Movers and Shakers | Ekua Cant | Be Your No. Cheerleader
London-based entrepreneur Ekua, founder of Be Your No.1 Cheerleader, launched her business four-and-a-half-year ago. As a LinkedIn and Career Coach, she specialises in empowering clients to harness the potential of LinkedIn for both career advancement and business triumphs. Ekua also collaborates with organisations to foster inclusive cultures and cultivate a diverse talent pool, ensuring sustainable growth and innovation.
What inspired you to start your own business?
The reason I wanted to start my own career coaching business was because I was
always trying to find the right fit for me. I was lacking in confidence and bogged down by my
mindset and beliefs about my potential.
I have felt a calling to help people to unleash their fullest potential. In the beginning, it was about helping them to find new jobs. Now it’s about helping ambitious career women and entrepreneurs to leverage
LinkedIn for success.
What were the first few steps you took to get the business up and running?
I have always been that person encouraging people to put themselves out there! I’m a
huge fan of sharing your ideas with the world, testing them and iterating on them.
I would say the first steps I took to start getting my business up and running was setting
up social media accounts and sharing about what I was launching.
How far ahead do you plan and what keeps you on track and motivated?
I plan my year in quarters, in addition to having a goal for the year. I focus on the quarter
goals, track my data and make adjustments.
What keeps me motivated is my mission to help as many people as possible to unleash their potential and to leverage LinkedIn for career advancement and business success. I enjoy seeing the people I work with win and succeed. It motivates me.
I am also motivated by being in supportive entrepreneurial communities, which hold me when I have down moments, cheer for me and lift me when I need support.
Are there any sacrifices you’ve had to make as an entrepreneur?
As an entrepreneur, I haven’t had to give anything up. I came to realise the most important thing that you can do for yourself as an entrepreneur is realise that self-care isn’t optional and that you need to schedule downtime, to rest, to sleep and put down building your empire! Because you cannot be your best when you’re tired, burnout and overwhelmed.
What has been the most amazing day in your entrepreneurial life so far?
It was the day that I published my motivational self-help book, Be Your No.1 Cheerleader! Writing a book was a massive accomplishment and the day that I held a physical copy in my hands was a very special day indeed!
What has been your scariest moment?
The scariest moments were in the last two years when my husband had a serious
bike accident (which he has made a full recovery from). The impact of having a loved one in a life-or-death situation puts everything into perspective. It was a lot and it made me consider if I wanted to continue to build my business.
I also experienced some mental health challenges in relation to growing my business and feeling frustrated at not being where I wanted to be. When my mental health started to suffer, I considered
closing my business down.
How do you work on making your business grow?
I work on making my business grow in 4 ways which are:
- Leveraging LinkedIn to make and build connections with people and
organisations - Investing in myself and my personal development as a business owner
- Seeking out synergistic collaboration opportunities
- I use LinkedIn Lives to share educational and valuable content to help women
with career advancement and businesses to leverage LinkedIn for success
What is the best thing about being your own boss?
The best thing about being my own boss is I get to decide what I work on and what I
don’t!
What are the challenges of working for yourself and how do you tackle
them?
The main challenges of working for myself for me personally are around work-life
balance.
As an entrepreneur, it can be challenging to think that you need to be always
on. I make sure I go for a daily walk, during my working week to give myself a break. In
addition to having set working hours which I try to stick to.
I have a new mantra which is: the rest of the success. I have recently started following
and been influenced by Nikki St Paul, and attended her Rest Fest, which was an hour to
unplug, unwind and give yourself space, to just be, to stretch and connect with
being present.
Work-life balance is something I am continuing to improve and iterate on.
Who do you admire or look to for inspiration as a business owner?
I admire David Mcqueen, Leadership Speaker & Coach. He uses his voice powerfully
and inspires me to use my voice, think bigger and make bold moves as a
business owner.
What piece of advice has had the most impact on your business? And who
was it from?
It was from Yinka Ewoula and it was what I need to do have the greatest success in business is to work on my:
Identity
Belief
Mindset
What this means is that to unlock my fullest potential in my business I must believe I will
succeed, decide what I want to be known for and keep up-leveling on my Mindset practices.
In short if you want to be a successful entrepreneur you need to believe that you will succeed and
take intentional action to make that happen. And that means changing direction, trying new
things and ultimately backing yourself by taking action reviewing your data to see where you are
working. And when you find what is working, double down on that!
What are the three books, websites or resources (professional or personal)
that you would recommend to other business owners?
The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
Innercise – The New Science To Unlock Your Brain’s Hidden Power
The Cashflow Whisperer – Yinka Ewoula
What other passions do you have away from your business? How do you
relax?
I enjoy baking and am a hobby baker. I bake cakes, biscuits, bread and savoury
items like pancakes. Baking helps me to relax.
I have a monthly appointment with my Wellness Therapist where I have a facial and back massage.
Afshan – Your Mind is your beauty
