TIP #1 – Think Like a Coach

I often speak with social entrepreneurs, and the same questions come up time and again:

• What do we need to know when starting a social enterprise?
• How did you do it?
• Where do we begin?

This article is the first in a series where I’ll share insights, lessons learned, and practical advice to help you navigate the journey of building a successful social enterprise.

In this blog I share some of the key insights I wish I had known at the start of my career—and throughout my journey as the founder of Micro Rainbow, a not-for-profit social enterprise, and of the Micro Rainbow International Foundation.

Dear aspiring changemaker, future and current social entrepreneurs

Tip no1: Develop a coaching mindset, nurture positivity.

The process of starting a social enterprise can be littered with obstacles and setbacks.

I recall a time when I spent countless hours and many late nights preparing a tender for a foreign government. It involved consultations with partners, travels, workshops to define a five-year plan, and drafting dozens of pages. Most importantly, it encouraged us to daydream. We envisioned the impact we could create, the lives we could change, and the scale of transformation that could unfold. The funding could have been transformative for the social enterprise, taking our work to different countries and significantly increasing our impact.

Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful, and the disappointment was immense. It felt like a slap in the face and a blow to our aspirations. I sulked for days. This process had absorbed all my time and energies for days. While waiting for the decision, I kept daydreaming and feeling huge excitement at the prospect of winning this contract.

I was fortunate to have a coach who shared something that stuck with me. He said:

“I am wondering what good will come out of this?”

I remember thinking:

“What good?! Nothing at all, this is a disaster!”.

Surprisingly, good did emerge from the situation.

To move on from the disappointment, we had to summon our inner strength and continue our work amidst uncertainty, financial pressures, and one of the biggest rejections we had encountered so far.

More than that, the process led us to deepen our connection with our passion, our values and the people we serve.

For example, one of our passions is to create innovative models for social change that are sustainable. The contract we lost was a five-year grant. It would have been life-changing, but it would not have made us sustainable. We had forgotten that in the process.

As a result of this organisational soul-searching, something remarkable occurred: we developed our ground-breaking safe housing scheme that went on to win several innovation awards, establishing Micro Rainbow as one of the top 100 social enterprises in the UK.  That setback became a defining moment. It led us to the creation of a sustainable model for social change.

Here is some of the learning I gained:

• When confronted with a challenge now, I immediately think, “I wonder what gift it brings”. To me, this mindset shift offers both comfort and hope. Embracing it takes practice, but the more you apply it, the easier it becomes. As you navigate your own journey toward a purposeful career, keep practicing—each challenge holds a lesson waiting to be uncovered.

• When faced with conflict, I ponder, “I wonder what I will learn about myself?”. This shift in perspective wasn’t easy—I resisted it at first. My instinct was to direct my energy (and frustration!) toward the other person rather than looking inward. It still doesn’t always come naturally, but I’ve learned to pause, reflect, and approach conflict as an opportunity for personal growth.

• Finally, when I feel exhausted, I take a moment to listen: what is my body trying to tell me? This has been one of the hardest lessons for me to learn. I grew up believing that strength meant pushing through, even at the cost of my well-being. Rest was secondary; exhaustion was a sign of perseverance. Unlearning this mindset is still a work in progress, but the practice of truly listening to my body has been transformative. I encourage everyone to explore it. I believe it’s a powerful step toward sustainable well-being.

I call this as adopting a coaching mindset. In this frame of mind, we become curious, open to constant learning, willing to connect with our dark sides, we live authentically and in harmony with our ecosystems. 

For me, embracing a coaching mindset is akin to being wrapped in a warm blanket or savouring a cup of tea – it is comforting, positive, and keeps you cosy.  My coaching mindset infuses positivity into my life, offers me hope, sparks curiosity, and ultimately assists me in becoming a better person and a better leader. I did not have it when I started my social enterprise, although I wish I had. It would have made me more resilient and the journey more comfortable. Perhaps I would have been more hopeful at times, and I believe it would have supported my mental health as well.

As it happens, part of my passion these days is to help others (especially changemakers, aspiring and current social entrepreneurs and those in the LGBTQI community) develop a coaching mindset.  I practice as a coach in parallel with being a social entrepreneur. In my practice, I support social entrepreneurs to be well-resourced, LGBTQI people to thrive in leadership roles, and I coach others who might be stuck and want to live more closely in line with their values. From receiving coaching to embracing a coaching mindset to coaching others, I’ve come full circle.

With my very best wishes for your purpose driven career

Sebastian

@sebastianrocca @buildasocialenterprise

P.S. If you want more tips on how to build a social enterprise or embrace a purposeful career, check out my blog page.

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