Intrigued by how the body works and an innate belief that the body knows how to heal itself, Angela Counsel left her corporate job to study to be a Naturopath.
Soon after graduating, Angela was still caring for her young children and decided not to return to her corporate job but to open her eponymous clinic, “Angela Counsel”.
At its inception, Angela’s clinic catered to support mums of young children.
Over the years, the business evolved to support mums in their evolving stages of life.
In recent years, Angela has focused her work on supporting women through their menopause transition.
Her primary role is to hold the space for these women so they can find their own answers.
Realising that menopause is a topic not often spoken about, Angela is on a mission to share with as many women as possible the information they require to understand what is happening to them as they transition from their reproductive years into menopause and to share her knowledge and experience with them.
Who’s your favourite entrepreneur and why?
“This is a tough question, I just turned around and looked at all of the books on the shelves behind me and realised that I have learnt so much from many different entrepreneurs over the years. Each one of them has appeared in my life and my business just when I needed them, when I was ready to learn from them. My shortlist is”
- Richard Branson – for being a Visionary
- Franziska Iseli – for her adventuring spirit
- Brene Brown – for her vulnerability
- Cyndi O’Meara – for her philosophy around health
What do you enjoy most about running your own business?
“I love it when I have a client gets an ‘ah-ha’ moment after something that I have said to them. I believe that all of us have the answers that we are looking for within us all we need is someone to guide us and hold the space so that we can discover that for themselves.
The other part that I love is when I am able to speak in front of a group of women. I love public speaking and luckily I am quite good at it. If I could spend my day speaking in front of people I would be in heaven.”
What three pieces of advice do you wish you’d been given when you started?
- Just because you put your sign out or create a website that doesn’t mean people will find you. You need to be visible, to share what you do with others.
- Don’t try to be everything for everyone. Being a generalist will not allow you to stand out from the crowd. Decide who you want to work with and focus on how you can solve their problem. You don’t have to stick to this niche for the rest of your life, I didn’t.
- It’s okay to take a rest sometimes, to take a day off. When you push yourself all of the time you will likely be burnt out and this will impact not only yourself but your family and your business
What advice would YOU give someone thinking about starting a business?
“Have a vision for what you want for your business, for how you want the business to support yourself and others. Write that vision down with as much detail as possible and then take steps each week to move you towards that vision.
You can achieve more in 12 months than you think if you have a vision and a clear direction to move in. Also getting a coach or mentor will help you to stay on track with your vision.”
What skills and knowledge areas would you recommend those starting out in business get acquainted with quickly?
- You can go and learn all of the technical things like websites, social media etc but I think a great place to start is being a part of a network of other people who support each other.
- Offer your services to other people (even if it is for free to start with), get experience and get feedback and testimonials. Testimonials and referrals can be a great way to establish your credibility.
- Also learn as much as you can by listening to podcasts, reading blogs or attending free business webinars. There is so much free information available these days.
What does your IDEAL business look like? Even if you’re not there yet, what would it look like if your business was ideal?
“My ideal business is a community of women. It provides a place for women to retreat and to have the space for them to re-discover themselves. My ideal business is run on my farm on the Gold Coast hinterland. I envision it as a commune style space where everyone participates in the running of the farm, where meals are shared, where stories are shared, where women feel accepted.
Behind the scenes, there is a small team who support the business and the women who visit the farm. I am not involved in the detail of running the business, I am the CEO and my role is to support and hold space for the clients. I run the workshops with the help of other women.
My business grows organically through word of mouth and we don’t need to spend a lot of time and money on marketing.”
What problem does being a Member of the HerBusiness Network solve for you and your business? And, how?
“HerBusiness has connected me with many other businesswomen. I have collaborated with a few of them. Some have been guests on my podcast and added value to my clients and I have been able to share my knowledge with the clients of other businesses.
I have been a member of other networks in the past but often these have been full of businesses who are just starting out, HerBusiness gives me the opportunity to associate with women who have been running their businesses for a while. This allows me to stretch and grow.”
Learn more about Angela Counsel and the Angela Counsel Clinic here..
