Startup Story
Nazlee Mayhew is the founder and director of Global Mindset Solutions in Zimbabwe. She is a seasonal Business and Money Mindset Coach, a Social Entrepreneur, NLP Master Practitioner, and an emerging author. Global Mindset Solutions' vision is to empower, educate and equip women to enhance their leadership and business skills and help strengthen the communities they serve. This will enable them to reach their full potential faster, help boost economic growth and create financial freedom.
LoA spoke to Nazlee Mayhew about her professional coaching journey and her passion for empowering others to fulfill their potential through skills development.
When did your start your business?
We started our business in 2019, using our thirty years of professional experience as a Personal Assistant/Office Manager and coaching experiences.
“We offer business and money mindset coaching programs, coupled with grant management services, to enable NGOs, SMEs, and women in senior leadership roles to gain the business acumen, leadership, and digital marketing skills they need to generate more impact, influence, and income.”
What does your company do?
We offer business and money mindset coaching programs, coupled with grant management services, to enable NGOs, SMEs, and women in senior leadership roles to gain the business acumen, leadership, and digital marketing skills they need to generate more impact, influence, and income. The key pillars of our programs are Mindset Mastery, Leadership development and Money Mindset. By going on a journey of self-discovery, they overcome their self-limiting beliefs and the negative stories they've told themselves over time. This ultimately strengthens their identity, self-actualization, and self-confidence. This new and empowered mindset helps them become visionaries who have clarity of their goals with a road map on how to create change in their communities.
What inspired you to start your company?
My son. I wanted to give him an even better life than I had and provide him with financial security to support him now and in the future. I also wanted to show him that it is possible to achieve your goals even if the world doesn't believe in you or support you.
I wanted to empower more women and young girls as I didn't have a role model who could steer me in the right direction for my career. Parents, family members and friends are great resources but often being in a group of like-minded people can often hold us back. We have the same or similar perspectives, beliefs, behaviours, and patterns that keep us doing the same things over and over.
I, like many other women I've coached and mentored, know that we often stand in our own way. This protective mechanism helps us avoid failing in life and business which keeps us playing small and dimming our light. We also suffer from Imposter Syndrome which is a deep-seated condition that makes us feel like we're not good enough. Societal beliefs have contributed to the way we show up and for many of us, we do not reach our full potential or work towards our dreams.
We also fear judgment from others, rejection when selling our services or products and even success as we do not have many role models who we can aspire to be like. We fear losing the ones we love if we think out of the box and create a successful career/business which they may not support or see the benefits of.
Knowing we all have a gift, I wanted to show other women, especially women of color, that it is possible to achieve your dreams. When we change our self-limiting beliefs, we become purpose-driven and work towards becoming the best version of ourselves.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Our coaching and mentoring services are special because they are personalized according to our client's goals, evidence-based and have case studies of clients we've worked with. We have professional experience spanning thirty years working with C-Suite level CEOs/Directors, business and money mindset coaching certifications, business start-up knowledge and leadership skills and traits to empower women who may be afraid of taking the first step. The foundation of our business is also steeped in our core values which include integrity, trust, authenticity, excellence, accountability, and fun.
Tell us a little about your team:
I am a solo-preneur who wears all the hats in the business at present! I manage the social media, marketing, sales, client acquisition and budgets. I also ensure our clients are provided with a first-class service throughout their time with us by being organized, prepared and timely. As we are expanding in 2024, we would like to grow our team and ensure we have a work-life balance, spend time with our families and enjoy our hobbies and self-care activities.
Working for adoption charities and local authorities in the UK for fifteen years provided me with empathy, emotional intelligence, resilience, and active listening skills needed to support the team and service users who adopted children. It also enhanced my leadership skills as I managed, supported, and trained business support personnel.
My communication and negotiation skills were sharpened further after I moved to Malta where I worked for the Foreign Office (UK) for four years. I designed and implemented personal development workshops which included Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace. I also set up a Personal Assistant network for those in the diplomatic corps and senior officials in government.
“Our coaching and mentoring services are special because they are personalized according to our client's goals, evidence-based and have case studies of clients we've worked with.”
“I've always advocated for women's empowerment as I believe we have a place at the table. Our talents, skills, styles, and traits can help contribute to the economic growth of the country, reduce poverty, and generate income for many more people.”
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I don't come from an entrepreneurial background, but I have seen my mother and other women in my life overcome life challenges using business and leadership skills. Sometimes it was borne out of necessity, for example as a single mother, and at other times, it was women who made a difference in their families and communities using the resources they had to hand.
I've always wanted to be a business owner as I felt it allowed one to be more innovative and creative without the confines of a singular role in a Company. As a teen girl, I used to visualize owning a gift shop as I loved seeing the joy and smiles on people's faces when they received their gifts. In my twenties, I created a Virtual Assistance business and later a Wedding and Event Management company, neither of which lasted a month! My fear of failing was greater than achieving my dream goal!
After moving to Malta, my life took a different trajectory. I had left the hustle and bustle of London life behind and enjoyed the slower-paced and serene lifestyle of living on an island. I went on a journey of self-discovery as I had more time to think and reflect. It helped me realize that there was still time to achieve my business goal. Personal development has always been an integral part of my life and setting up my coaching business was a smooth transition.
I've always advocated for women's empowerment as I believe we have a place at the table. Our talents, skills, styles, and traits can help contribute to the economic growth of the country, reduce poverty, and generate income for many more people.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
My future plans are to empower, educate and enable one million women in Zimbabwe in the next three years. I believe in providing coaching and mentoring services to women at different pricing levels. Giving them the business tools and resources and access to an entrepreneur who has global professional and business, will help them reach their goals faster than doing it alone.
We would like to enhance our advocacy activities and partner with corporate companies and the Government in relation to education, health and wellbeing and climate change issues. These areas impact our youth on a deeper level as they are our future and taking a holistic approach will meet the UN's Sustainable goals which are purpose driven.
We want to grow our team so that we can reach a wider audience, create self-paced courses, and create a coaching and mentoring app so that more women and young girls can access our services.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
The satisfaction I receive as an entrepreneur is witnessing the transformational changes in my client's lives. Being a part of their journeys is an honor for us and one that we don't take lightly. Building strong relationships with them is key as we believe in offering long-term services rather than one-offs.
Being a change-maker and one who wants to disrupt societal beliefs positively is also part of our vision. The Fourth Industrial Revolution has changed the world massively. It means that the skills we've used in the past will need to change in order for young people to thrive in their careers and businesses. It also means that by identifying the beliefs, behaviours, and patterns we currently hold can be changed which will drive transformational change even faster.
I also value time and financial freedom which includes spending time with my family and friends. Being an entrepreneur comes with risks so decision-making, critical thinking and measuring outcomes are great skills to have and develop in business too.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Start with what you have - use your experience, skills, and talent to help you zone into what you truly desire. Let your passion be greater than your fear of failure. These are lessons that we can learn from and move onto the next step.
Focus on your end goal and don't be swayed by what is on social media. Connect, collaborate, and follow people who add value to your life and are heading in your direction.
Invest in your business when you can as this will help you scale faster and give you a sense of pride and achievement.
Lastly, remember who you are doing this for - let that person be your North star as you go on this journey.
Find out more:
Email: nazmayhew1@gmail.com
Website: http://www.nazleemayhew.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nazlee.mayhew
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamcoachnazlee/
Why LoA loves it…
One of the biggest lessons we can learn as women entrepreneurs is to find our true passion in life, and to embrace our skills and talents to make a difference to the lives of others. Nazlee Mayhew is doing just that, harnessing her skills as a coach to help others to fulfill their potential and importantly manage their money better in life and in business. She is not only creating a life and business path for herself, but is empowering others to find their own North Star journeys and realize their own potential too. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa