Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Julia Ngapo, a business and executive coach based in Ilminster, Somerset, United Kingdom.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I work with heart-led business owners and leaders. My mission is to empower them to trust their intuition, to work ethically, and to value themselves and their well-being as an integral part of their business journey.
I have a unique approach to coaching, as I combine 25 years of corporate experience, 10 of which at the director level for a multi-million-pound turnover organisation, and the practical tools you would expect of a business coach with energy work, specifically Reiki and Seichem. These amazing tools allow me to take a 360-degree holistic approach to the person, as well as their business challenges, supporting them with the practical, mental, emotional, and spiritual tools they need to define their path to success.
Tell us about yourself
I started coaching after owning a marketing agency for several years. The strategizing over an effective marketing plan was not dissimilar to what I now do with clients, and that was the part of my job that I enjoyed the most. It seemed to make sense to move into business and executive coaching, at least to me!
What I love about my job is the ability to use my natural intuitive and empathic side, developed through the study of Reiki and Seichem (I am a Master of both), and I saw an opportunity for these amazingly powerful yet gentle tools to be integrated into business and executive coaching, offering what I believe is a unique approach.
The effects these misunderstood and under-utilized tools have on coaching clients are amazing – I am in awe every day! Supporting clients to access and trust their intuition, to face their mental and emotional blocks, and to move forwards in defining their version of success is a real privilege.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment happens when I see a client trusting not only me but the process of coaching. When they open themselves up and are committed to change is when those "lightbulb moments" happen. My biggest accomplishment, personally, was in buying a run-down, tired, cockroach-infested café in New Zealand with my husband and turning it, within a year, into an award-winning venue.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Gaining the self-belief to always push forwards, to trust yourself and your decisions, to believe in your own ability, to grow resilience to withstand the challenges... and to come out the other side smiling!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do your research - is there a market for your product/service?
- Recognize both your own strengths and weaknesses - grow the strengths and work on the weaknesses.
- Outsource the tasks you don't enjoy or that are time-consuming as early as possible. This makes way for more joy in your life (and more fee-earning time!)
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://juliangapocoaching.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JuliaNgapoBusinessCoaching
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliangapobusinesscoaching/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JuliaNgapo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-ngapo/
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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