Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Valerie Miller, Co-Founder of Collective Works, located in Dubai, UAE.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business partner, Dina Bsharat, and I are Team and Leadership Coaches, and we help teams collaborate better and create greater value for their stakeholders. Our goal with the work we do with small businesses and organizations is to help you get a "Collaboration Dividend" out of your team. This means that if employees at all levels of the company possess leadership behaviors and connect better within the team, they'll be able to work better, be more productive, innovate on a higher level and adapt to change more easily, as well as help others around them to move forward with a positive mindset. One thing we know about the future of work is that teams and people working in silos don't work. What sets successful businesses apart from ones that don't succeed is the ability to connect with each other AND their stakeholders in an extremely effective way. It's actually become like a survival skill in business. Team Coaching is an investment in the potential and growth of your team. Smart leaders get this because they've seen the results.
Tell us about yourself
After having worked for years in the corporate world and witnessed firsthand poor communication and toxic behaviors, we became coaches in 2016 to try to help leaders and managers that were going through the same things we had been. We realized in this process that, actually, the more impactful work came when we had all the team members in the same room together during team coaching workshops. It's a great satisfaction for us to support a team that's not performing well and then witness them shifting towards a better way of work. We see the incredible impact we make, and it makes it all worthwhile.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Our biggest accomplishment was transitioning from in-person coaching and workshops to virtual team coaching and workshops when the pandemic began. We thought our business was over, and then we realized that, actually, we could reach further than we had ever dreamed. The virtual world helped us cross borders, connect, and find clients all over the world.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Team coaching has been around for a long time, but it's less well-known as 1:1 coaching. The bottom line is that it's much more effective for businesses than coaching one person at a time.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
If you have an idea you believe in, don't let anyone stop you from going for it. True fulfillment comes from honoring what's important to you, and nothing is ever gained in the Comfort Zone. Also, HIRE A COACH because it will be an investment in yourself and the success of your business.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.collectiveworkscoaching.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076074251655
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collectiveworks_coaching/
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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