The first time Somerset West resident and entrepreneur Nina Hill was exposed to the idea that you could study in one field, but end up working in a completely different one, was during her varsity years.
In her mind, she had always assumed she would complete her degree in occupational therapy, and work in that field forever.
Today, Nina co-presents the Find Your Business Flow programme, focused specifically on entrepreneurs, while working as a network marketer.
She’s also a life coach, who home schools her daughter. But even with what may sound like a hectic schedule, Nina has still managed to run a successful, flourishing business and find balance in her life.
“I have been on a personal journey for a long time. It started after I read the book, The Four Agreements. This led me to coaching, and from the coaching came other opportunities for personal development.”
In 2013, Nina signed up for a free offering of the newly-established The Flow Experience programme.
“I was interested in it, but I wasn’t planning on signing up. During one of the programme webinars, we were focusing on the concept of time.
“Something must have stuck from that discussion, because the very next morning, time seemed to expand. I had time to get more things done with the same amount of time I had each morning, and I didn’t feel rushed or stressed about getting done for the day.”
The discussion, says Nina, must have changed her idea of time. Instead of viewing it as something she needed to catch up with, she was approaching the busy morning routine in a different way.
“I was less rushed and I spoke differently. My mindset had changed from constant rushing, to a ‘we are going to get done in time’ mindset.
“My life did not shift massively though. You just start to slowly learn how to live your life in non-resistance. What I found was that by changing my thoughts about a situation or behaviour, I produced different results. I shifted from a point of reacting to responding.”
Becoming aware of what triggered some of her negative responses to situations, meant she was able to move away from the image of the “mother who was always angry”.
“When I had stress in my business, I responded with anger when interacting with my family and my child. It reached a point where my daughter told me – ‘mom you are always angry’.
“It also made me change the way I did business, and made me look at what I thought of as success and I realised that I was striving for a form of success that was not my idea of success.
“Realising that brought balance into my life and I moved away from that idea that being busy meant having more money. In fact, I earned the same, even though I slowed down.”
Nina approached the founder of the programme, Timea Kulcsar, with an idea – why not present a business- focused programme online.
Timea agreed, and in 2018, the two presented their first programme to locals and individuals abroad.
“A lot of the power of flow, comes from the fact that individuals who sign up for the programme, remain on the private Facebook page and continue to engage with other participants long after they have finished their course. They also have the course material and are able to work through it again,” she says.
“I think the most important thing to realise – and I know it is such a cliché – but we are all on a journey and you never really arrive.
“At the moment my whole house is being painted, after we recently moved to Somerset West. I am home schooling and I have lots to do with regards to my business, and there are days that I feel like I am not coping with anything.
“But I’ve learnt to not compare one day to the next. Some days will be easier than others. You have to give yourself permission to do the best you can on a given day. It is not a cop out.”
“When I look back over time and compare myself to who I was three or five years ago, I can see the difference in my behavior and how I manage myself. But you have to be willing to put in the work and find something that works for you.”
Lynne Rippenaar-Moses has been a regular contributor to Bolander over the years.
