Good Influence & Mental Health Spotlight: Life coaching and Therapy with a difference.

HOI first came across Kossie www.kossie.co.uk @therealkossie from an Instagram advert which asked its’ readers to submit their dating life woes, with the promise of advice from an expert, in return. We had one of our HOI team test out the service…Low and behold – his/her prayers were answered.
A certain member of the HOI team (your guess is as good as mine…) may have been experiencing some movie-worthy relationship dramas at the time, involving new loves, and the one that got away, all at once. No amount of wine and analysis with friends could assist in figuring out what the hell to do. So when this ad popped up, it truly was a little miracle. (Either that, or our microphones and Google are just doing their job!)

Their expert advice came from one of many coaches responding live on the platform; Valentina Tudose @therealqueenmaker.
The question sent in was: “I Feel Stuck in this Complicated Relationship… What Should I Do?” The advice published was clear, concise, and actionable, first presenting a short psychological and emotional analysis, then following up with 3 easy steps to follow in an effort to begin addressing the issue. (Be warned – all questions go live in the site’s backlog of questions submitted, for all to see – however it is of course anonymous. Saying that, we’re pretty sure if some of the ex’s in question laid their eyes on a story about them…It would probably ring alarm bells!)

We spoke to founder Karen Chung to find out a little bit more about Kossie’s story.

“I built Kossie on a foundation of trust, openness and friendship. Kossie is an inclusive, community-focused coaching platform which directly advises millennial women on their mental health struggles, dating concerns and career worries. Our system matches our community members with accredited, professional coaches and experts to answer their questions on our dedicated Coaching Platform.
Our ultimate goal is to consistently motivate and inspire our community to achieve their goals, both at work and in their personal lives. We recognise the importance of maintaining a positive, well-balanced lifestyle, which is why helping our members to achieve this is such a priority for us.”

What sparked the inception of Kossie?

“Kossie took off when I had the idea to launch our first interview series – ‘Incredible Two’, which was based on my personal experience of being an Asian woman in her thirties. I had just been offered a finance job in Hong Kong, but the company wouldn’t provide the high-paying salary I felt I deserved because of the interviewer’s worry that I would be one of the ‘leftover women’ – which is a negative way to describe Asian women in their 30s who haven’t yet married.
I had this incredible idea of launching an ‘Incredible Two’ series that looked at how power couples have achieved great success while working together or independently and have still managed to maintain a close relationship. I aimed to use this series to empower women to go after what they really want in life, instead of what culture tells us we should be doing by a certain age. From there, the platform took off!”

What was your inspiration behind the name Kossie?

“I wanted to create a safe and inclusive space for millennials to talk about their deepest worries and concerns without worrying about how others see them. When we all feel ‘cozy’ in a comfortable and safe environment, we usually are able to open up and reveal more of ourselves to others. That’s why I named my first venture Kossie [Ko-SEE].”

What are your long term goals for Kossie?

“My all-time goal for Kossie is to make life coaching more accessible and as affordable as possible. In so many people’s eyes, having your own coach to help with aspects of your life seems like such a luxury item, unless it’s paid for by a workplace. Many do not even know what exactly coaching is and how your life can be improved by it. Ultimately, I hope our community will use our platform to become the best version of themselves, improving their wellbeing, while keeping their wallet happy.”

Did you always know you would one day launch your own business?

“Yes, although I always thought I would launch a footwear business after I graduated from college! However, my own experience of burnout at a stressful job inspired me to create a business around a bigger problem, which is to bring more awareness of mental wellbeing to those who are striving for the best for themselves. While it’s great to shoot for the moon, you need to take care of yourself – and not many people know how to do both simultaneously.”

What has been your favourite Kossie coaching question and advice so far?

“I really like this one, in which the community member asks how to prioritise their workload and how to delegate tasks effectively. It really resonated with me personally, as I often struggle with delegation myself. The career coach gave really helpful advice and tips that I have already saved in my reading list, and I will certainly work on the exercises she recommended.”