Mareli Smit Coaching

I help people move from autopilot to intentional living, whether you're building your confidence as a leader, navigating a personal shift or reinvention.

With over 10 years of experience in leadership development, customer and employee experience and group facilitation, I bring both proven tools and something more human: deep empathy, active listening, and the ability to create a space where real growth can happen.

As a Co-Active Coach, I don't believe you're broken or need fixing. You are whole, creative and fully capable of making powerful choices that can change the trajectory of your life. I'm here to guide and walk alongside you, helping you reconnect with your spark and your ability to lead yourself.

In our work together, you'll learn to shift from being a thermometer - reacting to your environment - to becoming a thermostat: someone who sets the tone, takes ownership and consciously adjusts to what life throws your way.

Whether you're here to grow as a leader, build healthier habits, find your voice or embrace joy again - welcome!

You're in the right place.

Coaching

___________

If you want a guide on your journey, coaching might be for you.

Lead by Design Coaching

Confident, compassionate leadership doesn't happen by accident. It happens by design.

You've stepped into leadership, but instead of feeling empowered, you often feel overwhelmed. Managing a team, juggling expectations, navigating tricky dynamics - no one gave you a manual for this.

Being a leader doesn't mean having all the answers - it means choosing to act with purpose, clarity, and confidence.

You already have everything it takes; sometimes you just need the right support to bring it to life.

You're not alone. And you're exactly where you're meant to be.

This is for you if:

You've recently stepped into a leadership or management role and feel like you're in over your head.
You want to lead with integrity, but you're still figuring out what your authentic leadership style looks like.
You're tired of second-guessing yourself and battling imposter syndrome.
You want practical tools, not just theory, to navigate real-world leadership challenges.
You're committed to leading with intention and taking care of your team without losing yourself in the process.

Life by Design Coaching

Guiding you from autopilot to a life designed with purpose & joy.

I help empower you to step off autopilot and intentionally create a life aligned with your values, passions and goals. Together, we'll clarify what truly matters and build practical, meaningful steps that help you live with purpose and joy every day.

Intentional living starts with knowing yourself and choosing to live with purpose.

You've realised that life on autopilot isn't working anymore. The days blur together, your energy feels drained and you wonder if this is all there is. You want more. More clarity, more meaning, more joy, but you don't know where to start.

You're not alone. And you're exactly where you need to be.

This is for you if:

You feel stuck in routines that no longer serve you and crave a way out of autopilot living.
You want to reconnect with what truly matters and create a life aligned with your values.
You're ready to stop reacting and start choosing how you show up every day.
You want practical, actionable steps, not just ideas, to design your life intentionally.
You're committed to creating lasting change that brings joy, clarity and fulfilment.

Walk & Talk Coaching

Coaching that moves you - literally.

Craving clarity, calm, and a fresh perspective?

Let's swap four walls for open skies. Join me for a Walk & Talk Coaching session in Cape Town to clear your head, spark new ideas and move forward - inside and out.

Clarity starts with movement and a conscious decision to walk towards the life you want.

You've felt it: that restless tug that says something needs to shift.

Maybe your thoughts feel cluttered. Your energy is flat. You're going through the motions, wondering, Is this really it?

You're craving clarity, meaning, and momentum — but not another Zoom call or sit-down session.

You want space to breathe, to think, to reconnect with yourself.

You're not alone. And you don't have to figure it out sitting still.

This is for you if:

You feel stuck in your head and want to move through it, literally.
You process better while walking or in nature, not behind a desk.
You're ready to reset your perspective and reconnect with what matters.
You want meaningful, actionable steps, not just reflection.
You're committed to making intentional choices that bring joy, clarity and direction.

Let's walk and talk it out.

One step at a time, we'll get you moving in the direction that feels right.

Your Investment in Yourself

Coaching is not a quick fix. It's a commitment to yourself, your growth and the life or leadership you are intentionally choosing.

For this reason, I primarily work in 6-session coaching journeys, designed to create real momentum, clarity, and sustainable change.

All sessions are 90 minutes, allowing space for depth, reflection and meaningful progress.

The 6-Session Coaching Journey

(Recommended)

This journey offers the space to:

Slow down and reflect
Gain clarity and perspective
Identify patterns and blind spots
Make intentional, values-aligned changes
Integrate insight into daily life and leadership

Most clients experience their biggest shifts between sessions, not during them, which is why continuity matters.

Life by Design

6-Session Journey

R4 800

R800 per session

For individuals ready to move off autopilot and intentionally design a life aligned with their values, purpose, and joy.

Walk & Talk

6-Session Journey

R5 400

R900 per session

Outdoor coaching sessions in Cape Town. Sessions are approximately 90 minutes and may extend slightly depending on the route.

Ideal for those who think better while moving and want clarity, calm, and a fresh perspective.

Lead by Design

6-Session Journey

Corporate-funded

R8 550

Privately funded

R6 840

For leaders who want to lead with confidence, clarity, and compassion without burning out or losing themselves in the process.

Single Sessions (Available by Request)

Single sessions are available for those seeking short-term clarity or wanting to experience coaching before committing to a journey.

Life by Design

R850

Walk & Talk

R950

Lead by Design (individual)

R1 200

Lead by Design (corporate)

R1 500

Please note: lasting change happens over time. For this reason, single sessions are not the primary way I work and are offered as an entry point rather than a solution.

A Note on Commitment

I intentionally work with a limited number of clients at a time to ensure presence, depth and quality. If you're ready to truly invest in yourself, the 6-session journey offers the greatest value — financially, emotionally and in terms of results.

Free Discovery Call

Not sure which journey is right for you? Book a free 20-minute discovery call to explore your needs, intentions, and whether working together feels like the right fit.

Book Your Discovery Call

What People Are Saying

"I can't express enough how transformative my experience with you, Mareli, has been! The coaching provided invaluable insight into my thought patterns and behaviours, and the tools I gained during our sessions have completely reshaped my perspective on life. What stood out to me the most was on how to build trust and confidence to myself and to know what I really want , which was a game-changer for me. It helped me navigate challenges with newfound clarity."

Valerie Ponnen

"The presentation style is highly interactive and engaging, keeping our team fully involved throughout the process. We were also equipped with insights and practical tools we can continue to use for years to come."

EvdW

Elana van der Watt

"This is the gentle push I never knew I needed. I finished the book with fire in my heart, and a plan in my hands."

Lelanie Crafford

YOUR WORKBOOK

"It's About Time: Reclaiming Your Life, One Moment at a Time."

This isn't a book you read and forget. It's a workbook, a practical, powerful companion for real change. It'll ask for your honesty, effort and daily commitment. Some pages will stretch you. Others will uplift you. But every step is designed to reconnect you with you, so you can live with more clarity, joy and intention. Because when you show up differently for yourself, you show up differently for everyone around you. That's the ripple effect.

So if you're ready to choose growth over comfort, presence over autopilot, and self-respect over self-neglect.

Commit to yourself. Do the work. Reap the rewards. It's about time. And your time is now.

Why It's About Time?

Since publishing It's About Time, people often ask me why I wrote it. And to be honest it's been a tough question to answer. Like many good journeys, this one started with an idea... then a plan... and then, well, a few detours. There were distractions, delays, and doubts. And when I finally "arrived" at the destination of finishing the book, it felt a bit like checking into a hotel only to be told, "Sorry, your room's not ready yet." That's when I realised: the journey wasn't done. It still isn't.

So let me start at the beginning.

After years in the corporate world, coaching, training and facilitating, I worked with people from all walks of life: from security guards to CEOs. Different roles, different backgrounds, different challenges. But across all those rooms, one thing became clear: We all carry stories that shape us.

Some of those stories are empowering. Others? Not so much. They limit us. They shrink our confidence. They tell us we're not ready, not enough, not worthy. And those beliefs? We buy into them.

Add in a generous dose of fear like the fear of failure, the fear of not being perfect, and we start procrastinating. (I could write a whole book just about that! Maybe I will.)

I've used every excuse in the book:
"It's not the right time."
"I don't have the money."
"I'm not skilled enough."
"Maybe one day..."
Sound familiar?

That's when the spark for It's About Time really caught fire. I wanted to understand fear. So I read, researched, interviewed, nerded out on neuroscience and wrote a whole chapter on it. But then I realised: one chapter isn't a book. I had to dig deeper.

What else makes a life feel fulfilling? What tools help us keep going when life is messy and unpredictable? What helps us not just chase the big moments, but savour the small ones along the way?

So this book became a collection of stepping stones. Tools and truths I've tested myself. Reflections to help you live with intention, kindness, courage and joy. Not a magic formula. But a starting point. A spark. A nudge to turn off autopilot and make choices that serve you.

However, not making a choice is also a choice.

Available for purchase on Amazon and Takealot

Buy on Amazon Buy on Takealot

For Teams & Organisations

When teams are aligned, connected and clear on their shared purpose, incredible things happen.

My work with teams goes far beyond traditional facilitation. I create spaces where people can reconnect to themselves and to one another—so they can collaborate with intention, communicate with confidence and move forward as a united force.

Whether your team needs to reset, realign or reignite their spark, I guide them through a process that builds trust, clarity and a shared vision for success. Together, we uncover what truly drives performance: meaningful conversations, conscious leadership and a culture that everyone feels proud to be part of.

If you're ready to unlock your team's full potential and create a workplace where people thrive.

Let's design that journey together.

UNLEASH YOUR POTENTIAL

Live with purpose, lead with intent.

Lead by Design Coaching

Life by Design Coaching

Walk & Talk Coaching

Your Investment in Yourself

The 6-Session Coaching Journey

Life by Design

Walk & Talk

Lead by Design

Single Sessions (Available by Request)

A Note on Commitment

Free Discovery Call

What People Are Saying

YOUR WORKBOOK

Why It's About Time?

For Teams & Organisations

Want to get in touch?

Any questions?