Her entrepreneurial life and commitment to empowering other women make Giulia Porro an inspiring individual. Her Expat Life had the pleasure of interviewing her recently and learning about her experiences as a coach. Her story is both inspiring and enlightening, and we are excited to share it with you.
1: You are a successful female leadership coach, helping rebellious women founders & entrepreneurs create success! Congratulations - tell us about your journey to becoming a leadership coach and who have you helped along the way?
I come from the corporate world and (although I had very interesting and helpful experiences), I wasn’t thriving and I wasn’t aligned.
A few years ago I discovered coaching and felt I was tapping into my potential, and had found something that allowed me to combine my different skills - background studies, corporate experiences, travels around the world and ongoing interest and passion for holistic solutions for helping others thrive.
My initial focus was to help women in the corporate world (I was in the corporate world when I started coaching), but my focus shifted to helping aspiring women founders and entrepreneurs create success without sacrificing themselves.
2: Your area of expertise is in mindset & energy work - tell us how you help people with their mindset and what advice do you have for women who are in negative patterns of thinking and need to shift?
If you want to thrive in business, you need to work on yourself - your self-development needs to be your priority. I combine both mindset and energy work (I’m a little bit woo!) because I think this combination is actually what helps women achieve long-lasting transformation (not only from a mindset perspective, but also from a less visible, less tangible angle). If women are in a negative pattern of thinking, the first step is awareness. And then start consciously being more kind to yourself, to be gentle. Entrepreneurship is an accelerated experience of personal development.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed and caught up comparing yourself to others on social media (especially at the beginning). So practice kindness and get support from people who ‘get it’, and who can help you work through it.
3: What can people expect from you during coaching sessions? What do you offer that is unique?
My coaching sessions are a combination of kick-ass encouragement and honesty.
I encourage my clients to have courageous conversations, which isn’t always easy but it helps them to release old energy and move forward. I use a number of different holistic approaches and tools including EFT, NLP, Human Design and Restorative Yoga.
It’s for women who are looking for well-rounded and holistic support to thrive in their life and business without sacrificing their values and their lifestyle
4: You say you are a fan of relaxed leadership & slow business - what does this really mean?
My ethos of relaxed leadership and slow business is the opposite of the hustle culture that is normally glorified in the entrepreneurial space.
My mission is to help women to show up as powerful leaders in their business and their life.
I help them to stop working from a place of burnout, misalignment, and people pleasing.
Instead I encourage them to create a business that’s sustainable and supports their lifestyle.
Their self-expression and creativity are important, and I help them to give space and importance to this side of themselves.
Money and hard-work are important, but there needs to be a balance.
5: What are your key tips for female entrepreneurial success?
One of the main ways I work is around energetics, magnetism, and human design.
Human Design is an amazing tool that combines astrology and other disciplines to uncover your unique energetic blueprint. When you know your own energetic blueprint, this helps you reduce resistance and make decisions that are effective for you both in life and in business.
This is particularly important for women because we’re still operating in a very masculine world.
We’ve been conditioned for so long to work using masculine energy, that there’s an additional layer of reconditioning we need to go through. I truly believe that everyone is different and you can’t get the success you crave by following general rules, or trying to copy the way other people do things. (It might work for a while, but usually at the expense of your own wellbeing and fulfilment).
So this is why doing a deep dive into energetics and 'Human Design' is so important to my work.
These tools allow me to help my clients truly understand their unique skills, passions and drive.
We uncover insights into what’s the best way for them to make an impact in the world in a way that feels aligned for them.
When all these pieces are unlocked, THAT’S the secret to creating true and fulfilling success.
6: What challenges have you faced along the way as a successful female leader and how have you overcome them?
For me personally (and a lot of my clients), showing up on social media can sometimes be a struggle.
It’s a great way to grow your business and clients, but some of the approaches don’t always feel positive or aligned. I’ve discovered that this particular challenge is also solved by getting clear on your personal energy and finding ways to show up that feel good for you.
As in life, there are endless ways to use social media to get your business in front of your audience, and you don’t have to do it in the same way as everyone else.
As a woman in business, self-care practices and support help you navigate the ups and downs.
This is where a coach is invaluable, as they help you to separate yourself from your business and regulate your nervous system. This is important at all stages of business - whether you’re starting out, or scaling to a new level.
7: A lot of women neglect their overall wellbeing as we rush through life and to do lists! - What advice do you have for women in order to make room for wellness in a busy life?
With women, it’s not uncommon for them to think that their own wellbeing should be pushed down to the bottom of the list. It’s not necessarily because they’re working their ass off.
It’s because they’re doing too little that actually lights them up. Or doing too little of what actually matters to them. When they make room for themselves and their own wellbeing, that’s when things start to shift in their life and business.
Let me give you an example:
A few months ago, a client reached out to me saying she wanted to “reach financial freedom by doing something that aligns with my values, having a voice out there and being of service to others.”
She was already working at her startup but yet she was not completely happy.
In our coaching journey together, we tapped into her innate strengths and natural magnetism, so that she could express her potential and achieve more by doing more of what gives her joy. We also defined what really mattered to her on a personal and professional level. She began to structure her days and routines which made her feel more energised rather than trapped by a boring to do list.
We worked on her overall sense of self and confidence, so that she felt proud of herself and felt satisfied with her efforts and achievements. The results were pretty fast, and the cool thing is that she now has a deeper understanding of herself as well as powerful tools that will support her long after our work together. This is key as she grows together with her startup.
8: You speak several languages which is impressive! What advice do you have for female expats or digital nomads looking to pursue bilingualism or may feel intimidated in learning a language or even speaking it?
Travel is a great option!
Just go to other places, get a sense of other cultures and speak to people.
Even if you don’t speak it ‘perfectly’...just try. Everyone appreciates when you make an effort to talk to them in their language. Watching TV shows in other languages is a great way to really get your skills up. We’ve got Netflix. We’ve got Amazon Prime.
Get exploring :)
9: What do you do in your spare time?
I travel as much as I can. I read (I’m a book nerd) especially when it comes to personal growth, holistic disciplines and business development. I’ve currently got 10 books on the go at the same time 🙂
I like spending time in cozy coffee shops, and going for long walks in the sun.
10: Lastly, what is your life like in Milan? Lifestyle etc…? Should people consider Italy/Milan as a relocation destination and why?
Milan is becoming a super-international city for expats.
It’s a great place to be if you’re interested in living the Italian lifestyle, but are looking for a city that’s more dynamic than other places in Italy.
There’s lots going on, there’s lots of places to eat, shows to watch, cool things to do.
There’s an energetic vibe, opportunities abound, and there are lots of business opportunities.
Connect with Giulia Porro:
Female Leadership Coach for women founders & entrepreneurs
website: Giulia Porro (thegiuliaporro.com)
LinkedIn: (1) Giulia Porro | LinkedIn
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