If you want to be a teen coach and you’re not sure where to start, you may want to pay attention to this.
Nomveliso Mbanga is a teen coach and mentor. She is also a youth public speaker & facilitator, storyteller and the founder and managing director at Mayine Development Institute, a start-up based in South Africa. “I can identify with poverty but I identify more with defying the odds and creating your own legacy through hard work and patience.” Nomveliso says.
SLA contributor Goistemang asked Nomveliso what advice she’d give to young women looking to start a business as a coach/mentor with little money and this is what Nomveliso had to say.
Understand your skills
First you need to know what you can do and what you are good at, plus any natural gifts. Choose an area that is of your passion and that you know very well. Build good relationships with people and follow good ethical practices.
Don’t be afraid to learn new things
What worked in starting Nomveliso’s own business was learning past experiences. She was willing to make mistakes. Personal development is key when you keep learning and trying out different methods.
Easy and comfortable will usually give normal results and won’t give anything worth applauding. You need to know what you want to achieve.
I want to create full transformation spaces for teenagers who will learn to understand that they are responsible for their personal growth and success in life. That made me come up with out of the ordinary methods to give me my desired results. I wanted to set up my business differently from other coaches. I didn’t exist before and I manage to create my own niche in the field.
Cherish your network
In my case, I started with no money only because I had already built a following in youth development work. Through them, I tested a few models that gave me results. So, it was easy to trust that I could do it on my own as I have done it all in corporate and community space before.
Family and friends are also very important, they will uplift you in tough times.
The biggest challenges come from self
Self-doubt kicks a lot harder than challenges from others. One rejection can set you back and make you scared to approach new potential clients or partners. You need to know how to snap out of discouragement quickly. Know how to manage competition in a healthy way so you can keep improving your work instead of getting discouraged.
Be true to yourself. Don’t try compete with anyone. Work in your own pace as long as you give your all. Keep learning and reading.
Save, save, save!
Another challenge is cash flow. You must always keep and save what you get as you’ll never know for sure when the next payments will come in.