Parents in Business featuring Gemma Louise Gilfoyle
Career

Parents in Business featuring Gemma Louise Gilfoyle Life Coach

This week on my Parents in Business series I’m delighted to introduce to you Gemma who has set-up her own life coaching business known as Gemma Louise Gilfoyle Life Coach to help inspire people to become the person that they want to be, whilst helping them gain control of their life. As it was World Mental Health Day yesterday, Gemma’s business sounds like an amazing business for helping those who need it. 

Since setting up the business Gemma has had many successes and here she shares her top tips for setting up her own business with us; including being yourself, keeping learning and creating a solid network around you. For the full story read on….

Tell me a little bit about you, your background, and your business?

Hi, I am Gemma Gilfoyle, and I am a mental wellness mentor. I have two boys aged 19 and 2 (soon to be 3) so I am pointing out the obvious here… there is 16-year age gap between my children. I previously worked 12 years in health and social care sector helping people with special needs and mental ill health live as much of a fulfilled life as possible. I completed level 3 diploma for health and social care and then eventually went on to complete a diploma in life coaching.

My mentoring is about helping people gain control of their life, mind and goals. I help to uplift, inspire and empower people to be the person they want to be. I help them to feel alive and find a way to get through their dark days.

What were your motivations for setting up your business?

My drive and motivation to start my business back in 2017 was partly to do with flexibility with my family, but mainly because I myself have lived all my life with mental ill health since I was a child, so I know exactly what it’s like. I then went on to work 15-hour days in health and social care to support people with mental ill health and special needs, and I witnessed the struggles people had just to find help. 
 
People just want to move on they want to understand their own actions, process it all and then find a path where they are happy. All I have ever wanted is to help people move their life forward find focus and live a fulfilled life. And in some way, I have always done that within my career. I Just felt I could do more and be more and that’s when I started mentoring people and helping them change their lives.
 
I believe every person deserves the chance to be happy. Mental ill health is everywhere and there is not enough being done to help people. I love helping supporting and guiding people and showing them that their mental health does not have to control them and they can live a better fulfilled life.  
 
Parents in Business featuring Gemma Louise Gilfoyle

How do you balance the business around your family and childcare?

I have a good work life balance really; I can lose myself sometimes but it’s pretty good at the minute. Right now, my little boy is at home with me so I do 15 mins self-care in mornings then I will work when he naps roughly 2 hours in the day. When he goes to bed at 7pm I will start again till I get done. 
 
Because I work limited hours right now, I work Saturdays and sometimes Sunday nights. I always have Sunday daytime with my family. I think it’s so important to have time out for self-care and to be present with yourself, family and loved ones. I am a big believer in self-care and having a good work life balance as it can really run you down and you will become out of sync with yourself and business. 
 
I would be lying if I said it easily done because it’s not. You do have to learn to discipline yourself and working that little bit later just to fit it all in. It’s knowing when to be selfish and when to just down tools and take time out. Because I juggle around my son, I end up with little less sleep but that’s ok because I know in time it will get easier. 

Since setting up your business what has been your biggest success to date?

  1. it’s been an amazing journey for me but getting to work, and watch clients grow from strength to strength from content I create. That is just mind blowing for me and the best feeling ever.
  2. I was featured in The International interview series twice. Every year 30 entrepreneurs from around the world are interviewed.
  3. I am honoured to be featured in two books one being a number 1 international best seller. It was amazing to write as part of a Collab it really helps my creative side.
  4. I got to speak on stage earlier this year about mental health and my journey with mental ill health in bath at an event called Ignite. The friends I made at that event will be with me forever I am still in touch with them on social media.  
I guess you could say my whole career has been a success really as I fully enjoy what I do. I Help people live a better and fuller life and most of all I get to meet and work with some amazing people.

What’s your top tip for anyone who is thinking about setting up their own business?

  1. If any person is looking at starting a business, I would say do your research, find your niche and Know your audience. There is nothing worse than working on amazing content for your audience and getting no interaction.
  2. Don’t stop learning and growing – Getting into business is exciting and we have so many idea’s, but we often forget about ourselves whilst we are helping others. So, keep yourself up to date with your niche and your self-development. 
  3. Be yourself – We all follow someone within our area of expertise, and we can easily get drawn into trying to mimic our mentors, but people see through it all. Just be yourself and people will love your work because its yours and it relates to them.
  4. Have a solid network around you – There is nothing worse than when your setting up business and the people around you don’t believe in you work or your business. Make sure that you surround yourself with positive like-minded people.
Thank you so much Gemma for being part of my series, I wish you all the best of luck for the future. 
 
You can find out more about Gemma and her business by visiting the website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
 
If you like what you’re reading and would love to be part of my Parents in Business series just drop me an email: thepramshedblog@gmail.com. Or have a nose at some of the other businesses I have featured in the series: Parent CloudEmma Hammond, and Logan’s Plate.
 
Claire x

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