Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dayana Aleksandrova, a Certified Intuitive Life Coach, based in New York, NY, USA.

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

I am a Certified Intuitive Life Coach for women who are doing okay but are missing that 'oomph' from their life. They know they can do more and be more but have old programming and mindset blocks holding them back from their next level. Many of my clients struggle with a scarcity mindset when it comes to money and love. I'm here to give them that gentle kick in the butt while holding space and creating an actionable plan for their next step towards their dream life.

Tell us about yourself

I was born in Eastern Europe the year after the fall of the Soviet Union. I grew up with a single mom, living paycheck to paycheck. I struggled with a deep scarcity mindset and impostor syndrome. I became aware of my limiting beliefs early on in my teenage years and began reprogramming just by myself, without a therapist. Then, when I was 16, I won a scholarship to study in the US, and my life completely changed.

Now, I'm a full-time digital nomad and very active on Instagram. Every day, I meet incredible women who just can't see how amazing they are and settle for far less than they are worth. They want more money but have a screwed-up relationship with it. They feel like they still need to please their friends, partners, bosses, and clients. They have lost their inspiration, their fire, their drive. They have so much to say that they've been bottling up and shying away from. So I step in to create a safe, sacred container for them to express all that. And together, we create a plan of action to push them to their next level with grace, ease, and stone-cold confidence.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I got to do a TEDx talk inspiring people who wanted to travel the world and didn't have the means to where I revealed how I was dead-broke with $20 to my name yet living a life of freedom in luxury properties in the Caribbean. I also built a 6-figure copywriting business from scratch in 13 months. But what fills my heart the most is receiving an Instagram DM from a client saying, "Coach D, I got the job!" or "Coach D, I finally said No to my toxic friend on my own for the first time ever!" I live for the wins. And there is no win 'small' enough - they are all monumental to me.

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

Keeping consistent. It's easy to get fired up by an idea and journal about it for days. But the execution is where most people stall. This is why I, myself, have a coach, and I help hundreds of female business owners and those who want to climb up their company ladders stay consistent. When a client is working with me, I'm literally in her messages at 7 am like, "hey, sunshine, let's crush today - what are three actionables you're going to take towards your goal?" I find that this support and consistency is what actually gets it done. Another difficult aspect is asking for help. Most of us have been raised believing that we need to get it done all by ourselves or we'd be a "fraud" or a "failure." This can not be farther from the truth.

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

  1. Test your idea before you execute it. So let's say you've got a brilliant idea. Go on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Run some polls to see if people actually want to pay and have the need for this idea. Don't go create a website and a whole lot of content, just "hoping" it would stick.
  2. Join a supportive community or get a mentor. You need to have someone holding you accountable - this is how things get done. Unfortunately, when we graduate from school, nobody cares if we did our "homework" or not. So having that person checking in on you is huge. This could be a friend or someone you admire or a coach.
  3. I encourage everyone to get visible. I joke that I "live" on my Instagram, but it's true - I get most of my clients through that platform because I keep it real, show my face every day, and create genuine connections. I've even sent physical letters and gifts to some of my followers!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If you're reading this, I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you're someone who's revved up and excited to hit your next level. But maybe you feel like an "impostor" sometimes or care just a little too much about what others may say about you. Or maybe you don't think you are "special" and have anything worth sharing with the world. If you said 'yes' to any of that - I want you to visualize putting all that negative self-talk in a bubble and releasing it into the Universe.

This is your protective mechanism speaking. It's your ego trying to save you from looking stupid, but it doesn't serve you. I want you to write on a piece of paper everything that you're looking to achieve and manifest. Then, right next to it - write everything you bring to the table and the reasons why you are worthy of having these things. Finally, I want you to pop that list next to your bathroom mirror and look at it every single day, twice a day when you brush your teeth. You got this. Believe in yourself a little more for once, will ya?

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://dayanaaleksandrova.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianalexandrov/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dayana_aleksandrova_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dayanaaleksandrova/

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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