Dr Ifeyinwa Kanu, Founder and CEO of IntelliDigest, shares her coaching experience as part of the Women in Innovation Programme.
"There have been tangible benefits to my business as a result of our coaching sessions!"
IntelliDigest’s vision is a circular world, empowered to deliver sustainable impacts for future generations.
IntelliDigest is an ethical and responsible company empowering global food sustainability. We are a UK biotechnology company specialising in establishing innovative solutions for businesses in the food system from farm to fork to become more sustainable; eliminating edible food waste and upcycling inedible food waste back into the food system in the most efficient way. We draw on our cutting edge research, consulting and training capabilities to address the sustainability challenges faced by food producers and governments globally.
Our goal is to develop long-term, strategic research partnerships with universities, development institutions and government agencies, to deliver new sustainable technologies, changing behaviours and evolving a more resilient and sustainable food system.
In the entrepreneurial world, there are so many activities going on at every point in time, hence, cultivating the attitude of reflection can be quite challenging as a Founder. Though I do have reflective moments early in the morning as part of my Christian spiritual life, I have not appreciated in the past the need to fit in reflective time as I juggle through the busy and sometimes intense life of an entrepreneur.
I find myself sitting before Vic for an hour a month for our coaching. Initially, it didn’t make sense to me why Vic keeps asking the question, “where do we need to go next?”
I often come to my coaching session with a lot of questions buzzing around in my head that I wish someone will help me to unravel. We usually centre on working through how to deal with a workplace culture or secure private equity funding or deal with that demand from a supplier or customer.
In all these scenarios, Vic will calmly walk me through questions until it is clear to us on the best approach to addressing the problem while maintaining fairness and equity for everyone involved. Vic’s style is calm, focused and determined which allowed me to pause, reflect, put the other person in my position, then, take a decision and act to the benefit of all. It was a great experience working with Vic and I remain so grateful for those times we spent together.
There have been tangible benefits to my business as a result of our coaching sessions.
Most of the time, the conflicts and challenges we face can easily be resolved if only we can put ourselves in the position of the other person, and do to them what we would have loved someone else to have done to us if we are in the same situation.
Improving on this skill and taking it forward in my relationship at IntelliDigest has yielded great results, and I am certain it will help improve the culture we evolve at IntelliDigest as we relate with all stakeholders.
I am most pleased to have developed more reflective skills and the ability to know when to step back or push forward and how best to progress. This insight into the power of reflection and positive thinking is crucial to me achieving my greater purpose and the IntelliDigest mission to empower Global Food Sustainability.
I have learnt to be more compassionate and understanding. These are very challenging skills in a very brutal business world but I am determined to lead the change in doing business differently as we empower stakeholders in the food system from farm to fork to be more sustainable.
Coaching helped me to develop more reflective skills and an inner knowing when to step back or push forward and how best to progress. The experience has helped me feel confident that I am a powerful and systemic game-changer with humility, grace and sensitivity.
Due to the success of the pilot programme, the coaching team have agreed to an ongoing special coaching package of 33% off their normal rates for a limited number of women within the Women in Innovation community.
Training Opportunity with IntelliDigest
The IntelliDigest Food Sustainability Programme is designed to empower you to deliver sustainable impacts in your organisation. Delivered in four sessions, the programme takes you through the key issues in food security policy and practice, food loss and waste reduction strategies, and how to makes impacts in this Decade of Action to 2030.