Andy Kowalski: International and Accredited Qualified Coach of Excellence
Andy empowers individuals and teams to achieve remarkable results, fostering personal growth and professional success.
Andy, an internationally acclaimed and accredited Qualified Coach of Excellence, brings a wealth of expertise and insight to his clients. With a passion for unlocking human potential, Andy empowers individuals and teams to achieve remarkable results, fostering personal growth and professional success.
Through his exceptional coaching skills, Andy has established himself as a trusted guide, helping others navigate challenges, overcome obstacles, and unlock their true potential.
Can you tell us about your journey as a founder? What inspired you to start your own business?
I wanted to utilise my skills as a coach and mentor, as I hit a glass ceiling at work and was not going forward in my career.
What challenges did you face in the early stages of your entrepreneurial journey? How did you overcome them?
Getting established as did not know anything about marketing or use of Social Media.
How did you identify the target market for your product/service? What made you confident that it would resonate with customers?
Utilized area of where my skills lie, updated headline on Linked in and did changes to About me on it and also adjusted website to reflect that too. Also started to post and comment a lot on LinkedIn and revamped own tag line putting customers success as my mission!
What were some of the major obstacles you encountered while building your business? How did you navigate through those hurdles?
People were unaware of what STEM was all about so explained better and then used that strategy to reach out to them and process started to work. Also started to go to more network meetings and getting to know others via tradeshows and meetings.
Could you share a specific moment of doubt or failure you experienced along the way? How did you bounce back from it?
Was told by others that what I am doing won't work as no market for it, persevered and things started to roll forward.
How did you approach scaling and expanding your business? What strategies did you employ to ensure sustainable growth?
Used contacts in networks to help with marketing what I do, used Polish links to reach out to others via PBLINK and also set personal corporate pages on LN &FB to reflect that. Regularly go to Business Buzz meetings in Leicester and meet other Coaches and engage with them.
Did you face any scepticism or resistance from others when pursuing your entrepreneurial dreams? How did you handle it?
Frequently have naysayers criticize me but have self-belief as an optimist who is well qualified in my own areas so confident can deliver the objectives of clients, get a lot of inquiries via LinkedIn especially in African countries where Coaching is better known and appreciated. Adapt a steady pragmatic approach as know this worked well for me in the past!
Can you describe a key decision you made that significantly impacted the trajectory of your business? What were the factors you considered?
Focusing on STEM subjects made me stand out in a Niche area that people started to notice and encourage me. Also being headhunted for a project that highlighted aspects of how SWOT, SMART & Standing Out can make a difference to peoples lives by focusing down on personal experiences in HEI sector where I spent 40+ years working.
What advice would you give to aspiring founders who are just starting their entrepreneurial journey?
Do all your planning well, identify your market and who your customers are going to be and Why they should buy from you! Have an idea on how you market yourself and use your contacts to help you. Above all else, have faith in your own ideas, vision and where you could be in 5 years time!
What role has mentorship played in your entrepreneurial success? Were there any specific mentors who made a significant impact on your journey?
Mentorship is essential and have used it to guide me on my pathway and use it to help others as a qualified and accredited one. My former mentor from work inspired me to aim high and unleash my potential, he was ex Forces officer in RN!
To learn more about what Andy does, visit andykowalskiconsulting.co.uk
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