NIRVANA

Following the incredible women entrepreneurship workshop organised by YUVA Mauritius and HomeNet South Asia (HNSA) led by Dr. Krishna Athal, I had the wonderful opportunity of coaching some 20 women entrepreneurs through YUVA Mauritius, and two free one-to-one business coaching sessions were offered to all the women. It was an extraordinary experience and a great honour to empower these women.

Throughout the business coaching sessions, I was able to witness the business mindset of these women, their passions, and their determination. Every single one of these women demonstrated their creativeness and resourcefulness. They all were very eager to learn more about business and pursue training courses that would help them in their businesses. Each had their own unique talent and business interests like food, bakery, clothing, agriculture, IT, beauty care, crafts, interior design, and more. Some were interested in businesses involving social services.

I encountered several situations. A number of women had already started their business, and some had not launched their business yet. Some of them were operating their business on a full-time basis while some on a part-time basis. Some women wanted to reach more clients and increase their sales. Other women wanted to know how to start a business from scratch, and some of them wanted to clarify which business to start. Challenges such as financial support or permit delays were evoked.

My role as a Life coach was to help these women clarify their business goals, identify where they are currently in their business, brainstorm on the available options and move towards actionable steps and SMART goals for their businesses.

Throughout the coaching sessions, I helped them to see the vision of their business in the long term. This helped them visualise the bigger picture and their dream business. Powerful questions such as “What is the purpose of your business? “and “What are your life values?” helped them to clarify their business goals. Together, we went through their business model and brainstormed how to work out their business model. We also went through the different financial and support institutions that are available for women entrepreneurs in Mauritius. Some of the women were not aware that such institutions were available. Following which, we collaborated together and designed the action points and next steps.

As I moved to the second coaching session, the women had progressed a lot and showed a lot of determination. They took measures on their action points discussed in the first session. Some women already enrolled in training courses, others started to engage more on social media to market their products, and others had applied for financial funding to grow their business further. Furthermore, some women started to work on their business model. They showed a lot of commitment to pursue their business goals.

Many positive feedbacks were received like some women reported having more clarity about what they want to do. One woman said that the sessions helped her in her self-discovery phase, and now she has already enrolled in a training course. Others got to know the importance of having a business model. Some women mentioned that this was the kind of support that they needed to launch or grow in their businesses. Another woman said that the sessions were insightful. Moreover, a woman said that she just needed a push to launch her business.

It was a great experience for me to witness the business mindset, determination, passion, and strength of these women. I got the opportunity to coach university students, housewives, and experienced women entrepreneurs as well. It was incredible to witness them finding their own answers and solutions. They also showed a lot of creativity and had a lot of business ideas in mind. As the coaching session progressed, they demonstrated their determination and commitment to grow their business with purpose.

Myself, being an entrepreneur, it feels great to see other women rise in their own businesses and achieve their dreams. I believe that women are taking leading roles in workplaces and in different domains from finance to engineering but I also believe that the next step for women is to build their own businesses and drive businesses that are aligned with their passion, their compassion, their resilience, and their care for the environment. I believe that all women have been born with a purpose, and once they find their own spark, they can light up a whole world and the people around them.

What if we could live by our values and life purpose? What if we can become financially independent through our business? What if we can inspire other people to become entrepreneurs? What if we could achieve our freedom and be our own boss? What if we can live a life without regrets? It all starts with a first step. Hence, are we willing to take the risk and step outside our comfort zone?

Yashna Veera, Life Coach and Yoga & Meditation Practitioner