Client Stories: Entrepreneur Coaching
Plunging in, Taking the Risk: His Own Business
Nate was an accomplished, established chef, whose job had ended, and who had wisely enrolled in an executive management course. He had had years of difficult hours, bosses, and demands, and wondered whether he should leave the restaurant business altogether.
We explored what mattered: mastery, community, and his family were on the list. On his list of skills and abilities, Nate was a creative and multifaceted manager, and, although he identified himself as shy, he had the ability to connect easily with customers and staff.
An opportunity appeared: did he want to open a restaurant? Nate responded with exhilaration, and not surprisingly, with anxiety as well. We scheduled time for soul searching and talking with his family, and when Nate made his decision, it was to take a chance on a long-standing wish to have his own place.
Today you will find Nate thriving in his successful suburban restaurant, giving him success, relationships and a cherished and fundamental place in his community.
I learned a great deal about myself from Wynne. She offered me an opportunity to have a safe haven...and a way to get in touch with my own inner feelings, to strip myself of pretense and anxiety. She constantly challenged my feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy.
Wynne always made me feel good about myself. There were many weeks when the hour spent in her office was the only time I had pride and confidence in my own worth. That is quite an achievement and quite a responsibility for anyone. She handled it with great professionalism and aplomb. I really feel I am a stronger, more self-confident, calmer and more pleasant individual thanks to our work together.
—Successful Restaurateur