#WIB -Q&A With Liezl Reid Founder And Director Of Shapeshifter Consulting -

1. Can you please tell us more about your business?

A. Shapeshifter Consulting was founded to provide services to organisations and private clients to encourage personal or organisational growth and development.

2. When, how and why did you start your business?

A. I started my practice in September 2019. I attended a business development workshop with the ideas I had in my head. This opportunity forced me to plan it out on paper. Then everything slowly fell in place from there, the name just appeared one day while I was looking at my littlest one’s toys while putting him to sleep. I met with a few connections that helped me with my branding, registering the company, etc. However, it is still fresh, new, exciting and terrifying at times. I took the step to open my own business so that I can tie all my skills, experience and learning together to encourage organisations or individuals to flourish and hopefully add value to society.

3. What is your role in the business?

A. I am the founder and director of the Company. My main role is that of Business and Personal coach within the coaching space, whereby I provide coaching to employees, managers, business owners or private clients to encourage them to develop their thinking and find purpose or meaning within the work they do. In addition, I am also an HR advisor for start-ups or small businesses assisting with HR solutions, HR structure implementation, or day-to-day HR advice.

4. Where did you study and what did you study?

A. I started my education at the University of Stellenbosch completing a BA degree in Humanities. I
completed my BA Honours degree in Counselling Psychology through UNISA in 2012. Following this, I completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Labour Law. I also completed an MPhil in Management Coaching degree from the University of Stellenbosch Business School in 2019.

5. How did you finance your business?

A. With money that was saved while I was still employed at an organisation. Also, with sponsorship from personal connections. I was lucky to obtain client referrals very early on so that also helped finance the small stuff.

6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.

A. An average workday does not carry much meaning, which is one of the reasons I took a leap of faith to start my own business. With two small children, I try and keep work within the first half of the day. I have a practice at home where I meet up with clients or do online coaching. I also travel to client’s premises during the week. If I am not coaching, I am reading or connecting with colleagues, and raising the little ones.

7. How do you balance your home life and your work life?

A. With lots of patience and support. I arrange my working schedule around school times and have a great family support system that takes over if I get a lengthy project.

8. What drives you and inspires you?

A. My children, being knowledge-hungry and wanting to be a positive energy contributing to hopefully bettering our society and leadership.

9. Where and when do you have your best ideas?

A. When I go for runs and when the house is quiet!

10. Where and how do you market/advertise your business for sales leads?

A. I have a website – www.shapeshifter.co.za, I connect with likeminded individuals on Linkedin and at business networking forums. I also have a Facebook page and have handed out business cards to key individuals. But I have been fortunate to have received client referrals from within my own network.

11. What is next for your business?

A. Sharing knowledge and empowering individuals. I am developing workshops and collaborating with other superstars to create workshops that focus on communication, divergent thinking and bringing the coaching conversations into those spaces.

12. What advice would you give to female entrepreneurs hoping to start their own business?

A. It is the quality of the work you do, not necessarily the quantity that matters. Do what excites you and take the leap of faith. You can’t see the show if you do not have a ticket.

Liezl is the founder of Shapeshifter consulting and provides services within the coaching and human resource advisory spaces. She is an accomplished HR consultant who specialises in employment relations, fostering employment wellbeing and communication structures, while also creating a thinking environment and unleashing potential through Business and Personal Coaching.

Liezl holds an Honours degree in Counselling Psychology, an Advanced Labour Law Programme qualification cum laude, and obtained a Master’s degree in Management Coaching from the University of Stellenbosch Business School. She has a passion for research and will continue to become involved in coaching research projects.