Two local businesswomen have joined forces to deliver a coaching programme to business owners, leaders and managers to help them face the tough economic climate.
Gillian Fowler of Usana Mindset and Brenda Hector of ActionCOACH have combined their complementary skills to deliver a six-week event including workshops and one-to-one meetings that aims to boost businesses in the north-east.
Ms Fowler, who set up her business two years ago after recovering from a traumatic back injury, said: “We know there’s a lot of pressure and stress for people running and managing businesses right now and there are people really struggling to stay resilient and to keep going, facing challenge after challenge.
“This impacts not only the organisation but the personal health and wellbeing of those individuals and their teams.
“That’s why Brenda and I have teamed up to deliver a combined coaching programme – she brings the strategy and organisational focus, while I help individuals unblock what might be holding them back, developing the confidence, clarity and positivity they need to transform both their personal and professional lives for the better.
“There are many benefits of coaching, one of which is gaining a fresh perspective and an understanding of how you can transform yourself and your business; that’s what we hope to inspire.”
Former oil and gas worker and business owner Ms Hector set up her coaching firm after completing an MBA at Robert Gordon University.
She also set up a podcast, Scale Her Up, which aims to support women grow their businesses.
She said: “There are over 20,000 micro and 2,600 small businesses in Aberdeen City and Shire so it’s safe to say these businesses are the lifeblood to the success of our local economy. We want to help them thrive not just survive.
“Ultimately, we want to empower individuals to take action and progress towards the outcomes they really want.
“Within a safe environment, we’ll help them explore and develop a clear vision and set personal and business goals, and sometimes this means having the courage to invest in themselves and to step out of their comfort zone.
“As Gillian said during our conversation in my ‘Scale Her Up’ podcast last week, ‘If we don’t do something different then we can all expect the same.’ Coaching can help provide alternative perspectives and reframe our problems, helping us to move forward.”
The six-week programme, “Transform Yourself, Transform Your Business”, starts with a full-day workshop on Friday 27th January at Ardoe House Hotel in Aberdeen, followed by two individual coaching sessions with Ms Fowler, two individual coaching sessions with Ms Hector, and concludes with a half-day workshop and next steps session on Friday 10th March.
Conversation