Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nyrka Riskin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Nyrka thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Too often the media represents innovation as something magical that only high-flying tech billionaires and upstarts engage in – but the truth is almost every business owner has to regularly innovate in small and big ways in order for their businesses to survive and thrive. Can you share a story that highlights something innovative you’ve done over the course of your career?

There are so many times in my career that I have applied innovation, especially during times where I needed to be brave while undertaking incredible risk or during times where I had to stand out so that I could attract more opportunities.

I have launched three small businesses and in each of those launches I had to take steps to launch services that were unique and innovative in order to stand out from the competition.

For example, when I decided to launch my coaching and training business, I had to take a hard look at why people would rather choose to hire me in an industry that often seems saturated. In that moment, I decided to come up with a unique idea! I created an innovative process that would help my coaching clients reach their goals and succeed.

The process is simple, and it is one that I have personally followed in my career journey. The first step of the process begins by figuring out your unique personal brand through the completion of a personal assessment that I developed after years of working with coaching clients. When you craft a personal brand for yourself, you automatically have a greater chance to stand out in any crowd. This is the second step of the process. You start believing in yourself, your confidence grows, and your life suddenly starts to change. When you begin thinking outside of the box and becoming more creative, you allow yourself to consider more opportunities, which is the third step of the process. This step also involves working on a strategic chart that helps you manage your goals. Ultimately, the process leads you to become “Unstoppable”, which is the title of my recently published book and the last step of the process.

In essence, I had to become an innovative person throughout my career in order to reach my goals. Creating a new process for my coaching clients or writing a book with new tools and strategies are all examples of how I have been able to apply innovation throughout my career.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Nyrka Riskin and for over 25 years, I have served in international and local organizations across a broad array of entrepreneurial, leadership, academic, human resources, and financial services environments. Through international travel, state and national program creation, public and private enterprise coaching, and corporate board advising, I strategically advise and support businesses, teams, and individuals.

I am recognized as an author, visionary leader and trainer. My passion for producing effective leaders and supporting businesses is what drives my consulting practice, Nyrka Riskin Professional Training and Coaching. I launched my consulting practice 7 years ago in order to help companies and individuals reach their goals. For example, I am able to build customized curriculum based on a company’s training needs. Notable clients include Guess, Inc. where I facilitated a “Heart-Led Strategic Leadership” program and Lockheed Martin, where we discussed “Difficult Conversations and Conflict Resolutions.”

I am also immensely proud of the work that I do with my coaching clients. I help my clients reach their career goals through assessments, tools, and goal management strategies. It fills my heart when I see my clients reaching their goals whether it is getting a raise, a promotion, or changing their careers.
Most recently, I became an author, and this has been an amazing experience so far. While it was challenging to carve time to write a book, I learned so much about myself and others. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to put so much love and effort into my book: “Unstoppable: How to Spice Up your Brand, Create Opportunities, and Reach your Goals.” “Unstoppable” is a labor of love and it is now a tool that I can use with my clients and share with the world.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

For your personal brand to be successful in your market, you need to be able to be consistent and build trust with every single person that you meet. This concept is what helped me build my reputation in the training and coaching business.

In fact, if you were to hire me to teach a personal brand or image leadership workshop, this is the quote that I would use as the opening for the presentation. It is a simple and an important concept, especially if you are building a business. Clients want to do business with people they trust. They like to hire professionals that are consistent in the way they present themselves and do business.

I believe that in the last 25 years, I have been able to present myself in the same way whether I am running a business or volunteering in my community. To be specific, you have to be able to carry the same values and presence. For example, being courteous, being on time, professionally dressed, positive mannerisms, approachable, just to name a few. This is the feedback that we should all strive for, and I am happy to say that it often shows up on my survey results and testimonials.

My clients know what to expect and when I show them consistency, they know Who and What they are getting. This concept is so important, that I currently give my coaching clients an assessment to measure how they see themselves and their brand, and then we send the same assessment out to people they know in order to get feedback and figure out whether the brand the client is showing to the world is received in the way it is intended to. Receiving feedback from others is helpful and it truly helps when it comes to career and market growth.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I grew up in an environment that was already limited and scarce. I am an island girl born in Puerto Rico in the seventies. My life began with limited resources but dreaming big and not letting the limitations I was facing in terms of mentorship and financial resources restrict me, was key to my success. In my story, I see resilience.

Dreaming big helps you push through any situation. When I was young, I dreamed of becoming an independent person. I wanted to find a great career, own an apartment, and a car but most importantly, I wanted freedom.

I worked hard, became a leader at my high school, and later in my last year of college, I was offered the career that I wanted, a position at the largest international accounting firm at the time. I had finally reached my goal, but it did not come without a great deal of work, effort, and sacrifice. I took risks, took advantage of every opportunity, became innovative so that I could stand out among my peers, and reached my goals while overcoming limitations.

I believe that we can all become unstoppable. If I can do it, so can you!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nyrkariskin.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nyrkariskin_purplesuits/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nyrkariskinconsulting
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nyrkariskin/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nyrkariskin

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