If you’ve listened to the second episode of our ‘What’s Going Swan’ podcast you will already found out a little bit about Aimee Konieczny, our Energy Contract Enthusiast Coach. You may have also read her recent ‘Industry Expert’ blog which goes someway to demonstrate her incredible passion and knowledge for the energy industry, but I wanted to get to know what she likes doing outside of work, places she wants to visit and what she’s currently watching on Netflix (The Umbrella Academy) because we all need some inspiration from time to time.
It’s no secret that Coach K, as she is known around the nest, loves dogs! One of her favourite things to do on the weekends is to walk around the beautiful Norfolk countryside pups in tow. Which is why it’s of no surprise that her piece of art on the ‘Swan Art Wall’ is a cartoon by Rupert Fawcett of a dog saying “I think I’ll pace myself this week. I’ll start by being quietly wonderful today, then slowly build to being magnificent by Friday”. Aimee mentioned that the quote reminds her not to put too much pressure on herself and that each day is different – words I am sure we can all learn a lot from.
Despite being part of this year’s ‘Great Indigo Swan Bake Off’ (check out our Instagram profile to find out what this is all about) Aimee admits she’s not the best when it comes to the kitchen. Her husband does most of the cooking in their household and it’s usually something which is low FODMAP – which stands for fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols. If like me you don’t understand the technical jargon this basically means avoiding groups of carbs which are notorious for triggering digestive symptoms like bloating, gas and stomach pain. Despite her lack of confidence in the kitchen, I’ve recently discovered Coach K makes a mean roast dinner and is often asked to bring along her famous roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings to Christmas family gatherings as they are so good! I know there would be a few swans keen to sample her battered puddings *hint hint*….
When I asked Aimee what her superpower was, she replied: “I’m a good motivator. I have an ability to make people believe anything is possible! I managed to get a whole load of non-runners to join an after work running club and successfully complete several 10km races, despite their insistence they couldn’t do it.” Having been on the receiving end of Aimee’s motivational whispers which in an auditorium full of people made me stick my hand in the air and ask a question to a panel of speakers, something I would never normally do, I can only agree. She really does have a knack for making people step outside their comfort zone and do something out of the ordinary! This works hand in hand with her role as coach and it’s evident in her team’s enthusiasm that she knows how to get the best out of them each day.
She’s also not afraid to set herself challenges and regularly takes parts in long distance running events. This year she completed the Norwich 10k and Henham Park 10k trail run, to name a couple. Last year Aimee managed to tick off the number one item on her bucket list which was a trip to California and next up she’s set her sights on exploring a completely different part of the world, perhaps venturing out East to Japan or South Korea to find out more about their culture and way of living.
There you have it, a little bit more insight into our resident energy geek Coach K!
