Aliya Levinson Kehoe is a business breakthrough coach who helps small business owners and entrepreneurs think BIG! She helps them consistently attract incredible clients, hit their revenue goals, and embrace the freedom and fulfilment that comes with living into their potential.
She also helps new coaches implement a step-by-step system to attract and enroll all their first coaching clients so they can finally get paid to do the work they love with the clients they love to serve.
What differentiates Aliya from other business coaches is her mixture of compassion, and strategy, and ability to use personal development and relationship-building techniques to help her clients create major wins in their lives and businesses in the form of faster financial gains and client attraction. She has been referred to by past clients as a “heart-centered coach who means business, and deeply cares about her clients, that’s truly rare.”
Aliya holds her LMSW from NYU, is a certified professional coach and ELI-Master Practitioner, and a Huffington Post blogger. She is a true life-enthusiast, who embraces any chance to have fun and use wisdom and intuition to help others create real, lasting transformation in their lives and businesses. She loves a good slice of pizza and never says no to a chocolate bar, dance party, or rapping to 90’s music. She recently moved to Hoboken from NYC, and currently lives there with her husband.
How did you launch your career as a coach?
I first began as a career coach. I took on speaking engagements focused around women’s empowerment issues for employees at companies like JetBlue and MetLife. I was able to land different opportunities because I lead with my passion and excitement and made getting out there a total priority. I also alerted my network that I was launching my coaching career and was looking to meet people who met the criteria of my (then) ideal client (who, at the time, was someone who wanted to change careers to something more fulfilling- personally, professionally, and financially.
What training did you undergo and where did you study?
I got my Masters in Social Work from NYU and am an LMSW. I also became a CPC (Certified Professional Coach) from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), am a certified ELI-MP, and am also working towards my certification in Core Dynamics.
Can you give us 3 tips on how to put ourselves out there more?
Yes, yes, and YES! I am someone who was completely nervous about putting myself out there. I wanted to coach others – but the whole “getting out there” and marketing myself thing was new to me. My 3 tips would be
- Lead with your passion. If you start with what you’re passionate and excited about, people will resonate.
- Opportunities are everywhere. I think a lot of times we want clients to come, or income to be created, or opportunities to arise a certain way, and we focus so hard on that one way that we miss what’s going on all around us. Adding value to other people, to a company, to anyone really, is an easy thing to do when you’re open, looking for how you can be helpful, and get good at creating win-win situations.
- Get visible. Admittedly, getting on video and doing social media marketing was not the easiest for me (like “Hello world!” Here I am and here’s what I do now!”) What I learned along the way is that you being “visible” either on or offline is truly about you sharing a message that the right people need to hear. I’ve met so many amazing men, women, clients, and have created awesome partners and friendships by attending networking events, and get on video. We live in an awesome time where technology allows us to do these things, and when you learn to take advantage of it, it can serve you and your audience tenfold.
Have you ever had any other mentor? If so how has this benefitted you to grow?
Getting a mentor or a coach has been and is instrumental to my personal development and growth, and to the growth of my business. I’ve worked with a handful of coaches along the way, and you learn a lot about you, the blocks you might typically come up against, how to recognise and move past obstacles, how to develop your business successfully, how to connect with the right people, and what type of energy creates real movement for you inside your business. Coaching is the best way to make progress- with a coach that you can be yourself with, can confide in, and can trust has your absolute best interest at heart! I would say, do your research and trust your gut. If you feel it’s a click, then it probably is!
Which methods are you using to build your own support network?
I currently belong to a BNI and am always looking for events to attend in my area. I look for ways to refer those in my network to one another, and to connect people. Not only do I totally enjoy that thing, but that type of activity is rewarding for everyone involved. I get tons of support back from those I connect with…so wins all around.
What is the best piece of business advice you have received to date?
I used to say “follow your fear,” and I believe that stepping into the things that scare us is actually a great rule of thumb. There’s a quote by Joseph Cambell that I love “The cave you fear to enter hold the treasure you seek.”
Recently though, I’m realising something that I think I didn’t do that I wish I did from the start which is: find the right people. People who you trust, who you can talk to, who have your best interest at heart, who want to see you succeed, who are caring and supportive. Being in the wrong groups of people or trying for something because of some perception that it’s the cool thing to do simply won’t take you far, or will mislead you.
I did that at various points in my career and chased something I thought mattered more to others than to me. It’s easy to get sidetracked, especially when you’re looking at all the information that’s out there and it’s easy to follow a rabbit down the wrong path. Focusing on what’s right for you is always the best way, and having the right people who are there to help you do that? Is truly an amazing thing.
The highlight of your career so far?
One of the highlights of my career occurred during a challenge I ran online. It was a mindset mastery challenge for new women entrepreneurs and I was sharing some of my top tips for really connecting to yourself, your vision, and your uniqueness. It was the first online challenge I ran, and each day I got on live video in my facebook group, Authentic Entrepreneurs.
The most satisfying thing was seeing how much FUN these women had together. How connected they were and became in such a short period of time going through the various daily challenges and exercises I gave them. And how much they devoted to their own growth within the week-long challenge. Some of these women became true friends. besides taking these lessons to the work that they do inside their businesses- and that for me was incredibly rewarding. I love facilitating change and bringing people together, and the whole thing was new for me too. It was a total highlight of my career.
What gives you ultimate career satisfaction?
Seeing my clients tip the scales for themselves and enroll those next 5 clients, or do something BIG they’ve never done before – host a retreat, or workshop, or hit a new revenue goal, it’s amazing being able to hold space for that kind of transformation. I know (because I’ve seen!) that possibility truly exists inside all of us, and once you have someone that helps you get there, it’s fun, fantastic, thrilling, rewarding, and I love celebrating the success of my people!
What challenges have you seen to have been presented during the growth of your business?
All the challenges I could list absolutely.
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
‘The Big Leap’ by Gay Hendrix! Ooh, it is so good. Absolutely check it out. And if you’re nervous about getting started, check out ‘Taming Your Gremlin’ by Rick Carson.
How do you measure your own terms of success?
I am following my joy! I didn’t always measure success that way, but when I do, everything from my personal fulfilment, my enjoyment, to the challenges and the financial pieces, all of it gets better.
Lastly, what is next for you?
More videos online, and maybe even a podcast in the future, the possibilities are endless!
Instagram: @aliyakehoe
Facebook Group: bit.ly/mindsetdom
Facebook: www.facebook.com/aliyalevinsoncoaching/
Blog: www.aliyalevinson.com/blog
Website link: www.aliyalevinson.com
