We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Helene Van Manen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Helene thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
My business has grown and thrived by the mere belief that if I do what is right for me ( personally and professionally), then my business will be wildly successful. And it has. I’ve run my own coaching/consulting/training company for 22 years and summers off are something that are important to me. I live in Colorado and I have a lot of winter each year. Summer is the time when I feel my best so I work with my clients to create a format that allows me to be off during June, July and August but still support my clients in achieving their professional goals.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I live on the side of mountain in a tiny hamlet in southern Colorado with my teenage boyfriend. He’s no longer a teenager but we found each other as teens in Brooklyn and journeyed west … landing in our small town and never leaving. We transformed a funky cabin into a solar home, raised 2 kids on a full time career as children’s musicians and music therapists and then transitioned into new careers when the kids left home after high school. I became a Master Certified Coach and have trained women to lead retreats, worked with not-for-profit leaders and coached thousands of people in business, special projects and in life. My great love of Nature and my background in Nature Education has been a constant thread in my work throughout my career. Currently I am also leading Green Women programs through my 501c3 non-profit HealthyWomenHealthyEarth.org I am a vocalist, musician and performance artist. I have recorded 4 albums ( find at spotify and at davevanmanen.com). My work and my life are intertwined in a way to allows my core values to be expressed in all I do and offer.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
How did you build your audience on social media?
My best practices for social media marketing is to show up as your authentic self. Use real photos Tell the story of who you are and what you do. Be honest. Don’t worry if every post is not perfect. It’s the consistency of showing up and posting that people appreciate. You control your personal and professional narrative in social media. So tell your followers what you are up to and what you want them to know. I never post anything about my health. I don’t take photos of injuries, etc. I don’t profess my love for my husband. I may mention him and tell about us something that is happening but I don’t go gaga or get deeply personal. I don’t share about my adult children’s lives. I don’t ask for prayers. I do invite people to work with me. I do tell my readers what I am up to and what is important to me. I show what I see in photos. I take people to the beautiful places I walk. My husband ( business partner ) is in many of my photos because he is what is in my view most days. When I post photos of him baking bread or hiking in front of me, I get noticed. just because I am telling the story of my life. People want to connect with you when you are real.
Contact Info:
- Website: coachhelene.com retreatcoaches.com davevanmanen.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helenevanmanen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachhelene/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenevanmanen/
- Twitter: @CoachHelene
- Youtube: @HeleneVanManen
Image Credits
all photos @helenevanmanen