IAM706- Executive Coach Works to Inspire Others That Anything is Possible

Bofta Yimam is an Emmy® & Murrow Award-Winning Journalist, DC-based News Correspondent, International Speaker, and Executive Coach. She was recently honored with the Asian-African Chamber of Commerce & Industry International Leadership Award and the Black Business Review’s Top 40 Under 40 Professionals Award. From London to Africa, Bofta has also captured global crowds with her dynamic style and presence.

From teenage depression to an award-winning broadcasting career — including reporting from the White House and Capitol Hill — to building a successful business from scratch, Bofta works to inspire others that anything is possible. She firmly believes that adversity has its advantages and there’s incredible power in owning your story — that’s what her clients learn to embrace, too. Bofta helps change agents and industry transformers increase their confidence, develop their compelling stories, deeply connect with audiences, and speak their mission!

• CEO Hack: Taking quick action on ideas
• CEO Nugget: Be self-aware, double down on your strengths and upgrade your skills
• CEO Defined: Being a leader, consistently being innovative and solution-driven

Website: http://www.boftayimam.com/

Join in! Speak & Influence Facebook Group Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SpeakandInfluence/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boftayimam/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boftayimam/

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Transcription

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[00:00:02.20] – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

[00:00:29.89] – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I Am CEO podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today, Abbvda Yaman of Speak and Influence. Bvda, it's awesome to have you on the show.

[00:00:39.60] – Bofta Yimam

Thank you. It's great to be here, Gresh.

[00:00:41.60] – Gresham Harkless

No problem. Super excited to have you on. And before we jump in, I want to read a little bit more about Bofda so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. Bofda is an Emmy and Mural award-winning journalist, DC-based news correspondent, and international speak and executive coach. She was recently honored with the Asian American Chamber of Commerce and Industry International Leadership Award in the Black Business Review's top forty under forty professionals award. From London to Africa, Bofda also captured global crowds with her dynamic style and presence.

From teenage depression to an award-winning broadcasting career, including reporting from the White House and Capitol Hill to building a successful business from scratch, Boveda works to inspire others that anything is truly possible. She firmly believes that diversity has its advantages and there's incredible power in owning your story. That's what our clients learn to embrace too. Boveda helps change agents and industry transformers increase their confidence, develop their compelling stories, deeply connect with audiences, and speak their mission. Botha, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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[00:01:45.09] – Bofta Yimam

I am. Thank you for that lovely introduction.

[00:01:47.70] – Gresham Harkless

No problem. You're doing so many phenomenal things, and I wanted to kinda rewind the clock a little bit and hear a little bit more about how you got started. Could you tell us your CEO story? We'll let you get started with the business.

[00:01:58.90] – Bofta Yimam

Sure. Sure. So I really work within my skill set and that's what my business is based on. I've been a journalist my entire career and, became a service provider in my business by offering people an opportunity to really work with me and craft their signature story for the stage and online because I believe it's our story that connects with people, that relates to people, that resonates with audiences. And so how do we extract our story? How do we find the best elements so that we shine in that higher light? And so when I work with clients, I'm helping them with everything from what is their story and owning their story to the confidence pieces and elevating themselves with executive presence, for example, if they are in the c suite. But if they're that early entrepreneur, I believe that speaking and sharing your story is the way to attract your ideal client, especially when you do it right.

[00:02:57.90] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. And I love how you said being able to do that, you know, with yourself and kind of having things flow from yourself, your talents and your gifts and your story, obviously, as well. Because I think so many times, I feel like people are often are sometimes looking externally, but I love that you're able to you've been able to do that and obviously help people develop that as well.

[00:03:17.69] – Bofta Yimam

Right. No. I did it and then, you know, I ended up speaking and, you know, reaching more stages and helping more people and having high impact and that's exactly what I help my clients do even those who enter my group program called speak and influence. You know, I know I know that they see that I've done the work, I do the work, and that inspires them that they can also do it. And they are doing it, which is amazing to witness.

[00:03:44.90] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. I think there's a lot of peace that comes with I think sometimes when you hear or think about doing something, you think that you're not gonna be able to do it, but to hear somebody that's been able to achieve and as you, you know, been able to do through your program, helps empower people and give them that that, kind of ability within themselves to be able to do that. So, that's definitely, awesome. So I know you touched on it a little bit. Are there any additional things or ways that you feel you serve your clients and people that you connect with?

[00:04:13.59] – Bofta Yimam

Well, there are multiple ways. I offer a group program called Speak and Influence, where they can learn how to craft their story and build their speaker press kit, and then I provide dozens and dozens of opportunities where they can tap into resources really for them to reach stages. Also, I emphasize that we live in this 03:60 world, I call it, but it's just this this this really approach of seeing yourself. You are the same person online who you are on the stage and people on stage wanna connect with you online, and those online may wanna bring you on the stage. So you need to make sure that your visibility and your presence are consistent, your brand is consistent on all of the platforms, especially for the solopreneurs out there where you are your brand.

So especially when you're starting out, people need to know, like, and trust you, and they need to see that consistency across all platforms. And so it's no longer just the live stage, we are on a stage online as well. You know, you have the podium. Right? So if you have a Facebook group if you dive into other people's Facebook groups, if you're on a podcast, these are all opportunities for people to share their stories and be visible. And so I emphasize that it's not just about speaking on a stage, and that's oftentimes what many people think about when they think about I want to speak more, but you have many opportunities right in front of you, even in your home office or when you're on your cell phone.

[00:05:45.69] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. And I love that kind of shift, because of the world that we live in. As as you said, kinda like that twenty-four-seven access, We sometimes forget that we're already on that stage and on a stage, no matter what the stage is. And we have an opportunity, you know, to tell our story, to talk about what we believe in, have so much of a microphone and opportunity that sometimes we forget or often aren't taken advantage of.

[00:06:09.10] – Bofta Yimam

Absolutely. And I think a lot of people, Gretchen, you touched on this earlier, but I think a lot of people realize that when they start sharing their story, they realize that they wanna do more. They want to coach. They want to host workshops. They want to offer an online course or an online platform. All things that I've done. And so for those who work with me privately, we are able to tap into what's the bigger version of yourself that you see that you want to now move into and lean into. To. So when we start to share the story that often is that, maybe breakthrough point for some people where they realize, wow, now that I've done this, I wanna know what's next. How can I help more people? How can I even create revenue through this? Maybe I can even leave my corporate job. All of these other avenues start to open up from that first element of just reaching in and seeing the truth about your story and how it can help people and extracting those really powerful, compelling elements.

[00:07:09.00] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. I absolutely love that. And I think that, again, you know, being able to kinda tell your story and how potential opportunities come, but they flow all from yourself and who you are, where sometimes you don't realize maybe you're doing that, until you start to understand and do that, you know, do the work, I guess you can say, to actually create their your not create your story, to write your story and be able to express your story, and then those opportunities flow from there.

[00:07:34.19] – Bofta Yimam

Exactly. It's really a powerful process. I had one client who's currently in my group program and she said it was therapeutic in a way for her to go in and try to extract and craft her story and then just play visibly because she had been thinking about it in her head, you know, what are people gonna think and, you know, am I really okay to do this right now? And all of those questions, sometimes that circle around self-doubt And what she was able to do is see the power of her story every single time she shared it, people wanted more. And she just received some validation that she needed at that moment just for her to say, okay. You know what? I really can do this, you know, and people want this from me. And so how do I give them more of this? And so now she's just blossoming, you know, creating her own Facebook group, speaking on stages, getting those invitations for later this year. And it's really just beautiful to see.

[00:08:32.79] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. I think when we step into ourselves and, you know, who we are calling so to speak as well too, You know, it starts to give other people permission, starts to connect us, and kinda, acts as a magnet towards, you know, those opportunities and everything that we have that, we haven't maybe been taken as much advantage of. So absolutely love that. And so I wanted to ask you for what I call now your secret sauce. And it could be for yourself or for your business, but what do you feel kinda sets you apart and makes you unique?

[00:09:00.89] – Bofta Yimam

Well, I'm in high touch. That's one thing. So I think the first thing that surprises people is the access that they receive to me, you know, within my own services. I'm a boutique style, high touch, not for everyone. I'm for that person who wants that, really powerful coaching, coachee relationship. So that's one thing, but from a skill set point of view, I can see the gaps in the story very quickly and extract the best parts and also help you shine with your expertise. I see a lot of brushes. People don't own, their titles. They don't own their expertise. So even when they submit a bio for a podcast or create their speaker press kit, they're downplaying their success. They're downplaying their titles. They're downplaying what they've been able to do.

So I help really highlight their expertise. I'm asking them powerful questions so that they can make sure that they are communicating to the masses their power. Because if we don't own our titles, and I've said this on a stage before, and everyone was like, oh, yeah. That's true. If we don't own our titles, nobody else will. So if you don't call yourself the expert and you truly are within integrity, of course, the expert, if you don't do that, then people aren't gonna see it because you haven't communicated that to the masses. You haven't said that. You haven't stated that. And so part of it is making sure that when people do work with me, that they're they step into the bigger version of themselves through language. And so that's that's part of my secret sauce is really language, you know, with my background journalism.

It's all about the language you're using. And then, really, from the skill set of just really honing in and extracting what is the story, you know, what are the compelling pieces. And I actually look at their signature talk. That's what we do in the program we go through and craft their signature talk. What people don't know is that professional speakers don't have fifty talks. They usually have one or two talks and they weave in, weave out some elements and some pieces, but they don't have so many so many talks that people think. And so it does matter that you have that core story built in, and that's what that signature talk does. So when they bring their signature talk to the call, I'm literally going through and I'm looking at their transitions, looking at how they start, looking at how compelling it is, does it pull people in, giving them tips. And so that's the secret sauce. A lot of programs are not that hands-on.

[00:11:28.89] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. So I absolutely love that. And I wanted to, switch gears a little bit, and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

[00:11:42.29] – Bofta Yimam

I would have to say that I don't know if I would call it a hack, but I'll tell you it's something that I've noticed that I do that a lot of people don't do. And that is, when I come up with an idea like an affiliate program, or a brand ambassador program, I've come up with stuff just walking literally on a walk. It's an idea that'll come to my head, and I take action on it very quickly. So I don't wait a long period to take action on something.

[00:12:11.00] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So that could be like a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. It could be around, you know, storytelling or how people can craft their story, or it might be something you would tell your younger business self.

[00:12:24.00] – Bofta Yimam

Okay. Let me let me think for a hot second here. So one thing I'll say is that personal development and having self-awareness, I think is really key in business. And for anyone, again, who's out there listening, wondering what to do next, wherever they are in their business, I would say to double down on their strengths and upgrade those skills that may be a little bit weaker. So somebody might be really good at marketing, you have to be self-aware to know, hey, maybe I need some work on sales. Right? Because marketing and sales are the blood flow of any business. So I don't know a business that doesn't apply, but marketing and sales are the blood flow. So I think you have to think, I need to invest before I sometimes see results, and I think that a lot of people wanna see results before they invest, and it just doesn't work like that.

I just haven't experienced that. I've always had to invest in learning and coaching. I hire coaches a ton. I've done that over the years and it's just been tremendous for me because it's allowed me to skip roadblocks, get through faster, and not be stuck for a long period. It doesn't mean that it's an automatic success, but just the idea that I need to invest in a skill set potentially because I need to tap into that self-awareness that says, you know what? You need to work on this. And so, I think we have to be honest with ourselves about what we need help with and invest before we see the results. You know, have that mindset of I've just got to invest. The results will come if I do the work, but I've got to I've got to invest. And if the first investment didn't work out the way I thought, I've got to try the next. I just think that determination has to be there.

[00:14:03.39] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. I wanted to ask you now my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO, we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on the show. So what does being a CEO mean to you?

[00:14:13.60] – Bofta Yimam

I think it means and I'm thinking off the top of my head here, but being a CEO to me means being a leader to the people who, of course, are working for you and consistently being innovative and solution-driven with compassion also. So keep the compassion alive in your business, compassion for clients, compassion for people you work with. I think sometimes people hear the word CEO and they think that it's that person who's walking around the office, you know, strict and stern and all of those things that come to mind. But to me, it just means some of those elements I just said about innovative and solution-oriented, but make sure that you keep your compassion too for people.

[00:14:57.70] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Anything additional, you can let our readers and listeners know, and of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things you're working on.

[00:15:06.39] – Bofta Yimam

Thank you, Gresh. I certainly appreciate being on your show. Well, I wanted to offer your listeners access to my power story formula and visibility tips that I do offer. To access that, the easiest way is to pull out your phone and text story twenty-twenty, no spaces, story twenty-twenty to five five five eight eight eight. Wait for the prompt, enter your email, and press send. So that's one way. The other way if folks are interested in really reaching me directly one-on-one, can always go to my website Bofta Yimam dot com, and there's a Contact Us page. You can always reach out there and schedule a direct appointment with me. And for those of you who just want, you know, some free training that I offer, hop into my Speak and Influence Facebook group. So there are a couple of ways to, of course, get access to me. The simplest, of course, is just hop into the Facebook groups.

[00:16:08.50] – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. We also have the links in our show note so that everybody can follow up with you and connect with you. But I appreciate everything that you're doing and all the awesome things that you're doing to kinda help people and the world on a greater level. So I appreciate your time again, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

[00:16:21.70] – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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