What You Want

You have an amazing business but it feels like you’re the best kept secret in town.

Relax, I can help you change that so that your business stands out and your ideal clients see you and hire you.

I’m Stephanie Ward, I’m a Business and Marketing Mentor and I’m passionate about igniting your small business success. I’m an American citizen (an ‘Okie’) who has lived in the Netherlands since 1999.

I know what’s it’s like to go from a job you aren’t happy in to finding a meaningful career that you love as an entrepreneur.

After years in the non-profit and corporate world (business development, sales, marketing, management and consulting), I started this business in 2002 to support small business owners to make a prosperous living doing what they love.

It’s a joy working with small business owners like you because you’re doing work that you find meaningful and your work makes a difference in your client’s lives.

I also find the work I do meaningful and so I coined the word, Meaningpreneur® to describe myself and what I do.

Motivating other people to act is second nature to me. Integrity, confidentiality and transparency are essential to me. And I’m deeply caring and devoted to building long-term relationships.

I love connecting cool people, creating ideas, & sharing resources. I’m a professionally trained coach thanks to training at Coach Inc. I have an undergraduate degree in Business Management and a Master’s degree in Communication both from the University of Oklahoma.

How We Can Work Together

What Others Say

“Just ten minutes with Stephanie and her innate wisdom and I made a small change to my business model that tripled my turnover in just three months!”

Jo Parfitt

Author and Publisher

“Stephanie, you’re already raining marketing genius on me and we just met!”

Toma Haines

The Antiques Diva

“Stephanie, the chat I had with you a couple of months ago was so useful that now I am overloaded with work!”

Juliana Nino

El Nino Business Consulting

“Stephanie’s professionalism and knowledge are really amazing, for almost every problem she knows solutions or where to find them. I love her positive, proactive approach and her enthusiasm is infectious! Thanks Stephanie!”

Trix Vertogen

Owner, PR consultancy

How I Can Help You

I can work with you one-on-one to help you get clear on your business model, be able to talk about your business, and to know what the most effective marketing strategies are – specifically for you.

How We Can Work Together

Want to Know Even More About Me?

How I Got Here

At a certain point in my corporate career I found myself frustrated and asking questions like, “Why am I doing the work I’m doing?” and “Where is the meaning in this?” This led me on a personal quest to discover what I was really meant to do.

It wasn’t easy. And since I’ve always believed if you can’t figure something out it’s smart to ask for help, I did. I wasn’t sure where to turn so I started with my monster truck size book collection.

I picked up a book that talked about coaching and thought, hey – what’s that? I contacted the author and selected a coach from her team and hired her. The result of our work together was that I realized that I wanted to be a coach (don’t worry, this doesn’t happen to everyone who hires a coach).

So I enrolled in a coach training program, Coach Inc and attended for two years in the evenings (all done virtually) while working full-time.

I started Firefly Coaching in 2002 after working in the corporate world for many years in business development, sales, marketing, and management.

The Kind of Clients I Support

I help small business owners get clear about their business and then help them take focused action to attract more clients and grow their businesses.

Many of my clients are expats and a lot of them live in the Netherlands. I also work with small business owners who live all over the world and do business locally (as well as on-line).

I’m passionate about helping small business owners create successful businesses that they love and that support them. I get so excited when my clients are able to do what they love and make a living doing it.

It’s a blast coming up with ideas for my clients and I can’t stop talking about ways to help them promote their businesses.

I love to share ideas, connections, and resources and strive to be a Lovecat.

The Meaning Behind the Name of My Company

The Firefly has a unique ability to do something phenomenal. A Firefly has the ability to turn on its own internal light and illuminate the way forward.

I choose the name Firefly as a metaphor for the work I do with my clients. I support my clients in finding and turning on their own internal light (especially as it relates to business and marketing) so that they can attract more clients and grow their businesses.

The power lies with them; I simply support them making it happen.

After Work

When I’m not working I love to hang out with friends, share a meal (I love to create tasty dishes), and listen to music. I’m a confessed book lover evidenced my overflowing bookshelves.

Because I love to see small business owners succeed, I support Kiva, a micro-lending non-profit that helps aspiring entrepreneurs all over the world.

Where I Come From

Before moving to the Netherlands in 1999 I lived in a few different cities. I’m an ‘Okie’ at heart. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the US and lived there until I moved to Houston after graduate school. Dallas followed Houston and the last stop before coming to the ‘lowlands’ was Columbus, Ohio.

I am so grateful to all of the people who have supported my throughout my journey. No one succeeds in a vacuum, and it’s much easier and a hell of a lot more fun to share the ride. Thank you, you know who you are!

Random Bits of Information

I can read Dutch and speak Dutch (with lots of mistakes) and do so when necessary. But I feel like I can express myself better in English.

My formal education consists of a BBA degree in Business Management and a Master’s degree in Communication, both from the University of Oklahoma (go Sooners!).

According to the results of my Strengthsfinder.com assessment my top five strengths are: