How multi-passionate entrepreneur Monica Yates helps men & women clear their trauma
Describe your business in a few words?
Sassy, strong, soft, feminine, magnetic, fun, authentic
What made you take the leap to start your own business?
It wasn’t so much a “leap” as rather a collection of choices that I continued to make because I wanted to be my own boss and I knew I was here to do big things. I chose again and again to make the business work.
What was your background prior to starting your own business?
I was meant to do a fashion degree in Australia, but decided it wasn’t the industry I wanted to be in because of the lifestyle. So, I started a Bachelor of business marketing and hated that. I knew I wanted to help people and it was my soul’s purpose. I recognised that I loved understanding the body and the brain, and thought I wanted to be a nutritionist, however later realised that I didn’t want to do a mainstream course where the knowledge you’re taught is outdated. This is why I chose to do my life coaching certification that essentially started my business. Now I’m doing my Bachelor in nutrition. In all honesty, I hate it but finishing it so I’ve completed a Bachelors.
Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?
Yes, I always knew.
Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?
I didn’t have a marketing strategy. I’ve always done what felt good, natural and easy from the get go. When I launched I shared a lot of free education via IG lives and did one a week for a little while, which initially helped me gain a following and support.
We always learn the most from our mistakes, share a time with us that you made a mistake or had a challenging time in business and what you learned from it?
Hiring someone because I was desperate! I didn’t give it enough time and I didn’t understand how to hire someone based on their personality. She was still super helpful to me, but we would clash heads and I realised that I should have learnt how to hire well before I needed someone and I needed someone to support me in knowing how to be a boss and communicate when things weren’t getting done.
What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?
I’m proud of the reach that my podcast has gained and how many lives (both men and women) I have changed just from this free content alone. Ultimately, my clients lasting results are my biggest achievement. There’s nothing better than when I receive a message a year later saying they feel amazing and free of their trauma.
I’ve helped thousands of women heal their cycle, reconnect with their period, break their trauma cycles and no longer be triggered by their past. I’m not proud of this as a statistic, but the fact that I have helped these women on such a deep level that five years of talk therapy couldn’t even touch the surface on.
There’s no one else that I’m aware of in the industry that has linked the effect of trauma and your subconscious beliefs to period issues. Yes, it’s politically incorrect some of the stuff that I talk about, but people love it and I’m proud of it. I voice what many people are thinking, but are too afraid to say at the risk of unsettling the status quo. I’m fearless in my ambition to talk about important but taboo topics.
When hiring for your team, what is your go-to interview question? Please share any hiring tips you can share from your experience?
Do you want to be your own boss? This is an immediate red flag for me. My advice, particularly for my line of work, is don’t hire someone that has dreams and goals of being their own boss. I need someone who isn’t wanting to be in the limelight or have aspirations of owning their own business, because it’s important to me that they want to be fully immersed in my brand.
What is a time that you were really stressed out at work, what happened and how did you handle it?
Honestly, I barely ever get stressed. When you’re working from a state of feminine flow (with a touch of fierce and sass, of course), this means you’re not stressed or hustling and this is the headspace where the majority of mistakes are made. On the rare occasion that I do get stressed, I know exactly how to handle it. I have a code word with my team, so that if I ever need to step away and turn my phone off briefly, they know. I also have clear boundaries, for example acceptable hours of contact and a dedicated ‘dumb question’ hour once a week.
How has your business or industry been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic?
It’s been positively impacted which I’m really grateful for. More people needed support during this time as everyone’s trauma, wounding and limiting beliefs were coming up. I actually hired a lot during this time, and I had to be really careful with my own energy because my plate was VERY full as I wanted to help everyone.
What’s next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?
I’m in the process of writing my book which is really exciting and we are planning the next few events too once we can get our life back on track!
What is the biggest lesson you have learned in 2020?
That business growth is nothing when you don’t have people to share it with.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were first starting your business?
Something I learnt very quickly is that you can’t be a people pleaser. When you try to please everyone you please no one because to put it bluntly, you’re being a doormat trying to fulfill everyone’s expectations. There will always be people that disagree with you so you’re always better off speaking your mind, it’s only going to allow you to attract in people who are fully 100% fuck yes to you. It’s so attractive to go against the grain and speak your truth, and people will respect you for this. Ultimately, do what makes you happy in your business. If you’re excited in your business you’ll attract people who are also excited and turned on by your business. Don’t be afraid to be your fullest, sassiest, politically incorrect version of yourself.
How have you managed to stay grounded this year?
I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs so I wouldn’t say I’ve been super grounded in 2020 by any means but I really took the pressure off myself to be ‘doing’. I let myself relax, be lazy, cry, do nothing etc.
Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?
There is no such thing as balance, so I prefer to call it a “dance”. The best tip i give all of my clients is that you need something to do that separates work from home so that you can drop into your feminine after a long day.
What’s something our audience would be surprised to learn about you?
I’m 24! Most people think I’m a lot older, but i’m pretty young! I just am super mature.
What are your top 3 tips to stay productive each day?
Do what feels good, your environment is everything and start the day with a workout!
What does being an Entreprenista mean to you?
Being a bad-ass business woman who lives an abundant, turned on, and pleasure rich life (in every sense of the word).