Meet Helen Calvert, The No Bullsh*t Coach, who is one of the two business owners who started the OEC. Helen, what made you start your own business?
Being employed was not going to happen. In October 2018 I was nearly divorced, I was deep in heartbreak, my mental health was a mess, and there was no way I could face going back to employment after 8 years out of the workplace. I needed an income but I needed my freedom.
So I set up what was then called HC Business Support and started out as a VA. A friend found me my very first client, and more clients followed suit. So much so that at the end of 2019 I took on my first two associates, and rebranded to Clear Day.
Working closely with business owners and sole traders, I found that as well as tackling their admin, I was also providing a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on and a sounding board for advice. I was working mainly with women, and I had already spent a good deal of time working voluntarily with women for whom the parenting journey was a struggle. I had received some coaching myself and it just all came together: I knew I wanted to coach.
At the beginning of 2020 I did my training with The MOE Foundation. Whilst we were all stuck in lockdown, I started to offer online coaching sessions alongside the VA work and social media support I was already providing, and my coaching practice grew from there. In 2021 the podcast was born, and in 2022 my first book was published.
Everything I have learned, everything that has helped, everything that has hindered, I pour all of this knowledge into the work that I do with my clients. No bullsh*t, no nonsense, just lots of self-kindness and honesty and an encouragement of joy.
What do you enjoy the most about being an entrepreneur?
The freedom to do what I want, when I want, and the freedom to meet my needs. The constrictions of employment are definitely not for me!
Who or what helps you to stay organised?
My online calendar, Asana, and my lovely VA Marie.
Rank these 5 business activities in the order that you find them the most enjoyable:
1. Putting plans into action
2. Admin
3. Marketing
4. Business planning
5. Finances
What do you enjoy most about being a member of The OEC?
It’s my office! I know some entrepreneurs can feel lonely but I never do, the community Caroline and I have built means that I feel like I’m working alongside a whole corporation of people, each with the freedom to do their own thing and enjoy their life & business however they choose. It’s wonderful.
How has being a member of The OEC helped with your confidence in business?
It regularly confirms to me that I have a community around me that cares about me, and that is massive when it comes to confidence.
What is your top tip for maintaining a healthy business mindset?
Excessive kindness to ourselves! It’s how I end every episode of my podcast – please be excessively kind to yourselves and let’s squeeze every last drop of enjoyment out of life. The more we meet our needs, the easier it will be for us to find happiness, success and fulfilment. Self-care is everything.
How do you help your clients?
I help them to step away from the overwhelm and start living the life they want for themselves. Guilt-free.
I may work with women running their own businesses but I’m not a business coach. I’m a life coach. Because let’s face it, it’s impossible to separate out work from the rest of our lives. Together, we look at everything that shapes that story my clients are telling about themselves.
If you’re thinking about taking your business in a new direction or looking to grow it and want confidence, a road map, cheerleading and accountability, I’m your woman. I’ll back you up, check in with you, hold your plan in my head and remind you of it to keep you on track.
I help my clients to break free and move forward to live a life of joy, squeezing every last drop of enjoyment from their business and their life.
What have been your biggest business wins over the last 12 months?
My business turning 5, and putting plans in place so that I can step away from the day-to-day running of the Clear Day agency and focus on all things No Bullsh*t Coaching.
Who are you looking to work with and how can people get in touch?
I am looking to work with female business owners who are ready to live happier and more joyful lives.
Changing our lives takes work and anyone who tells you it’s easy and there’s a quick fix is talking bullsh*t. It takes work, commitment and the self-worth required to believe you deserve to put that work into yourself in the first place.
I’m here to walk alongside you as you learn to hold your own hand, be gentle with yourself and find your confidence. I’ll support, cheerlead and guide you on the way. But you have to want to make the change, put the work in, communicate with me and be open to the process. That’s where growth comes from.
If you’re ready to go you can contact me here on my website.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I used to do Arabic dancing (belly dancing) and have performed Middle Eastern drumming on stage at The Lowry theatre.