“Within a year, I would like to start my own business and leave my job. I’m considering several options for what kind of business to pursue. I’m joining the mentoring program with the goal of clarifying my business focus.”
This was the brief Tereza brought to our first meeting.
How mentoring begins
We started by working on SMART goals — setting goals that are achievable during the mentoring collaboration. For the client, the main goal was to clarify what she wanted to build her business around. Two supporting goals included:
- setting up a content strategy – how she would communicate about her business and who she wanted to reach
- using LinkedIn to support her business
Asking the right questions
After setting the goals, we began exploring the specific business ideas the client was considering. First, she summarized the advantages and disadvantages of each option and what attracted her to them. Then I asked questions that helped her look at these possibilities from a different angle.
During this discussion, an unexpected breakthrough happened: Tereza realized which business attracted her the most — and she made a decision. Already at the first meeting, she achieved the goal she had originally planned to work on during all five sessions!
A sustainable business in the long term
In the following meetings, we discussed the broader context of her business. We talked about her values. About the kind of change leaving her job should bring to her life. And we looked for ways to build a sustainable business for the long term — one that would bring value to her clients while also generating income for Tereza years from now.
Without exhausting all her energy and reserves at the beginning and returning disappointed to employment after a year or two.
- We discussed pricing, building a network of contacts, and promotion.
- We worked on the other two goals (content strategy and using LinkedIn for business).
- I recommended suitable books and invited her to a networking event.
Together we created a communication plan for LinkedIn, and I provided feedback on her first posts as well as on the content of her website.
Growing confidence
Looking at the broader context helps the mentee realize where she stands compared to the competition. It often helps her recognize what she has already been through and how much she knows. It strengthens her confidence and sense of self-worth. She begins to see herself from a different perspective and can say:
“I’m actually really good at what I do.”
Goal achieved in half the time
Tereza’s plan was to gradually build her business so that within a year she could resign from her job and work fully on her own.
Thanks to the tremendous commitment she showed during the mentoring process, and the inspiration our meetings brought her, she started running her business full-time after just six months.
Shortly after completing the mentoring program, she sent me a message:
“Starting tomorrow, I’m fully on my own.”
Thanks to mentoring and her tremendous commitment, she reached her goal in half the time.
Would you like to start a business, or are you thinking about how to bring fresh energy into the one you already run? ? Let’s take a look at your situation together – book a no-obligation consultation.
Find inspiration in other blog articles for women: From Employee to Entrepreneur (about moving from a corporate job to freelancing), Where to Find the Energy to Keep Going (when challenging situations arise in business), How to Attract Attention on LinkedIn, or A New Website for a B2B Client (about how to make your company more visible).
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