"Your business will take up so much time of your life, so it’s best to make it enjoyable time" with Monika Friedman

Monika is a Fertility Coach who helps professional women increase their chances of getting pregnant with less anxiety and more joy along the way.

She is a 4-time IVF warrior, a yoga & meditation teacher, and a working mom with an MBA and 15 years of corporate experience under her belt.

Her own challenging journey to motherhood has made her passionate about helping others to make their path easier.

Through her 1:1 coaching program featuring her Full Circle Fertility Method™, she shares a tried-and-tested, research-backed recipe for success that worked for herself and many other women, resulting in increased chances of getting pregnant and finding hope and peace on the journey.  

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I'm a German native, but a global citizen at heart. I've lived and worked all over the world (US, Dominican Republic, Switzerland, Singapore, UK), and now reside in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with my husband, daughter, and red Labrador Retriever. 

Until I was 29 years old, this formula had worked really well for me: goal+hard work=results. Maybe that was due to my German upbringing as one of 4 kids, seeing my parents work hard all their lives, being an A+ student, a successful Sales & Marketing Manager for an international company with a Type A personality, and having run a half-marathon, climbed Kilimanjaro, having the seemingly perfect social life, a loving fiancé, etc.   

What inspired you to start your business?

When I was told at 29 years old that I had the egg reserve of a 44-year old woman and that I should go for donor eggs, my world crashed. My well-known formula for success (goal+hard work=results) didn’t work anymore. Fertility didn’t get the memo, because it plays by its own rules. I was shocked to the core. What followed were almost 5 years of trying to conceive, enduring 12 rounds of ovulation induction, 4 rounds of IVF, 3 different clinics, 10 different doctors, plenty of misdiagnoses, 1 miscarriage, and a lot of emotional turmoil.  

During this relentless pursuit, I gathered information. I spoke with countless warriors going through the same challenges and identified what worked and what didn’t. I documented what I read and what I did, and what worked and what didn’t until I had success.

Despite all (or because of it all), I was able to enjoy a pregnancy full of gratitude, a natural birth, a healthy baby girl, a loving partnership with my husband, and the deep fulfillment of becoming a mother.  

I've learned so much along the way, and I want to share it with women out there dealing with fertility issues.

I decided to re-orient my life to what mattered to me most and become a Fertility Coach. My own challenging journey has made me passionate about helping other women with theirs.   

This path is a long one, full of many challenges to navigate — I want them know that they don’t have to walk it alone.  

Where is your business based? 

From my home office in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, US. All sessions are done via Zoom or phone.  

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I trained as a Life and Health Coach with Erickson International in Canada, added a Fertility Specialist Training in the UK, and then started coaching friends and friends of friends on their fertility journey.  

Once I got certified, I ramped up marketing (with a strong focus on social media because that’s where the so-called ‘infertility warriors’ are huddling) and started working with clients from all over the world.  

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

For sure social media marketing, being visible on Instagram and Facebook, as well as collaborating with other coaches, companies, and causes in the same or adjacent industries. For example, I gave a webinar on ‘Self-Care Techniques for Fertility’ for a popular meditation brand, and that raised my profile immensely. I also enjoy being a guest on podcasts, which has helped hone my messaging as well as increase my visibility.

My best advice for new entrepreneurs: don’t just do what the book says you should do to increase awareness for your business. Instead, do what you enjoy doing, what is fun, what comes naturally to you.  

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

My mindset has definitely been a challenge while starting a business. As we know, ‘the mind is the hardest muscle to train.’ I was so used to the security and predictability of the corporate world, that it was (and often still is) scary to start my own business. Some of the thoughts I had were: Will I ever get clients? Will I be able to help them? In hindsight, my best advice is: trust yourself. Trust the process. Keep on doing what you’re doing if it feels right, or pivot and adjust. Results will come with time and patience.

How do you stay focused? 

Reminding myself of my greater vision: helping other women go through this journey with less anxiety, better tools and knowledge, and more emotional help- one conversation at a time.  

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?  

The holistic blend of solution-oriented coaching, powerful mind-body-connection techniques, and a practical step-by-step guide is what sets my program apart from others. I don't stop at creating just a mind-body connection or supporting you with coaching, I go beyond what you thought was possible.

Together, we'll look at this from a high-level and then all the way down to the nitty-gritty details, and back again, creating a full-circle. We look at three key areas impacting your fertility:

1.     Your mindset

2.     Your lifestyle (incl. diet, supplements, exercise, and exposure to toxins)

3.     Practical fertility considerations (e.g. which clinic, which treatment, how to navigate IVF and side effects).

The power of this program comes from how these parts are uniquely linked. I'll challenge you to walk the extra mile, to push beyond what you thought possible. Because that's how you beat the odds.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

As I mentioned before, definitely social media as that’s where my audience is. But I wouldn’t give the same recommendation to everyone. Instead, get to know your audience intimately well, through research calls, for example, and find out where you can reach them best, and in the most credible way. There are businesses that don’t have a social media presence but are thriving because their customers find them in a way that works better for them.  

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Don’t just do what the books/coach/peers say you should do to increase awareness for your business. Do what you enjoy doing, what is fun, what comes naturally to you. Your business will take up so much time of your life, so it’s best to make it enjoyable time.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

Favorite app: Canva – amazing tool for creating social media graphics and content

Favorite blog: The Waiting Room -  newsletter about infertility, IVF and the trials of trying for a baby. These two ladies have been through the wringer as well, and have come out the other side. I love their witty approach to fertility, motherhood, and life in general. It also makes me nostalgic of the years I lived in London. I miss that city!

Favorite book: Inconceivable: A Woman's Triumph over Despair and Statistics

This book gave me and a lot of my clients so much hope. We need more hope in our lives.  

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Canva – amazing tool for creating social media graphics and content

Who is your business role model? Why?

My business coach Rose Radford @iamroseradford – she is such a positive force of nature, a breath of fresh air for young female entrepreneurs. I’ve learned so much from her about how to start a business, have a non-negotiable growth mindset and so much positive energy.

How do you balance work and life?

My toddler and dog are the best reminders, I don’t really have a chance to overwork myself as I used to as I have to take care of them. They demand my full attention, and that will always be my first and most important job. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

I love going for hikes with my dog and husband, and playing with my daughter. I’ve waited so long for this family life to happen and I fully enjoy it. It’s important for working moms to take care of themselves after work and family life. I love working out, practicing yoga, listening to music, and baking whenever I can. Oh, and I have a twin sister, with whom I talk on the phone at least 5 times a day to play each other our favorite songs, gossip, and vent. That’s my ultimate way of decompressing.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

Continuing to work on my business, service my clients better, show up even more authentically which will benefit my clients and myself. Oh…and my mental health – a priority every day, especially during Covid, not being able to see my family in Europe, balancing work and family and finding time for my husband and other important relationships.

How can our readers connect with you?

Find me on Instagram and Facebook @monikafriedmancoaching or on my website: monikafriedman.com

I offer complimentary calls for those who are interested in working with a fertility coach but want to learn more before committing. I get it; I’ve been there. This is a very intimate topic, and sometimes it’s hard for us to reach out for help. But I wish I’d had a fertility coach all those years ago. It would have saved me from going to hell and back, a lot of money and my sanity, countless sleepless nights, frayed relationships and, most importantly, it may have made my dream of becoming a mom come true much sooner.