How I met Dee
I was introduced to Dee, after a friend shared her Facebook post, offering a day of business coaching sessions where, 100% of the proceeds were going to charity. That really caught my eye, she was using her expertise to help many others. So I booked. Eighteen months later, I am still working with Dee. This may seem like a long time, and you may be wondering what I have been doing during this time! Well, I’ve worked with Dee on my counselling business initially and then she began to support me to set up a non-profit which has given birth to Cuddle Bears.
Working with Dee
I’m that person, who always has ideas and I admit, I get carried away. With Dee, I’m not sure what she does, she seems to have a magic superpower. I’m good with ideas but lack business know how, but I just didn’t know it! Dee listens to my idea, and then she asks questions, these are usually things I haven’t even considered, even though I’ve spent a considerable amount of time, by this point, thinking through my idea.
This then follows a sort of reshaping. Ideas remain intact, but Dee adds in the framework and structure necessary for success. I always go away from sessions, thinking, “blimey, what happened then!” and I have a little chuckle. I always come away feeling like I have a proper business in my hands. Not just an idea which never seems to come to fruition, no matter how much social media I do and watching webinars on ‘how to’. I might add, Dee’s reshaping of an idea into a viable business model, happens within the first 5 mins, she doesn’t muck about.
The other thing that jumps out about Dee, is that she has valuable knowledge of local people, businesses, and services etc that has helped Cuddle Bears to get known and tap into other avenues of help. She should be on the panel of ‘dragons’ den’, that will give you an idea of what she is like. Supportive, a cheerleader, a no-nonsense sort of women who works very hard for you in the session and out. It’s not unusual to hear from Dee between sessions either, she seems to carry the people she is working with in her mind/handbag! Whenever an idea, contact or event pops into her mind that would benefit Cuddle Bears she lets me know.
As a counsellor by trade, I can spot someone a mile off who wants to be liked or says things just to be liked. This isn’t Dee, she is not shy about saying when she’s not keen about something, but she always gives me a solution, I’m never ever left with a problem. I also love how after every coaching session I get a written record to remind me of what has been agreed and what actions to take. This helps to keep me on track and past records help me to see how far I’ve come.
Benefits realised
Since working with Dee, I have:
- Financial results. Dee works very hard helping me and if she had it her way, she would help me for FREE, because she wants Cuddle Bears to succeed and she is mindful that Cuddle Bears is a non-profit. The focus for 2021 will be on having a plan for getting more donations, which will be a work in progress. I trust Dee to put me in the right direction where success will happen.
- Been kept accountable. To be honest, if it wasn’t for Dee, I’m not entirely sure Cuddle Bears would have got up and running or as quickly as it has. Having an accountability partner, makes a massive difference, she can detect the BS! And she gets you on the right tracks which saves a lot of time and money.
- Focus and decision making. Having someone who is like an architect who sees what foundations and structure are needed for Cuddle Bears to build, has been incredibly valuable, especially as I simply don’t have these architect building knowhows.
- Improved wellbeing. Having someone cheer you on and believe in you and say ‘I like that idea’ is a real morale booster because if Dee says this, you know you are onto a winner and it leaves me with a skip in my step and improved confidence in my abilities.
Overall
Because I am a head in the clouds type of gal, I get carried away with ideas, often going down the wrong route and wasting time, wasting money and often feeling I’ve failed. The difference now is that I have someone who has the experience I don’t have no matter how many webinars I watch and books I read. Dee keeps me accountable and pushes me to succeed and this has made all the difference. Dee is the architect who puts in the right structure and framework for success yet can adapt where necessary, it’s as simple as that. If you don’t want to waste time on trying things out leading to disappointment, work with Dee, she will sort you out.
Wendie Ralphs
