Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in career development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Minna Johl, Founder and Managing Partner of Purple Wins, located in Grimsby, ON, Canada.

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

Purple Wins democratizes career development for all. With a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion in the Canadian market, we support students and professionals in career selection and making their best professional choices that are both, rooted in personal IKIGAI and align with evolving market trends. To achieve this, we have thoughtfully designed a seven-step career coaching model (Orizuru 7) that forms the blueprint for our methodology. Our technique resembles the crafting of an origami crane. I.e., fold by fold, the bird eventually comes together. This bird represents your career. Clients access our offering easily through our website, www.purplewins.io. They may elect for a coach-led or Do-It-Yourself model, and upon completion, candidates may place their resumes with partner recruiters across North America. We partner with vetted diverse career coaches to enable an aligned and fruitful relationship between the coach & their coachee. In time, our platform will develop into a one-shop stop for career guidance in North America.

Tell us about yourself

Courage & Faith. These are the words I try to stand true to every waking day. I've been blessed to have had unique experiences in life so far, and all of the instances or incidents have collectively given me the capability to carve my niche and learn what it is that I really care about.

As a student migrant to Canada, it wasn't long before the protective shield of my university was taken away, and I needed swimming. Never mind the size of my pond or my aquatic capabilities, I felt small and inconsequential. Seven years in, I have worked hard and pondered to understand how I can help individuals like me address this inevitable feeling.

What motivates me is that Purple Wins is a big step in the right direction. I believe that by 'democratizing' career development and making people feel equipped and in control of their work lives, we will organically become a more cohesive, immersed, productive and inclusive community.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Honestly, I do not count accomplishments as such. I think thinking outside of the box, even in a state of flux, has always been my biggest strength. As a business owner, I love the barrier-less opportunity to evolve, learn and grow. I get to challenge myself to my truest core, and that helps me evaluate myself honestly and aptly. My biggest desire in this lifetime is to keep learning.

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

Sometimes as a solo business owner, you feel the world is watching you and waiting for you to fail. This fear is my greatest challenge. I work to overcome it by remaining humble and transparent, asking for candid feedback from my trusted circle, and learning to accept criticism as something that should work for me.

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

  1. Believe in yourself.
  2. Never stop improving - your idea, your goals, your plan, yourself.
  3. Know that we all have one ultimate deadline - manage your time.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.purplewins.io/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purplewins.io/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/purple-wins/


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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