Continue to be bold and fearless, and seek others’ opinions and perspective. You don’t have to do everything by yourself!
After 15 years in educational leadership in international schools, coaching teachers and promoting the development of high achieving students, Dominique took a leap and decided to start coaching high performers. This led her to planning and facilitating group sessions and workshops and entering the world of public speaking. She works with leaders and entrepreneurs and she challenges her clients to slow down, dig deep and reflect as they transform and create the next chapter of their personal or professional life.
She is a writer contributor for Thrive Global as well as Relationship, Development and Transformation.
Dominique is originally from France and she has lived and worked in Europe, Asia and the US, holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Change and is an ICF certified coach who trained with the NeuroLeadership Institute. She lives a peaceful life in Brooklyn, NY with her partner and Professor, the greatest dog ever!
Where did the idea for your company come from?
When I first started the company, the idea was to fuse yoga and leadership to encourage and support leaders to connect mind body and spirit. When you twist, in yoga, your making space and I believe this is a quality leaders must nurture – perspective comes from making space.
The company has evolved into my coaching practice – I still use some aspects of yoga in it (breathing and yoga nidra) and I still work with leaders but the company has changed a lot since its beginnings.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I usually wake up and take the dog for a long walk with my partner and we have breakfast together (my partner, not the dog!).
After that, it really depends – I don’t like doing the same thing over and over so I organize the day according to whatever I am creating in the moment.
I take my client calls
work on writing content: new talks / blog posts etc.
look for new opportunities.
Work on my social media a bit
Have lunch with my partner
Meet new people
Learn: I am always taking a new course and learning something new!
I end the work day with another walk with the dog and dinner at home. My life has a lot of space for creativity, thinking and connections.
I make sure I stay productive by having goals for the day, sometimes simply for the next 2 hours! I truly value my work time and make sure I stay focused.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I have so many ideas! I write them down and wait a few days to see if they stick. If they do, I’ll usually talk them through with someone and then, I tend to just DO! I get into action mode and become unstoppable! It’s not always a good thing – I can get very obsessed with one idea!
What’s one trend that excites you?
Personal development, coaching and self-growth are becoming the norm. This makes me very happy because I believe that everyone needs help to continue to grow and gain perspective. It’s becoming socially acceptable to say that you have a coach!
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Taking time to slow down. Through the day, there is always a moment that I step away from work – whether I am biking to get somewhere, taking a walk, practicing yoga or meditation… It helps me refresh and stay alert and focused.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Continue to be bold and fearless, and seek others’ opinions and perspective. You don’t have to do everything by yourself!
(I still give myself this advice! Haha!)
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
I don’t think I can answer that – my reality is very different from the next person’s. What is true for me is not true for everyone else.
Here is an example: Everybody tells me that I have to focus on one thing and become an expert at it. Yet ,I believe that we learn from exploring and connecting all the different interests we have. I choose not to be an expert at just one thing.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Take breaks and take the time to celebrate your achievements, big or small. Reward yourself when you get a small win and regularly look back to see how far you’ve come. It will keep you going!
As humans, we overestimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do it in 5 or 10 years!
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
My business has grown from making deep connections. I have spent time building relationships and those have opened incredible opportunities for me to work with brands such as Burberry and Publicis.
I also have invested in professional communities such as Dreamers // Doers. It keeps me stimulated, gives me incredible resources and all the support I need when I need it.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
Organizing workshops that no one came to! That was the hardest at the beginning – I thought that “Build it and they will come” was a truth!
I changed my strategy to collaborating with others who already had connections and to organizing smaller gatherings. This allowed me to feel that I was making progress, to gain confidence and it lead to building bigger events slowly, but surely.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
If you have a skill / knowledge that teachers could benefit from, build a little side hustle by selling resources for teachers on Teachers Pay Teachers!
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
A membership to Innovation Women. It has opened many doors and I have learned a lot from it.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?
I love Asana. I have a lot of different projects and it helps me stay organized as I can break each of them down individually, set reminders and collaborate with others when needed.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It. This book by Valerie Young is a must for everyone, not just women! It’s a great reminder of where lack of confidence comes from and how we can make sure that we don’t listen to the voices inside.
As entrepreneurs, all of us go through self-doubt. This book will help you reframe.
What is your favorite quote?
No brainer: It’s from Dr. Seuss.
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
Key Learnings:
– Always build time in your day to step away from work: go for a walk, enjoy a meal with a friend, meditate… It will help you stay focused and productive.
– Invest in professional communities that will keep you stimulated, support you and help you continue to grow. You cannot do it all by yourself!
– Form and nurture strong business relationships by being a giver and sharing your expertise. Take the time to truly know people and let them know you – they will refer you and opportunities will come!
– Read “The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It”. When the unavoidable entrepreneur self-doubt shows its ugly face, it will help you reframe!
Connect:
Wesbite:
LinkedIn:
Twitter:
Instagram:
Facebook:
Carlyn runs the day-to-day publishing operation here at ideamensch and interacts with our awesome customers and entrepreneurs. She is likely editing this with a cat on her lap.