Meet Yaya Reed: Confidence & Mindset Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yaya Reed and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yaya, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
Pushing past my first was definitely critical. As a first time, full-time entrepreneur, I had a lot of fears. I could have easily allowed those fears to paralyze me, but I knew I had a message to share and I really wanted to help empower others, so I pushed past my fears.

Also, Investing in a coach has been key to my growth. I hired a coach early in my entrepreneurial journey because this was something I had never done before and I set pretty big business goals. So I knew I needed to work with an expert who had been where I was at one time and could teach me how to get to the next level. Working with a coach taught me how to be successful and create a strong foundation for my business, positioning myself as an expert in my field.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am a Confidence and Mindset life Coach for women and I specialize in working with women entrepreneurs. Six years ago I was unemployed, depressed and struggling financially. I had lost a job I held for six years and now was on public assistance. I was embarrassed and at a really low place mentally. I contemplated suicide because I didn’t see any way out of my situation. Despite many interviews, no one would hire me. It took me a couple of years, but eventually, I was able to turn my life around through the power of prayer, tapping into my mindset, and approaching life from a place of gratitude.
Going through my struggles really taught me a lot about humility. I learned to never be afraid to ask for assistance; whether it’s from family, friends, or a professional. Asking for assistance doesn’t make you weak. It allows you to really tap into becoming the best you possible. I also learned to look fear in the face. Fears don’t go away just because we try to ignore them or hide from them. By trying to ignore them, sometimes we are just empowering them. So it is much better to look fear in the face and do it anyway!

After coming out of my depression and regain employment, I started to share my story with others about how a positive mindset can really change your life. After a couple speaking engagements, I discovered I really had a passion for helping others. I decided to pursue my coaching certification, so that I could work directly with women to help them tackle their confidence and mindset issues. Now I am able to help women entrepreneurs boost their confidence and adopt a healthy, positive mindset.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be where I was today without my immediate family. They are always supportive of whatever I do, even if they don’t completely see the vision right away. Second, I gotta give my entrepreneur girl tribe a major shoutout. It’s so important to have a tribe that is there to hold you accountable and encourage you. My girl Aleah is the one I go to, to bounce ideas off and or run through the latest service or product I want to launch. She has been clutch as a source of encouragement. My best friend Davina is also an entrepreneur and another cheerleader. She is also there to tell me when I am making rash or foolish decisions and then also to cheer me on when I have a great client win.

Website: www.coachingwithyaya.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/coachingwithyaya

Twitter: www.twitter.com/yayathecoach

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachingwithyaya

Image Credits
Sincerely Captured By J