My name is Barbora and thanks to John and the Grad2Director programme I am now a Director of my own company. I graduated from York St John University in November 2018. After the ceremony and some pictures, my guests and I headed back to campus where I met John. It was quite lucky really, to be honest with you I really wanted to go eat something, but my mum struck a conversation with John on our way and reeled me in. I am really grateful for this, because that meeting and all the following ones John and I had, helped me realise that I can in fact start my own company a lot sooner than I anticipated.

 

I always wanted to have a private counselling practice at some point in the future, but I couldn’t imagine it would happen for at least another five years. However, life happens and I ended up on this path much sooner. Before Grad2Director I had no experience with setting up or even running a company, plenty of experience with counselling but business-wise not so much. If I went into it on my own I wouldn’t have a clue where to start or how to do anything. This programme however, takes you on a journey of self-discovery and gives you invaluable skills.

I feel I learned a huge amount and started to think about the business side of counselling more in depth. Thanks to all the lessons I feel I have a good insight into my motivations for establishing Shift Counselling, but also what it can offer its clients. It’s essential to to ask yourself all these and many more questions before taking a big step into incorporating a company and stepping out into the world.

I feel that the programme is well designed and genuinely helps to prepare you and to teach you necessary skills you’ll need. Going to the monthly meetings and working on the ‘homework’ gives you a chance to think things through, rather than jumping into a deep end unprepared. Personally, I really enjoyed and took full advantage of all the support and materials provided to me.

I worked hard and took all the lessons to heart, as well as enjoyed the journey. Thanks to all the work I’ve put in and the support from John I was actually the first one to become incorporated this year! It’s equally scary and exciting when you get to that point when you officially become a Director. One of the huge bonuses of going through this programme was also getting the support of Rollits Solicitors and York St John University for doing the heavy lifting when it came to paperwork and the incorporating process itself.

Though my company Shift Counselling is now officially in business, I still go to the monthly meetings with John as I feel I still have a lot to learn and I think it’s great that the support doesn’t end once your company is official.

Finally, I would like to thank John for all his support and lessons, Charlotte for the organisational side of things, Rollits for their help and of course York St John University for supporting their graduates in such a wonderful way. Thank you!

 

Website: https://www.shiftcounselling.co.uk/ 

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