When I was growing up there was something about having my own business and working for myself that sparked an interest in me. First it was my mum leaving her 20 year career in education to start her own business running what would become a busy restaurant in the heart of Nairobi city. Mum was constantly getting compliments about her food when we had friends and relatives visit our home. It felt like we were always entertaining, be it local or international guests. One thing was certain for mum though, teaching didn’t light her up anymore and so she went all in and started her business. A business that she ran for almost 30 years and was regularly featured in tourist magazines as a must go to dine while in Kenya.
Second was when I watched the Oprah Winfrey Show for the first time when I was 10 years old. I loved the idea of a talk show and being on television impacting lives through storytelling and interviews. I loved seeing the vulnerability Oprah brought to the screen and stories that were not being shared anywhere else that allowed us as humans to connect, despite our cultural differences. There was something, even as a 10 year old that made me feel seen, felt connected and excited to tune in show after show (it could also have been the celebrity interviews that drew me in).
So when the itch to start a business came knocking hard on my heart whilst I was in corporate I knew I couldn’t ignore it. I saw a window of opportunity through being on maternity leave. Everything became so much more clearer as a mother who now wanted to prioritise doing work that was fulfilling and meaningful, rather than the goal I had of simply climbing the corporate ladder and earning more.
Coaching was certainly not on the cards let alone coaching about anti-racism on a daily basis in my work. It’s not the typical dream job of when I grow up I want to be a racial equity coach. No, far from it. It’s an assignment that I wrestled with but one I have learnt to submit to daily in obedience to my calling. I don’t know about you, but I’m determined to leave this place better than I found it. Be it through the coaching industry or living in Australia. I often get asked by other online business owners and those aspiring to start a coaching business how I transitioned from corporate to coaching.
I’d love to share the actions I’ve taken that have helped me build a business I’m proud of whilst still prioritising the most important people in my life, my family.
1️⃣ I committed to getting certified and trained in coaching. And not just from any institution. It was important to me that it was a place where I could actually see myself becoming a coach and enjoying it on my terms and not based on someone else’s view of how I should be. A career that would allow me to bring my full self so that I can serve from a place of genuine authenticity and attract the right people to serve. I committed to showing up to every class virtually and doing the required work even though I was a full time mum on maternity leave.
2️⃣ I kept practising my coaching skills through offering coaching sessions. It required me to offer sessions from 7pm to Midnight when I knew the kids were asleep and my husband was home to help so I could coach. The timing was not the best but I committed to it. Once I became certified, I didn’t take a break from coaching. I knew I wanted to be great at holding space and so I kept coaching and offered accessible pricing options to my ideal clients so there were no barriers to working together. I often hear other coaches say they made six figures in 6 months or within their first year. Well that’s not my story. I was still pro-bono coaching a year after I graduated from becoming a coach.
3️⃣ I enlisted the help of a coach. Something I continue to do almost 4 years down the track because having the support of someone who has gone before me to guide me has been invaluable. One of the lessons I learnt along the way is when you find a great coach, stay with them rather than hopping from coach to coach. The thought of starting from scratch trying to share about your business and bringing the other coach up to speed takes time. Time that is better spent and placed in someone who knows not only your business but also knows you and how you get in your own way and can coach you through it.
4️⃣ Treating my business as a business and not letting it define me as a person. This has been the hardest part especially having a personal brand and learning that my business is not me. I’m still a human who is a wife, mother, daughter and friend. My work doesn’t define me but it does add meaning and purpose to my life. This detachment has allowed me to be the CEO in my business and make decisions that have helped my business grow. I’ve learnt I don’t have to constantly read and be abreast of everything anti-racism. I don’t have to know everything about anti-racism, I’m on a healing journey myself too. I’ve learnt that I’m not my job and to honour the parts of me that make me Annie and not just a racial equity coach.
5️⃣ Having the support of my husband and even my kids. This has made a massive difference to have someone who believes in what I’m doing and is there to lend a hand to ensure I have what I need to show up for my business. My husband and kids treat my business as a real business and not just something that mum does in her office or free time. I share with them my goals, what I’m working on and the people I work with. They respect my work and understand how important it is to me. Together we are working to ensure the business has what it needs to succeed.
As you may already know I wear 2 hats in my business. The racial equity coach and the business coach for women of colour coaches. I want to bring as many women of colour coaches along by supporting them to build businesses that light them up and position them for success. When I started in coaching, I had a desire to work with a woman of colour coach, but there wasn’t any I knew or resonated with.
I knew one of the biggest challenges I would have was positioning myself in an industry where I didn’t see myself represented. I felt like the odds were stacked against me and I wasn’t sure how to navigate through the lack of representation. I kept going and found a niche that resonated with me and one where I’ve been making an impact. It’s led to the successful coaching business I have today and that’s what has led me to create a step by step guide for other women of colour new to coaching. It’s my brand new 5 day email series with bite sized information on how to transition from your corporate job to creating a full-time coaching business that attracts paying clients.
In this free 5 day email series I’ll walk you through:
👉🏾 How to manage your mindset so you can focus on what matters most and begin to attract aligned clients that get you excited to be a coach
👉🏾 A simplified process of how to niche down and why this is the ticket to winning dream clients
👉🏾 Where to find your dream client through a tried and tested method that will see you get visible all while dropping great value
👉🏾 The art of attracting dream clients on repeat that doesn’t require you to be on social media 24/7
👉🏾 Landing your first paying client and how to keep them so you don’t have to worry about where your next client is coming from.
If you are ready to get visible, grow in your coaching skills and support your dream clients on repeat, this 5 step series is a must have.
This is my gift to the women of colour coaches out there who are just starting out or have been struggling to get paying clients. It’s the advice I wish I had when I started my coaching business and I’m excited to share it with you.
If you know a woman of colour coach who might be interested in this free series, please share this link with them.
I’d love to know, are you working a corporate job looking to transition into your own business? Or have you already taken the plunge? Let me know in the comments below.
With Love,
Annie
How I can support you:
👉🏾 Want to build a racially equitable online business? Join the waitlist and be the first to find out when doors to my 10 week signature program REPRESENTED open in September 2023. Join REPRESENTED waitlist
👉🏾 Are you a woman of colour coach needing support to grow your coaching business? I’d love to help you attract paying clients. Find out more and book a free business strategy call. We’ll have a whole session to discuss where you are struggling most and a strategy to take with you so can go from struggle to easeful action.
