Organised by YUVA, Homenet South Asia, and the United Nations, I had the great privilege of addressing 120 women in Mauritius and actively participating in the transformative journey of 11 of them through an enlightening workshop focused on Women Micro-Entrepreneurs in Mauritius, guided by Dr Krishna Athal. Most of these women ran micro-businesses from their homes, significantly contributing to family incomes, revitalising local economies, and promoting community development.

However, despite their potential, many encountered common challenges, such as limited access to entrepreneurial knowledge, inadequate financial literacy, and insufficient familiarity with digital platforms. The objective of this workshop was to address these gaps by offering essential business skills, financial education, and digital literacy, specifically tailored to the realities faced by home-based women entrepreneurs. Additionally, recognising that learning occurs at varying paces for individuals, two sessions of free coaching were implemented as a strong support system to help these small business owners realise their full potential.

As a coach, my responsibility was to create an environment conducive to establishing a sustainable work foundation; to ensure that there was safety and structure for these women to explore their challenges and achieve meaningful outcomes related to their objectives. It was remarkable to observe that despite the age difference between the youngest participant at 23 and the oldest at 63, the desire to take action was palpable among them. Their aspirations varied as much as their levels of understanding regarding where to initiate the process.

Some women had never even been introduced to Coaching and its advantages. Nevertheless, during my one-on-one interactions, they quickly began to comprehend and trust the process, seising the opportunity to articulate their aspirations and share their current status in their business journey, as well as the goals they hoped to achieve.

Some of the women’s entrepreneurial journeys were merely at the conceptual stage, while others were participating in courses related to their areas of interest, and some had already initiated their businesses whether fully or on a part- time basis. However, they all shared a common challenge – they found themselves stuck at some point in their journey. As we understand, coaching is centred on goal achievement, but without the appropriate framework of business planning and the necessary steps to take, along with the guidance of a coach acting as a GPS for direction, the goal may indeed seem unattainable.

As a life coach, I have found immense satisfaction in assisting these women in discovering the most effective methods to achieve their objectives. Empowering them to stay in control of the driving wheel while having the full liberty of choosing the route that served them best!

Through our discussions, I observed the fog lifting as clarity began to take root in their mindsets and perspectives. It was fascinating to note that once we had managed to untangle the confused thoughts into coherent ideas, the coachee often displayed a blend of astonishment – ‘that’s precisely what I want’ – alongside a sense of disillusionment – ‘I already knew this! Why didn’t I consider it this way? When presented like this, it appears so simple!’ This is where coaching serves as a truly transformative tool and source of support.

By asking the right questions, the coachee is given the golden opportunity to reflect in a specific direction, enabling the person himself to generate solutions and clarity in the thought processes and beliefs. This process facilitated the clarification of business goals, adjustments to the business plan where necessary, and the identification of its competitive advantages.

Consequently, during our initial coaching sessions, we were able to establish the steps through a structured plan and examine the available options. The subsequent coaching sessions revealed a more defined business plan and an enhanced understanding of the path to pursue, resulting in increased self-satisfaction and overall motivation. The key dwelled in breaking down the bigger picture into smaller steps which made the foundation of an actionable plan yielding tangible outcomes. As a result, the desired goal was mentally feasible and physically doable.

Success Stories

To demonstrate the potential effects of life coaching, let us examine several success stories from women who have benefitted from the personal coaching sessions:

Career Transition – Jacqueline, a sales professional, experienced growing discomfort in her corporate role but was uncertain about her next steps. Through coaching, she uncovered her enthusiasm for starting a bakery and a travel agency. By employing effective questioning techniques, she was able to cultivate critical thinking regarding the establishment of the most suitable business and a direction towards making a more comprehensive transition plan.

Overcoming Limiting Beliefs – Yessica, a financial expert with two decades of experience, faced significant health challenges, lost family members during the Covid-19 pandemic, and subsequently resigned from her position. She found a new passion for developing wellness workshops and aspired to become an entrepreneur.

However, she grappled with strong limiting beliefs regarding regular social media engagement, perceiving it as excessive and dishonest marketing, which hindered her from promoting her accomplishments. Through coaching, she devised a strategy that aligned her values of authenticity and honest marketing while simultaneously enhancing her market visibility. She reported having already published her first article.

Work-Life Balance – Anne Laure felt perpetually overwhelmed as she attempted to balance her career and challenging clients, which suppressed her aspirations of becoming a nail technician and a creative box designer. Coaching enabled her to prioritise self-care, establish boundaries, and work according to a planner, allowing her to be fully productive while enjoying mental calmness.

She reported gaining greater clarity regarding her work options, completing outstanding tasks related to launching her own company, opening a bank account, and designing a logo within three weeks of our discussion, all while experiencing increased self-satisfaction. She also noted that having an accountability partner kept her motivated to achieve her goals.

Personal Growth and Confidence – Sangeeta aspired to convert her business from a physical storefront to an online shopping platform due to her impending relocation to a foreign country. Nevertheless, her limited understanding of social media served as an obstacle to her aspirations and self-assurance.

Through coaching, she explored her options where she could effectively enhance her knowledge at her own pace. She expressed feeling more motivated after the very first session, which positively influenced her self-confidence.

Conclusion

The field of coaching is both exciting and dynamic, rooted in evidence-based practices. By embracing the research and scientific principles behind coaching techniques, I have been able to improve my coaching effectiveness and achieve optimal results for our warrior ladies. As someone dedicated to community service, I have found great joy in supporting the growth of these women, inspired by their courage to step outside their comfort zones to realise their dreams. My coaching experience has been truly enriched.

A life coach can serve as a catalyst for significant positive change in one’s life; however, while I have offered invaluable guidance and support, the true work of transformation has originated from within these courageous women. Their readiness to fully engage in the coaching process, act on the insights gained, and persevere through challenges has been truly admirable and ultimately determined the success of their coaching journey.

It is at this point that they come to understand how they would have felt knowing they possessed potential that remained untapped had they not made the bold choice of attending the coaching sessions. Progress may have been made but maybe at a slower pace and would it have been sustainable if not directed suitably?

As a Life Coach, I strongly encourage embracing the journey of self-discovery and personal growth that life coaching provides. With commitment, openness, and the right support, you can unlock your full potential and cultivate a life filled with purpose, fulfilment, and success.

Kamini Ramjeet, Life Coach