Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Audrey Martin, founder of IKARO Consulting, located in Sydney, NSW, Australia.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We’re all about self-improvement and transformation! IKARO Consulting is on a mission to help as many people as possible transform into the best version of themselves, so they can create the outcomes they want in life. We function under the belief that Transformation and Self-Improvement begin with understanding your mindset and having the right tools to take daily action to reach your goals and objectives.

IKARO is a Quechua word to describe the medical songs performed in South American Indigenous ceremonies to induce a profound state of Healing and Awareness. That’s what we want for our clients to Heal, Grow and Thrive in Life.

We help our clients tap into their best selves by helping them understand their thinking so they can disrupt limiting beliefs and unresourceful patterns. IKARO Consulting offers Leadership and Life Coaching services, so our clients are both the corporate and business world as well as the general public.

Tell us about yourself

For a long time, I kept asking myself, “why were you brought to this planet? What can you do to give more to humanity while feeling truly fulfilled?” I love coaching and facilitating, and considering the 15 years of background I had in that field in corporate, it made sense to build my own Coaching-Consulting Business but I wanted to create a more holistic approach to my coaching (Body-Mind-Spirit) which is more aligned with my values.

So to get clarity before starting this journey, I took off travelling the world for 13 months. During that time, I did some deep reflection using the Ikigai Model, which I knew about. I also wrote daily and kept a journal on my insights, travel experiences, encounters, and ‘aha’ moments. When returning to Sydney in Australia, where I currently live, my “Why” and my goals were clear, but I still needed to figure out some details. The aim was always to help everyone, not just the corporate or business world, so to add to my Leadership and Performance Coaching knowledge, I completed a Diploma in Life Coaching to expand my range of tools and techniques. It really came down to choosing to do what I love each and every day while making a positive impact on the world we live in.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

For me, my biggest accomplishment is witnessing the inner transformation of my clients. One of the participants in a program I ran last year told me at the end of the day, “Thank you. This was life-changing. I only wish I could have attended this program 20-30 years ago. I think my life would have been different”. His comment moved me and filled me with even more motivation and inspiration to do more. This is why I do what I do, and I love it.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I think one of the hardest things, especially at the very beginning when you launch, is that you have to be the jack of all trades. Until the business is more stable and viable, you have to work on every aspect of the business. This requires a lot of self-discipline as well as an ongoing and never-ending will to learn, grow and develop. Things are simply not always going to work out the way you thought or planned, so you have to arm yourself with a lot of patience and perseverance. These qualities are key to success.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. As Simon Sinek says so well, “Start with your Why.” You will face a mountain of obstacles and setbacks, but if your “Why” is powerful enough to you, you will find the inner strength, patience, and perseverance to never give up. When our “Why” is clear, somehow, the “How” finds its way.
  2. Never stop learning – read books, attend seminars, listen to a podcast, get a coach, get a mentor, ask for feedback, and learn from past failures. Whatever you do, never stop feeding your brain some valuable and mind-expanding resources and inspiration! It’s the only way for you to grow as a person and to grow your business.
  3. “Be inflexible with your vision but be very flexible with the ways to get there.” The opportunities and encounters that will knock on your door might not be the ones you ever expected or thought of, but they might be the exact ones you need to keep you moving forward on your path. Start small, take it step by step, and in time it will grow.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Bill Gates once said, "most people overestimate what they can achieve in a year and underestimate what they can achieve in ten years" - I think this is spot on. My humble advice would be don't forget it and bring lots of patience, perseverance, and compassion to your journey.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.ikaroconsulting.com/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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