P. I Ex-Lawyer turned fashion concept store owner
“I met Wafa during a really tough time in my life. I was dealing with a lot of stress and it led to me having a burnout for the second time in one year. My job as a lawyer was challenging and exciting, but it was also demanding and I had a lot of family issues to deal with.
Experiencing burnout can be tough, especially if you're someone with a strong personality. It's like you're watching the situation from the outside, but you feel powerless to do anything about it. You're aware of what's happening, but it's like your brain is stuck in a state of "depressive lethargy" that makes it hard to move forward.
I was told about a career workshop Wafa organized. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of those events but, I thought I'd give it a try. There, I met a friendly and empathetic young lady who was genuinely interested in helping people to rediscover themselves. So, I approached her for coaching to assist me in rebuilding myself and achieving the following goals:
(i) Find the strength to go back to work after months on sick leave because of burnout,
(ii) determine whether I indeed wanted to keep building a law career,
(iii) determine what other alternative job(s) I might consider.
As someone who tends to keep things bottled up and struggles with opening up, I wasn't the easiest person to coach. However, Wafa was super understanding and helped me prepare for our sessions. I thought I could handle going back to work thanks to coaching, but unfortunately, my struggles were more complex than anticipated. She was quick to adapt and from then our sessions helped me develop a new business project that I had in mind.
Throughout our sessions, she provided valuable feedback and asked really good questions that made me think. Even though it was tough sometimes, she always managed to be kind and supportive. She really pushed me to explore my thoughts and feelings, which was hard but totally worth it in the end.
I took a big leap and decided to start my own business in the ready-to-wear industry. I faced financial, technical, and human obstacles, but I persevered and was able to turn my vision into a reality in just six months. I carefully selected like-minded designers, secured a location, renovated the space myself, and learned to tackle various management tasks. Though it's still too early to say for sure, I feel a sense of renewed determination and resilience, even on tough days. I am grateful for the support of my loved ones, and I know that the road ahead will be tough, but I'm ready to tackle it head-on!
Wafa was instrumental in helping me achieve the necessary milestones to embark on this new path, specifically by:
(i) Helping me finally identify the career I wanted to pursue,
(ii) Prioritizing the key actions to make my concept store a reality,
(iii) Keeping me from getting too nervous with all the uncertainty,
(iv) Encouraging me to take regular breaks and recharge.
I'm really thankful for her constant support and check-ins. Wafa is truly amazing and her assistance has been priceless to me!”