I’ll be honest, I was resistant to the idea of running my own business. Life was pushing me in that direction, and I had reached a point where I knew I couldn’t return to a 9–5 job, but I still wasn’t sure if entrepreneurship was for me.

What this program gave me was the space to explore what entrepreneurship could look like on my own terms, how it could feel, how I could create something different, and how it could even be part of my healing journey. The idea of entrepreneurship as healing completely shifted my mindset, approach and my relationship to entrepreneurship.

Being part of a cohort was an extremely valuable part of the experience and also meant I wasn’t doing this alone. As a solopreneur, having a safe space to explore ideas and receive feedback helped build my confidence. I was able to build community while learning the practical business content. This program helped me realize that not only that yes, I can do this, but yes, I also want to do this, and yes, I do this on my own terms.

I’ve gained clarity that how I build my business can (and should) align with my values, support my life, and can still be successful. Along the way, I’ve been given both the tools and the community to continue this journey, feeling grounded that I have made the right choice.

- Asha Noel-Hart

What I love about Vivianne’s program is that it starts with people. From day one, we were encouraged to truly understand ourselves through thoughtful assessments and reflection, while also building meaningful connections with our cohort.

The course is anchored in values. Not just as abstract concepts, but as a meaningful foundation for business. Creating my own values gave me a clear expression of what I want for myself, my work, and my audience. I now use them regularly to guide my decisions, especially my value to “protect what lights you up.” That’s at the core of why I’m on this journey.

At the same time, the program is deeply practical. We explored vision, value propositions, and business planning in ways that felt both grounded and inspiring. During the program, I doubled my email list, clarified my offerings, and launched a pilot program. With encouragement from the Choose Courage community, I took incremental but brave steps to share more of my authentic personality with my audience, leading to more engagement, stronger connection — and more sign ups.

Along the way, there were honest reality checks about costs, pricing, and sustainability—always paired with a consistent reminder to know your own value. That balance of heart and practicality is what makes this course truly stand out.

- Sarah Atkinson

When I first joined Choose Courage, I was originally just exploring the idea of a side hustle. However, I emerged from the cohort program with a fully developed business and a well-defined strategy.

The program’s structure was a revelation for me. It allowed me to discover that some of my apprehensions regarding entrepreneurship stemmed from outdated beliefs and expectations. Once I clarified the essentials needed to launch my venture, I realized that the process of operationalizing my ideas was not as daunting as I once thought. The structure of the program allowed me complete it while still working my current full-time role.

What I found to be the most enriching part of the program was the creation of a supportive environment where cohort members could share their entrepreneurial journeys candidly, without any fear of judgment. This supportive community empowered me to explore various avenues for my business and helped me understand that there isn’t a single “correct” way to do things – instead, it’s about finding the right fit and timing with each of our vision.

For a long time, I didn’t see myself as an entrepreneur. I had internalized beliefs that starting a business was incredibly challenging, tempted to think that pursuing it would only lead to risks and losses. I often heard advice like, "Work hard and eventually you will be rewarded," or “Your company will support you if you show consistency and loyalty.” While I sincerely followed this guidance, I often felt unfulfilled, sensing that I was meant for something more but not knowing how to step into that potential.

The program clearly demonstrated that I am capable of managing the complexities of starting my own business and greatly simplified the journey from conception to scaling operations. Listening to Vivianne share her personal experiences, both the ups and downs, inspired me tremendously.

My fellow cohort members were also a highlight. Each is a professional in their own right, facing their own unique challenges in entrepreneurship. Their stories were not just relatable but also encouraging. One poignant moment was when a fellow member reassured me amid my doubts about my offerings. They reminded me that what I bring to this venture is not just a service or product, but my very self. That inspired sentiment reinforced the belief that everyone deserves to engage with what I have to offer.

If you find yourself in a similar space as I was – feeling like you have followed the expected path, yet curious about what else is out there – I wholeheartedly encourage you to choose courage over comfort and consider joining this program. You will gain not only practical insights that you couldn't find online but also a transformative mindset shift. The experience prompts profound reflection on your beliefs, allowing you to redefine them.

You will walk away not just with a robust business model but also with the confidence and knowledge to implement it. Moreover, you will develop a clear understanding of what you have accomplished, what you can achieve, and what lies ahead on your exciting journey.

It’s time to step out of the shadows and embrace the starlight of your possibilities.

- Wig Mezo-Gadia

The challenge I was experiencing before I engaged with Choose Courage Inc. was really just how to start. This process has acted as a caring but firm springboard. I don't need to start my business yesterday, or be making $XM in a year, but I don't know when I would start transitioning things from ideas to reality, and this experience has done just that! I feel more confident in my ability to actually do this, amorphous existing but stressfully-ambiguous ideas have become real writing on paper and actions of piloting offerings with friends and local community. I couldn't have imagined I could be this far into real actionable steps in such a short time. Halfway through - what a wonderful gift of an experience I gave myself by participating.

- Mackenzie Guinon

I was mostly just struggling to believe I COULD do this, tangibly. I have the intelligence, but was it practical? By listening to Vivianne and my cohort, I feel an increased sense of my ability to do it and the basic core skills and planning I will need. Still lots more to go, but having that business model canvas to put structure to it made me feel lots more ready.

I have taken a few courses from local organizations that have had useful insights. But they were short and much more focused on the capitalism side of things. I appreciate that this is about finding a business that fills me as a person, not just as a person with a bank account. I know I have to think about the financials, but having a more "what's good for you" focus is helping me feel like I'm doing this for passion as well as for a career alternative.

I know so many people who have brilliant ideas. Lots of smart folks who feel stuck. I would recommend this to the ones who have a core sense of self that resonates with mine. I have a friend trying to start a law school tutoring business. She has so little self-esteem about it. This course would help her so so so much. She is coming over this weekend to help me acclimate my new cat to my old dog, so I was planning on telling her about this class to see if she might be interested. My other friend is an artist who wants to build her business so she can stop having to be taken advantage of with low-paying art education roles. So yeah. Everyone close to me knows I'm taking this course, that I'm loving it, that I'm feeling more inspired!

- D.H.

The Choose Courage entrepreneurship group coaching experience has been just what I needed to help me work through the steps to starting my business. The mixture of mindset and philosophy, plus the concrete steps walking me through my business launch has helped move me forward, giving me the information and resources I need, as I need them. Doing so with my group has been invaluable. Peer feedback and watching others go through the same process has helped me not only gain a deeper understanding of it all, but I've gotten such valuable insights from how they've responded to my ideas, which has helped me gain confidence in the seed of an idea and the starter materials I'm working on. When everything is new, it feels like I'm doing it all badly; but through my cohort's eyes, I'm getting a more balanced perspective and can see there are plenty of gems, they're just unpolished.

- Beth Klem

In the one year since I've set out to build my business, it has been a lonely experience. The vision I have, the questions I'm asking and the challenges I'm facing are very different from those of my friends and family. The Choose Courage community is a place where I have been able to embrace the full messy experience of entrepreneurship, and I can do it as part of a kind, generous, smart community of folks who are on a similar journey.

If you're setting off on your entrepreneurship journey, this program gives you much more than the practical tools; it also provides you with the mindset shifts needed to create and build your business in alignment with your values and well-being. If you commit yourself to the process and community, I guarantee that you can only leave transformed!

- Nyam Adodoadji

Before joining the cohort, one of my biggest challenges was learning how to let go of the corporate mindset and step fully into the entrepreneurial one. I knew that entrepreneurship required a different kind of courage: a willingness to trust myself, take imperfect action, and move forward even when the path wasn’t clear.

At first, I struggled with fear, doubt, perfectionism, and comparison. Those thoughts slowed my progress more than any strategy or skill gap ever could. One of the things that helped me break through were the one-on-one sessions with my cohort colleagues. Those conversations became a space to process, reflect, and be reminded that growth happens in motion, not perfection.

Through this experience, I’ve gained so much clarity in my brand and direction as an entrepreneur. The community and accountability were truly the heartbeat of the program, reminding me that I’m not building alone, and that showing up consistently matters more than having everything figured out.

This cohort helped me make the mindset shift I needed to move from hesitation to action, from corporate structure to entrepreneurial flow. I’m now moving forward with more confidence, clarity, and calm and am building momentum toward the kind of business and life that truly reflect who I am.

- Elvira Cooper

Personal Experience and Transformation: Before joining the cohort, I felt stuck. I knew I wanted to leave corporate life, but didn’t know how to confidently step into entrepreneurship, it seemed daunting and not a serious possibility for me. Being surrounded by other similar minded folks who were also figuring this career pivot journey out helped me move past the fear of never being ready and actually taking steps forward through that mental hurdle. Through the program, I gained clarity on my brand vision and the value of my offerings and most importantly started to see myself as a real entrepreneur not just someone that has a lot of ideas, that just live in my head.

Impact and Results: From the start to finish of the program, I made valuable progress on my business vision in a handful of ways. I refined and enriched my brand story and values, better defined and researched my audience, and have a more focused plan for launching early designs for the revised vision of my apparel line. But the biggest shift has been an internal one. I now feel more confident making decisions and taking action in a way that is more proactive and focused, instead of waiting for things to be perfect, I am becoming more okay with using my current limitations as things to creatively work around, rather than as blockers for steps forward.

Recommendation and Future Outlook: I’d absolutely recommend this program to anyone stepping into entrepreneurship, especially if they’re craving to leave corporate for a more value-driven way of making a loving, clarity on how to move forward, accountability, and a community of other folks making the shift. The mix of 1:1 coaching, peer feedback, and structure made a huge difference for me. It’s not just about business tools and processes (although those did help me immensely and I will carry them with me as valuable resources) it’s about feeling supported while you figure out how you want to show up as an entrepreneur and the value you can find in yourself that you can share with the world. 

- Rachel Vorm

I entered the Corporate to Entrepreneurship coaching cohort at a time when I knew I had an idea of how I wanted to show up and give back helpful insights to purpose-driven women, but I wasn't sure on all of the steps and the order of operations to realize my ideas. I have emerged from the program with greater confidence, and many of the fine details surrounding establishing my business have been taken care of by way of the assignments in the program. It was extremely valuable to be provided with insights from business lawyers, a resource hub, and the types of questions that help me think through my value proposition and target client, and language that will forge a connection between us. I have learned about marketing, branding, my target audience, and more about myself. I would recommend this offering to anyone looking to build or refine any out-of-the-box entrepreneurial endeavor with integrity and care.

- Victoria Montgomery

My time in this cohort really helped to overcome the initial fear and inertia I had in actively pursuing my consulting business. When I started the course, I had all of the basics set up: I had registered my LLC, and a business name, email, website. But this class actually pushed me to jump in and 1) plan, price, and advertise my services, 2) have an active client outreach strategy, and 3) have a map and business plan that has added structure and energy to my efforts. On top of that, I have a community of other people to talk to, where I could give and receive support. The time in class, and the thoughtful prompts and guidance from Vivianne, gave me a space to be reflective about how I felt about my business, and that life I wanted to create as an entrepreneur. I can now say that I’ve really taken action in establishing my business, rather than it just being something on paper. This course gave me a huge, structured push to build my business, and to do so with thought and intention.

- Stephanie Lawrence