An Exclusive Interview with Business Coach Linda Dent
Linda is a Business coach with a solid background in the Banking Industry. She believes in building businesses through long-term relationships and a partnership approach to grow and empower the small business owner through planning, actions, and regular reviews of actual results vs. planned results. She is the Founder and CEO of Just Ask Linda Business Coaching, which was born out of a desire to Grow, Learn, Empower others and Enjoy her work, her very own GLEE philosophy. From understanding your unique strengths and how they apply to work, establishing where you are now and where you want to be in your business, getting to know your numbers and setting goals, managing your time, or rather how to do more of what you love each day, building a loyal team of employees or just listening to the business owners’ major business challenges and offering up new thinking, you can Just Ask Linda. If she can make a difference in a business owners’ life, helping them overcome Money, Time, and Team challenges to grow a successful business and share some part of their business journey, she will be full of GLEE. Owning a business is an adventure, and she loves the one she is on.
Who is Linda? Tell us about your personal life, where do you live, your family, any pets?
I grew up in West Yorkshire, England, the eldest daughter of working-class parents.
I have one sister, and together with my parents and dog, we emigrated to South Africa in 1984, a life-changing event.
This month, June 2021, I will have been married to my husband and best friend, Evan, for 30 years. We have two amazing and independent daughters, Lauren, age 25, and Morgen, age 22.
We have always owned dogs, the latest being a Chow/Belgian shepherd cross named Venus, a Border collie cross named Max, and a brand-new Pointer cross puppy called Astra. Variety is the spice of life when it comes to dogs, and we favor rescue dogs.
What is it that you do for your clients?
At Just Ask Linda Business Coaching, we know that many business owners want to be successful. Success means having a stable financial position, a great team, and enough time to enjoy the things in life that matter.
To do that, you need a business that generates profits, and in turn, economic growth for your community. You need to learn more about your business through open discussion, you need to Empower others in your team to deliver results, and you must find ways to enjoy yourself in the process.
This aligns with my personal philosophy, GLEE, which stands for Grow, Learn, Empower and Enjoy, and all my plans for business and life are contained in these 4 words.
The reality is that most entrepreneurs fail to build sturdy foundations for their business or understand the risks, which down the line causes a lot of anxiety and stress and could end in business failure.
The Just Ask Linda tagline is “Valued Insights, Focussed Action,” and that’s just what I do in monthly coaching sessions customized to suit the individual business owner.
Building a thriving business and the community around you is simpler than you think.
I understand that every business is different, and meet you where you depend on your unique journey.
Who should hire/work with you?
It’s been a challenge for me to find the right clients who get that business coaching can add significant value to their lives and help them set and achieve their business growth goals.
My clients come from a wide variety of backgrounds and industries, and again variety is the spice of life for me, the more varied my clientele, the more challenging and the more creative I need to be.
The main ingredients I look for in a new client are that they are growth-oriented, open-minded, and willing to try new ideas.
I have had great success with clients in service industries, other coaches, financial planners, car auto detailing, digital media, and publishing.
What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
If I was still working at a bank, in 10 years, I would be asked to retire!
Now though, as my own boss, I have the freedom to work at my own pace, in the environment of my choice, and for as long as I wish, good health willing.
I have a written Vision that speaks to living in the South African mountains, going for long walks daily, having my own chef, and a library full of books. Doing occasional interviews on radio or podcasts, and maybe I have published a book or two.
I would love to be running a thriving coaching practice where I develop other coaches to also use the catchphrase Just Ask... [Insert your name here]!
