WBS Interview - Meet Katarina Nave | Womens Business Society

Meet Katarina Nave from SGP Consulting

Katarina is a down-to-earth leader with an entrepreneurial spirit, who’s passionate about continuous improvement and helping businesses dream big. Originally working in the services industry with multi million-dollar companies implementing powerful growth strategies, Katarina has a long and proven history of helping businesses thrive.
With 18 years’ experience in corporate leadership, together with proven strategies and a personal approach, Katarina is raising the bar for business consulting and coaching.

Tell us about your business

SGP stands for Sustainable Growth and Profit, which is something Katarina Nave knows a few things about. Today, SGP Consulting helps businesses of all sizes grow, prosper and profit.

At SGP Consulting, we believe in thinking big, regardless of the size of your business. Through years of working with multi million-dollar companies, we’ve learnt the systems, processes and strategies that help big businesses become bigger – and we believe every business can take a leaf out of their book.

Whether you’re a sole trader, a small business or a national corporation, we help you apply the same success principles used by the world’s most profitable companies.

Most importantly, we challenge you to aim higher, think bigger and look beyond what you thought was possible. With SGP in your corner, the sky’s the limit for your success.

Why and when did you start your own business?

In 2015, myself and my business partner Linley, saw a huge gap in the market for quality coaching that delivered more than the short-term solutions being offered by most business consultants.

Our vision was to develop a sustainable, long-term solution to guide businesses through every step of the growth process – from initial needs assessment through to implementation and beyond. We envisioned a collaborative process, where clients would enjoy ongoing support and accountability, allowing them to embed strategies into their business and enjoy continuous growth, year after year.

What does being a business owner mean to you?

My passion has always been helping people in business! Knowing that I get to work on what I love each day with my clients is just amazing. There is nothing better than working with driven individuals and helping them step out of their comfort zone and face their fears to work on their business success. I’ve always been passionate about the contribution by work has on others.

What or who has been your greatest influence in business and why?

I have had many influences in business over the years. What stands out the most for me is being given the opportunity to work alongside inspiring leaders and having them allow me to make decisions that I learnt from along the way.

What would you say is your greatest professional accomplishment to date?

I’ve experienced many professional achievements over my years working in the corporate environment, however my greatest accomplishment to date would have to be having the courage to step outside of my comfort zone to start my own business – and truly believing in my ability of helping others achieve their business successes.

What’s the best advice you have received in business that you wish to pass on to our readers?

The best advice I’ve ever received is not to pretend you know the answer to something if you don’t!

What has been the most effective marketing initiatives or programs you have used to promote your business?

Word of mouth! Most people value their friends, colleagues or associates opinions so much, that if someone tells them that I provide a great service and was able to help them achieve greater business success, then they trust that to be true.

What is one thing have you learned as a small business owner that has served you well over the years?

The absolute importance of thinking like a BIG business. I often tell people that the way they operate their business and make decisions today should be just like that of a large organisation! Thinking BIG helps us grow not only as individuals but also as a company.

I’m a big believer in incorporating daily corporate practices and principles into your business; having formal monthly meetings to review results and plan for the next period, taking meeting minutes that allow you to work on each action and ensure you follow through and most importantly working to a plan with focus that is regularly reviewed.

Are there any resources or tools you’d like to share with other small business owners that have helped you run your business?

Office 365 – for calendar bookings (with reminders for clients), document filing and sharing of documents with clients.

What do you do for fun/relaxation?

I love going away with my family and friends to various destinations and am a lover of Yoga!

What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful woman in business?

1. Understanding your finances
2. Planning and execution of everyday business operations
3. Effective communication and relationship building – share your passion with those interested in your story

What fears have you faced in business? Have you overcome it/them? How do you manage fear?

What fears haven’t I faced! I’m sure most of us can relate to the dreaded thought of “have I made the right decision to start my own business, maybe I should have just got a real job!”.

In the world of having your own business, fear strikes on a regular basis, because we all seem to doubt ourselves at some point. I’ve found it helpful to recognise fear and tackle it head on – step out of my comfort zone and really think about the worst thing that could happen! I often find talking to myself and reminding myself of “why a client has selected to work with me” to be helpful – don’t always assume the worst, in fact align your thoughts and feelings to achieve success.

What are your top 5 goals you want to achieve by the end of 2018?

1. I want to facilitate group workshops for small business owners, delivering amazing content that they can IMPLEMENT into their business IMMEDIATELY.

2. I want to facilitate group coaching programs where individuals work alongside other business owners, and have one-on-one sessions with me, where we work through good business systems and processes, strategies and plans – ensuring that individuals create and remain focused on their business plan for their growth journey.

3. I want to facilitate one-on-one coaching programs, where I work with individuals to identify business improvement opportunities and to develop goals, strategies and actions for implementation, all whilst focusing on THEM. I will make them ACCOUNTABLE and ensure that they follow through to achieve their business growth vision.

4. I want to continue to help businesses determine whether they are ON TRACK for a successful year; ensuring they know what to FOCUS on and exactly what ACTIONS they need to take to grow their business.

5. Finally, I want to create a ‘Brand’ for my passion – I want to give it personality, I want to inspires others!

What makes you happy?

Happiness for me is seeing other people happy and satisfied – knowing that I’ve contributed towards that. There is nothing better than seeing my family happy after something I have done and likewise there is nothing better than seeing the satisfaction of one of my clients – true happiness!

Have you had to make any sacrifices whilst running your business? If so, what are they?

No, not really. In fact, it’s given me greater flexibility to spend quality time with the most important people in my life – my family.

Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most and why?

I love the social enterprise Thank You. I’d seen their products over the years and had the chance to read Daniel Flynn’s book – Chapter One ‘You have the Power to Change Stuff’ over 1 year ago. The story of starting a business to help others resonates with me!

Where do you see yourself and your business in 2-5 years?

I see myself and a small team working alongside me, helping others achieve their business success.

What book has inspired you the most? (OR What is your favourite book?)

1. Chapter One ‘You have the Power to Change Stuff’ – Daniel Flynn

2. Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself – Dr. Joe Dispenza

How do you measure your success in business?

I ask this question of all my coaching clients – what is success to you?

Success for me is the number of clients I can contribute to, by making a difference to their business in achieving their goals and vision and similarly to them personally – by helping them to grow as individuals.

Where is your dream destination to go for a holiday and why?

The Maldives – As a Pisces (Fish), I absolutely love beach holiday destinations and imagine The Maldives to be the most relaxing destination in the world!

What is your favourite inspirational quote you would like to share with other WBS members?

“Change requires coherence, align your thoughts and feelings” – Dr. Joe Dispenza

What are your top 5 business tips?

1. Ensure your business is your passion – passion is when your strengths, insights and emotions align

2. Be ready to change, face your fears and step outside of your comfort zone

3. Planning should be at the forefront of everything you do – determine your main goal and choose simple actions that you can complete, that will get you closer to your main goal

4. Focus – get things done!

5. Celebrate your wins – we often forget to stop and celebrate our achievements, no matter how big or small. It’s soo important to recognise key milestones in your business – these moments will remind you of why you started your business to begin with and will help you to set your plan for the next phase of your business.

Why did you become a WBS Member?

I attended my first ever WBS event in September 2017 and met some amazing women in business who were very warm and welcoming. I immediately felt that I shared the same values and passion for business success and knew that I would create long-lasting connections and friendships. I have not looked back…