15 minutes with member Fredy Namdin

Describe your “aha” moment; when did your business idea first come to you?

At that moment in time our other business was facing difficult times due to the mining bust in Western Australia. I was very stressed and experiencing sporadic moments of anxiety. I didn’t want to talk to a counsellor or psychologist because I didn’t want to be labelled as having a mental illness.

I tried to search online and could not find a professional service that was affordable and relevant to someone like me – stressed small business owner facing difficult times.

One day as I was driving home, the idea came to me: “Other small business owners must have faced similar situations.” After some research I realised mental health was a real issue among small business owners, yet nothing much had been done about it.

I started to think about how I could help tackle this issue and by reading and talking about it, I sort of figured out ways to deal with it as well. After much research, I was confident that I could help others and so I became a professional coach.

Describe  the “why” of your business

My vision is to reach as many small business owners as possible and provide resources that they could access to strengthen their resilience in the midst of adversity.

List your three biggest business goals? Which of them scare you the most and why?

For stressed small business owners facing adversity in business:

1. Affordable resources that are accessible 24/7
2. Affordable, personal one-on-one coaching from anywhere in the world
3. Financial support from local government agencies to access points one and two.

The one that scares me the most is two, because I am not naturally a people person. That’s why I spent two years in coaching training! I have come to realise that personal coaching is where we can get into the real issues very quickly and where deep changes are developed in order to overcome difficult times in business.

Has anything surprised you about working for yourself?

Back in my corporate days, I mastered two things:

• How to work based on a job description
• How to fake sick leave

I realised very quickly that these two don’t exist when working for myself!

Once you became a soloist, what about your life changed almost immediately; what changes have been slower to come?

Life as a soloist means I have to do everything myself. And what surprised me the most was that also includes tasks like cleaning the toilet, putting away the rubbish, and so on. It has taught me a great lesson of humility.

The slower changes have been my view on life. Prior to being a soloist, I travelled the world in business class and stayed in five star hotels – all paid for by the company I worked for, of course! Now as a soloist, I am after a quieter, simpler life, with my family.

What’s the best part of the life you’re living now you’re a soloist?

I am able to set my own directions in business (and consequently, life). The feeling of freedom and being able to do something to maximise my potential. And the ability to set my own hours (sometimes with financial sacrifice) to spend more time with my family.

Got a tip you’d like to share with our community about soloism?

Business is a marathon (with a few sprints every now and then). So prepare yourselves to be in it for a very long time!