Profile: Julie Phillips: Consulting Ltd
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September 22, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
Julie Phillips is the founder of Julie Phillips Consulting Ltd, a coaching practice based in Cardiff. Through various coaching sessions, Ms Phillips shows women who are dissatisfied with their lives how to make positive changes. Speaking with The Fresh Outlook, Ms Phillips spoke about the advantages and disadvantages of setting up her own business.
What inspired you to set up your own business as a women’s coach?
I always had a dream of having my own business but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. It was my experience of raising a family, domestic abuse and divorce that made me turn my life around. My personal experiences and professional skills in supporting people (I come from an administration management and HR background) led me to train as a life coach and set up my own practice.
Did you come across any difficulties while trying to launch your own business?
The biggest difficulty I came across was deciding who exactly I wanted to coach. I developed a profile of my ideal client: someone who I would feel enthused about working with. It was at that point that I decided to coach women who were stuck in a rut and were committed to making changes in their lives.
What expectations did you have before setting up your business? Did your business meet your expectations?
I expected my practice to be my sole source of income and that I would have a flood of clients wanting to work with me. I quickly realised that it would take a lot longer than my original projections. Because coaching is a service, I had to rethink how I would reach out to potential clients. Once I understood that a relationship with potential clients needed to be built on trust, it transformed my mindset, the way I worked with clients and my practice has grown.
Did launching your own business change you in any way?
I believe it made me a lot more confident in myself and my abilities. In the early stages, it was me, my laptop, my telephone and a lot of ideas. I did everything myself and it made me realise that when I put my mind to something, I can achieve anything I want to.
Did you learn something positive or unexpected about yourself?
Definitely – I realised how much I love writing! I started off with some articles, progressed to e-books and have recently published my first book, ‘I.C.A.N.D.O.I.T – Eight steps to living a better, brighter life’.
What kind of person were you before you set your business up? What kind of person are you now?
I wasn’t the most confident person in the world when it came to believing in myself. I’m so glad that I had enough faith in myself to set up my practice – my confidence levels have soared and I believe that anything is possible. I have had to invest a lot of time in developing my practice, which has also made me appreciate my family a lot more.
Do you consider your business your biggest achievement?
It is one of the biggest achievements I have made in my life, after being a mum.
What was the response to your business like?
It has been really positive. I have spoken to so many women who have said they sense that I really understand them and how they feel – just from reading my website! I’ve also been asked to contribute to articles in the Western Mail, and deliver workshops and talks across the country.
What are your ambitions now?
The next stage for me is to have my own premises where I can offer coaching, retreats and talks. My longer term ambitions are to write more books - my next one is due to be completed early next year - and to set up a foundation to promote better, brighter lives for women using my unique I.C.A.N.D.O.I.T coaching philosophy.
Have you got any tips for women who want to launch a new business?
The most important thing is to be passionate about the product or service you are trying to sell. Research your idea and understand the needs of your target market. Prepare to be flexible or be in a position to adjust elements of your plan to grow your business.
For more information, visit www.juliephillips.org
