Interview with business coach and author Lenka Lutonska

Lenka Lutonska, 39, is a business coach, author of Energetic Selling And Marketing, and mother of three.

Read how Lenka arrived in the UK from Slovakia aged 19 with just £30 in her pocket, and went from cleaning tables at a fast food restaurant to running a business that generates up to £300k a month.

What’s your career background?

I come from very humble beginnings, I grew up in Slovakia but made the decision to move to the UK alone when I was 19 to prosper, and fulfil my perhaps naïve dream to change the world.

I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew that I wanted to work with people, and make a big difference in their lives. My strict Slovakian father had other plans for me, he wanted me to secure a job in banking and stay at home – this just wasn’t the path I wanted to take, I wanted to be free and follow my calling. 

In London, I got a job at McDonalds as a temporary measure and worked my way up from cleaning tables, to becoming a business manager, managing millions in turnover and hundreds of staff members.

I was successful in my own right, but my heart always lay with self-development, and the power of the mind which I explored in my free time through reading. I eventually discovered NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), which changed my life forever. 

In 2006, I decided to sell my house and car, and everything else I owned to be able to fund my dream.  I moved in with my boyfriend so I could afford to pay for the highest level of training to become a Master NLP coach and trainer.

I fell deeply in love with this method and eventually became one of the leading NLP trainers in the UK, delivering workshops and training on communication skills and confidence building to hundreds of people across the UK including Cambridge University academics and Fortune 500 company executives. 

Today, I am an international business and mindset coach for women coaches and change-makers. I thrive by helping other women to build successful businesses. Many of which have scaled to six, multiple six or seven figures. I have incredible clients in over 30 countries and have worked with thousands of women across the world. 

How did your career change after having children?

Having children helped me to prioritise my time better. I could no longer afford to do all the tasks related to business, so I became better at outsourcing and stepping into the role of CEO, rather than ‘do it all’ girl. I have three sons, and I called each of them my little business partner. 

Where did the idea for your business come from?

I always had a deep desire to do something remarkable in the world. I spent years reading self-development books, and was always fascinated with how the mind works. As such I studied counselling, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and eventually, I discovered NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming). 

Studying NLP helped me personally more than any other modality, and very fast – from letting go of eating disorder, through to healing my relationship with my father, and attracting an incredible man into my life. Most importantly, it helped me to grow my confidence and the sense of self-worth. So no wonder I got hooked!

Studying NLP and going through this personal transformation gave me all the courage I needed to leave the security of my job and start my own  business. I wanted to share these techniques far and wide!  

How did you move from idea to actual business?

In order to set up my own training and coaching consultancy business, I sold everything including my house and car. When you take such a brave leap, there is no room for failure!

Starting my business was very tough – although I had a deep and burning passion inside of me, I struggled with loneliness. My computer was my only companion. My friends didn’t understand why I left my well-paid  job and sold my house to sit at my boyfriend’s house working on my computer. 

Soon enough I had a thriving business and started my family. Through word of mouth, I quickly built a prestigious client base who are incredibly loyal. My client base continues to grow as each of my previous clients recommends me to somebody new. 

I now have a business that guides many gifted women to that place of success working with their soul, high-end clients, creating extraordinary impact on the world, and changing their lives as a result.

In a nutshell, it took a lot of courage, risk, and unbreakable belief in my vision.  

What’s your USP?

I focus on energetic selling and marketing, which combines NLP, psychology, and working with our intuition. I coach others in using the most powerful currency on the planet – their personal energy – to create extraordinary growth in their business. 

This approach goes far beyond tactic-based sales and marketing techniques, and women who integrate this approach into their business often experience remarkable results and growth – doubling, tripling, even quadrupling their revenues in a matter of several weeks and months. 

Who’s your target audience?

Women coaches and service-based entrepreneurs who are looking to grow and scale a six or seven-figure business.

How do you spread the word about what you do?

My Facebook group, Freaking Amazing Women, has been a major source of clients for me. The group is for women coaches, visionaries, change-makers who want to feel inspired, grow their mindsets, expand their entrepreneurial skills and celebrate their successes. 

When I was starting out, I would often hold free NLP workshops which I advertised online, during the workshops I invited people to join me for further trainings which was a great way to get clients. 

What’s been your most successful marketing strategy?

Marketing via my Facebook group has been hugely successful and has allowed me to connect with thousands of women entrepreneurs.

I see my Facebook group as a place where I can form real relationships with business owners who are looking for some guidance and I love to offer trainings and FB Live sessions in there. 

What’s been the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome?

A few years ago before my business existed in its current form, I stepped into an informal business partnership that went sour and I ended up losing everything.

That was an incredibly difficult time and was very difficult to deal with. But I was determined and knew I couldn’t give up. So I had to just pick myself up, dust myself down and keep going.

And your proudest moment so far?

The launch of my book Energetic Selling and Marketing was a very proud moment. It’s something I had always dreamt of doing, and to finally find myself at my own book launch, at a stunning hotel in London, surrounded by my family, friends and clients was an incredible feeling.

The book has been read by people all over the world and I regularly receive messages from people saying how much it has helped and inspired them, which makes me feel so humble and proud.

Why is work so important to you?

I absolutely love my work, and I gain a huge amount of fulfilment from helping other women to grow their own successful businesses and become financially free.

I also appreciate financial freedom my work offers, meaning I can take good care for those who I love, and have freedom to choose – something I once lacked badly. 

Who inspires you?

My clients are my biggest inspiration. I’m fortunate enough to work with remarkable women, and witnessing them stepping into their power and making quantum leaps in their business lights me up more than anything else. 

How do you balance your work with your family?

After my third child was born my husband and I decided that it would make more sense financially for him to become the primary carer for the kids. He gave up work so he could be around to look after them.

This set up works really well for both of us. I feel very supported and knowing my husband is there to do the school pick-up and make the kids’ meals means I can focus on my work, which allows us to have enough money to do all the things we want to do together as a family.

What are your three top pieces of advice for someone wanting to do something similar?

1) Don’t try to do it alone

I continually invest in my business and self-development, because I know how important it is to learn from others who have achieved what I want to achieve.

Find a mentor or coach who can help you to speed up the process so you can have the success you want without having to go through all the uncertainty. 

2) Find a network of like-minded people, or create your own

Having people who understand you and get what you’re doing is really important. I recommend finding online communities of like-minded business owners to be a part of. And if you can’t find one you resonate with, create you own. 

3) Just freaking do it!

There comes a point when you just have to be brave and go for it. So many women hold themselves back because of fears and limiting beliefs, but you’ve got to have faith that things will work out and sometimes you just have to take that leap and do it.

You can find out more about Lenka on her website.