AWEC Alumnae Spotlight: Lola Yunus on Why AWEC is Like a Gift That Keeps on Giving

Lola Yunus

Changing careers can be tough and nerve racking. It is likely to bring with it a new routine, which may affect your work/life balance, and what’s more you'll probably be entering an unfamiliar space and will have to build new relationships and a good professional reputation —sometimes from scratch. It's therefore crucial to have a good support network around you. 

We had the opportunity to sit down with an AWEC alumnae who took on the life changing decision to do just that and credits her confidence and success in her business to the lessons she learnt during her time on the program.

From Corporate Governance Consultant to Career Coach

Lola Yunus joined AWEC’s first Cohort as the owner of a modest fashion brand for Muslim women that she started in 2015 while working as an Assistant Company Secretary with a multinational private company. The AWEC lessons she implemented took her business to profitability for the first time, but while she celebrated the success, she felt there was still something missing. 

“The business was successful, however I am a person driven by impact and if I can’t see how it's making a positive impact in people’s lives, I’m not motivated enough. The fashion industry is tough, so when it comes to making profit while at the same time trying to maintain ethical manufacturing and drive impact, one might find it difficult to achieve or balance all three, particularly when you do not have the large financial pot it takes to do so,” Lola said.

Reflecting on this, Lola decided to pause her fashion business and use her experience to support other women who were experiencing the same challenges and fears she initially faced when she thought about making the transition from corporate job to business ownership.

Lola now works as a Self-Awareness and Career Coach, while working part-time in Corporate Governance. Lola supports women seeking to uncover who they are, find clarity, confidence and courage to take action on their dreams. Lola also helps women change careers and transition into fulfilling work. She also works as a start-up business mentor to help women kickstart their path to entrepreneurship.

Facing Fears and Transforming Lives

Switching to a service based business meant Lola did not require a hefty capital investment to start but that did not allay her own fears in starting over. 

“As women, we often question ourselves, ‘Who am I to do this? I’ve not even figured out my own life, how am I going to help somebody else, so you’re a coach now...really?’ I was even afraid to register the business under ‘Lola Yunus’ in case people Googled it...I was so afraid of being judged, but at the end of the day, I realised, it’s not about me, but the women that I am going to serve.”

Today, Lola works with a number of female clients helping them to gain more clarity, confidence and courage to pursue their dreams. Looking back, she says that her AWEC journey was the most impactful of all her professional development experiences: “From 2015 till now I have invested in a lot of programs but without a doubt AWEC has been the most transformational and empowering. You would think that pivoting from product to service based, the lessons would not be applicable but guess what, even now in 2021, whenever I feel like I am getting stuck I still go over my AWEC slides, lessons, and peer feedback.”

Investing in Women

After completing the year-long program, Lola considered how she could pay-it-forward: “What I have received from AWEC is far more than I could possibly give back. I paid nothing except to invest my time. AWEC changed everything for me. Beyond business, it impacted my personal growth and development so much.” 

One way that Lola chose to give back was to become a recurring donor to enable AWEC to continue fulfilling its mission. She also sought more ways to contribute: “When AWEC was recruiting for Cohort 4 applicants, I immediately asked myself how I would support it. I have access to over 10,000 followers on Instagram so I shared the message and hosted a LIVE IG session. It’s the least I could do.”

In and of itself, switching careers is a major-life decision for anyone to make, let alone starting and building a business. Lola credits the knowledge and support she gained from the program that has given her confidence and played a huge part in the success of her professional pivots.