The moment I stopped chasing success - and started building freedom.
I didn’t follow the rules.
I followed a calling.
here’s what happened next.
Read on👇
I was 24, working at a big NGO in Europe. Corporate job offers were rolling in. My LinkedIn looked shiny. But I felt like a ghost inside my own body.
So I did what no one expected: I became a yoga teacher.
My (very Asian) parents were like, “You… what?!”
But I knew I wasn’t meant to spend my life in boardrooms, polishing someone else’s dream.
So I did the wild thing: I followed mine.
I poured my savings and heart and soul into building a yoga studio. Paid myself $250 a month. And two years later - shut it down because I was burnout.
My dream was gone. So was my money. And I fell into a depression so deep, some days I couldn’t even shower.
One day, I couldn’t get out of bed. My partner carried me to the bathroom and washed my hair.
I felt like a failure. Like I’d poured my whole heart into something… and still lost.
I was grieving. Grieving the idealistic girl who tried so hard. And learning something I’d never forget:
“Do what you love and the money will follow” is a lie.
There’s a big difference between being good at what you do, and earn a good living doing what you do.
Business support isn’t a luxury. It’s a lifeline.
It was December 2016. I had two choices: get a “real” job or bet on myself one more time.
The second felt like leaping from the edge of a cliff with no parachute. But working in a cubicle for some white man’s dream would’ve crushed my soul faster than failure ever could.
So I chose the edge and started a coaching practice.
This time, I didn’t just follow my passion. I got savvy. I hired a business coach.
I studied the hell out of marketing, enrollment, and coaching mastery. I coached like my life depended on it (because it kind of did.)
Fast forward to now:
🌿 Hundreds of clients in 20+ countries
🌿 3 TEDx talks
🌿 1 published book
🌿 50,000+ followers in my online world
🌿 A multi-six-figure business that runs on purpose
These days, I coach barefoot from my living room. Work short hours. Rest a lot. Write. Parent. Build. Heal.
Drink chrysanthemum tea and watch the wind dance in the trees outside my window.
And I help other soul-led coaches build that kind of life, too.
If you're sensitive, purpose-driven, quietly ambitious - and tired of pretending you don't want more…
You’re my kind of person.
And I’d be honored to walk this path with you.
Here’s where you can start (for free or with a small investment):
👉 Binge the blog - stories, strategy, and truth you won’t find on Instagram
👉 Download the Zero-to-Launch Manual - my exact steps to land your first premium coaching client
👉 Get my Wildflower Letter - emails packed with soul and insights that might give you goosebumps
👉 Grab the Enrolment Success Blueprint - deliver coaching conversations that turn into paid clients
👉 Take the Unlock Your Coaching Genius course - find your niche and magnetize dream clients in 5 days
👉 Join the Impact Coaching Circle waitlist - my signature business program for purpose-driven coaches
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Professional Bio
Milena Nguyen is a published author, three-time TEDx speaker, and founder of Impact Coaching Circle™, a leading business education ecosystem for purpose-driven coaches in Southeast Asia.
A sought-after business coach working with clients across 30+ countries, Milena has supported hundreds of coaches to build profitable, impactful businesses rooted in integrity, depth, and sustainability.
She is also the founder of Impact Coaching Alliance™, a social impact initiative connecting coaches with mission-driven entrepreneurs working on the frontlines of global change.
Her work has been featured in The Huffington Post, e27, TimeOut, VTV, and BFM. Her debut book was an Amazon Best New Release, and she has spoken at global institutions including the United Nations, Meta, and Salesforce.
At 23, Milena became the first Vietnamese selected for AIESEC International. She trained at the Martha Beck Institute and holds teaching certifications in yoga, meditation, and sound healing, weaving strategy and spirituality into every layer of her work.
An introvert, Highly Sensitive Person, and woman with ADHD, Milena sees sensitivity and divergence as strengths to build a business around.
As a mother to a five-year-old and someone living with chronic health conditions, her business philosophy centers the body, capacity, and seasons of real life as essential to sustainable success.
Her work is a refuge for coaches who seek real impact, grounded income, and alignment without hustle or hype.
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50-word version
When Milena was 24, she said no to corporate offers and chose the risk of building her own work. Ten years, many missteps, and hundreds of clients across 30 countries later, she runs a multi six-figure coaching business. Through Impact Coaching Circle™, a leading business education ecosystem for coaches in Southeast Asia, she helps coaches build profitable work while honoring who they are.
