National Small Business Week is May 1st through the 7th. It’s a time to honor and celebrate the resiliency and tenacity of entrepreneurs and innovative startups.
National Small Business Week
During National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration will hold its National Small Business Week Virtual Summit from May 2-5, 2022. The free Virtual Summit provides access to educational webinars, federal resources, and networking opportunities to help you start, grow, or recover your business.
For more information about National Small Business Week and to register for the Virtual Summit, visit www.sba.gov/nsbw.
In recognition of National Small Business Week, sharing this inspirational quote from Mark Cuban during his 2021 National Small Business Week keynote speech:
"There are two amazingly unique moments in every small business owner's life: the day you decide to start your business and every single day when you wake up."
There are 32.5 million small businesses in the U.S. and every entrepreneur and small business has a unique story. Sharing a few insights into my unfolding story.
How A Pivot from Corporate Global Pharmaceuticals Led to Impacting Lives
Seven years ago, I became an entrepreneur with a vision of impacting lives and inspiring successful outcomes.
I founded One True You, LLC in 2015 after retiring from a corporate career in Global Pharmaceuticals.
One True You, LLC provides leadership, career, and life coaching guidance, knowledge, practical tools, and resources for leaders wanting to make a change.
We work together to address leadership and life needs relating to communication, confidence, work-life balance, career change, planning for retirement, enhancing relationships, and more.
The why for founding One True You, LLC was inspired by my own career and life experiences.
I spent more than three decades in Global Pharmaceuticals leading, mentoring, developing, and coaching high-performing teams and individuals. I was with Abbott for thirty years and AbbVie for three years. During that time, I was balancing a full-time career and leadership responsibilities while navigating life’s many challenges. Several significant life changing events altered my personal and professional direction.
Achieve Early Retirement By Creating Actionable Plans
At fifty-one, I began planning my retirement from Corporate. I needed more flexibility in my life to support my families’ needs and developed a retirement plan to support those needs.
Because this was an early retirement, I knew that I wanted to remain in a professional leadership role and make a difference for other leaders that were experiencing challenges in their lives and careers.
Before retiring, I successfully completed an International Coach Federation-accredited coach training program and with the achievement of professional coaching certification became an International Coach Federation Member.
Navigating through challenging times alone can feel like you’re in a relentless storm. It can be hard to see past the dark clouds and find the silver lining.
When I began my business seven years ago, my vision as a professional coach was to be the “guiding ray of light” helping other leaders weather their challenges, overcome their difficulties, and be the best version of themselves so they could lead more fulfilling lives.
The transition out of Corporate and into Leadership and Life Coaching as an entrepreneur was the best decision I made for my life.
Ease Leadership and Life Transition Challenges With Life Coaching Support
I have a special affinity for working with Corporate executives and leaders in global pharmaceuticals and other industries.
Often these leaders are experiencing leadership challenges, wanting to change careers, or are nearing retirement and want to develop a plan for what’s next.
Leaders choose to work with me, because I’ve been where they are. Having been in Corporate for more than thirty years, I understand their unique needs and challenges and can provide new perspective and guidance.
Leadership and life challenges aren’t always in our control.
When I coach, I coach holistically and we look at all aspects of a leader’s life that may be causing challenge or imbalance, and identify what needs to change.
Virtual Life Coaching Through Referrals Creates Trust and Successful Outcomes
The benefit of a virtual coaching business is having the opportunity to meet new clients. I value the coaching relationship I have with every client. I especially enjoy receiving referrals from a former client or associate. That shared connection helps create a quicker path to building trust in our coaching relationship.
I coach leaders and small business owners that are experiencing transition challenges in their careers, work, and life.
They may be in Corporate and want to make a career change.
They may be nearing retirement and want to create a plan for achieving retirement and deciding what’s next.
They may be in a leadership role, experiencing organization change, or communication challenges with team members.
The leaders and small business owners that I work with are ready to commit to a coaching relationship. We meet on a regular basis (at least twice a month) to gain forward movement.
Gratitude Defines Success
I’m grateful for the many lives I’ve touched during the last seven years through my "Create Your Best Life" workshops and "Make Your Best Even Better" speaking engagements with universities and business networks.
What I’m most grateful for are the successful outcomes that each One True You, LLC client has experienced through our coaching work together.
These leaders have inspiring success stories. To learn more about how One True You, LLC clients are changing their lives, surpassing their limitations, and achieving their personal and professional goals through coaching read:
Visualize The Next Five Years
I plan to continue to help One True You, LLC clients navigate their leadership and life challenges, as well as transition from long-time Corporate leadership roles to achieve early retirement. As leaders retire, they often choose to relocate across the U.S. as well as overseas. My vision is to continue to maintain these relationships, and expand virtual coaching services in partnership with organizations who want to provide leadership and life coaching services to support the needs of all their team members.
Talk With a Professional Coach About Your Career and Life Coaching Needs
If you’d like to share your story and talk about the challenges or changes you’d like to make in your work or life, reach out and schedule a complimentary Clarity Call. During the call we’ll get acquainted and talk about an action you can take to address your challenge or change, and explore whether you have interest in coaching to help achieve your next steps.
Reserve a Complimentary Clarity Call to talk with me virtually about a leadership, career, or life challenge you’re experiencing.
About the Author:
Deborah Petropoulos, Executive Life Coach and Founder of One True You, LLC works with small business owners, entrepreneurs, and high-performing leaders in Global Pharmaceuticals and other industries who are experiencing mid-life challenges, workplace stress and burnout, considering a career change, or want to create a plan for retirement and what's next in life.
Professionals that choose One True You, LLC for their leadership and life coaching needs learn new ways to navigate their challenges and find renewed satisfaction and fulfillment in their careers and lives.