My Why: The Journey that Led Me to Become a Business Coach

We’ve all got a story and here’s mine – a dive into my world 

As a business coach and hypnotherapist, I so enjoy the wonderful privilege of meeting and working with wonderful, powerful women from all walks of life. Some are just dipping their toes, testing the waters of becoming a solopreneur, while others are at the top of their game and wanting to pursue bigger, bolder dreams. I love listening to their stories, gaining insight into what brought them here and of course, getting an understanding of their ‘why’. Why did they start their business, why are they pursuing certain goals, why have they realised that they’re in need of a business coach…their ‘WHY’. 

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been at it for, sometimes it’s easy to get off track and lose sight of our original purpose. The reason why we decided to chase our dreams, that incredible feeling you felt when you first watched your ideas come to life, that burning passion you had when it all began. Sure, life has its twists and turns but it’s so important that we hold onto your passion, purpose and why, both in your business and personal life. When you have unshakable clarity about the core purpose of your existence and your dream business, that’s when you’re on a clear trajectory towards success, whether that’s financial success or happiness and fulfilment. 

Considering the fact that I spend so much of my time helping my clients hone in on their passion, purpose and why, it’s only fair that I give you a little tour into my story, my beginnings and what led me to where I am today. 

So, grab a cuppa, sit back, relax and enjoy this virtual journey into Nirelle’s world.

Life wasn’t always easy, in fact, it was a rocky start

I am so thankful for where I am today, and the beautiful life I’ve created with my awesome husband and our two daughters.  It’s safe to say that I’m living out my dream life – I’m pursuing a career that brings me endless joy, I have a super supportive husband that I love dearly and have a family with, we have a roof over our heads…there’s so much to be grateful for. But it wasn’t always easy, this came about because I purposefully chased it and created it, on my terms. 

Whilst I don’t often talk about it, the hard and painful lessons I learnt from my younger days is what shaped me into who I am today. My early years weren’t stable, much less abundant. I came from a dysfunctional, broken home where I didn’t feel safe, supported or empowered. But rather, I was often subjected to abuse and domestic violence. It was lonely at the best of times and I spent my days daydreaming about a stable, happy life – one filled with opportunity, learning and joy, where I was surrounded by people I loved and who loved me right back. 

Purposefully stepping towards the life I deserved

Though it was difficult, deep down in my heart, I never doubted that I was made for more and that I deserved a full, joyful life. Every step I took was intentional, a purpose-filled step to walk me closer to my dream life. I followed my passions, learning, exploring, making mistakes and growing. I learnt to overcome challenges, quickly adapting and not letting them get in my way towards that dream life I’d envisioned.

The key milestones and bookmarks along my journey included: 

  • Leaving home at the age of 16
  • Studying and working full-time
  • Pursuing promotions and better pay conditions
  • Travelling and exploring overseas
  • Meeting and marrying my husband
  • Buying our first and second homes
  • Creating our beautiful family 
  • Establishing my own business – twice!

And you know what that taught me? That even in the most adverse situations and against all odds, I’m resilient, tenacious and fully committed to whatever it is that I set my heart to. Rather than resting on my laurels or wallowing in self-pity, I educated myself, built an amazing life, travelled and most importantly, lived – loud and proud. 

This is my big, fat ‘WHY’. Though, I came from hardship, I learned to thrive and pave my own way. With compassion, empathy and a hunger for success, I’m insanely passionate about empowering other women. I want them to believe that they’re capable of anything they set their mind to, that they too can realise the abundance of joy and success that awaits them on the other side. 

Let’s shine a light on my work experience

I wasn’t kidding when I said that I have a lifelong love (or obsession) with learning, reading and a burning desire to always be experiencing new things. I was never content being small or staying where I was – I always wanted more and that’s how I’ve acquired over 25 years of work experience. Soon after settling into work life and living independently, I went back to studying to secure better, more exciting jobs.

I learned a host of new skills, rinsed and repeated until I had two Advanced Diplomas – Business Administration, and Sales and Marketing, followed by a Bachelor of Business – Majoring in Marketing, then a Certificate IV in Project Management. I achieved all those certifications whilst working full time and continuing to work my way up the corporate ladder. 

My roles have included Doctor’s Assistant, Receptionist, Medical Practice Manager, Marketing Coordinator, Media Accreditation Supervisor, ERP Project Advisor, CRM Database Manager, CRM Operations Manager, CRM Database & Telemarketing Manager, Marketing and Project Consultant, Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer and of course, Business Owner.

Yup, I’m not kidding, there’s no way I’d be able to keep my resume to the standard maximum of 3 pages. 

The inevitable wake-up call that forced me to re-evaluate my priorities

Whilst I’m incredibly proud of my relentless dedication, resilience and determination, I know now that there were times in my corporate life that I was so busy pushing and proving that I let it get the better of me.  I was constantly in survival mode, and even when I was kicking goals, I often felt deeply inadequate or as many of you would recognise as ‘Imposter Syndrome’.

As much as I loved my job, I was exhausted and overwhelmed from working horrendously long hours. I was constantly travelling for work – jumping from red-eye flights, to home again, to being back in the office – without a spare moment to recharge my batteries.

That’s when my body screamed STOP! 

My perfectionism, over-exertion and “go-go-go” mentality eventually led to me being hospitalised with constant migraines, and “time out” was ordered by my Neurologist. I was given strict instructions to clean up my act, incorporate self-care, rest, more exercise and adding mindfulness into my daily routine.

Note taken, wake-up call duly received! Rest taken. New job secured and onto more adventures. 

My BIG, BRAVE, BOLD Adventure

After 20 years of making my mark in the corporate world and the birth of my first child, I finally decided to take the plunge. I packed up my husband, my baby, my safe life, my safe job… and traded my comfort zone for the experience of a lifetime. A 3-year life detour, I created and ran my own tourism business in Phuket, Thailand. I followed my dream and had a ball. 

Side note… I’d never worked in Tourism, I didn’t speak Thai, I’d never lived as an expat, I’d never owned my own business. I was a total rooky. I had less than zero idea of what I was in for – and probably just as well! What I did have was a burning passion and vision driving me, a sense of adventure and fun, and a bucket load of professional expertise and life experience behind me. Soon after we established our business, I was hanging out with tourists every day, receiving 5-star Trip Advisor reviews and welcoming repeat customers. 

It was crazy, thrilling, hard work and the best damn experience of my entire life.

But getting back on track, here’s why I can’t wait to work with you and help you achieve your wildest dreams 

I can easily talk about my corporate and business owner experience, list all my accolades and acquired wisdom on paper, but I know all of that doesn’t really matter. Let’s be real. 

My number one passion and mission in life is to elevate and guide you to fulfill your dreams. Empowering and educating women is what I live and breathe. Nothing makes my heart sing more than the reward and joy of seeing women overcome perceived barriers and accomplish what they set out to do. 

So, here are the REAL reasons why I believe you should work with me:

  • I often believe in the potential of my clients even more than they do
  • I’m passionately committed to your success and helping you achieve your desired results
  • I love problem-solving and the creative thinking it demands
  • We’ll initiate, develop, refine and enhance your skills and mindset to succeed in business
  • I’ll hold you accountable to what’s required for you to stay on track with achieving your goals
  • I’ll help you to achieve the crystal-clear clarity, focus and purpose you need for a thriving business
  • We’ll break down any barriers and self-limiting beliefs that may be holding you back 
  • I’ll help you achieve the sense of calm, confidence and self-belief you need to succeed
  • I’ll support and empower you to navigate roadblocks, tackle tricky problems and take bold actions

Plus, I like to believe that I have a business coaching “superpower”. Many of my clients have remarked on my “ninja-like” ability to instinctively and rapidly “see” a way forward, keeping them inspired and uplifted, helping them get unstuck and supercharge their progress. With my incredibly diverse background and skillset, I’m able to apply analytical thinking, intuition and years of experience to meeting you in the middle or wherever you’re at. Using proven strategies, I’ll help you bridge that gap from where you are now to where you want to be. 

Together, we’ll be a dream team, we’ll be unstoppable – just you wait. 

Let’s wrap it up, what are today’s key takeaways and what’s life taught me? 

With everything that I’ve covered today, I want you to feel and know that no matter what, you can follow your dreams and make them your reality. As long as you put your heart, soul and mind to it, I truly believe that anything is possible. You just need to take bold, purposeful action to make it happen. 

Here’re my motivational phrases to remind you how amazing you are:

  • You don’t need to be special, elite, or exceptional to chase your dreams You DO NOT need to wait for permission
  • Own your dreams, loud and proud.
  • Burn your boats and explore new territory
  • Build a plan, act on it and make your dream a reality
  • Take small steps, take messy action
  • Get uncomfortable, get out of your security zone
  • Disregard well-meaning advice, listen to your intuition
  • Ignore criticism
  • Be brave, be bold
  • Make magic happen 
  • Live your best life
  • Keep dreaming, but take action

And most importantly, you’re enough as you are. 

If you’re struggling where you’re at now or you just feel like you’ve lost sight of your ‘why’, please don’t make the mistake of thinking that you have to do it all on your own, or that you have to know everything and have all the answers. Help is all around you, don’t be afraid to seek it.

Plus, I’m always here if you want to have a chat about getting you back on chat, just contact me and we’ll figure it out together.