‘You have too many ideas- you need to narrow them down’
‘As a coach, you need to find your niche’
‘You do too many things. You will end up doing nothing well!’
These are some of the things friends and colleagues have been telling me for ever.
Now, I have in part stopped listening to these (friendly) recommendations. I just accept that I am a creative person and I like experimenting.
Now, into my 6th month running Kokoro, I realise that, despite marketing myself as an employee engagement coach, I have so many more passions and experiences I can draw from. I accept this and trust that one day maybe a niche will find me!
How liberating is this? I am who I am and that’s fine- in fact, if it wasn’t for my varied background, I wouldn’t be able to offer what I currently offer.
So, it’s Monday morning and whilst I just finished a conversation about a resilience workshop for mums who have children with disabilities, I reflect on my work. What has worked so far for me?
-Kokoro means heart, mind, mindset, feelings. There is no translation in English, neither in Italian (that I know, at least). However, it translates my approach to my clients: heartfelt, resilient, and human. I couldn’t have chosen a better brand.
-I love doing personal coaching, and observing what kind of clients are attracted by my work (something to reflect on?): artists, women leaders, mums, young athletes, managers seeking to engage their teams, people in career transition and more. I love variety.
-I used to be an international competitive athlete -Tae Kwon Do- hence resilience has always been a strong feature of my personality. I realise that the majority of my coaching conversations tend to focus on how to build resilience. I use positive psychology techniques, visualisations and mindfulness, but I realise that resilience can only increase if we really accept who we are, and we build on that. Being our authentic selves is our strength. Is this becoming my niche? I love it!
-I am a few months away from finishing my yoga teacher training diploma (almost 2 years!). It’s been really hard work, but am proud of myself for not having given up, because now I am able to integrate yoga techniques into my coaching workshops. Wellness and resilience go hand in hand.
-I am also so proud of supporting the #MTPTproject as an accreditation coach: through this organisation we help teachers to complete their CPDs whilst on parental leave. I find schools incredibly inspiring and am thankful for all the work that teachers do. I never planned to work in schools and now I love it.
-I learnt that running a business whilst having a 2 years old who doesn’t like sleeping at night, and while studying a yoga diploma, it’s a tough affair. But there are ways to build resilience that work for me: 1) Manage my self- care and energy 2) Build a strong support network 3) Remember my purpose.
-Finally, I love #Japan and am fascinated by its culture. Resilience and well-being are hot topics over there. I am looking forward to exploring more how coaching can help building a resilient culture in a country where long hours have been the norm for long time. We are going to be there in Spring!
I think my niche is finding me. #resilience #positivepsychology #schools #parents #motherhood #kokoroconsultancy #leadership #employeeengagement #wellbeing #yoga #mindfulness #findinganiche #beingauthentic #coaching
How did you go to find yours when setting up your own business?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
