WIPp 013 Amanda Armstrong at Athari Career Coaching: From Nonprofit to Sales to Entrepreneurship

Resources

• Interview summary 
• Where to find Amanda: instagram
• Email Amanda: amanda@athari.ca

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Today's episode is on how Amanda Armstrong transitioned from nonprofit to sales at a tech startup to her own career coaching business, Athari. For more than a decade, Amanda had been devoting her time to nonprofit organizations to causes she deeply believes in. What made her switch to what she does now? 

Here's what we want you to know about Amanda: 

First, she's made couple switches in her career journey. 
Amanda’s first career transition was from nonprofit to sales. Then she started a career coaching service that generated income on the side while she continued to work at her day job. In October of 2019 Amanda turned her coaching service full time. 

Second of all, if you want to find impactful career that is aligned with your personal values and strengths, check out Amanda's coaching (https://www.instagram.com/athari.careercoaching/) or contact her at amanda@athari.ca 

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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories. 

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Transcript

spk_0:   0:00
sorry is a Swahili word from Kenyon from Ace Africa Meeting Impact. So it's all about the impact that I can have on young people and women and the impact that they will have on the

spk_1:   0:11
world. Hi, Friends. This is the working progress podcast and welcome back to today's episode. We interviewed people who successfully switched careers because we believe that change is possible and change really needs to come from yourself. So we want to showcase that. This is possible, and this is how some people have done in the past. And that brings me to today's guest, Amanda. Amanda is a coach who helps people find their purpose driven careers before bringing her coaching service full time, she had about 10 years of experience in both nonprofit and working in sales at a tech startup. We talked about the struggles she had while turning her side hustle into a full time business and the useful skills she brought with her from the nonprofit days. And what exactly is the meaning behind her brand? Right, if you're curious, just like I was, the answers are all in this episode, and I would like to invite you to join us and to hear Amanda tell her own story. So without further ado, this is Amanda. Good morning, everybody. And welcome back to the work in progress podcast today. We're talking to Amanda, and we found her because I was browsing on INSTAGRAM the other day. Amanda's account showed up in my feet, and I was really impressed. What I think it was actually a post about your transition from a nonprofit to where you are today, where you started a career coaching service online, and I think it's just super awesome and really impressive that you were able to provide services to people who are looking to change their careers. So I think it will be a good idea for Amanda to talk to us a little bit about what she currently does and what she did in. Well, she did before, and we will go from there with the questions.

spk_0:   2:14
Amazing. Thanks so much, Dana. So I was born and raised in Toronto, and I always grew up surrounded by a lot of volunteer initiatives and philanthropic initiatives, and I was doing a lot of work with charities and nonprofit organizations, so that's really where my career started. I did study business. That's the Richard Ivey School business at Western University in London, Ontario. Ah, but I was super passionate about doing something that was They can't positive impact in the world. Which is why, even with my business background, I decided to get into the non profit and international development world. So I actually have two career transitions. The first corner transition waas from working in the nonprofit world for years, and I worked in Kenya. I worked in Guyana, in South America and the Caribbean. So a lot of my work was overseas. Working on women's entrepreneurship programs and projects, youth programs, leadership, education. Ah, how health programs. So I worked on a lot of programs overseas in East Africa and the Caribbean in the nonprofit world. And my first career transition was when I decided I wanted to explore the for profit world. And so I made that transition, and I remember, I guess the biggest thing to note about that transition was I was trying to figure out I was. I was a program manager in a project manager in the nonprofit world, wearing many different hats, doing a lot of different things. There and running different programs, and I was trying to see how what what role would I do in the for profit world? How would I fit to that first career transition? When I moved to the for profit world, I actually figured out that business development and sailed with my thing and that that's what I was, I really enjoy doing. And that's where I fit into the for profit world. And I ended up becoming the top failed rep at, ah at, ah, background check company here. Drano. So that was my first tour career transition. And then the second career transition that I recently made in the fall was that I left my job at the Tech startup in as the top sales rep, and I decided to become a full time, self employed entrepreneurs. So now I'm running my career coaching business full time and and I have that entrepreneurial life going on

spk_1:   4:44
Nice. That's great. Congratulations, By the way, I know it's, um ah. Just a few months ago that you got started and it's super exciting.

spk_0:   4:54
Yes, thank you. Thank you

spk_2:   4:56
so much.

spk_0:   4:56
I I was starting my action. Uh, I initially launched my career coaching business called the Sorry sorry is a Swahili word from Kenyon from Ace Africa meeting Impact. It was all about the impact that I can have on young people and women and the impact that they will have on the world in their in their careers and impacts and purpose driven careers. And so I actually started my sorry career coaching business a year and 1/2 ago in July 2018. Um, so I was I was running it on the side. It was my side hustle for year and 1/2. And then as of October, when I left my previous job, now it is full time.

spk_1:   5:39
Great. Um, I guess I'm I'm really interested. So I've talked to career coaches before, but not in the, um, the developing work. So tell me a little bit more about it. What do you usually do? What? What is usually like a session with the clients like

spk_0:   5:55
Yes, Amazing. Okay, so my core program, my job search programme is five sessions, so 51 hour sessions. Currently I do it one on one, and the first session is really figuring out what you want. It's like planning out your map and planning at the end goal In the end, Destination of where you want to be, How much money you want make what city or what country do you want to live in and you wanna work in? What are you passionate about? What type of rules interest you? What are your dream companies and organisations toe work at what new challenges do you want to take on? What skills do you want to develop? So my first session is getting really, really, really clear about what you want through different activities, like doing a vision board and other exercises that I have some complete and also figuring out what is the personal elevator pitch? What is your elevator pitch? Is you? If you meet someone for coffee or you have a phone chatter, you're at an event and you're trying, Teoh, you're looking for work and exploring new opportunities. How are you presenting yourself to people? Professionally? So that's my first fashion. The second and third session or both resume and cover letter upgrade. Um, the fourth session is talking about networking. May I make connections for my clients? I have a big network, so I helped him with connecting and networks in just making new connections related to what they're interested in. And the fifth fashion is an interview prep session. Um, and I believe in really like holistic coaching. You know, I'm here to help my clients succeed into here to help them achieve the greatest success possible and to achieve their dream job. Not just any job, not just an average job. And I really do go above and beyond. So while I have that one hour session where we meet in person and we go discuss, go through this five section job search programme, I also provide all unlimited support by phone over WhatsApp email. So I really do go above and beyond with my clients, um, kind of those sessions as well.

spk_1:   7:59
And this is all, um, this is mostly in. I guess you mentioned a couple of countries. I didn't cut all of them Kenya. And

spk_0:   8:09
so my main clients that I work with Time, based in Toronto, Canada, based in Toronto, and the most my client's right now I work with are your in Toronto. But

spk_2:   8:19
I have

spk_0:   8:20
a client at all why I can work with flying solo around the world so and I do plan to take my coaching business online, where I will have clients all around the world. My

spk_2:   8:29
connection to

spk_0:   8:30
Kenya is I eat source in Kenya 10 years ago, and I do have a family that I support there and that that is part of the reason I started up. My coaching business is to provide a sustainable income source to fund the families, education, their school fees, school supplies, postsecondary education in the future. So that is my connection to Kanye. And I do

spk_2:   8:54
go back

spk_0:   8:55
to any SAfrica frequently, and I plan to do more career coaching and speaking and consulting there. Well,

spk_1:   9:03
when you said that, uh, first you started nonprofit and then you went into the for profit sector working for the tech company, what was what inspired you to make that change?

spk_0:   9:15
Great questions. So I love the focus in the nonprofit world on making an impact in the world and helping other people and, you know, doing something that was actually meaningful and purposeful and good for the world. However, I have a business do, and as someone that is very big on results and innovation and technology and just being really forward thinking and efficient. I felt like there were a lot of there were a lot of challenges in the nonprofit world. There were a lot of inefficiencies. Sometimes there's a lot of red tape and bureaucracy, and you're a lot of times you're constantly reporting. You're constantly asking for money and writing proposals for grants and for funding. And then you're also constantly having to report to those donors and funders. And I felt like there were a lot of things about the non profit world that were not as efficient and end as effective and innovative as I wanted them to be. And so I really focused on. I found this. They called social enterprises social entrepreneurship and for those that don't know those entrepreneurship, says social entrepreneurship is the space between non profit and for profit. A social enterprise is a for profit company that has a mission of doing something good that has a mission of using business as a force for good and having a triple bottom line of people planet and profit. And the reason why I wanted to move into social enterprise and that for profit is because there's a lot of I really, truly believe that you know, the sustainability factor of a for profit business. Really valuable, forward thinking, innovative, the technology efficiency. There's a lot of benefits to running a for profit company, and I think the ability, because scale and to make an even greater impact as a for profit company is there. So it was really this this, the challenges and the problems I thought it saw in the nonprofit world I recognized You know what businesses can can make a really, really big positive impact in the world and social enterprise is really, in my opinion, the way to go because you have a for profit sustainable business is that have, at their core, what they do, making an impact in the world as well.

spk_1:   11:47
Got it. Okay. And how was that transition? How did you go from? I'm not sure If you have any. I think it would. You mentioned sales. So did you have any experience in sales that helped you transition into, um, the tech company, or was it just some skills? Are you already have? You know, you're very let's say very good selling.

spk_0:   12:10
Yeah. This is such a good question because failed. I'm so passionate about careers and sales. I absolutely love sales and business, development and partnership develop in and talking to people. The thing about sales is that even for myself, I went to business school and no one talked about careers and sales. No one ever ever introduced it to us. No one even talkto shock to us about it as an opportunity

spk_2:   12:39
or that has something

spk_0:   12:40
to explore. So no one really talks about careers and sales. And so I really didn't even consider it, because it was it wasn't something that was ever talked about. And then I remember when I was trying to figure out while doing Project Management Program Management. Where am I gonna fit in a for profit startup like Joy? Finished marketing, do a new strategy to I work in like some type of office management role? Or I didn't really know all the roles that exist. They're in the for profit world and exactly where would fit. So I think the biggest thing is just exploration. Talking to people you know, reading

spk_2:   13:17
articles,

spk_0:   13:19
browsing through job sites and job descriptions, quarrying company, website, attending events. I'm a big, big believer in just exploration and networking when you're just for professional purposes, when you're looking for a job when you're considering ah, career change, the most important thing is to talk to as many people as possible and to attend events, speakers and, you know, to read as much as you can online and to get it just to explore or into network as much as possible. And I I actually had a connection with a small for profit startup company and social enterprise. I already had a connection with them. I was basically an adviser for them, and an opportunity and a role came up that I applied for which the social impact lead at their company and what I realized through my seven months working with them was I was introduced to business development and sales, and it wasn't that it wasn't the entire part of my job. It was just a small part of my job. But I realized that I really, really like talking to people building relationship building partnerships and that that was my thing. I was like, Okay, business, develop. This is my thing. This is This is what I'm going to do in the for profit world. Um, I had no So I had No, I was a formal sales experience at a for profit company or in a traditional failed role. However, in the nonprofit world, I was doing sales. We just did. We just didn't call it fails. It would call fundraising, outreach, recruitment, community engagement. So there were all these other terms in the nonprofit world. For example, fundraising is a great one. We just didn't call it sales. And I didn't even realize it was sales until I got into business development and sales. And I said, Oh, I've been doing this in the nonprofit world for years. We just

spk_1:   15:20
never, uh, that's great. I like how, and you realize that there are a lot of experiences from your past that you can actually take with you forward to the next career and, you know, multiple careers up options. There is actually a lot of options out there that sometimes you may not realize you have

spk_0:   15:42
100%. I agree, and I think that a lot of people you know what they if you do reflection and you write down all the skills and experience and everything that you've learned and gained in your life and projects in school and, you know, side hustles and hobbies, volunteer experiences and jobs and work experiences. If you actually were last on all of the skills and the experience that you have, a lot of that is very, very, very applicable to loss of other job opportunities. And I think the startup industry actually is a really good example of. There's a lot of really cool startup organizations and companies that they don't necessarily look for for you to have experience in that specific role. Previously, they more look atyou holistically. And even if you come from a completely different industry or roller background, they're still open toe looking at what skills and experience you have to offer and who you are, and your your soft skills, your passion. And just as an example, Dana we had at the company. I worked at the startup company and work that we had, um, tops it our top sales up at the company, and he was a shack before getting in. So he transitions from working as a chef and he was like, I don't want to be a shaft anymore. It's stressful long hours paid isn't great, and he decided to transition to becoming, to get into sales at Attack Company with no previous sales experience. And he is, he's crashing it. And he's the top tales about the company.

spk_2:   17:34
That's really cool. I think one thing that you mentioned that's really interesting is that sales is not found in business school. It's actually conversation I had when I wasn't business school to, because there were classmates of mine that were in sales. And then, you know, like, how come we don't learn lives on the classical sales introductions of how to sell to people or anything like that? So, yeah, that is very true. It's just not top. I'm guessing. Maybe because it's just such a multifaceted kind of a role where you really need to incorporate a lot of different knowledge from different fields. So you almost know little about marketing, almost doesn't know a little bit about operations and then obviously chocolate people working with clients. So that's very interesting. I want to know, like so once you transitions from a nonprofit to a for profit in the business of element function, did you find anything interesting that you didn't realize that a business this dead person in a for profit will be doing this vs go hole in the nonprofit world.

spk_0:   18:36
I mean, there

spk_2:   18:36
were

spk_0:   18:37
There were a lot of differences, I think, in terms of the structure and the operations in the strategy and the approach. I think that the company that I worked at, uh, it was a fast growing tech company here in Toronto called Hi Mama. It's not for daycares and childcare centers. So it helps, parents indicate, with teachers and teachers, conduct Ament, everything that's happening in the classroom, and it's all digital instead of on paper and at High Mama. I think one of the things that I that that I really liked about the for profit world about this transition was the hustle and the efficient see that we have, like we hustled really, really, really hard, and our efficiency and the productivity's and the results that we had was was tremendous. And I learned a lot of things about how to be wildly successful. Um, and out of it she just like tremendous results. That's like a big thing that I learned in my sales role, and I think be Obviously there was e often seem that even though our company, our tech company, was very lean and bootstrap, you know, there was more, a lot more money, more resources. I think the management and the leadership team was really, really, really strong and really, uh focused on results and really focused on high growth. And so that was a big difference. And, um, I the business development role itself, like a lot of it were things I was doing in the nonprofit world like cold calling. I had already

spk_2:   20:14
had disappeared

spk_0:   20:15
falling in the nonprofit world because I worked for the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research, where we were cold calling high schools across Canada to offer them free HIV AIDS posters and materials and resources and condoms and red ribbons for world Ende. So I want I already had cold calling experience in the nonprofit world already, and then

spk_2:   20:39
I went

spk_0:   20:39
doing that for profit world. But the level of efficiency and productivity's E was a lot higher in the for profit world and just a volume of people that we called in a day and our success and our results in the amount of he'll be closed and, um, I think from, like a strategic standpoint, the leadership in the management team that I worked with at High Mama They

spk_2:   21:05
were

spk_0:   21:05
really, really, really smart, intelligent, driven, hard working people that knew how to be successful. And I It was a really good experience to just see how I think the efficiency and the results and the drive in the hustle that I found working at that for profit company.

spk_2:   21:27
And when did you start to have the ideal of, you know, starting something on your own other side?

spk_0:   21:35
So this stems back to I would say very years ago. 10 years ago, even when I was in university and I studied business, I specialized in entrepreneurship. I knew I was gonna start my own business. I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur one day. So entrepreneurship has always been a goal of mine. And then I was like, I really want to start my own business before I turned 30. And so it was about I had already been coaching and mentoring young people. I had already been helping them with resumes and cover letters. I had already been making connections and introductions for them. So I was already doing this informally on the side and volunteer Lee, I just wasn't getting paid for it. So I decided that I wanted to officially start my own business before I turn 30. And I also wanted Teoh have another sustainable income source to support my family in Kenya. And I was I was ready to take on this challenge and just go for it. So I started my business in July 2018 and I again I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur, and I was already doing a lot of mentorship and coaching

spk_2:   22:52
one.

spk_0:   22:52
Then I decided, You know what? I'm turning. I'm always turning 30 and I wanted to make this happen before he turned 30. So I did

spk_2:   22:59
it

spk_0:   23:01
two months before my 30th birthday.

spk_2:   23:03
Oh, so that's wonderful. That's

spk_1:   23:06
amazing. I love it when people set goals and reach them. And I'm so happy for you.

spk_0:   23:12
Ah, they

spk_1:   23:12
can. That's good. Um, so was it. I am assuming from what you mentioned, it didn't sound like a scary or like a difficult transition. You've already had a lot of the experiences that's necessary to to to start your own business in the line of career coaching. But you previous, you're just not really asking for the, Ah for for people to pay you. And now you are. And I'm assuming it wasn't like a rough transition.

spk_0:   23:44
Wow, I would say no, it it wasn't easy. It hasn't

spk_2:   23:51
been smooth

spk_0:   23:51
at ill Kelly.

spk_2:   23:52
I'll tell you why. So

spk_0:   23:54
for two reasons, for two reasons. First of all, as much. Because I

spk_2:   23:58
have so much like I studied

spk_0:   24:01
entrepreneurship. I specialized in entrepreneurship. I've worked with hundreds of young entrepreneurs and female entrepreneurs in different parts of the world. I managed entrepreneurship programs and projects as much as I've done that. Being your own entrepreneur, starting your own business is so challenging and so scary and there there's just so much to do. And it's definitely it's definitely, I would say, the biggest career challenge I have taken on and that I think most people will take on the starting your own business. Um, so even though I have, like so much background and experience, it's still been challenging, and I will tell you one of the most challenging and I think scary things is just fine. Me, actually, because I didn't have a salary and I had a really good salary at my last job. I was I was making six figures and that was I was very comfortable financially and I was saving good money and, um and then I you know, I live alone. I'm a single woman in downtown Toronto. So I have you know, my rent is 2000 month and I have, like, a lot of bills to pay, and I'm on transitioning To be a full time entrepreneur, I think, was the most stressful part was it has been the financial kind of thing, just like that. Hands down, it's scary. It's really, really scary and it's challenging and it's stressful. But I think it just makes it that much more rewarding when you bring on a new client and when you

spk_2:   25:37
bring in new

spk_0:   25:38
ways, come and when you achieve you know, new success because you work so hard for it. Um, but the other thing I will very openly and vulnerably share because I am a career coach and I do believe that storytelling and accepting our own mistakes

spk_2:   25:54
and

spk_0:   25:55
failures is important. I actually didn't choose to leave my previous job I was actually terminated by my employer. Um, and the shocking thing about it all was that I love my job. I was a top sales rep. I was a company advocate. I would company champions. And, uh, unfortunately, I was involved in an incident. Um,

spk_2:   26:18
you know

spk_0:   26:18
that I folky quickly take ownership of for my own mistakes and failures, but at the same time, our company had no HR. There is no way Charlie Rational. We had 100 people at the company, and

spk_2:   26:31
it was

spk_0:   26:32
handled by our finance director

spk_2:   26:34
who,

spk_0:   26:34
as far as I know, has no HR experience at all. And, uh, I am currently involved with, um with lawyers and,

spk_2:   26:44
um, talking

spk_0:   26:45
are professionals just to see how to handle the situation. But the second thing I would say is my transition was not planned, and my transition was not was not something I was ready for. It have been very, very, very abruptly. It happened very quickly, and my life was really, like, flipped upside down this past October. And, um, I was in a very difficult situation. Emotionally mental health, financial stress, Uh, just this situation and what I was going through and how it was dealt with was really, really harmful to my reputation and and was really harmful to me as a human being. And, um, I'm still dealing with that now. And I'm I'm positively moving forward and looking at this as a blasting into guys because now I can build my own business and pursue my passion for helping other young people and women find their dream job. I could do this full time, but the thing I would say is my recent career transition. It was not planned. And it was. It was I was I nothing. I wasn't ready for that. It was. It's been a very, very challenging and stressful past couple months just because of what I've been dealing with and how the situation was handled.

spk_1:   28:00
No, I'm so sorry to hear that.

spk_0:   28:04
Thank you. I appreciate it,

spk_2:   28:05
but it's it's wonderful. And thank you so much for sharing that with us. This I think. You know, sometimes people just don't feel comfortable showing things like that. But we all you know that it can happen me and for a variety of reasons. And I think it's just great to hear that, you know, do you have no problem sharing that, even though it kind of felt like it was an employment decision that you had to make any kind of just have to become self employed. But you I want to say along the way, you've already been doing in. So you were kind of already preparing yourself for that is just that, you know, timing probably wasn't the most ideal or what you would, you know when you had wanted. But I still think that, you know, like you said, it is a blessing in disguise.

spk_0:   28:44
Yeah, the biggest thing I would. The biggest message I would give the other young people and other women and other individuals considering career changes or going through any type of, like a termination wrongful dismissal if you were let go if you were fired. If your contract comes to an end, the biggest advice I can give because I am I'm an example of I am a career coach. I was a top sales rep about that company. I was company champion. I was company advocate. I love my job. I openly talked about how much I love my dog, and and And I was fired. And so I want people to know that being terminated from your job and being fired and being let go or your contact coming to an end, not being renewed that does not mean that you're a bad person. That does not mean that you can't get an incredible job. Is your dream job following that? You know, and companies make mistakes all the time, all the time, and they let people go for the wrong reasons. Wrongful. That missile happens all the time. And so, you know, and also as human beings, we make our own mistakes too. So my biggest advice is if you're fired, if you were terminated, If your contract comes to an end, you know, don't you know, think of it as a blessing in disguise and reflect on What did you learn is what you gain from that experience and and what you want next and look forward to that new opportunity. Ah, which could be which will be much, much greater than what you had previously.

spk_2:   30:17
After all of that, you became an self employed entrepreneur. And what was it like? You know, actually, you know, starting to working with your first clients. Like, you know, at the moment when you're like, OK, I'm really now, um, employed by myself. I have my opined that I'm working with What was it like? And how did you have that first client did? You was a word of mouth where there's somebody that you used in your network. I needed help. How did you find that person?

spk_0:   30:44
Yeah, this is actually really cool story. So again, as I mentioned, I had been mentoring and coaching on people on the side for years for the past 10 years, Voluntarily. My actual first paid client really interesting. He found me on Twitter or online. Somehow he found my Twitter bio or by profile. He found my email. He figured out like he's somehow found my work email at my previous company, not even like my personal email. And he sent me an email being like, Hey, I'm a young person from Sweden. I'm looking to move to Toronto, Canada for work. I see your career coaching. You're the perfect career coach for me. And it was interesting because at that time I wasn't doing career coaching formally, and I I hadn't really even launched my own business. He reached out to me. I think I had used career coach in my title somewhere, even even though it was quite informal at the time, and I hadn't really fully launched my coaching business and he has somehow found me reached out to me. I guess he liked my bio or what? Whatever he had found, it found out about me and we started working together, and he was actually the one that offered baby, and he was actually the one that came up with a compensation of how much he wanted to pay me. And I was like, This is great, This is amazing And I actually successfully helped him land a job in trauma Go. So he

spk_2:   32:19
moved to

spk_0:   32:19
Toronto. Yeah,

spk_2:   32:21
so

spk_0:   32:21
he actually my first client was was a success, and he moved to Toronto and then following that a lot the next year and 1/2 when it was my side hustle. A lot of

spk_2:   32:30
it was

spk_0:   32:30
word of mouth I didn't do. I didn't do much marketing or sales at all. It was very organic. A lot of my clients were people that I knew people I had worked with in the past people in my personal and professional network. I also got a lot of clients from speaking at events, so I'm also a speaker. So I went back to my back to Western University, and I also spoke at some sales and customer success career events. And I got a lot of clients through speaking engagements as well

spk_1:   33:00
Around what time was it when you had your first client pain client?

spk_0:   33:04
I think that was about two years ago two or two and a

spk_2:   33:07
half here.

spk_1:   33:08
And I don't know if you if you don't, if you might sharing this. But I'm just curious how many clients you have, like on average? Um, pretty much,

spk_0:   33:19
yeah, I've worked with, I would say, in the half year and 1/2 I've worked with close to between like 20 to 25 clients total

spk_2:   33:31
in

spk_0:   33:32
in MPAA's. There they are ongoing, but in a in a month I mean, I really I would like to work with around 10 5 every month. E Currently, I have just I would say I have

spk_2:   33:44
about six

spk_0:   33:45
or seven ongoing clients right now, mostly in person, one on one coaching. Online coaching is a massive, massive industry right now, especially for female entrepreneurs. And, uh, the beauty of online coaching is not old. Help you scale your business

spk_2:   34:03
and

spk_0:   34:03
achieve, you know, greater financial freedom. Ah, but it also allows you to provide you know, your valuable coaching services to people around the world and be able to impact people, a greater number of people around the world. And I mean globally. You know, the need, the number of people that are unemployed, the number of people that are unhappy in their jobs, the number of people that are not making what they deserve in the number of people that want to upgrade in their careers is I mean, it's huge.

spk_2:   34:31
Demand is yes. And

spk_0:   34:32
so I I can take my business online. I could help a lot more people, and I can scale and grow and you know, financially, the goal for me is to be able to send. I support three Children in Kenya, and my goal is to be ableto, you know, support all of them through postsecondary education

spk_2:   34:49
number

spk_0:   34:50
me financial, financial freedom and scaling my business for financial reasons is also really, really important because postsecondary education costs a fortune and um I need to be able to support these three Children. So I am going. I am planning on taking my business online. I already signed up with a coach that teaches people how to take their businesses online.

spk_2:   35:10
So,

spk_0:   35:11
um yeah, so I am. I'm really excited to make that happen this year.

spk_2:   35:18
One day I can't wait to see that. That's awesome. Yeah, they go. It's a particular industry, or like job title that you specialize in helping, like placing people. I don't know if this is what career coaches talk to like do. Okay, so there it is.

spk_0:   35:35
Yes, great question. So I do have a knee, my knee. She is purpose driven career. So everything my niche is aligned with my own personal and professional backgrounds. So it's for mainly young women. But I do work with men as well,

spk_2:   35:50
but

spk_0:   35:51
maybe young women that are interested in careers that again haven't impacted the world purpose turbine careers. So nonprofit, uh, international development social enterprises on also, of course, sales jobs and tech startup, because that's also my background, my for corporate social responsibility, statement, sustainability, any any type of social innovation, any type of job that is making a positive impact in the world those air clients that I work with And then I focus on because my background is in the non profit international development and start up world.

spk_2:   36:32
What is the most common question people ask you when you first worked with, um, let's take myself, for example, if I continue to not have success in my job search time, don't want to work with Curry, coach at some point, and then I probably will maybe treated kind of like a therapy session where I want to talk about what I sound wise and not working and things like that. So, um, yeah, do people come to career coaches with, like, certain problems and issues that they want to ask you how to correct or how to do better?

spk_0:   36:59
Yeah, Angela, that's so interesting that you say that because while I obviously get a

spk_2:   37:06
lot of

spk_0:   37:07
questions about hey, how can I improve my resume and a doctor? I don't know

spk_2:   37:10
what to

spk_0:   37:10
do next. I don't know how much money I wanna bake. I'm not sure what type of role or company I won't work for. I also I also actually deal with a lot of clients with dealing with depression, anxiety, mental health And, uh, so a lot of my coaching is actually a lot more holistic and also focuses a lot on building self esteem and building confidence and being able to confidently communicate and sell yourself in an interview and mind. Bet. Positive mindset, growth mindset. Police. So a lot of my coaching focuses around that common questions that I get and just a lot of my clients. A lot of my clients are stuck with the job search for their like, I don't know. I don't really know what I want next. They don't really know how to start. Don't really have a network to connect with, uh, that kind of thing. They're sort of stock. They're lost. They're not really sure how to approach the job search or how toe like strategy wise how to go

spk_2:   38:13
about doing that.

spk_0:   38:15
And then I would find a lot of other people are just figuring out what is the backed opportunity for them and exactly what they want. Like what type of role, what type of company, what are their interests, what are their strength? What are they passionate about? I work with a lot of immigrants and es el speakers and new Canadians that some are looking for their first job in Canada, uh, or are struggling. You know, they sent out dozens of job applications and have not heard back from anyone

spk_2:   38:49
I have.

spk_0:   38:50
So those are also a lot of the question, you know, a lot of what? What I received and sort of thoughts.

spk_2:   38:56
And where my

spk_0:   38:57
science fair at?

spk_2:   38:58
Uh huh. Do you go to the point where you help them prepare interviews, or is it generally just on overview of helping them? How toe kind of package themselves and how to like, you know, like you said the resume, the cover letter and then also working on the elevator pitch?

spk_0:   39:17
Yes. So I also include Interview Pratt. My interview prep session is a full one hour interview prep session. So I really do the whole the whole full job search. So from our very first fashioning again, like figuring out what they what they want to do, what they're good at, what they have to offer in it and creating a vision board on a road map of exactly what their dream job looks like

spk_2:   39:37
and

spk_0:   39:38
the cover letter networking. So I have a whole session on networking and connect them to a bunch of people in my network and talk about what events are gonna attend and what coffee checks they're gonna set up and what jobs they want to apply for and how they could reach out to those people on length in the

spk_2:   39:55
building, in

spk_0:   39:55
action relationship. And then the final session is interview prep. Um, I also support with negotiations. So if they get an offer I support with negotiation and help advise them on how to negotiate and, you know, talk about the contract is the offer, and they have two different offers on the table. We have to talk about that. Um, so it's a very holistic. I help them from the beginning of the job search all the way up until the end, when they actually land a job. Um, and I would say it. My biggest thing I would say about coaching and hiring a coach and I are hiring a career coach think about Coach is they're keeping you on track. They're holding you accountable. You have homework, do that. You have to complete before meeting with them. So there's it's a lot more efficient and it's a lot more strategic and it's someone to hold you accountable. It's also someone that they're to be your cheerleader and to be your friend and to chat with you and to give you advice and to support you and to encourage you and to inspire you and I that one of the big reasons why I became a Kocian. Why I love what I dio and why I know I'm so good at what I do and why my cut my clients tell me like give me

spk_2:   41:09
good people

spk_0:   41:10
ping results because I'm every I love being people cheerleader, and I look like being able to lift them up and encourage them to

spk_2:   41:18
give the

spk_0:   41:18
motivation and help build their confidence in their self esteem. And

spk_2:   41:22
I

spk_0:   41:22
think everyone deserves the have that person that is cheering them on, and then it giving them advice and guidance. And it's their toe like have their back and to support them to help them achieve their career goals. You know, I have first hand experience successfully landing amazing amazing amazing jobs in the nonprofit World International Development start up and I've been wildly successful at landing Amazing Opportunities and Bob, why? I want to help people do the same.

spk_2:   41:58
That's wonderful. So they do like, let's go back to all the way back to when you were maybe younger. And did you ever think that you would one day have a vicious is that's, you know, for you to offer career coaching to young women? Or was it something that you know you always wanted to dio?

spk_0:   42:16
So I think like from early childhood days and even as a teenager, I don't I think at those times I did not know that I was gonna be a business owner and start my own business and be a career coach or being entrepreneur. I definitely did not know that in ice cool

spk_2:   42:35
it was

spk_0:   42:36
in. It was in university what I learned more about entrepreneurship, and I took a nontraditional or just get and I specialized in entrepreneurship at in my business program. It was then that I knew I want to start my own business. I want to be an entrepreneur. I want to do my own thing one day and then I have been career. I have been coaching, mentoring young people on the side. But I didn't even know much about

spk_2:   43:01
the

spk_0:   43:01
coaching industry. It was only until a couple of years ago I had a friend from university that started up her own coaching business, and she hoped she basically helped women, uh, with manifestation making more money. She also has a relationship, Ah, component sugar business, where she helped young women, um, women not only make more money, but with a relationship than back then having better sex. It's like very much like manifestation manifesting what you want in life personal, celibate financial success, relationship. And I took her course. And it was That was my first course I took with a coach, and then I was exposed to this massive coaching industry. And now the coaching industries is huge, and it's blowing up in the

spk_2:   43:51
end

spk_0:   43:52
that I was the female coaches all around the world and, um, but I didn't know early on about the coaching industry, I had no idea it would become a career coach. I didn't even really know it was It was like an option, Uh,

spk_2:   44:06
right

spk_0:   44:08
until I really just, like, explored and discovered, and that was often and learned more about the fact that Oh, this is, you know, career coaches exist. And I could do this, and I

spk_2:   44:18
could

spk_0:   44:18
be successful at it.

spk_1:   44:20
Thanks so much for sharing that with us. Um, actually, we have one last question, actually Were coming kind of close to the end of the hour. So, um, my last question is kind of interesting one. So, um, I feel like you have had many different rules in the past. Um, you worked a nonprofit, and you worked him for profit. And you also worked in sales. And now you have your own business. You've obviously worked in many different countries, and you help many different people with different backgrounds. So I was wondering, with what you're doing right now and what you've done in the past, if you ever want to change your career again, what could that look like?

spk_0:   45:01
I saw this question and I was like, I don't

spk_2:   45:05
know.

spk_0:   45:08
Well, I do want Teoh, actually. Sorry. I do know. I do

spk_2:   45:13
know that. So my

spk_0:   45:15
plan is to be not only entrepreneur, but to be a serial entrepreneur. My ultimate goal

spk_2:   45:21
is known.

spk_0:   45:22
Several businesses to start up several businesses and to provide to provide employment for young people to provide meeting employment, especially in developing countries. So back back in East Africa, in Kenya, I really because unemployment is such a big challenge. And there so many young people that are unemployed. My goal is to be able to provide employment specifically in Kenya. So I would like to start up, you know, and money businesses as I can to be able to provide meaningful employment. Um, a couple of the businesses and sort of my goals that I have in mind. I've worked in early childhood education. I've worked with day care and child care owners and directors. And I know that industry really, really, really well for my work time, Ana. And so I and I'm super passionate about Children. I love Children with all my heart. So I would absolutely love to open my own day care and child care center one day.

spk_2:   46:22
Um,

spk_0:   46:23
that one, that one of the businesses and then just just further special enterprises. I have I have a lot of ideas of business isn't social enterprises that I want to start in Kenya. So I would like to start up a business there. Um, that would that would be my next career transition. I will never work for anyone else full time. I am officially

spk_2:   46:46
in love,

spk_0:   46:48
especially South employed now, like I will work at the

spk_2:   46:51
consultant or a

spk_0:   46:53
factor as a partner for anyone else full time. So I just plan my next career transition will just really be, um,

spk_2:   47:02
starting

spk_0:   47:02
up another new business.

spk_2:   47:04
Nice, wonderful, Wonderful. I think you know why again? Making him a new assumption that you know, when people come to you when people come to career coaches, they usually have, like, a role or a job that they want to go after it. But there may or may not be having some issues where they just want extra help and guidance. Um, what do you use suggest for people that you know are not necessarily sure what they want to do, but they're just generally unhappy with what they're doing, Like, how do you help them? Or is there something that they can do at home to figure out what exactly it is that could be a target career target job, that they should go give it a try without knowing exactly what it is.

spk_0:   47:47
My my first advice would definitely like 100% the higher career coach. You

spk_2:   47:53
know,

spk_0:   47:56
that's exactly exactly what we're here to dio. Like

spk_2:   48:00
we're having

spk_0:   48:01
help you figure that out and hire professional. Same thing is, if you you know you want to lose weight or you want to live a healthier life value would hire a personal trainer name, bake your like you want a career transition and you're not sure what you want to dio higher career coach that what they're there for that what their expertise is. And you know, there is a professional,

spk_2:   48:21
Um,

spk_0:   48:21
and it will be the in the It'll be easy, best investment you've ever made. You're gonna pay it back in your first paycheck and you've invested in yourself. You've invested in your career, your personal development, your professional moment, happiness, your your financial success and financial freedom. So

spk_2:   48:37
that

spk_0:   48:39
and on top of that and you know, what can you do with, you know, on top of that kind of having a career coach, my biggest recommendation is just exploration and networking.

spk_2:   48:50
You know, learning

spk_0:   48:51
you can attend event, connect with people that you that inspire you that motivate you? That you look up to connect with people that love what they dio.

spk_2:   49:02
Um

spk_0:   49:02
and you know, you could learn more. Listen, listen to the work in progress. God,

spk_2:   49:07
Cash. Thank you

spk_0:   49:10
like that. That's really what you want to be doing. If you're considering, ah, career transition or career change or you want to export opportunities, you should be in a reading career blog's and following career coaches on instagram and signing up for newsletters and signing up for job sites. Um, the job boards and lengthen X wearing on lengthen.

spk_2:   49:31
You should be sending

spk_0:   49:32
as much time as you can, reading about different opportunities, exploring that, working with people, coffee chats, event. And that way you'll get greater and greater and greater clarity about what really excites you and what what new challenges you want to take on. And what sort of pique your interest.

spk_1:   49:52
Great. Thanks. Um, like my last question is, how can people reach you?

spk_0:   49:59
Yes, awesome by my door's always open. I love talking to new people are really friendly, and

spk_2:   50:06
people

spk_0:   50:07
can always always reach out to be in any time. I would say my instagram account is definitely the bath played she placed to connect. So it is a sorry dot career coaching. So sorry is a T h a r. I, um dot career coaching. That is the absolute best place to connect with me. I am also available by email of Amanda at a 30 dot c a a th air I and, uh, phone is good to, um you know, I'm always open to chatting by phone, but I would say, like in Grammond and e mails back. Way to connect with me.

spk_1:   50:46
Great. Will be sure to link that in the notes. Um, so thank you so much for your time. Amanda, It's been amazing. I really loved how you share your nonprofit in all the all the good things that you're trying Teoh build uhm for women and entrepreneurs that anybody who wants to change their career So really thank you for that. And also thank you for your time. It's been really great talking to you.

spk_0:   51:10
Thank you so much. I really appreciate the opportunity. I absolutely loved it and enjoyed it.

spk_2:   51:16
What you guys you're doing is so amazing and

spk_1:   51:18
so important. Thank you for listening. And that's it for this episode. We had a good time talking to Amanda, and we hope you enjoy this conversation as well. Have you had any questions or comments or suggestions? Feel free to share is an email ads or Kim Progress Blog's at gmail dot com. Or find us on Instagram. And don't forget to check out our other episodes. Thank you again and have a good day.