My client Annie lent her time to answer a few questions about her experience with private coaching. Read about her story below:

Why did you decide to start working with a business coach? How were things before working with Hanneke?

I loved my job but I knew I was at a crossroads.  I reached out to Hanneke because I was burnt out in all senses of the word. I was a founder of my company, a solopreneur and I found myself starting over again in a pandemic.  I was working every day of the week and I was physically pushing through my pain to put everyone in my life first above my health. I had all the healers I needed around me – physical therapists, psychologists, bodyworkers and medical doctors but I knew I was missing a piece of making myself whole again and that was finding Hanneke.  The pandemic meant even more client work and deeper work for my field of politics.  I spent long hours in front of a computer and spent each day making me the last priority on my to-do list.

Why did you decide to hire a business coach?

I needed to infuse more joy in my life and ignite my spark again so I felt more like me.  I didn’t want to feel as though I was going through the motions of work, more work and even more work. I wear lots of hats – a partner to my husband, a daughter and power of attorney to a disabled aging mom and a business owner that wanted to uplevel in the middle of a pandemic. I wanted to lean into more of my vocation but I could not find the window of time to break apart what I do and dig into what avenue was the path to a work/life balance while straddling living in Boston and Chicago.  

What changes have you experienced as a result of working with Hanneke?

Working with Hanneke improved the quality of not only my professional life but also my personal life. She reiterated what my body was trying to tell me that I couldn’t work through pain/fatigue. Whether it was a migraine or my hip injuries, Hanneke proved I didn’t have to push through the hours to “finish” work.  Having a life changing medical diagnosis made me focus on my health and had me doubling down on working less hours and making more money per hour than I had in the previous four years.  I was able to add movement and lunch (!) to my schedule and still show up for my clients with more focus and calm.  I was able to craft a prescription to get more experiences that brought me joy and rest, both of which I didn’t think I could achieve while making money and building the life I envisioned.  She provided referrals to help me with different aspects of my personal and professional life that were so helpful – food delivery, organizers, cleaners, etc.  It takes a village to make my company of one successful.  

Hanneke helped me flesh out how to describe and position my core functions so I could share why I am different in my sector. Moreover, she provided me with extraordinary detail on how to navigate tough conversations and create hard stop boundaries.

What changes happened in the way the business is managed as a result of working with Hanneke?

I plan my time more wisely, e.g. schedule meetings on only certain days, and have administrative hours.  I can find my flow more easily and harness it to go deeper into monotasking or really dig into creating new services or processes in my client work.  It sounds so simple but finding the time for movement and eating lunch each day – away from my computer – has been challenging.  Working with Hanneke made me understand that it wasn’t just a nice to have, it was a must have.  It has been fundamentally life changing as an entrepreneur to have a sounding board that is no bullshit but also fully supportive of visioning with me about what’s possible.  There is no right path on how to be an entrepreneur but having someone who constantly encourages you to grow is critical.

Hanneke helped Annie to:

• Create pricing that rightsizes her in the market

• Navigate negotiation conversations

• Analyze current and potential client relationships - Is this client a good fit for what the company is trying to achieve?

• Revize and detail sales pitch to be effective and cohesive

• Build a work/life schedule that benefitted Annie and her family

• Establish how to set boundaries that she could stick to

• Get paid more frequently

• Switch from a life of burnout to a life of abundance

• Shifted money mindset

• Be afraid and do it anyway

Thanks for stopping by my website and reading this far. As you can see, I’m a multi-award-winning business coach and entrepreneur based in Boston, MA.

If you liked what you read here, here’s how you can get more support from me to become the best entrepreneur you can be:

• Accelerate your growth with this free handy download

• Read my bestselling book, The Up Level Project

• Work with me: Book a 1:1 consultation with me here

If you’re in Boston yourself, you might also enjoy this: Wanted: Business coach, Boston.