Chat with Veronica, how to find a fulfilling career and make a smooth transition.

Yasi: Today, our guest is Veronica. Veronica is a qualified life coach. She used to work in banking, comes out in and despite having a comfortable life and gray salary, she found herself the meal all fulfilled life. So she started a personal transformation. And that took her to launch a successful career as a life coach today, she was share with us how she made the successful transition.

So welcome. 

Veronica: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Yasi: I’m very interested that you had a corporate job, but later on, you switched to become independent as a coach. And what make you decide that you want to make your career change? 

Veronica: When I moved to London, uh, five years ago, I had kind of a perfect role.

What everyone would think is, wow, it can’t get any better. I was working nine to five salary. Um, my managers were lovely. The team, what grade? Ironically, it was having the perfect job and the perfect conditions that make me realize, well, if I’m not fulfilled doing this, if I’m not happy doing this, what else do I need?

So it was obvious for me. I was working in banking at that time. So it became obvious for me that it wasn’t about the conditions. It wasn’t about the promotion. It was about, it was about the content. It was about what I was doing. Wasn’t fulfilling me. It wasn’t, it wasn’t meaningful, um, for me. So I realized, okay, if everything else being perfect, I’m still not happy.

I need a big change here. Yeah. I realized I would never be fulfilled until I took that big change. So I think that was that, that was what triggered that decision.

Yasi: Then why do you choose to become a coach instead of something else? 

Veronica: Well, the thing is that when I started thinking about, okay, I don’t like what I do.

What do I like? So I had to start a process of self discovery, understanding my skills, um, thinking about what, what, what am I good at? Like what do I enjoy doing originally? I thought, well, something, everyone keeps telling me I’m really good at is giving a bias. Sharing tips, sharing guidance, listening.

Also, they kept telling me, I asked a lot of people for feedback and they said, well, your energy is great. So I thought, well, maybe I could use this to have an impact on other people’s lives. And that’s how originally I started to train as a, as a therapist. And I thought, well, what’s the worst thing that can happen.

That I don’t like it. Let me just try. And I started my master’s degree and I absolutely. I absolutely loved it. So from there I knew, I didn’t know specifically how or where that would take me, but I knew that I was on the right path. 

Yasi: And then you mentioned that you asking yourself what could happen.

Right. If you fail. So have you ever thought about indeed if it doesn’t work, what would you deal with?

Veronica: This also is, well, I’ve had to battle myself and my fears for a long time. So yeah, definitely one of the main. Challenges. What’s thinking about what if, what if, what if, what if this doesn’t work? What if I quit my job and I can’t come back.

So, yeah, that was definitely a big part of my path and a real challenge. But at some point I think. Something clicked inside myself and I thought I need to do it anyway. I have to take action. Despite my fears. I just, I just have to do it because when we’re scared, when we have fear, it’s because we think, oh, we’re not going to be able to deal with whatever we’re scared of.

So I thought, well, what’s the worst thing that can happen. That I’m going to quit my job. And I will have to come back or look for another job while I have lots of skills experience. I speak two languages. I’m not going to be able to find another job. If, if, if this, if my business doesn’t succeed, of course, I will be able to find the another role.

So I think having a plan that I was comfortable with and transitioning. Slowly in a way that I was comfortable, I was working full-time when I was studying. And then I transitioned to part-time and so that made it much easier and less scary. And yeah, there’s always a way to figure things out. And for me taking the risk was much better option than being, I dunno, being 80 years old and think I wasted my life in a corporate job.

I didn’t like, so yeah. 

Yasi: Indeed. Well, what what’s the worst could happen is that you go back and find another job, right?

Veronica:  Yeah. Yeah. 

Yasi: And so you mentioned that you made this transition. How did you, um, designed your transition journey? 

Veronica: I was working full time when I started, uh, what I was doing my master’s degree.

Um, when I finished my master’s degree, I’ve thought, well, now I’m qualified to start taking on clients, but, um, that happens slowly. So I started doing, uh, offering free sessions. Uh, two people I knew. And when I fall, uh, when I started, uh, getting testimonials and referrals and I saw that it could be that that was something that I could do for a living.

I felt well, how about I go part-time so I was actually, I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity and my managers were really understanding and they gave me the opportunity. To move from full time to three days a week. So I was filling up my diary. I was getting clients during those two days and developing my business, my website, writing articles, creating content, et cetera, et cetera.

And again, when I started that was working and that I was, uh, my income was growing, then I felt well, now it’s time to. Take the big jump and, and, and quit and, and see what happens there. There was no guarantee, and there’s still no guarantee of what’s going to happen because when you work on your own is it’s, it’s very different, but at least having that transition in terms of money and in terms of not rushing it and just like making a decision, I was uncomfortable with that.

Um, that was very, very useful. That was for you. 

Yasi: And the, when you started your own business, how did you navigate in the world of being self-employed? How did you grow your businesses? Everything is new to you, right? 

Veronica: Yeah, exactly. Actually at the time my head was full of. I have no idea how to do this. I have no idea how to deal with this because coming from the corporate world, I was working in an international company.

I spent 12 years working with international companies, very big teams managers telling me what to do. So suddenly being on my own was a big, big, big change. So basically what to do, I had to. Reinvent myself and relearn not really learn and learn from scratch. I had to learn so many skills from scratch. It takes time.

It takes time because you need to learn some skills that, that you don’t have, but there’s always a way to, to figure it out. And also I started, um, I wanted to surround myself with like-minded people with other entrepreneurs to learn from them, to absorb. Their knowledge and that optimism, you know, so hanging out with people who have done it before.

Well, if they’ve done it, I can also do it. I might have to spend some time or money, or I might have to invest some money on business coaching or marketing consultants. Uh, but there’s always a way to do it. So yeah, it was very interesting and it was like another degree because when I was starting to become a therapist and then a coach, I thought, well, No, I can do this.

So clients will come to me, but no, yeah, you’ll have to, as a coach, you 

Yasi: Also, you’re also running your business. So you are business owner?

Veronica: . Yeah, exactly. So I think the best thing to do is learn from the best. Be always open to learning new skills and surround yourself with people that are going to share that optimism and that knowledge and take it from there.

And we, I mean, we will always make mistakes and you learn from your mistakes as well. So I guess it’s a never ending journey of learning.

Yasi: And then where did you find those like minded people? 

Veronica: Well, I think, um, that lots of great resources on social media and in the website and also lots of networking events that I’ve found very, very useful, uh, for small businesses.

So the first time I went to a networking event, I had no idea what that was about, uh, who would be the, or. I was just recommended to, to, to go, to get referrals and to meet new people. And suddenly you see yourself, um, I mean, it depends on the event, but, um, or now online, but you see yourself in a room with 20 other people who are.

Facing the same challenges. So you as you, and it’s very encouraging, it’s very encouraging. You get to hang out with people who are doing the same thing or who have doing this for years. So, and people aren’t normally very like willing to help. And yeah, I mean, in terms of learning, finding a coach or a teacher learning this new skills is important and networking events, I think that great to meet like minded people and being that like entrepreneurial.

Atmosphere is really great.

Yasi: People are always willing to help each other for, for those right. Who have experienced it. Maybe you can let the audience know a little bit about your coaching. Like what exactly do you coach people for? 

Veronica: Yeah. Sure. So basically what I do, I run my own coaching business. I offer coaching and therapy services mainly one-on-one and now online, but I was already building my business online because that’s what I wanted to do.

So. Main area of expertise is working with women who are not fulfilled, who are not happy, frustrating, maybe lacking direction. And I help them, uh, reconnect, uh, or master their, uh, their self-confidence and connect with their power. We all have that inside ourselves. It’s just about reminding or reconnecting.

With that, you know, power. So they can start making conscious decisions that are more in line with their values and they can live a fulfilling and successful life. 

Yasi: Interesting. And why do you talk it? 

Veronica: Well, one of the main things. Um, when I was training as a therapist, I started a personal development journey, a self-discovery journey.

That was absolutely amazing. I got to know myself better. I healed so many wounds. I realized how. Sabotaging myself, uh, sometimes. And one of the things I learned during this process is how women are very different to men. And this is very obvious, but it might sound very obvious, but we are not taught about this.

And we are very different, not worse, not better. We’re just different. As women. We have this cyclical nature that kind of repeats every month. And we go through different energies, patterns, and emotions, and it’s kind of predictable because it goes with your hormones. It goes with your, with your biology, it goes with your inner rhythm.

So if you know this, and if you know how to take advantage of this is absolutely amazing. This information is gold and it really, really changed my life because normally what we’re told is that, oh, you’re a woman. So you will have to suffer. PMs for the rest of your life, or have your period with paying and that’s all you can do.

And this is not the case. This is really not the case. So all the stages of the cycle have positive things and we have different strengths that are enhanced in different stages of that, of that cycle. So there’s much more than. Okay, just take the pill or, uh, take an extra coffee if you’re on your period and keep going, keep doing what you’re supposed to do.

Right? So when you understand this, uh, when you understand your side call, these changes, you go through the strengths. You can find in each stage because there are no good or bad parts. There are just different. You can really start planning your life and flow with your nature. Again. Fighting it. So it’s like, we’re trying, I see it.

Like we normally trying to just swim against the current, no matter so many women feel unfulfilled and I’m happy because we are fighting our own. Nate, but if you understand how the current works, you can just relax and flow and life it’s. It gets really much, much easier. So I’ve had male clients as well, and I enjoy working with them, but the, the reason why, uh, I’m specializing in this is because this is such an important part of our nature.

That is not. Commonly taught, not even openly talked about, it’s kind of a taboo many times. So I incorporate these I I’ve the last few years I’ve been learning a lot about these topics. So I incorporate this knowledge within my coaching sessions and my therapy sessions with other knowledge. So that’s kind of my, my, my own approach that I’ve developed along all these years.

Yasi: It’s a very new perspective because when we think about. Uh, what women are going through. If there’s a hormone change, they become very emotional. We always think about how to minimize the impact, but we never thought about how to take advantage of it. And it could be something good for us. Definitely.

Veronica: Absolutely. That’s the thing that there is a part of it when we have a lot of energy and we’re more optimistic and maybe more that something is very useful at work to create, create creative. Uh, we love that part because it’s what society. Right. Doing, doing, doing, doing, doing, and we’re really great with that part of our cycle.

But when it comes to the slowing down and connecting with our intuition, understanding our emotions, it’s something that gets like, Hmm, this is not valued, or this is not appreciated. So we tend to hide it. And there’s so much to learn from. Uh, part in so many things we can do, we can learn about ourselves.

So yeah, it’s about just flowing with it, but I was never taught about it. For example, I had no idea this happened. I just felt well. Okay. It is just the burden, something I have to deal with this week or these two weeks a month. It’s not like that. It’s not like that. 

Yasi: It’s definitely not taught in school.

No aware of it. Like how to deal with it or take advantage of it?

Veronica: And definitely, and I think it’s important that this information gets out there because honestly I put it in practice. So game changer, it’s a game changer. 

Yasi: And from your experiences, what do you think are the common challenges that women are facing out?

Veronica: Well, I think, as I said, we live kind of fighting or swimming against a current, so it makes it extra difficult for us in terms of our energy levels, um, our wellbeing, it makes us so, so, so complicating and also because. I think we have a lot of pressure from society. So one of the main challenges I would say is we have to be a, we feel that we have to be everything for everyone.

And I’ve met so many women that are so burned out, completely disconnected from themselves. Doing so many things, being really. Superwoman, but not in a positive way as in giving too much and completely forgetting about themselves. And, and, and we, we tend to do it. We feel that we have to do it. We have to be the best girlfriend, the best employee, the best boss, the best friend, the best daughter, the best everything.

Right. And we pay a really high cost because we do it by denying our own needs and sometimes suppressing our own. Dreams. Even, it’s not even about dreams. It’s about our wellbeing. And I’ve met so many women who are so stressed and impacted physically and emotionally because of this race or, or because of this way of living life.

Like, uh, w w we carry all this. I have to, I should be doing this. I have to do that, you know, all this. Um, and sometimes we forget that life is about enjoying as well and, and also prioritize ourselves. 

Yasi: What advice would you give to our female audience there if they feel unfulfilled and have low  self-confidence?

Veronica: I guess I would say if something that we’ve been talking about here resonates, um, with any of you, if you’re feeling not fulfilled, not happy with no, self-confidence. I think the first step is to. And take a deep breath. So if this sounds like you do it now, or please promise me that you’re going to spend 15 minutes when you get home.

If you’re at work now doing this, um, Journaling journaling, writing, bribing pen and paper. And just writing about how you feel is one of the best tools I use. And I recommend to my clients because it’s so simple. I mean, you just need a pen and an old book. That’s all you need. And from there, uh, just take a deep breath, relax disconnect from the world for 10 or 15 minutes, just start writing whatever.

Um, whatever it is, how do you feel? What, what is it that you’re unfulfilled about? Is it your career? Is it your partner? Is it that you don’t know? Because sometimes, uh, this is one of the main problems we feel unfulfilled. We know we need to change, but we have no idea where to start, or we have no idea.

Sometimes we think that because we have a job and a boyfriend. We have no rights to, to be in fulfilled that SU what, what Wells could you ask for? So I would definitely recommend them to take some time to write, to write about their situation and just let whatever thoughts might come up and that’s gonna, um, that helps a lot with getting clarity.

He helps really, since stress, if you had a bad day at the office, you can just let whatever you feel in your not book, even if it’s not politically correct, that’s perfectly fine. Cause that’s just for your emotional wellbeing. Uh, you’re not going to be reading that to, to anyone. No, one’s going to read that.

It’s going to journaling can also help you to get to know yourself better, understand yourself, know your priorities, priorities, change in life. We change in life, and it’s also great to taking sometimes and see how we’re doing. Are we, are we, are we happy with, with our path? Is there anything that that needs to change and especially, uh, there is one exercise that I love in particular, which is a real confidence booster. And again, it’s so, easy. So if anyone is feeling low confidence, it can be in general, or it can be about a specific topic. Like you want to change a job, but you don’t feel confident to apply for other roles. Maybe you have a boyfriend you’re not sure about, or you have a partner, you are not sure about your relationship.

You know, you want to break up, but maybe you’re scared that you’re not going to find anyone else, any situation where you think I know this is not right, but I don’t have the confidence to do. One of the exercises I always recommend and in is a great is to, I call it the power list actually, which is about writing all your skills, strengths, positive traits, experiences, lessons you’ve learned.

So you do that. If you can set an alarm, actually for at least 15, For 30 minutes, even better. And you just write and write and write and you keep adding things to the list until the alarm goes off. Many people are feel amazed and are really surprised at how many skills we have, how many strengths we have, how many positive traits and things we have within ourselves.

So that list should be your Bible. From now on. So keep it handy and read it everyday to remind yourself how powerful you are, how many skills you have. And in particular, if you’re looking for, for a job, for example, I know now it’s, it’s a difficult situation in terms of many people being made redundant.

If, if that’s your case, for example, or you want to start a business and you don’t know how to do it, you can write about these specific skills you have, that would make it worth all the resources. You have to look for another job to, um, to start your own business, to look for a better partner. And that list is really useful to have handy and read it every day because it kind of, if you read it every day for a long time, it kind of.

The ends up being part of your belief system, which is what we’re looking here to have that boost of confidence, like some like a tattoo, like something that is ingrained in ourselves.

Yasi: And we also really just ignore our strengths or our skills and they will think, oh, we’re actually not so good. So that’s why we are not so confident.

But actually when we start to recognize, well, we have so many. Strengths. We have so many skills for so many experiencing this and this and this and this and do it every single day. Then naturally the confidence will come to us. 

Veronica: Definitely. Yeah. 

Yasi: And personally, have you done?

Veronica: Yeah. Many times, many times.

Yeah. I still, I still use it, all these, um, most of the exercises and techniques, um, I use with my clients. I recommend them because I’ve used them myself and I know they work.

Yasi: And so it’s your personal journey and then definitely you share it.

Veronica:  Yeah. Yeah. So I combined, because starting to qualify as a therapist and as a coach, I learned many different techniques and especially because my training as a therapy.

The approach is about having all learning different psychological models. It’s not based on, okay, this is the psychological model that works, and we’re going to use this. It’s about integrating parts of all those models. So it’s very flexible in terms of, it gives you tools that you can use with your clients.

So that’s what I, that’s what I do. I have like, like a toolbox, let’s say, um, not, not all tools work the same. They work differently for different clients, but I’ve tried. Pretty much, most of them. And cause I mean, it would be weird to recommend something or to guide someone through a process that you having experienced, if that makes, that makes sense.

Um, so yeah, this one in particular, an active. So many times I write reminders and post-its, and I have them on my laptop or remind yourself, remind yourself. Oh, okay. Definitely. Yeah. So for example, if you lose motivation, if you start, um, I did it a lot. When, when I was starting my business, it was a big change.

And, and especially at the beginning, I knew it was going to be a big sacrifice in terms of, I was given. Uh, a huge salary, very convenient life, very comfortable life to move to something that I was passionate about that I knew, but I knew it would take, it would require a lot of effort and ups and downs.

So yeah, I used to have like, reminders about my motivation. Why, why am I doing this? You know, like, because in the low moments you think, can someone remind me, please? Why. So crazy to quit that job, this all certainties and then the fears started to grow inside. Yeah. Yeah. So all that fear, all that sometimes the inner critic is going to take over is going to come up.

So that’s when you need to have those reminders, that power list handy to remember. Why are you doing what you’re doing? What’s your purpose. Yeah, it’s right there. You can do it that you can do. If you have the skills you have, um, if you don’t have the knowledge you can learn. You have dedication, uh, you have skills, um, you have the desire to do it and that’s it.

So these tools are really, really useful. Yeah.

Yasi: And then the two books you mentioned, can audience find it somewhere on the internet or your website? 

Veronica: Actually, I have have a page, um, in my website, which is free resources. And at the moment I have three, uh, yeah, three free resources in particular. So one of them it’s called mindset for success, and this is a PDF diet.

So this is just quick guide with some tips on how to have the right mindset, no matter what, because mindset it’s so, so important if we don’t have our mindset, actually I think for me, one of the main things. Was with this transition was to get my mindset. Right. And to actually believe in myself, because I said some people in my family or my friends were thinking you crazy, like, how are you going to quit that job?

Like, how can you say you’re unfulfilled at? So I not only have to battle my own fears and built my confidence. But I had to have like an extra boost of confidence to, um, to compensate their ones or their comments as well. So mindset is really, really important. So this PDF guide is just, it’s a very quick read with some tips or tools like the ones have been.

I also have a free video series, which is called step into your power. So these are five videos. So if they subscribe, they will receive one video each day for five days in the inbox, they’re like short videos with tools like this. I talk about how to do a mindset detox. I talk about our inner critic. I, one of the videos is about the power list.

So if someone wants to know more about this exercise, I give more detail. Yeah. And even hassle a mini guided meditation to connect with your inner wisdom. And the third one is a webinar that I did live. And that’s for people more concerned about their careers and that’s called top three careers strategies to thrive in uncertain times.

So again, I talk a lot it’s one hour long and that’s nothing for sale. Like the free resources are actually generally free, free resources, but that’s an hour of content. I talk about mindset. I talk about how to get clarity and how to build your personal brand. In these uncertain times. I also talk about networking.

So. They can find this in my in website website. 

Yasi: Can you, uh, let us know, what’s the name of your website? 

Veronica: Yeah, it’s uh, Veronica hyphen moreno.com and I guess the pages slash for, uh, free resources, but I can send.

Yasi: You cansend me the link. And then I tried to insert in to description. Yeah. 

Veronica: Yeah.

And from the website, I have all the links to social media platforms where I also share like, uh, lots of articles that I have in the, in the blog. So normally what I share is always like very practical advice, more than technical knowledge, because I think it’s. Useful for four people. So anyone who feels like having a look feel free, it’s all that content is there waiting for you.

Sounds 

Yasi: great. I’m going, definitely going to check it out. Thank you very much. Nice pleasure. Talking to you. Um, sure. Like what are you’re talking about today could resonate with a lot of people out there and I hope the audience would also be able to check out your toolkit from your website. 

Veronica: Definitely.

Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. It’s been a pleasure. And I mean, apart from everything I’ve said about my business, I was, if anyone is considering starting their own business, I would say the last thing I want to say. Definitely possible. It is definitely possible. If you put the effort, if you have your, if you know your motivation, if you know why you’re doing it for, if you feel like it’s your purpose, and if you really feel inside yourself, that that’s what you’re supposed to be doing.

Do it just try it because there will always be corporate jobs waiting for you, or there will always be other alternatives waiting for you, but this is something so rewarding. And if you really feel like this is something that it’s calling you, I would definitely recommend them to, to, to start doing, or maybe like I did at the beginning, transitioning or combining.

Part-time jobs or, or something like that. There’s always a way to do it, but it is totally possible. So yeah, I hope everyone gets this idea and maybe you want to encourage someone to take action, um, and take the first baby step to start following the. 

Yasi: Yeah, indeed. I’m sure. Also like the mindset, the networks, the coach, and also even two kids on the internet would help people feel more confident because most of the time, what prevents people from taking action.

It’s the uncertainties is the fair smoke. 

Veronica: Absolutely. Absolutely. 

Yasi: Thank you very much. And hope you have a nice day. 

Veronica: Thank you Yasi. And thank you everyone.