What's your story?

I was invited to be a guest on the 'She is Awesome' podcast by Ceylon Boyce, founder of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs and we talked about stories, fantasy and truth.

I was delighted to be interviewed for the ‘She is Awesome’ podcast created by the founder of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, Ceylon Boyce (aka J) for their 100th episode, no less.

J is an extremely inspirational person so it felt really strange for her to be interviewing me. It should have been the other way round!

So here’s a really short print interview for Heart Leap so you can get to read all about J (but you can listen to our podcast conversation between us here)

Why did you set up The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs?

I want to help women build and grow a business that enables their lives - and get them financial freedom, confidence, business skills and business-life skills.

Why is that important to you?

I was born in Turkey and spent my formative years there and my entrepreneurial spirit showed up early! At 4, I earned pocket money by shining my dad's shoes. By 6, I had a mini team from the neighbourhood, and we collaborated on this little venture, with me overseeing the operations. The ShoeShine Clan!

But during my teenage years, I couldn't ignore the challenges faced by women in Turkey, such as how domestic abuse was allowed by the authorities, how teenage girls were forced to marry older men, how victim blaming was systematic in any sexual harassment situation or even rape. 

By 16, my advocacy for women's rights became so prominent that I nearly faced jail multiple times. This led my family to conclude that pursuing education abroad might be a safer bet for me. But even then, I realised that finding a way to empower women by starting their own business was a giant step to equality.

How did you avoid jail?

I left Turkey at 19. I studied at the Sorbonne in France and worked in corporate jobs. I then started my own marketing consultancy, called J strateJy in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. It was cool, to begin with, but eventually felt like I was stuck in a rut (plus I was being mansplained quite a bit and this didn’t agree with my feminist values!)

So how did you end up starting the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs?

One day during a yoga class, my instructor mentioned coaching. This sowed a seed of intrigue and it never left me. It’s funny how one random conversation has led me to build a successful business.

Fast forward to 2016. I got married (to a Brit), was expecting, and I decided to study coaching in Cambridge University. The crazy part is that I finished my last course just four days before my daughter arrived.

I took all I knew from years in business, mixed in the coaching knowledge, and started the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs. It's more than a job; it's what I'm passionate about.

Check out The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs here.