Coach, author, and mindfulness practitioner Dalida Turkovic is the founder of the Beijing Mindfulness Centre and BMC Academy. With nearly two decades of experience, her coaching practice applies mindfulness to the personal and professional challenges her clients face. Learn about Dalida and her work in our interview with her below.
Coaching Focus: Dalida’s coaching practice is mindfulness-based trauma-informed coaching with self-compassion as the pillar of her work with clients and the training of other coaches.
Location: Asia (currently China, transitioning to Thailand)
Connect: You can find Dalida online at her website and on Instagram, as well as on the mindfulness app Insight Timer.
Tell us about your journey as a coach.
I began to train as a coach after doing the Strength-Finder profile in 2003. With Relator as one of my strengths, I knew 1:1 professions were perfect for me. Online learning was not so accessible at that time, and from China (where I have lived since 1993), the only way to attend a program was to dial in with a phone. My passion kept me going, and four years later, I signed up for a positive psychology coaching program with MentorCoach School.
During the first twelve years of my career as a coach, I worked with executives in the automotive and IT sectors. As a practitioner of Qigong and mindfulness, I kept these practices separate from my professional path and used them for personal growth.
This changed after I opened Beijing Mindfulness Centre, where I coach individuals and groups using a mindfulness-based approach. My client portfolio expanded, and in addition to the corporate sector, I began to coach leaders, business owners, start-up entrepreneurs, educators, and mindfulness enthusiasts.
All that work brought insights into the importance mindfulness has for coaches (as a practice and for personal development). In 2022 I founded a coach training school: BMC Academy, mindfulness-based education for professionals.
In our Deep Seed Podcast for Coaches, you can hear more about the coaching approach and philosophy we use in the school to train coaches.
We want to destigmatize talking about money, including how much coaches make. Would you please share with our readers any relevant revenue figures from your business?
When I first began coaching, my revenue was irregular, and I had to use different income streams with training and teaching as support. It is difficult to say how much I was earning from coaching alone, especially in a market that is still developing.
What courses, programs, or certifications have you done?
- MentorCoach
- Mindfulness Coaching School
- Mindful Self-Compassion certified teacher
- International Coach Federation PCC (Professional Certified Coach)
- Hakomi Practitioner with Hakomi Institute California, Hakomi Network Taiwan
What advice or perspective might you give to a new coach trying to get their first clients?
Take time to practice, engage with your peers, and seek feedback. Hire a coach! Hire as many coaches as you can to experience how it is to be a client. Make sure you work with a supervisor and continue to learn and grow. The secret of the practice is to practice.
What are your thoughts on “choosing a niche” as a coach?
It depends on the market and your experience. The more experience, the more need for a niche—you will better understand who you want to work with.
In markets where coaching is just sprouting, it is best to educate your clients with presentations and teaching.
The more experience, the more need for a niche—you will better understand who you want to work with.
Career coaching is an excellent place to start and develop your coaching practice. Many people will justify hiring a coach for career coaching.
What books have significantly influenced your life? What are your key takeaways from these books?
I love the wisdom of books for children and the simplicity of how they present complex life topics. The Little Prince and the story of the fox are my favourite. I learned about human nature, friendship, love and belonging.
What tools, software, or other resources have you found to be most helpful in running your coaching business?
Squarespace and website templates help me manage my creative expression.
The Thinkific platform is enabling me to teach coaches and share resources
If you received an extra $10,000 to spend on your business, how would you spend it and why?
I would use it to set up a recording studio for meditations and podcasts. Podcasts are a great way to present coaches to potential clients.
What are some of your favorite affirmations, mantras, thoughts, and/or journal prompts currently? Why?
I use my drawings and quotes for inspiration and daily empowerment. I post them on my blog. They are also available on my Card Meditation App.
When you feel overwhelmed, stressed, or have lost your focus or motivation, what do you do?
I practice Qigong and share in community circles. Common humanity helps dissolve these stresses.
Do you have any examples of how a “failure” set you up for later success?
I have many stories about failures which eventually turned into life wins. The biggest one is depression and a sense of the end of the world. I felt as if my business and marriage were crumbling. At that time, mindfulness practice became a great support and a gift I continue to apply in my personal and professional life.
Do you have any embarrassing (at the time) stories from your work as a coach? Or a time when putting yourself out there really paid off?
Once during a coaching interview in an organisation they asked me which clients should not work with me, and I said clients from sales and marketing because I lack these skills. The interviewer said: “Perhaps these are the clients we should send to you as you will help them see the world differently.” I was terrified and empowered at the same time.
If you could put a message on a huge billboard—getting a message out to millions—what would it say and why?
“Meditation without compassion strengthens the ego.”
This is a reminder of the importance of a compassionate approach in secular mindfulness and meditation.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Be humble, be bold, and savour the moment.
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