Jacqueline Bigirwa Nuwamanya is the Ugandan business doctor or the business whisperer. She has what in the culinary arts is referred to as amplitude; a well balanced, well blended flavour that has unexpected textures.  There is no better way to describe Jackie. She is emphatic, perceptive without being intrusive or patronizing. In short she understands your drama without being part of your drama. For instance when I enter her office dripping wet from one of those tropical rainstorms, she looks very concerned and asks if I will be alright. After assuring her that I am fit to go ahead with the interview, she advises me to cut my hair shorter. ‘If you work under such circumstances, you need to be wholly prepared mentally, physically and emotionally.’  She advises.

The strikingly beautiful wife and mother of five started rural Communications Center ten years ago and has now grown into 23 branches nationwide. Her business acumen has won her several nominations and awards. At the height of her business success Jackie decided to follow her passion of helping other women and is now making a difference in her clients’ lives through individual and group coaching as a life coach.

Life coaches are still a novelty in Uganda tell us what do you do?

JB: I assist people to determine and achieve business and personal goals. I am like a cheerleader who encourages you, and a devoted listener who is interested in what you have to say. I collaborate with you as you develop creative solutions to problems you are facing and guide you in navigating through life.

SheSpell: How did you make the decision to become a life coach?

JB: Deciding to become a coach seemed like second nature to me because I am naturally inclined towards people and their challenges. I am the person people call a meddler; I will take my time to find out your problems and help you solve them. I have always had a desire to help other women reach their ultimate potential in business as well as their personal life. The other reason is that I found out how ill equipped our women are. For example through my interactions with all classes of women, I realized that an extremely negligible number had specific goals, business plans, budgets or emergency funds.  For any business to succeed from one generation to the next, these things must be in place. I didn’t know this until ten years ago when I started going for intensive training because my business was linked to a multinational corporation (MTN) which expects certain systems and standards in place in order to do business with you.  It is this training coupled with my business experience that I use to help other women.

SheSpell: This is a new field in Uganda where do you find clients?

JB: The clients are plentiful. In fact I started charging a fee because I realized that I was spending most of my time doing this. I do private and executive coaching. I charge Shs 1.5M for private coaching which lasts three months while meeting twice a week for three hours. The group package which is a group of 20 people goes for Shs 800,000 and lasts three months too.

SheSpell: According to you, who is need of a life coach?

JB: Everybody needs a life coach. In Uganda a child goes through secondary school up to university level without any idea what they want to do in life because neither the parents nor teachers know the importance of goal setting on one’s quality of life. The other day I was shocked when a famous business woman in Kampala told me that she was waiting for results to know where she would send her son to university. ‘But what does he really want to do?” I insisted. She answered that he was also waiting for the results to decide.

This is sad and it must stop. We are now living in a global village and to have a fighting chance with the rest of the world we need to wise up and polish our game. When you read biographies of great innovators, entertainers or athletes you realize two things that cut across. One: they started young. Two: They had someone constantly guiding, watching or motivating them. In Uganda people leave university at age 22 and don’t know what they want to do with their lives and have no one to help them discover their passion and guide them to their full potential.

Then, there are people contemplating change in their personal or professional lives. When you’re at a place where you can clearly identify what’s not working, and you’re beginning to get a sense of what you’d like instead, a life coach can help you find clarity you’re your confusion.

SheSpell: How would you describe your job?

JB: Fulfilling. I get to combine two of my passions; helping people and making money! I love being able to assist my clients in reaching their goals, becoming successful business women and stronger individuals.  I am lucky to work with beautifully brilliant women who want to take their businesses to another level.  In a way my clients continually inspire and influence me. I admire and respect each one of them. They are why I do this work, and they are why I’m good at it.

SheSpell: You keep talking about goal setting what is it really about?

JB: Would you build a house without a plan? No. Would you start driving without knowing the route? No. Then why would you choose to go through life without setting any goals? Goal setting isn’t hard; in fact here are the basics. Your goals need to be SMART.

Specific: Vague goals are confusing and seldom achieved they need to be quantified.

Measurable: If you can’t measure it, you can’t track your progress, and you can never know where you are in relation to hitting your target.

Action-oriented: You have to do something; otherwise it’s just a wish and not a goal.

Realistic: Is it possible or just fantastic?

Time-bound: You need a timeline. There are daily goals, there are weekly goals and there are five year goals.

SheSpell: Last word

JB: My call goes out to women especially Christian women to wake up and take up their divinely given birthright. These days, most women spend their time chasing one miracle after another without actually doing what they are praying for.  God wants to bless you but He can’t see you anywhere. Then there are those who claim that wealth is evil, the bible talks about money over 800 while faith is referenced only about 400 times. Get your acts together stop making excuses go out conquer, dominate and prosper. Wealth is from God – he is the source of all prosperity and blessing (Matthew 7:11; Deuteronomy 8:8).

My absolute best. . .

Day: When I touch someone’s life and influence a positive change.

Dream: I want my five children to excel at whatever they do and be blessings to others.

Place: My retirement home in Cape Town.

Book: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield.

Movie: Sound of music