“My underlying intent is that there is more peace and harmony in the world as people maintain their relationships and find a deeper level of intimacy through healthier communication.”
How do you make for a happier and more peaceful world? If you were to ask Ros Lockley of Communikeys, she would likely point to strong relationships created through healthy and productive communication.
As a mediator and conflict coach, Ros has long wanted to help people salvage their damaged relationships. So it only follows that she founded Communikeys, a place where she could put her passion and skills to use.
Currently, Ros offers live online training courses and individual coaching sessions. She specifically focuses on helping parents develop the necessary communication skills to create a lifelong connection with their children.
By joining the HerBusiness Network, Ros is excited for the opportunity to learn how to grow her business. She especially looks forward to creating additional courses so that more people can experience peace, harmony, and a deeper level of intimacy in all their relationships.
But when she isn’t coaching clients, Ros enjoys the freedom of running her own business and the ability to spend additional time with her family.
Who’s your favourite entrepreneur and why?
Well, I would say Suzi but I guess everyone says that so my next choice would be Diana Williams who founded the Fernwood Gyms. Why? Because she is Australian and started out as a stay-at-home mum who recognised a need for a service. This story really resonates with me as I embark on setting up my service based business to spend more time with my family.
Why did you start your business and what gave you the idea?
I work as a mediator and conflict coach and feel frustrated that so many of my clients get on better after the mediation but it is too late to save the relationship. I have wanted to find a way to reach people before the relationship is too damaged to salvage.
I set up my business starting with helping parents develop stronger relationships with their children through communication because this was where I first learnt the skills to communicate better with my children. It was from there that I found mediation.
My aim is to develop my own courses that use the same skills of communication to teach anyone who has a relationship that they value. First parents, then couples and then work colleagues, neighbours, friends, family, anyone who wants to improve their relationships rather than stop them because the conflict is getting too hard.
What do you enjoy most about running your own business?
I love the freedom that my own business gives me. I can set times to work around my family and life.
What three pieces of advice do you wish you’d been given when you started?
- Be patient: networking and building clients takes time.
- Be confident in your product /service: you love it, you have done research about it and you know there is a need for it.
- Say yes to every opportunity: you never know where it will take you.
What advice would YOU give someone thinking about starting a business?
Do a course to learn the best ways to set your business up and network, network, network. Small business owners support and promote each other. I am eternally grateful for the support I have received.
What skills and knowledge areas would you recommend those starting out in business get acquainted with quickly?
The best training I have done is to acquire skills in how to sell my business services. I have developed a positive mindset and confidence in my unique services from learning this.
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 would have courses running regularly with 10-12 people in each. Mostly these courses will be online live sessions but some would be in person. They would talk to a variety of different relationships so that people communicate better with all the people in their lives and so have less conflict and stress. My underlying intent is that there is more peace and harmony in the world as people maintain their relationships and find a deeper level of intimacy through healthier communication.
What problem does being a Member of the HerBusiness Network solve for you and your business? And, how?
I need help with selling what I do in my business. I have loved learning how to write a connection statement and to #show up, #speak up and #lift up.
