Coach Me Cecilia LLC is an online life coaching business. Cecilia Ruffin is a certified life coach and minister who aims to help women who experience a life crisis or loss and want to recover from those events.
The motivation to start this business came after the unfortunate loss of Cecilia’s oldest son. Going through this loss, Cecilia experienced waves of grief, but instead of being overcome by these feelings, Cecilia chose to retain her power to choose. Rather than be consumed by this grief, Cecilia chose to confront her feelings, allowing her to awaken the survivor within and continue. Indeed, even at your lowest point, you are free to choose, and rebuilding is possible.
Cecilia first heard about the SBDC through an entrepreneur friend, who explained the benefits and engagement of the SBDC. After applying, Cecilia partnered with business advisor Gabriela Montaigne, a tremendous asset that has assisted in writing a business plan, meeting with a financial consultant, and partnering Cecilia with Lesley Ortega, an SBDC intern who has been a great help as well. This connection with the SBDC has helped Cecilia gain confidence in her business and brand and improve her marketing strategies that have helped scale the business.
Cecilia wholeheartedly believes in philanthropy, particularly the philanthropic actions of residents in Bloomington-Normal. Cecilia highlights these individuals on social media, including an individual who was instrumental in voting rights for Black people in Bloomington-Normal and a local daycare provider who continued to provide daycare assistance to needy families in the midst of the pandemic. Every week, Cecilia hosts a 15 minute Facebook Live event called Shift to Drive. During this, she provides valuable life lessons, recognizes people making an impact in the community, and provides motivation. Cecilia has long-term plans for her business, including adding new employees and adding an online library and courses with free resources. Visit Cecilia at https://www.coachmececilia.com/ to learn more about her business or to schedule a free consultation today.
Contact the SBDC at sbdc@iwu.edu for more information on how we can help your business.