Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Andrea de Baat, Founder of Unchained Connection Ltd., located in Bansko, Bulgaria.

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

I am a trauma-informed embodiment & somatic coach who helps women to build healthy relationships. I work with women who keep attracting unhealthy relationships but can't seem to break their patterns. By adopting new beliefs, increasing self-confidence, releasing frozen tension from the body, and falling in love with themselves first, my clients start to show up in the world as their radiant, beautiful, and authentic selves and attract happy and healthy relationships. I support them by reconnecting with their true self, overcoming shame, setting healthy boundaries, and rewiring the brain from sabotaging them most of the time to serving them. Working with the body, where trauma is stored, helps them to come back to a state of flow, so they can move forward much quicker.

Tell us about yourself

I am from the Netherlands and, as long as I can remember, I have been interested in travelling and exploring new places. It came as no surprise that I studied tourism and marketing. I moved abroad to Germany after my studies. However, I was deeply unhappy. I had tried to see several psychologists with very little success. I decided to throw all I had achieved overboard when I was shortly before 40. While everyone else was in a relationship or had children, this part of my life was not working out for me. I sold most of my stuff or donated it to charity and travelled the world by myself for 14 months. The trip made me feel better, but of course, it did not solve my root issue. It wasn't until another relationship failed that I discovered that my issues were related to codependency. Once I got the right help - everything changed within a year. Since I had been looking for answers for so long - it was very clear to me that I was now called to help others go through a similar transformation. There is nothing more beautiful than witnessing women start loving themselves and gaining the courage the show their authentic selves with radiance and confidence.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Starting a business makes you face a lot of your own inner challenges and limiting beliefs. While I had already completed a huge self-development transformation, starting a business brought it to a whole new level. You can't build a business if you feel you are not good enough and if you are afraid to be seen. Overcoming these challenges and to keep going with consistency, patience, and persistence has been my personal biggest accomplishment. However, for my business itself, the success of my clients is the biggest accomplishment. When I see them go off living their lives feeling happy and confident, and they do not need me anymore: this is what success looks like for me as a business owner.

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

It is hard to see your business from the outside when you are in it. Not having a team or associates can be difficult at times. That is why it is so important to have a coach and network of other entrepreneurs to support you. Support is the key to any goal you want to achieve in life.

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

  • My first tip is to practice patience. You most likely won't open your business doors and get run over by clients. In the first year, you might put in a lot of effort but with only little results. However, if you are patient and consistent in your effort, your business will start to grow exponentially.
  • My second tip is to make sure you have support. Get a coach, join a mastermind, and meet and network with other business owners. Starting and running a business can feel like riding a roller coaster. Share the lows, and celebrate the highs with others!
  • Last but not least, it is important, to be honest with yourself. Starting a business takes perseverance. How important is your business mission to you? How much does it link to your personal passions and strengths? Would you consider even working in this field if you did not get paid for it? Make sure to do your research before you start. Making sure that there is demand for what you are thinking of offering helps to set yourself up for success.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.unchained-connection.com/
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3TlU195
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unchained.connection

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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