Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in training and education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Monica Perna, Founder, and CEO of AUGE International Consulting, located in Dubai, UAE.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

AUGE International Consulting is synonymous with creativity, excellence, and altruism. Our primary focus has always been to provide the best education solutions to our customers in order to make learning a means of self-growth and development, addressing a portion of our annual income to help those in need, particularly lung cancer research. Over 200 national and international radio, television, and newspaper outlets have covered and featured our results and achievements in the last year alone. Over the last 36 months, over 1 million people have viewed our online lectures, and over 20,000 students have enrolled in our programs and coaching paths. Our core business is English language programs.

Our flagship program, English for Life, is an experiential program that recreates a virtual tour of the United States of America and teaches a variant of the English language that is superior to native speakers' standard English but accepts anyone who speaks it as a means of communication: Globish. I consider myself a Globish Coach & Mentor; I graduated with honors in Interpreting and Communication and later with honors in Tourism Management from the prestigious International University of Language and Communication IULM in Milan, Italy.

I am well-known in the Italian and international linguistic scenes for promoting Globish, a concept I conceptualized with skill. AUGE International Consulting serves large corporations, SMEs, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and employees who want to invest in themselves and embark on a path of self-development and self-improvement. The majority of them are Italian speakers spread across the globe, primarily in Europe, but also in the United States, Latin America, and the Middle East. Our international Faculty, which is spread across five continents, is always ready to understand and, more importantly, anticipate our customers' needs.

Tell us about yourself

I am Italian, and I come from the province of Monza and Brianza. I am a Digital Entrepreneur, Globish Coach, and Mentor, and I built my academic career as an interpreter and translator. Director of The English Academy since 2018 and founder of the online Masterclass Impara l'Inglese con Monica, I am also the creator of the "AUGE Method," a new method of teaching English based on an experiential, interactive, and immersive system with high technological and strategic impact. Among the first professional trainers in Italy to transition from the traditional to the virtual classroom, I have been the only Italian admitted to the prestigious Platinum Mastermind of Dan Kennedy held in Atlanta, Georgia. My professional path, which began when I founded my academy in Milan in 2012, led me to Dubai in 2019, where I grew as an entrepreneur in the highly competitive context of the United Arab Emirates. As a sign of gratitude, I dedicated my participation as Expo HERO at Expo 2020 to the city of Dubai.

What inspires me every day? The city I live in! Working and living in the UAE is very inspiring. The philosophy of the leaders who guide the city of Dubai, above all, Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emir of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, is 100% aligned with our method of teaching and working: "Excellence is a habit, a style. It is love for being number one in everything. It is a journey filled with learning, perseverance, and patience. The pleasure of excellence has a special taste that is only known to those who have tried it".

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Over 9.500 people attended three of the major events I hosted in the past 11 months. More than 300 national and international newspapers have covered our company and our method. I have been interviewed by Italian national TV and radio programs because we have been the first in our country of origin to introduce the concept of Globish. In the last four years, I have been able to create over 51 educational programs, record over 5,000 hours of content, and release thousands of teaching materials while leading a team of +40 people and running an educational academy with nearly 20,000 students. Being persistent throughout this time has not been easy: two years ago, my mother died after a battle with aggressive cancer putting myself together in that moment was not easy, but I have learned how to become brave and courageous, and my past is now a source of inspiration for my present and future.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I would say managing many people with different needs and attitudes and getting everyday inspiration to improve continuously. If I feel stranded and stuck, I exercise. After all, "as your body moves, your brain grooves." This is a philosophy that I not only profess to my students but personally embrace daily. When I feel confused and don't know what to do, I read instead. There is a world of people out there who have probably already faced similar situations to mine from whom to take inspiration. Generally, however, I have a routine that takes care of my body and especially my brain: I always go to bed and get up at the same time, even on weekends. I limit the use of social media to work activities, and, most importantly, I surround myself with people from whom I draw inspiration, teach, learn, and see as role models to improve my skills. When I have a bad day, this enables me to access the tools and the mindset to help me react. After all, it's all about how you choose to react to events rather than just endure them!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

I would like to share my keys to success, as I think they are 100% replicable by anyone!

  1. Mindset: I had to do a lot of work on myself. It is said that to achieve different results, you have to evolve into someone new. I've had to grow in terms of mindset, even accepting the distancing of people who didn't like the new version of me, motivated, but above all, focused on the goals I had set to achieve.
  2. Discipline: that ability to keep going in the right direction because inside, you know it's true. An abiding passion for my work: when you create something of your own, the dividing line between you as an entrepreneur and you as a person disappears. Your company is your creature which, like a plant, with daily care and love, you make sure it has water and light.
  3. Courage: I've never been afraid to take the plunge. I grew up as an adopted child in a family from Brianza. Seeing my dad go to work at 4 a.m. and return at 9 p.m. has always been normal for me, as has supporting my mother, who has always tried her hand at various activities, making many sacrifices. This has made me the person I am today. I'm not afraid to throw myself into something I don't know how to do. I'm not afraid to study or work even 20 hours a day if I have to. The fact that I can count on myself makes me feel safe. After all, if you're not the first to believe in yourself, who ever will?

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.augeinternationalconsulting.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imparalingleseconilMetodoAUGE
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learnenglishwithmonica/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicaperna/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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