Meet Mark McConnell, PhD
I’m not a typical coach. I’m not here to help you “level up,” hack your life, or chase happiness. I’m here to offer something quieter, deeper, and — I believe — more human: space to reflect, to think differently, and to make peace with the contradictions of life.
My Story
My work is shaped as much by my lived experience as it is by my professional training. In 2020, I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and given a 5–10% chance of survival. After chemotherapy, major surgeries, and the unwavering support of my wife and daughters, I defied the odds—but not through positivity or sheer willpower. That experience, along with the losses and challenges that came before it—the death of my first daughter, redundancy, divorce—taught me something more enduring: life cannot be controlled, perfected, or fixed. It can only be lived as honestly and courageously as we’re able.
I’ve worked across sectors and across continents—from local government to non-profits, from consultancy to university teaching. My academic background spans law, theology, education, and a PhD in speech-act theory. I also have a Graduate Diploma in Professional Coaching, with certification in The Power of the Enneagram at Work, and have training as a group facilitator.
But qualifications aside, my work has always been about helping people navigate the complexities of being human. Whether coaching interns, leading teams, teaaching classes, facilitating workshops, or sitting with someone as they try to make sense of where they are, my approach is grounded in honesty, depth, and care.
Why UnHackYourLife?
Because I believe the problem isn’t that we haven’t found the right tools, techniques, or mindset. The problem is the belief that life can be hacked, fixed, or perfected in the first place.
My work is gently influenced by psychoanalysis and philosophy, particularly the understanding that desire, lack, and dissatisfaction are not flaws to be overcome, Rather, they’re part of what it means to be human. Thinkers like Jacques Lacan, Slavoj Žižek, Mari Ruti, Todd McGowan, Peter Rollins and Samuel McCormick remind us that freedom isn’t found in overcoming lack, but in learning how to live with it.
Through coaching, courses, workshops, and speaking, I help people step away from the exhausting cycle of self-improvement and into a more honest relationship with life’s uncertainties.
Why I choose "UnhackYourLife"
Because I believe the modern obsession with “life ”hacks”—shortcuts, systems, and optimisations—often cuts into something essential. To hack something, in the original sense, is to cut with rough or heavy blows. And that’s often what these approaches do: they chip away at our complexity, our contradictions, our humanity. UnHackYourLife is about resisting that impulse. It’s about stepping away from the constant pressure to fix, optimise, or improve and instead making space for reflection, honesty, and the slow, imperfect work of being human.