3d ago

18. From corporate to coaching: 5 mistakes that cost me 6–8 months

In this episode, Val shares the biggest mistakes she made when transitioning from corporate into coaching and how those choices added 6 to 8 months to her business ramp-up. She breaks down what to do instead if you are starting a coaching or consulting business and want to avoid wasting time on the wrong priorities.The focus is practical and honest: build the business side early, narrow your positioning faster, price with confidence, and spend less time preparing in your head and more time testing with real people. Key topics In this episode, Valeria explains why getting certified felt like the obvious first step, but also why she wrongly assumed that credibility alone would bring clients.She shares the corporate mindset she brought with her: in corporate, more training and more credentials usually increase value, but entrepreneurship does not work one to one.She reflects on the gap between being a qualified coach and actually knowing who needs the service, what problem to solve, what to charge, and how to market it.She explains why starting the business side at the same time as certification would have saved months, and recommends getting a business coach or joining a community early.She discusses positioning mistakes, including starting with a broad offer like helping expats with career change before understanding the more specific problem she solved best.She points out that her real strengths were tied to business backgrounds in sales, marketing, and customer-facing roles, not every possible coaching need such as CVs and interviews.She compares broad positioning to seeing a doctor for a toothache, arguing that people choose specialists when they know exactly what problem they have.She talks about underpricing, including the mistake of charging hourly or per session and ignoring preparation time, admin, prior experience, and the investment required to become qualified.She explains why lower prices do not necessarily make sales easier, since selling still requires the same trust, energy, and effort, while higher prices can signal greater value.She emphasizes that corporate habits can make people think there is a cap on income, when in business the real ceiling is often self-imposed.She closes with her biggest lesson: stop over-preparing and start gathering evidence by speaking to potential clients, testing offers, and getting real-world feedback quickly. Resources & links: Enroll to the January cohort waiting listBook a free clarity call to understand your next stepsGet your Business Growth Tracker and sign up to the newsletter Connect with Val: LinkedinInstagram

Sep 9

17. How to start building a creative business on the side (Alessia's story)

Val brings back a call she had with her former client Alessia to show how you can build a creative business alongside your regular job. In this conversation, Alessia shares how she moved through career changes while also building a creative practice on the side. They discuss what coaching looked like, how she got unstuck from too many ideas, and the mindset shifts that helped her move forward and build her passion business alongside her existing career. Since recording the conversation, Alessia has continued working towards her goal, although the path has evolved. She has returned to Twitch livestreaming and is growing her own community in the gaming space, while gradually bringing more music into her content. She is already earning through her livestreams, connecting with other musicians and singers, working on a collaborative videogame medley, and planning to release her own videogame covers. Key topics: Background: Alessia introduces herself as an Italian creative who moved to Denmark at 19, studied multimedia design, specialized in web development, and now works as a software developer.The long-term vision: She wants to become a singer in the gaming industry, combining her love of music and gaming into one path.Confidence grew through non-judgmental support: She credits the process with helping her see that her goal was not “crazy,” just less conventional and more abstract than a typical path.Small steps made the goal feel real: Breaking the vision into manageable daily and weekly actions helped her move from stuck to consistent progress.Where she is today: Her original vision is still there, but the way she is building towards it has evolved through content creation, livestreaming, networking with other creatives and gradually introducing more music into her work. Resources & links: Enroll to the January cohort waiting listBook a free clarity call to understand your next steps Connect with Val: LinkedinInstagram

Sep 2

16. Should you quit your job to start a business? What to consider first

This episode is for full-time employees who are thinking about starting a consulting, coaching, or service business and wondering when it actually makes sense to leave their job. Val breaks down the decision through a practical lens, focusing on financial readiness, personal tolerance for uncertainty, market validation, and visa considerations. Val shares a candid framework based on her own transition from tech into coaching, including what she handled well and what she would reconsider with hindsight. Key topics Financial readiness is more than savings: Val explains that runway is not just about having enough money to survive for a few months, It also means preparing for uneven revenue, delayed sales, and periods of scarcity after the initial jump.Expect an uneven income curve: she warns against assuming business income will rise in a straight line. Instead, she describes entrepreneurship as a cycle of abundance and scarcity that can last for months.Personal readiness matters as much as financial readiness: you do not need to feel fully ready before starting, but you do need strong motivation and a realistic view of uncertainty. Val notes that many people romanticize entrepreneurship before experiencing the day-to-day ambiguity of making decisions alone.External validation changes dramatically when you leave a job: in a job, managers and performance reviews provide feedback and reassurance. In your own business, there is usually no one confirming that you are on the right path, so you need to be prepared to self-direct.Internationals need to factor in visa status: Val points out that leaving a job can affect work visas, residency status, and the ability to legally operate a business. She shares an example of a client who had to transition from one visa type to another before opening a business.Testing the market before quitting is critical: she emphasizes the need for evidence beyond encouragement from friends and family. That evidence can include paid projects, consultations, customer demand, or a clear market gap.Starting on the side can be the smarter option: If the current job is tolerable, Val suggests building the business while still employed. This gives more time to save, test ideas, and reduce pressure.If you are desperate to leave, get support: for people who truly need to quit, she recommends working with a coach or mentor to shorten the trial-and-error period. The goal is to avoid spending too long without income or direction.The real question is not “Am I ready?”: Val reframes the decision around runway, uncertainty tolerance, market evidence, and whether fear is disguising itself as hesitation. She advises listeners to lower their expectations of readiness and make sure they are not jumping in blind. Resources & links: Apply to the September cohort - deadline September 3rdBook a free clarity call to understand your next steps Connect with Val: LinkedinInstagram

Aug 26

15. How to position your business to attract the right clients (learn from my mistakes)

Val shares a practical, no-fluff breakdown of positioning for service-based and expert-led businesses. The episode focuses on why being specific about who you help, what problem you solve, and what transformation you provide is what makes people recognize themselves and want to buy. She also shares her own shift from a vague "expats through career change" message to a much clearer positioning around helping internationals turn expertise into a sellable offer. Key topics Why positioning is harder than it looksWhy vague language loses potential clientsNiche and positioning are not the same thingTransformation is the real testWhy "career change" was too broad for her own businessWhat changed when she narrowed her positioningA clear positioning statement should reduce explanationThe right questions to refine your positioningSpeak in the client’s languageA simple test for clarity Resources & links: Apply to the September cohort - deadline September 3rd Connect with Val: LinkedinInstagram

Aug 19

14. Why more business knowledge won’t always help you, and what to do instead

This episode challenges the idea that knowledge alone is enough to build a business. Val shares why experienced people often miss the real blocker, and how external perspective can reveal the assumptions keeping progress stuck. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve read, learned, and researched enough but still aren’t getting results, this episode is about the gap between knowing and seeing. Key Topics Val explains why experienced professionals often overestimate what they know and underestimate their blind spots.She shares her own early business experience of consuming podcasts, articles, YouTube videos, and free guides, then assuming she had enough information to move forward.The turning point came when she realized that all the knowledge in the world could not help her spot internal beliefs that were blocking action.She describes the moment she hit a wall: she was doing everything “right” but still not getting clients.Hiring a coach gave her a mirror, helping her see her business from the outside instead of through her assumptions.That outside perspective helped her realize her niche was too broad and not even aligned with what she actually wanted to do.She also uncovered resistance around connecting with people and asking for the sale, something she thought she was already doing.Val gives examples of common blind spots she sees in clients, such as pricing issues that are really about self-worth, or “offer problems” that are actually misalignment problems.She explains how sometimes wanting more education is really a delay tactic to avoid visibility and discomfort.The episode closes with a practical self-check: identify one result you want but are not getting, then ask what assumption you are making about why. Resources & links: Apply to the September cohort - deadline September 3rd Connect with Val: LinkedinInstagram

Aug 12

13. From stuck to building: how Niels made his idea real while working full time

This episode explores Niels' journey, who joined the Spark Your Expat Business group programme earlier this year, from recognizing the need for change, to building and testing his very own business idea. Niels had been sitting on his idea for two years before making it real. His example highlights how taking the first step instead of waiting to feel ready can make a huge difference in what's possible. Key takeaways: Niels introduces himself as someone with many interests who often starts things but struggles to finish them.He explains that his day job left him wanting to build something of his own, rather than only working on other people’s ideas.A major reason he joined the program was accountability, especially the chance to work in a group with other people who were also starting something.He says the 12-week structure helped him steadily build momentum instead of bouncing around between ideas.The process started with purpose: why he wanted to build the app, who it was for, and where he wanted it to be in a year.He found that talking through his idea helped him put his own assumptions into words and discard weaker ones.One major breakthrough was realizing his app is not really a productivity app, but something meant to help people realign with who they want to be.He shares that his original assumption about pricing was to copy subscription-based competitors, but reflection led him to choose a pay-as-you-want model instead.He describes the project as something he is building with his own hands, and says the coaching helped him move it beyond “ideas on a paper.”By the end of the program, he had a basic MVP, initial screens, first testers, and more confidence that the idea could help other people.He says the program gave him a “menu of things” he can return to later for website, positioning, and product decisions.He is now looking for more testers, especially people who feel stuck, demotivated, or want to recenter around what makes sense to them. Resources & links: September cohort - Spark Your Expat BusinessConnect with NielsJoin the waitlist for his app Aspirational Connect with Val: LinkedinInstagram

Aug 5

12. The loneliness of building a business abroad nobody talks about

In this episode, Valshares her personal journey with loneliness as an entrepreneur building her coaching business abroad. She explores the emotional challenges of going solo, especially as an expat, and offers practical advice on creating supportive environments and trusting your decision-making process. Key topics: Recognizing the first signs of loneliness when starting outHow external opinions can amplify feelings of isolationThe importance of reframing skepticism from friends and familyEmbracing the uniqueness of entrepreneurial journeys and shared uncertaintiesStrategies for building a supportive community as an expat and solo founderThe significance of surrounding yourself with experienced mentorsCreating intentional environments to foster growth and reduce lonelinessEncouragement to seek out like-minded peers through networking and community groupsNew group coaching programme starting in September, designed for ambitious expats building their own businesses Resources & links: Join tomorrow's Launch Circles community breakfast in CopenhagenApply to the early bird price for September cohort - deadline August 15 th Connect with Val: LinkedinInstagram

Jul 29

11. How your money mindset shapes what you charge as an expat

In this episode, Val explores one of the biggest mindset and business shifts for entrepreneurs: how to price your services with confidence. Drawing from her own experience of undercharging when she started her business, she explains why pricing is not just about numbers — it’s about psychology, self-worth, market context, and the kind of business you want to build. Val reflects on how money stories, cultural background, and moving between countries can shape what feels “normal” to charge. She also shares simple, practical advice for anyone figuring out their rates. Key takeaways: Pricing is a psychological exercise, not just a math exerciseHourly pricing often ignores the true value you deliverUndercharging can lead to lower commitment from clients and from yourselfYour pricing should support the life and business you want to buildYou can always adjust your prices as you grow, you're not locking in forever Resources & links: Spark Pricing CalculatorNEW! Upcoming group coaching program. Early sign-up discount until August 15th, SIGN UP HERE. Connect with Val: LinkedinInstagram If you’re struggling with pricing, revisit your money mindset, research your market, and choose a price that supports both your value and your business sustainability.

Business Sparks with Val

18. From corporate to coaching: 5 mistakes that cost me 6–8 months

17. How to start building a creative business on the side (Alessia's story)

16. Should you quit your job to start a business? What to consider first

15. How to position your business to attract the right clients (learn from my mistakes)

14. Why more business knowledge won’t always help you, and what to do instead

13. From stuck to building: how Niels made his idea real while working full time

12. The loneliness of building a business abroad nobody talks about

11. How your money mindset shapes what you charge as an expat

About

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Business Sparks with Val

Episodes

18. From corporate to coaching: 5 mistakes that cost me 6–8 months

17. How to start building a creative business on the side (Alessia's story)

16. Should you quit your job to start a business? What to consider first

15. How to position your business to attract the right clients (learn from my mistakes)

14. Why more business knowledge won’t always help you, and what to do instead

13. From stuck to building: how Niels made his idea real while working full time

12. The loneliness of building a business abroad nobody talks about

11. How your money mindset shapes what you charge as an expat

About

Information