Success.
Naturalfocus
We help business owners, professionals, and teams overcome challenges, achieve goals, and develop strategies for success through personalized mentoring and coaching services.
Want to learn more about my services?
01
About
I am Alan Samuels
Consultant, Mentor and coach
After more than 40 years in corporate life, I transitioned seven years ago into mentoring, coaching, and consulting to embrace new and diverse challenges. My experience spans owner-managed businesses in various industries, corporate staff development, and executive team coaching. These roles have allowed me to leverage my extensive expertise to guide businesses and individuals toward success.
why choose me?
my corporate coaching expertise
My background in the financial services industry across South Africa, Africa, and Southeast Asia provided a foundation for my coaching approach. I specialized in personal financial services, focusing on developing and managing innovative solutions such as card and payment products, loyalty programs, and multi-channel distribution models. Additionally, I led card-issuing portfolios for credit, debit, and charge cards, bringing both strategic insight and hands-on implementation.
One of my key strengths is bridging the gap between technology and its users, ensuring businesses maximize the potential of emerging tools. I bring resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to seeing projects through to completion, even in turbulent times. This dedication is bolstered by a global network of relationships built over decades of travel and collaboration across various industries.
02
Corporate
Are you ready to take your business to the next level?
Do you face challenges in streamlining operations, developing effective strategies, or unlocking your team’s full potential? Perhaps you’re looking for expert guidance to accelerate growth, refine your focus, or successfully launch new ventures. Whatever your goals, I’m here to provide tailored solutions that deliver results. Let’s work together to achieve the success you envision.
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services
What can I do for you?
SERVICES I PROVIDE
Achieving success in today’s fast-paced and competitive world requires more than just hard work—it demands strategic insights, innovative solutions, and a trusted partner to help navigate challenges. That’s where I come in.
With years of experience across diverse industries, I offer a comprehensive suite of services tailored to meet your unique needs. Whether you’re starting a new business, streamlining operations, developing your staff, crafting a winning marketing strategy, exploring digital transformation or needing a seasoned project manager, my goal is to empower you to thrive.
Each service is designed with a focus on delivering measurable results, enhancing efficiency, and building a solid foundation for sustained growth. Let’s work together to turn your challenges into opportunities and your vision into reality.
Business Startup
I provide expert guidance in market research, validation, and the setup processes required to establish new businesses. From concept to execution, I help bring your entrepreneurial vision to life.
Strategy Development
I work closely with businesses to devise and implement effective business and marketing strategies that align with their objectives. Where needed, this includes calling on associates to assist.
Mentoring and Coaching
I offer personalised mentoring and coaching to support the growth and development of business owners and employees. Whether on-site or remotely, my service helps individuals build expertise, confidence, and actionable insights.
Project Management
I actively manage projects within the card and payments industry to bring the offerings to market. This includes multi-disciplinary teams across countries.
Technology Integration
I streamline operations by implementing CRM systems like HubSpot, transitioning to efficient accounting solutions such as Zoho Books, and integrating platforms to enhance workflow efficiency and facilities digital transformation.
Business Audit
I conduct thorough operational and financial audits to identify inefficiencies, optimize processes, and enhance overall performance for sustainable success.
Frequently Asked questions
what there is to know about mentoring and coaching
MENTORING is one person advising and informing another person about what they know.
COACHING is one person working with another to enable this person to arrive at the solutions that come from within themselves and that suit them.
Differentiator #1:
Coaching is task oriented. The focus is on concrete issues, such as managing more effectively, speaking more articulately, and learning how to think strategically. This requires a content expert (coach) who is capable of teaching the coachee how to develop these skills.
Mentoring is relationship oriented. It seeks to provide a safe environment where the mentee shares whatever issues affect his or her professional and personal success. Although specific learning goals or competencies may be used as a basis for creating the relationship, its focus goes beyond these areas to include things, such as work/life balance, self-confidence, self-perception, and how the personal influences the professional.
Differentiator #2:
Coaching is short term. A coach can successfully be involved with a coachee for a short period of time, maybe even just a few sessions. The coaching lasts for as long as is needed, depending on the purpose of the coaching relationship.
Mentoring is always long term. Mentoring, to be successful, requires time in which both partners can learn about one another and build a climate of trust that creates an environment in which the mentee can feel secure in sharing the real issues that impact his or her success. Successful mentoring relationships last nine months to a year.
Differentiator #3:
Coaching is performance driven. The purpose of coaching is to improve the individual’s performance on the job. This involves either enhancing current skills or acquiring new skills. Once the coachee successfully acquires the skills, the coach is no longer needed.
Mentoring is development driven. Its purpose is to develop the individual not only for the current job, but also for the future. This distinction differentiates the role of the immediate manager and that of the mentor. It also reduces the possibility of creating conflict between the employee’s manager and the mentor.
Differentiator #4:
Coaching does not require design. Coaching can be conducted almost immediately on any given topic. If a company seeks to provide coaching to a large group of individuals, then certainly an amount of design is involved in order to determine the competency area, expertise needed, and assessment tools used, but this does not necessarily require a long lead-time to actually implement the coaching program.
Mentoring requires a design phase in order to determine the strategic purpose for mentoring, the focus areas of the relationship, the specific mentoring models, and the specific components that will guide the relationship, especially the matching process.
Differentiator # 5:
The coachee’s immediate manager is a critical partner in coaching. She or he often provides the coach with feedback on areas in which his or her employee is in need of coaching. This coach uses this information to guide the coaching process
In mentoring, the immediate manager is indirectly involved. Although she or he may offer suggestions to the employee on how to best use the mentoring experience or may provide a recommendation to the matching committee on what would constitute a good match, the manager has no link to the mentor and they do not communicate at all during the mentoring relationship. This helps maintain the mentoring relationship’s integrity.
When a company is seeking to develop its leaders or talent pool as part of succession planning
When a company seeks to develop its diverse employees to remove barriers that hinder their success
When a company seeks to more completely develop its employees in ways that are additional to the acquisition of specific skills/competencies
When a company seeks to retain its internal expertise and experience residing in its baby boomer employees for future generations
When a company wants to create a workforce that balances the professional and the persona
When a company is seeking to develop its employees in specific competencies using performance management tools and involving the immediate manager
When a company has a number of talented employees who are not meeting expectations
When a company is introducing a new system or program
When a company has a small group of individuals (5-8) in need of increased competency in specific areas
When a leader or executive needs assistance in acquiring a new skill as an additional responsibility
COMPARISON | COACHING | MENTORING | TRAINING |
Emphasis is on | Performance or behaviour transformation | Career, behaviour and all-round development orientation | Skills training, upgrading skills and skill advancement |
Time horizon | Short term | Long term | Variable -depending on purpose of training |
Type | Formal and task-orientated and task performance driven |
| Formal and usually structured with measurable learning outcomes |
Facilitator skill requirements | Expert in field | High knowledge and broad experience | Expert in field, high knowledge and subject matter expert |
04
FAQ
Let me help you achieve success and overcome challenges
Do you want to elevate your success by improving the profitability of your business, addressing operational and sales efficiencies, or having an expert handle projects when you’re short on time or expertise? Do you need input and a trusted sounding board to navigate opportunities and challenges?
As an individual, do you feel the need to grow and develop to become more effective as a business owner or employee? Are you assertive enough, or do you require practical advice to lead and develop your team effectively?
Let us work together to achieve your goals through integrated growth solutions that encompass consulting, coaching, and mentoring. Each intervention is tailor-made to your unique needs—no cookie-cutter approach, just personalized support to ensure your success.
05
guide
Your coaching free guide
accelerate your success starting now
Over decades of experience in the corporate world, I’ve gained valuable insights and lessons—not only through my own roles but also from working alongside exceptional leaders and colleagues. These lessons extend beyond technical skills and delve into navigating the complexities of large organizations.
While still in the corporate environment, I began mentoring individuals and continued this work as I transitioned into a new chapter of my career. Many mentees often sought practical advice on advancing within their organizations or overcoming challenges. Recognizing the universal value of these discussions, I created this guide to consolidate the knowledge we shared.
The COVID-19 lockdown offered the perfect opportunity to reflect and formalize these insights into a practical, easy-to-use resource. This guide has since become an integral part of my mentoring process, benefiting not only employees in corporate roles but also business owners facing the demands of leadership.
This is not a static list of ideas. It evolves as I continue to learn and adapt to the ever-changing workplace. However, many of the tips remain timeless, offering enduring relevance in various professional settings.
The guide is designed for ease of use—you don’t need to read it cover-to-cover before implementing its insights. Instead, it empowers you to take actionable steps tailored to your specific needs and circumstances.
The guide focuses on four key themes:
- The personal journey when joining or working in an organization.
- Mastering organizational dynamics.
- Developing effective teams.
- General strategies and best practices.
Whether you’re looking to accelerate your career or refine your leadership skills, this guide provides practical tools to help you thrive in the corporate world. Good luck on your journey!
contact me
let me help you elevate your business
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contact
Mentoring Excellence | Strategic Growth | Tailored Business Solutions
