Andrea Cristancho, founder of www.andreacristancho.com is a Holistic Business Coach helping female entrepreneurs in the wellness space. Through her signature program The UpLevel Method, Andrea integrates the entrepreneurial mindset with practical business tools that re-engineer existing businesses to achieve their next level of growth. As an international business mentor with Latin roots and serial entrepreneur, she has run her own businesses in 3 continents in a number of different industries. In the process, she has discovered that having a signature program, a personal brand and the right mindset is the key to taking off your entrepreneurial success.
– I'm a Holistic Business Coach, holding a bachelor's degree in International Affairs and a Masters in International Trade, also certified health coach and money breakthrough business coach. In brief, I'm an international entrepreneur, a proud mother, as well as a yoga teacher. Quite a mix, I know! On a mission to empower female entrepreneurs growth by designing programs that sell helping them create their Signature Systems! But it wasn't always like this! I've run my own businesses in 3 different countries, 3 different continents. That only means I've got a couple of stories to share with you. I'm Latina to the bone, mixed Colombian, who was born in Venezuela and raised citizen of the world by visionary parents.
For those who aren't familiar. What exactly is a Holistic Business Coach?
– The term has been coined in recent years and used by International Coaches looking at their clients as “whole beings” doing business. I subscribe to that tendency since, in my business, I combine elements of my health coaching education with my own international business expertise. Holistic Business Coaching, for me, means to learn how to fuel yourself and your business to sustain growth at all levels. I use tools such as the wheel of life and the value ladder to assess fit, but that’s just the beginning. In my holistic coaching business, I develop a relationship with my clients that encompasses best business practices, whole nutrition, and mindset shifts as the core when embarking in my programs.
You started your journey as an entrepreneur while studying.
– Yes, I was a 24-year-old living in Shanghai, China, when my first flair of entrepreneur desire found me. I’m an idea think tank, very much solution-driven. In mainland China, back in the day, the market lacked much of the western world, and I saw an opportunity to join the “Doing Business in China” game by doing not just research, got family funding to embark, and played my cards testing my entrepreneurial skills. I haven’t looked back ever since.
Reading on your website, you have run your own business in 3 different countries. Which countries, and was anyone a "better" country to work in, and if so, why?
– Yes, I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to test markets by doing and living there. I’ve owned and run business in Mainland China, Hong Kong, South Africa, and now Switzerland. I can not call myself an expert in any market, but I’ve developed a system that works to lunch and grow in any business ground by developing my personal brand and a solid network, with a sound business plan. Each market has had its advantages and disadvantages, and they have all been fun while being there running the type of business I’ve run. For example, I love China’s market speed, things get done quickly, but it’s very expensive to do business there.
– Hong Kong’s open market back then was a great international springboard too. I welcome the challenges the South African market brings with it because the opportunities there are unique, however, it takes longer to develop a solid network. I embrace the efficiency of the Swiss system when running a business, mainly the support given to entrepreneurship, and the maturity of the market, but you’ve got to be patient to see your efforts flourish and try not to get distracted in the process because here things go at its own pace.
It hasn't always been easy for you. At one point, you "crashed". How did you manage to get out of that black hole?
– Yes, my first encounter with “failure” (a term that I no longer use btw) got me to doubt myself, my ideas, and my entrepreneurial spirit. I was young and alone very far away from home. I did it all by the book but lacked mentorship. So, I managed to get out of that black hole by revisiting my mindset, sitting in long hours of meditation seeking clarity and encouragement. I then pivoted and came out winning on many fronts. My big learning then which I still apply today is that at times we might be ahead of the market, or having a different perspective, and that’s alright as long as you believe in yourself and stay focused. The mantra I was toughed from very young, and my mantra still is: It’s all in your mind!
"I'm empowering female entrepreneurs growth by designing programs that sell helping create their Signature Systems!". You are focused on helping females. Can a male turn to you for help?
– I often get this asked, and I must confess. I laugh. Of course, male entrepreneurs are welcome. However, I practice what I teach, I truly believe in having a narrow market segmentation to focus your market efforts and target your ideal clients. That means, the only requirement for male or female to work with me is to be authentic entrepreneurs, have a thriving entrepreneurial spirit, an existing business, and be passionate about what they do, or would like to achieve; only then I can help their growth.
Tell us a little bit about The UpLevel Method.
– This is my signature approach in my coaching programs. I’ve developed processes along my years as an international entrepreneur that can be applied to existing businesses and business owners to help them earn more, uplevel their mindset, and increase their productivity through living a healthier lifestyle. No matter the market, the industry, or the language. It’s pumping up the volume systematically and in auto-pilot to match career experience and a healthy lifestyle in combination with running a profitable business from the heart with clarity and ease.
Who should hire/work with you?
– On a daily basis, I bet on the growth of female entrepreneurs worldwide as active contributors supporting the global awakening of female empowerment. I come from a linage of strong Latin women, I believe in the unique female touch we bring to the international business arena, and every program I develop is designed to provide tools to empowered women in search of international business growth. So, entrepreneurs and corporations with similar goals tend to join my ideal clients’ list, together we create
Share your three best tips for young female entrepreneurs out there?
– I’ve been blessed to have had the opportunity to teach at university level young entrepreneurs in China, have also worked with young international talent alongside, and I’ve seen the one commonality they all have, a strong desire to dare, to test out, to create what they believe is right or the market lacks. My best advice to them is: build a solid network, find mentors and coaches to help you grow, and invest in yourself frequently. These last 3 tips I’ve applied myself in my entrepreneurial journey and still do. Paired with a positive mindset and a go-get-it attitude!
