Hi, I'm Donna, a CPD accredited Business Strategist and Coach
I help start-up Coaches, freelance professionals & self-employed business owners get confident and comfortable with business - helping you build the foundations you need to get your business off the ground or unstuck.
Alongside being a strategist, I’m a qualified Coach with The University of Cambridge and am a member of the Association for Coaching. I absolutely love the Coaching world and passionately believe that the world needs good Coaches.
Prior to qualifying as a Coach, I was a self-employed entrepreneur for 30 years alongside raising three children and studying self development for more than 20 years.
Nowadays, I specialise in business foundations because ultimately, the stronger your foundations, the stronger your business. I know first-hand what it's like when there are gaps and the foundations are weak. I meet a lot of business owners who have been established for a few years but are stuck, and we can often resolve things by going back to the foundations.
If there’s one thing you should know about me it’s this: I’m passionate about business and always have been.
Growing up, I never felt I had one path to follow, or a definite career choice, so was always destined for a 'portfolio career'.
Years gone by this wasn't really acknowledged as a career path, but it's starting to be more recognised as a genuine choice, and I'm so glad.
I'm passionate about goal setting, positive thinking and the law of attraction, and all of this informs what I do today.
I've made a living from doing my own thing and I've enjoyed the freedom this has given me. Although it hasn’t been without its challenges either, especially balancing raising a family!
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in the last 10 years, is being patronised, bullied and sucked in to things that don’t align with my values, strengths or long-term aspirations - all in the pursuit of money.
There was a time when I worked round the clock to keep everything going, often forgetting to actually ‘live’ along the way because that’s how I thought people became successful.
Sure, that’s what some people do, but it’s not sustainable for most of us, especially those of us that have families or other things that we want to achieve in our lives. Not everyone wants to live to work, most of us would rather work to live.
Three years ago, I realised that’s not the way it has to be. So I left that world (and way of living) behind and started to re-build. This time, it was all about me, my vision and what I truly wanted. I’ve got a much healthier business and lifestyle as a result.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s that the foundations of your business must align with you, otherwise they won’t work.
Plus, because I’m also a Life Coach, wellbeing plays a central role for me. As well as helping you build a business that pays you, I want to make sure you end up with a business that you actually enjoy.
What do you mean by ‘foundations'?
Your business foundations are essentially the building blocks of your business. It’s all the groundwork you would do to create a business that’s ready to attract clients and make money.
As your coach and mentor, I help you:
- Get CLEAR about your personal brand, including your niche, ideal client, services & packages
- Find a Marketing strategy that works for you
- Write your Business Plan & set realistic goals
- Figure out your Business Strategy
- Figure out how to price your services & packages
- Overcome mindset blocks (like imposter syndrome)
- Develop systems & processes that help you run your business efficiently (e.g. onboarding clients)
- Get the formalities right (e.g. insurance)
A Combination of Training + Coaching
Alongside coaching support, I also give my clients practical training on all the basics they need to know to start and run a business.
There’s no guesswork involved - I guide you through, step by step and help you dive deep, build & implement from the ground up.
Most of all - you’re not alone. I firmly believe that life isn’t supposed to be an island and lots of time can be wasted trying to figure it all out alone.
My aim is to give you all the support and information you need to get unstuck and build a sustainable business that supports you long-term.