When Sandra founded The Brewing Space, it wasn’t just about starting a business, it was about creating an intentional pause in a world that’s always rushing. After 18 years building a career in recruitment and talent across Asia, Sandra transitioned into Positive Psychology and career coaching, blending her corporate expertise with a deep passion for helping people discover their strengths and navigate life’s turning points.
In this interview, she shares what it was like to take the leap from a stable corporate path into entrepreneurship, the lessons she’s learned coaching clients through career shifts, and the milestones that have shaped The Brewing Space into the practice it is today.
1. You spent 18 years in recruitment and talent across Asia before becoming a Positive Psychology & Career Coach. Could you share a bit about yourself and the career path that led you to start The Brewing Space?
I was born in Kota Kinabalu and studied Industrial & Organizational Psychology at Universiti Malaysia Sabah. My original dream was to become a psychologist, but without the financial means to pursue a Master’s, I took the closest path I could find, working with people through the world of recruitment.
Over the next 18 years, I built my career in talent acquisition across both agencies and in-house regional roles. Those years gave me a front-row seat to how talent, leaders, and organizations interact, and I was fortunate to learn from incredible mentors around the world. Eventually, I began leading teams myself, and my work became less about filling roles and more about understanding people and their potential.
The idea for The Brewing Space didn’t come overnight. For a long time, I wondered what I would do if I ever left the corporate world. One quiet morning in 2020, it dawned on me: perhaps the answer was already within what I did best! Helping people reach their goals, recognize their strengths, and find the words to tell their stories. That moment sparked my journey into getting my coaching certification.
I became a certified Positive Psychology Coach in 2022 with Positive Acorn, a renowned US Positive Psychology training school founded by Robert Biswas-Diener, a Positive Psychologist. But, I wasn’t ready to leave the comfort of corporate life then. So instead, I started coaching alongside my full-time role, offering support to anyone who needed it.
In January 2024, I finally took the leap, registering The Brewing Space as my own practice. It was the beginning of a new chapter as my own boss, one that felt both daunting and deeply aligned.
2. For those new to The Brewing Space, could you walk us through the coaching services and experiences you offer? What do you feel sets your approach apart from other freelance career coaches?
I coach clients from around the world, with most sessions taking place online. My clients typically come to me for support in two broad areas:
Career conversations: crafting resumes, preparing for interviews, identifying and articulating strengths, navigating leadership styles, building the right conversations for growth or promotion, and working through self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or confidence challenges.
Life conversations: balancing work with personal responsibilities, managing burnout, and auditing life as it currently is versus what shifts they’d like to make.
What sets my approach apart is the philosophy behind The Brewing Space. I believe people already hold untapped potential within themselves. My role is not to prescribe solutions, but to hold space so their own clarity and insights can surface. As research shows, no one truly likes being told what to do.
Another unique offering is Walking Coaching for clients in the Klang Valley. We walk, talk, and reflect in nature. There’s something about the movement and environment that creates breakthroughs. Not a single client has left a walking session without some form of new awareness, whether a small revelation or a life-shifting perspective.
3. The Brewing Space has such a calming, intentional feel. What keeps you motivated to hold space for others, especially in a world that’s always rushing?
I created The Brewing Space as an intentional pause. After nearly two decades in the corporate world, I know how easy it is to get caught up in the rush, chasing the next goal or title. For a long time, I was fueled by that same cycle until it no longer served me.
In 2023, I had a health scare that forced me to slow down and reevaluate life. It became clear that life isn’t about pushing through to the “next thing,” but about being present to what matters now. Many of us don’t set intentions for ourselves because we believe we have no choice but to keep running and achieving. That thought troubles me.
Knowing how burdened, stressed, and tired people often feel keeps me motivated to hold this space. It’s a reminder that pausing is not weakness, it’s strength.
4. When you first transitioned from corporate recruitment into coaching, what were some unexpected challenges you faced, both personally and in building your practice?
On the practical side, I didn’t know where to begin! How to register a company, how to position my services, or how to “sell” something as intangible as coaching.
Personally, I faced many moments I didn’t anticipate. Some people asked for free coaching because they couldn’t afford it, while at the same time, I had a C-suite leader hire me for a year-long engagement to navigate a high-stakes career pivot. I didn’t expect to exceed my first-year revenue goals, and yet I also went through self-doubt, wondering if this was truly the right path.
On top of that, I was recovering from a health scare that left me unable to work long hours. It took nine months to come out of remission and reverse a pre-diabetic condition. That season taught me something important: our bodies keep score of the stress we carry. Learning to listen to it rather than push past it has reshaped the way I live and coach.
5. Can you walk us through what a typical week looks like for you as a personal coach? What are some of your favourite tools, rituals, or practices that help you stay grounded and organised?
No two weeks are the same. Some weeks I coach two clients; others, more than five. I balance my private practice with my role as a resident coach at Workhap, and recently, I’ve also introduced Walking Coaching into my weekly rhythm.
Running a business is very different from being an employee. Beyond coaching itself, there’s marketing, networking, creative work, continuous learning, and even the administrative side like invoicing. It’s a full ecosystem.
To stay grounded, I rely on simple practices: mornings are reserved for personal grounding (I enjoy yoga and walking) and “house matters,” evenings are for coaching. I also make time for reading and reflection, observing others in the field whom I admire, and reminding myself that every step is part of building something meaningful.
6. From your coaching journey so far, what’s one surprising insight you’ve gained about why people feel “stuck” and how they can start moving forward?
Many of us don’t give ourselves the time or permission to think. When clients come to me feeling “stuck,” it’s often not because they lack options, but because they’re caught in the same loop of thoughts.
Coaching gives them the space to pause, articulate what’s going on inside, and see things from a new angle. There’s no “right or wrong” answer. Often, going through the process of verbalizing and exploring is a good start to unlock the next step forward.
7. For someone considering leaving a stable corporate job to follow a new calling, what practical steps or mindset shifts would you recommend before taking the leap?
First, don’t rush into it. Unless you have a strong support system, especially emotionally as the journey can feel overwhelming or even daunting.
From a practical standpoint, I’d suggest three things:
- Build a financial buffer and basic structure before you resign.
- Test your offering on a smaller scale so you know what surprises may come.
- Keep revisiting your why: why now, why this path, and why you started in the first place.
Also be mindful of your motivations. If leaving is simply an escape from a toxic environment, it may not be the best foundation to begin something new.
8. Your Mid-Year Reset Retreat sounds like a heartfelt milestone. Could you share what that experience meant to you, and how it shaped your vision for future events?
That retreat meant everything to me. It was my first, and it carried my 2025 motto: “Try.” Try to learn, try to fail, try anyway.
The process taught me resilience. It wasn’t about achieving “success or failure” in black and white terms, but about experimenting, collecting data points, and making thoughtful decisions along the way. I had an incredible support system of friends and collaborators who helped bring it to life, and the planning alone from March to July was a valuable lesson in patience and creativity.
The feedback after the retreat affirmed how powerful it is to hold space for others. For some participants, the breakthroughs were small but important; for others, deeply transformative. That experience confirmed my desire to host more retreats in the future, and to keep building momentum in this direction.
9. Where do you see The Brewing Space in the next 5 years? Are there new offerings, collaborations, or retreats you’re working on?
My vision is to grow The Brewing Space into more than a coaching practice. I’d love to create a physical space where people can brew, heal, express, and reconnect with their sense of being.
I’m also excited about ongoing collaborations. I currently partner with HumanKind, a social enterprise I deeply admire, and contribute to mentoring programs through TalentBank and Girls4Girls Malaysia. And yes, I’m already dreaming of another retreat in 2026.
Finally, I’m also studying Strengths Profile at the moment as part of my growth as a coach, and to offer something deeper for my clients who would like to understand their potential through realized and unrealized strengths.
10. For someone reading this who resonates with your work, what’s the best way for them to connect with you or join your coaching journey?
The easiest way is through my Linktree, where I share free resources and direct contact details. You can also email me at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you!
Final Thoughts
A huge thank you to @brewingspace for sharing her story. Transitioning from nearly two decades in corporate recruitment to building a coaching practice is no easy leap, but Sandra’s journey shows the power of trusting your strengths and creating space for others to grow.
Here are three takeaways we loved from this interview:
- Growth is a process. Sometimes clarity comes not in a rush, but through slowing down and holding space for reflection.
- Your body keeps score. Building a meaningful practice requires listening to yourself as much as you listen to others.
- Coaching is about potential. The most lasting impact happens when people discover their own answers.
You can follow Sandra’s journey on Instagram @brewingspace or visit Linktree to learn more about her coaching and retreats.
