Movers and Shakers | Yemi Penn | Entrepreneur
Yemi Penn is a multiple entrepreneur. As well as managing her engineering consultancy in Sydney, Australia, she is also the founder of W Squared Coaching that seeks to empower others to live their best life, at the same time helping organisations build high-performing teams.
She recently opened an F45 gym in Brixton to bring people together from all walks of life and create a safe space for personal and health development.
What drove you to start your own business?
The need and want for freedom and choice, to change up history, to provide for my kids and I, without needing to rely solely on a man, to give back and contribute
What was your career path prior to starting your business?
I was an engineer in Management Consulting (I still am but manage a team while I focus on my coaching and motivational speaking)
Tell us about the business planning stage (for example: did you write a business plan? did you contact any business support agencies?)
Not sure if I should admit this but I didn’t write a traditional business plan for any of my businesses as I am goverI envisage I will need this somewhere along the line.
I typically choose the business that will have the greatest impact and give me the biggest reward by way of satisfaction, accomplishment
and finances.
How far ahead do you plan and what keeps you on track and motivated?
I plan in three month block but with a solid , one, three and five year plan in mind. And then I chip away at my tasks day by day till its
achieved or goals have been met.
Can you describe a typical working day?
I wake around 5.30am and meditate. On good days I work out for about 30-45mins, have a shower and then get my kids up and ready for school.
I would affirm my kids by reminding them how awesome they are, maybe do a little dance and then I drop my son to school while my daughter will head to school on her own.
I will then set my intentions for the day, i.e. what three things I want to get done today.
I typically work on my management consultancy and coaching business in the day and my fitness studio in the evening. My day typically
involves planning/designing programs and strategies, responding to clients and in recent months finishing off my book for publication in October.
What has been the most amazing day in your entrepreneurial life so far?
Sep 8th 2018, opening my fitness studio in Brixton, London after a year of procrastination and limiting beliefs. I just stood in awe as I saw over a hundred people come in to train in my gym.
It was surreal and a physical manifestation of what can be achieved through hard work, tenacity, having faith and being resourceful. To have achieved this while solo parenting on the other side of the world was truly amazing
What has been your scariest moment?
Quitting my regular, 9-5 job in March 2016. I wasn’t guaranteed any contracts and so my income as I knew it was no more and there was just the kids and I.
I experienced my first ever panic attack, something that I thought was adult asthma!
I experienced my first ever panic attack, something that I thought was adult asthma!
How do you work on making your business grow?
By being clear on my goals, firstly by creating the space to be visionary and anchoring it to why I want to grow. Most of the time it is to get
the biggest impact and to leave a legacy
What is the best thing about being your own boss?
Defining my own time and schedule. Being a single parent has a lot of pulls on my time plus a regimented 9-5 job that made it difficult to be creative and present for my kids at the same time. Automatically it feels like I have 40 hours in any given day and I just love that
What are the challenges of working for yourself and how do you tackle them?
Finances aren’t guaranteed in the initial months and even years as a regular job. It can get a little lonely sometimes without a team to support, it requires a consistent rock solid mindset to stay in the game and keep doing what you’re doing.
Who do you admire or look to for inspiration as a business owner?
Beyonce and Oprah, a little cliché but over the years I have watched these women closely hold the reigns of their business, which is ultimately themselves.
To know and own yourself in today’s world is a massive achievement, especially in a world that has this pre-defined script on how one should live. My upcoming book completely challenges this.
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What piece of advice has had the most impact on your business? And who was it from?
Probably from Jack Canfield during my training under his Success Principles work, which is that my response to all events determines my outcome.
I am clear on my outcome and so I laser focus on my response to achieve it.
Tony Robbins also highlighted that failure isn’t due to lack of resources but lack of resourcefulness. This completely changed the game for me, I stay grateful for what I’ve got and make it work for me. So far it has always come back positive for me.
What are the three books, websites or resources (professional or personal) that you would
recommend to other business owners?
Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki,
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki,
Success Principles by Jack Canfield
What other passions do you have away from your business? How do you relax?
Meditation, sitting by the beach and watching the waves
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