Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in coaching but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sabrina Sourjah, founder of Salmon-Run Coaching, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm a certified Authenticity & Career Change Coach based in Toronto, Canada. I help purpose-driven professionals take back their Mondays (and Sundays) by changing careers and finding more joy and meaning in their work or businesses.
My coaching practice is called Salmon-Run Coaching because I correlate the coaching process to the salmon run that happens in North America every fall. I believe that we are all born perfectly imperfect, but then the "dirt" of life - societal expectations - piles up. In my coaching, I work with you to swim against these internal and external challenges towards your truest self and ideal life, just like the salmon that swim against the current to their birthplace during the salmon run.
Tell us about yourself
Do you feel like work stress is taking over your life? Your job is not as fulfilling as it could be, and you don't get to express your values at work fully. You go through the motions of life, willing for something to change magically.
This was me a few years back. Although I had terrific bosses and was blessed to work for great companies, I always knew something fundamental was missing. Something slowly sucked the joy out of me. I felt like an imposter, never doing enough and never accomplishing enough. I constantly questioned how I could be this ungrateful for all the opportunities I had received. All this despite having climbed the corporate ladder and delivering significant results to stakeholders.
When I could not take it anymore, I worked with a coach and transitioned to my true calling - coaching. Now, I wake up every morning full of energy. Each day aligns with my purpose. (Don't get me wrong. It's not all roses and rainbows every day. But I don't get frustrated like I used to because I know why I'm doing what I'm doing.)
My career transition took less than one year! Here's what helped me:
▶ Crystal Clear Career Needs: Most of us make serious career decisions when we're as young as 18, knowing very little about our passions, strengths, or purpose. So, it's not surprising that we do what our parents or teachers recommend. Becoming crystal clear of our career needs requires that we tune into our authenticity and remove all societal expectations.
▶ Tenacious Self-Trust: My self-trust was beaten down by being in "wrong" jobs and bowing down to what I thought society required of me. I needed to learn to access my highest self and build unshakable self-trust.
▶ Prosperous Financial Plan: We don't change careers due to our financial survival fears. I was in a single household with a mortgage, and financial worries kept me stuck for too long. You don't have to starve or downgrade your life to change careers. You need a sound financial plan and a list of backup options to silence your money fears.
▶ Plan to Realize Full Potential: In addition to a financial plan, you will need a flexible, step-by-step plan to bridge the gaps and make that career change a reality.
Now, I'm on a mission to make your work a source of joy, meaning, and growth! I began coaching because of my belief that we all deserve better jobs, better relationships, and better lives. I believe that we all have the strength to achieve our dreams, but we may at times need a slight push from a coach. I get a genuine high every time my clients progress towards their most authentic life by outdoing their former selves. I'm truly grateful that I can play a small role in their journeys.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a coach is that I get to create a safe space for my clients every day and help them get out of their own way by learning to manage their inner critical voices. I coach for those magical moments when I can shed light on my clients' self-limiting beliefs, and they change for the better in a split second of self-awareness. I also want to celebrate all the self-growth I have experienced in my journey so far. I'm still growing every single day.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Knowing when to shut down and relax has been challenging as a business owner because this is all on me now. But I'm getting better at seeing the relationship between my well-being and the well-being of my business, and it's helping me relax and connect with my highest self.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Get clear on why you want to start your business and how this aligns with your purpose in life. Consider how this business enables you to express your top values. Most people try to make life changes without enough self-awareness, which doesn't go too well.
- Doggedly work on your self-trust. I often say that when you have self-trust, you have everything you need in life because no matter how bad the economy is or how challenging circumstances may be, you will trust yourself to work through whatever comes your way.
- Pick strategies that work for you and your temperament; this is something that took me a while to figure out. At the beginning of my entrepreneurship journey, I followed recommended strategies without playing into my strengths. But now I know better. Of course, we need to venture out of our comfort zones, but there should be a balance because there are many effective ways to build a business.
- Bonus: Don't forget to have fun along the way. What's the point of starting a business if you don't enjoy building it? Yes, building a business is one of the most challenging things you will do in life. But when you connect to your purpose, do something you're passionate about, and make self-care a priority, you will have more fun and genuinely enjoy the process even through the hard times.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
This year, I'm on a mission to help 100 people change careers and find more meaning in life. So, I'm offering 25 free, 60-minute, zero-commitment coaching sessions to help you find out what may be holding you back from your biggest and boldest dream.
If you want to make an impact in this world and feel like something is holding you back, please feel free to get in touch. I promise I won't try to sell you anything unless you want to know more details about how to work with me.
Thank you for reading! I hope this was helpful to you.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://salmonruncoaching.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sabrina.sourjah
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salmonruncoaching/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SabrinaSourjah
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/career-change-coach-sabrina-sourjah/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.
