaching and opened a practice where I could blend my business experience with my interests in psychology, creativity and mindful leadership with my love of deep conversation, and purposeful living.
These days my practice draws like-minded clients — women who care about kindness, connection and curiosity who are pursuing lives with purpose and meaning.
Join around 200 others from around the globe each Monday morning at 9.30am (AEST)
when Kate shares a free talk and meditation on Insight Timer. With over 120,000 followers,
Kate’s popular guided meditations will help you find clarity, calm and confidence.
Big Hearted Business
‘I absolutely adore Kate. She is a highly skilled, generous and enormously gifted business coach, especially for those who don’t traditionally consider themselves “business people”. I discovered her through sheer luck (thanks Google), and I remain sincerely grateful for the counsel she offered me back in 2010 when I was first fleshing out the bones for what would become Big Hearted Business. Thanks Kate!’
The Wellbeing Corner
‘Working with Kate has literally been life changing. In addition to being extremely professional and having the highest integrity, Kate is wise, kind and generous. She is passionate about making a difference in people’s lives and does just that with her compassionate, grounded and creative approach. Working with Kate helped me gain clarity and, more importantly, develop the self-belief to pursue what is truly aligned and meaningful for me.’
Mindful in May
‘I had some coaching sessions with Kate to help me in becoming clearer about a project that I dreamt of running. Kate is authentic, professional, sparkling with creativity and truly inspiring. She provided generous ideas and helped me to develop this idea into a reality. Kate’s practice is grounded in the wisdom of meditation and you can certainly feel her clarity in the room. I have already spread the word to my friends and would highly recommend seeing her.’
In Quietly Confident, Kate looks beyond the narrow scope of popular culture and paints a broader, more human definition of what it means to have confidence and be ‘successful’. In an era that rewards those with the loudest voices (and the most followers), Kate encourages introverts to let go of outdated ideas and beliefs so that they too might shine just as brightly. With a better understanding of an introvert’s many invaluable gifts and showing us how to tap into our infinite worth, Kate will guide readers towards the confidence that already exists within each of us.
While I was writing Quietly Confident, I researched many of the ‘self’ concepts. Self-awareness, self-esteem, self-confidence, self-belief, self-compassion, self-care, self-acceptance, self-worth, and self-respect. The difference between these phrases is subtle and nuanced but each is…
When I was in my twenties and early thirties, I had a lot of people tell me, “you need to work out how to find your direction”. At the time, I felt completely lost…
In November 2012, I met with Sara Tiefenbrun at a local cafe to talk about the opening of the Melbourne branch of Alain de Botton’s The School of Life. To say I was excited is an…
‘I absolutely adore Kate. She is a highly skilled, generous and enormously gifted business coach, especially for those who don’t traditionally consider themselves “business people”. I discovered her through sheer luck (thanks Google), and I remain sincerely grateful for the counsel she offered me back in 2010 when I was first fleshing out the bones for what would become Big Hearted Business. Thanks Kate!’
‘I had some coaching sessions with Kate to help me in becoming clearer about a project that I dreamt of running. Kate is authentic, professional, sparkling with creativity and truly inspiring. She provided generous ideas and helped me to develop this idea into a reality. I had been to other career counsellors in the past but this was an entirely different experience for me. Kate’s practice is grounded in the wisdom of meditation and you can certainly feel her clarity in the room. I felt absolutely blessed that although I found her through a random web search, she proved herself to be so helpful. I have already spread the word to my friends and would highly recommend seeing her if you are needing inspiration and support to reach your goals.’ Elise Bialylew, Founder, Mindful in May
‘Kate’s approach in her coaching sessions is relaxed and friendly while being efficient and results driven. She very quickly understood where my business was at and as such was able to provide me actionable tasks that resulted in increased profit at a time when it was much needed. I will see Kate again and continue to recommend her to other business owners.’ Angus Wurth, Bonsai Media
‘Like everything that the gifted Kate James does, this delightful book is full of gentle, thoughtful and poignant messages that do as the very name says, it inspires the reader to Believe in Yourself & Do What You Love. This gorgeous book simplifies what can be a particularly overwhelming process of finding our true purpose; encouraging us to take time in this journey, to embrace vulnerability, to ask the deep seated questions of ourselves without judgement – but with self compassion and kindness. Gently directing our self discovery through her gorgeously positive words, Kate’s book is the perfect accompaniment to a comfy couch, countless cups of tea, scrap books and pencils. It is a must read for anyone questioning their journey and in need of further clarity and encouragement.’ Amy Crawford, The Holistic Ingredient
‘I came across Kate’s website by chance when searching for coaching. I was immediately drawn by her work and what she was offering. My life has turned a big corner after my discovery session with Kate. I was feeling very lost, unmotivated and in a very negative state of mind about my present and future professional life and my life general. After 10 years of successfully running a business in Australia I become a full time mum and my life changed direction. I was struggling to find out what I was really passion about and which direction I wanted to go after my career gap. Kate worked with me in a very powerful and honest way that help me to leave the session empowered and with a completely different outlook about my future. She helped me to realise my true potential and to work with what I know and am very good at. At the moment I am working on my new own business, and am very confident about my choices. Kate is very professional, wise and grounded and when working with you she is fully present and committed to you.’
‘Kate has a real gift for helping her clients stabilise when they’re going through challenges, or a time of growth. She has a wonderfully calm presence. Her advice is practical, grounded and strategic and she expertly guides you to seek your own solutions. In working with me on my kinesiology business during a time of expansion, Kate was able to help me formalise plans, work through many decisions and provide strategic guidance. Kate is generous in her nature and wonderfully affirming and encouraging. I have also seen the highly positive effects working with Kate has had on some of my clients, who always speak of her with the greatest respect.’
While I was writing Quietly Confident, I researched many of the ‘self’ concepts. Self-awareness, self-esteem, self-confidence, self-belief, self-compassion, self-care, self-acceptance, self-worth, and self-respect. The difference between these phrases is subtle and nuanced but each is…
In November 2012, I met with Sara Tiefenbrun at a local cafe to talk about the opening of the Melbourne branch of Alain de Botton’s The School of Life. To say I was excited is an…
