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Name: Helen Packham

Business: Empowering Minds

Location: Brighton, United Kingdom

Industry: Professional Services

Reason for starting? I started this business after leaving my corporate role with no confidence and a complete loss of identity. After having children I felt that my years of skills and experience had left the building and were lost for good. After a journey of self-development with some breakdowns and breakthroughs, I discovered that the confidence and courage hadn’t left me and it was in there all along. So I started to use my skills (in leadership and executive coaching) and combined them with my experience of building two online businesses. I now help women all over the world to unlock their courage and really make waves doing what they love.

Related: Read about another business coach here. 

How do you define success?
 To me success can mean so many different things, however the biggest indicator for me is the difference I am making in the world. I am on a mission to help as many women as possible. When I receive feedback from a client telling me how I have helped them, that feels great. Success to me also looks like being able to give back consistently to causes aligned with my mission and having wonderful experiences and adventures with my family and friends.

Biggest success: 
At the beginning of 2016 I had no clue who I was, and not one shred of confidence. After realizing I was worthy of my dreams, I started turning them into goals and putting them on a vision board. One of those goals was to stand on a TEDx stage and share my story. In October 2016 that dream came true!

What is your top challenge 
and how you have addressed it? My biggest challenge has been creating a routine that means that I am taking care of myself, my family (2 children and hubby) and my business. My son is a non sleeper, and so I constantly have to manage my energy. This has meant that I am always keeping a close eye on the time and energy spend in each area of my life. I don’t feel there is such a thing as balance, but focus. To help with this I put together an energy planner. A daily snapshot that helps me manage my daily tasks based on the energy I have and what will fuel me, or have the potential to drain me.

If it hadn’t have been for the breakdown of my marriage, I would still be running a completely different business that wasn’t aligned to my skills or passions. I had been avoiding and hiding for years, not knowing who I was or wanting to do anything about it. My marriage breakdown forced me to look at what was going on, and so started a journey of self-discovery that enabled me to unlock my long lost confidence and start this business. It was the best thing that could have ever happened (and hubby and I are back together!)

Related: Meet the New Jersey Mom Granting Foster Kids’ Wishes 

Who is your most important role model? 
Brene Brown is a fantastic role model and someone I am always inspired by and continue to learn and grow from. Not only in her research into courage, vulnerability and leadership, but her own personal views and opinions, and how she builds her own business. It would be an absolute honor to meet her one day.

[box_light]Website   www.helenpackham.com
Twitter   @HelenEPackham
Facebook   www.facebook.com/helenpackhamcoach
Instagram   @HelenPackham
Other   www.facebook.com/groups/tenacioustribe[/box_light]

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Edited by The Story Exchange