BLOG_2017_11_20_MEET ALIKA

MEET ALIKA...

20 November 2017

Alika Mathur - Founder of Alika Mathur Consulting
Alika Mathur - Founder of Alika Mathur Consulting


We salute Alika Mathur. Alika is the founder and principal consultant of Alika Mathur Consulting, a university and college advisory and admissions consultancy for Kenyan students applying to study in the US and Canada.

1. You have a background in PR and corporate communications, what drew you to education?

I’d worked in admissions when I was in college in the States, which is where my interest in the process began. Over the years, I would often be asked to informally advise students applying to university in the U.S. and Canada, but it was only after I returned to Kenya I realized how much of a need there was for a specialized resource to help students through the application process.

2. What is an average day like for you?

My ‘average’ day changes according to the season! At this time of year, with looming application deadlines, my day starts with checking in with students to make sure they’re on track. Much of my day is taken up with reviewing the various components of their applications – from essays and recommendations to making sure crucial information is completed correctly.

3. How did you go about building a sustainable business model for Alika Mathur Consulting?

I knew I needed help in this process, so I hired Renee as my coach. We’re working on how I can find new clients, and be able to overcome pricing objections from potential clients. Renee informed me that I’m not selling my services, but my clients are buying their results. This has helped me reframe my business pitches.

4. How do you go about marketing your services to your target audience?

Most of my marketing success has come through word of mouth; mostly through parents or students who I have worked with, or by the power of WhatsApp ‘mom groups’. Since trust is such an important factor for parents working with me, they rely on the confidence they get from references from other parents.

5. How do you balance the needs of the students and the anxiety and concerns of their parents?

That’s one of the biggest challenges I face. I do try to hear concerns from both parties without ‘taking sides’. More often than not, parents’ concerns are either practical (“Will my child find a job after graduation?”) or emotional (“Will my child adjust and settle in?”). I usually meet with students one-on-one so I can build a rapport with them, and I’m better able to find the balance between what they and their parents ultimately want out of their university experience.

6. What is the most rewarding part of your work?

Knowing I’m helping students make a decision that they’re happy about at one of the most crucial junctures of their lives. I love hearing from students during their first semester of university, telling me how much they’re enjoying the campus, or how much they’ve already learned from a professor they’ve admired for years.

Ultimately, it’s not only about sending students to top-ranked universities, but about them being somewhere where they will thrive and excel, and be happy for four fundamental years of their lives.

7. What kind of challenges do you face in your work?

Helping parents understand the need and the value of working with a consultant through the college application process; I’d often have great initial meetings with parents, but the struggle came in actually getting them to ‘commit’.

8. How did you overcome those challenges?

Focusing on the experience I have in the field – I’ve worked in the admissions office at a U.S. university, I’ve conducted admissions interviews and organized admissions events for potential students, and I attended university in the U.S. at the undergraduate and graduate levels. I can bridge the gap between what universities are looking for, and what students want to achieve.

9. What are some of the most important lessons you have learnt in entrepreneurship?

How to juggle multiple roles and responsibilities – marketing, administration, finances!

10. How can interested parents reach you?

The best way is to reach me via email on alika@alikamathurconsulting.com

Subscribe to My Newsletter

 

ARCHIVES

2023

27 July | Discovering Your Business Niche: Unleashing the Path to Success

22 June | 5 Tips on How to Generate Business Ideas

25 May | You were meant to be REAL, not perfect!

27 April | Entrepreneur vs Hobbyist: Understanding the Difference

30 March | Brilliant Persistence!

23 February | Learning to Live with (and Love) Yourself

23 January | 5 Benefits of Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

2022

19 December | Taking Stock

27 October | The Power (and Benefits) of Mental Discipline

29 September | 7 Techniques for Building Unshakable Self-Discipline

25 August | Go! Go! Go... on a Break!

28 July | 10 Steps that go Beyond Smart Goals

30 June | Top Ten CREATIVE Decision-Making Techniques

26 MAY | 10 Behaviors that BLOCK Happiness

22 APRIL | Top 10 Signs of Strength

24 MARCH | How's Your Joy Level at Work?

24 FEBRUARY | Are you Living in Sync with Your Values

27 JANUARY | Top Ten Powerful Questions to Ask

2021

21 DECEMBER | Looking Back to the Future

4 NOVEMBER | Organize Yourself for Success

21 OCTOBER | Is Not Getting Enough Sleep Getting in Your Way?

7 OCTOBER | Listening Practices: TIPS & TRAPS

23 SEPTEMBER | GO! GO! GO!

9 SEPTEMBER | A Seasonal Approach to Life

19 AUGUST | Giving Ourselves an A: Looking at Possibility, Not Measurement

5 AUGUST | Accessing the Power of Meaningful Work
22 JULY | Dealing with Difficult Co-Workers

8 JULY | Engagement: Are you part of the problem or the solution?

24 JUNE | Starting Over: Tips to Finding Grace in Difficult Times

10 JUNE | How Well Do You Manage Your Emotional Reactions at Work or Home?

20 MAY | Cultivating Serenity in the Workplace and Beyond

6 MAY | Employing Non-defensive Communication at Work

21 APRIL | Are limiting beliefs causing you to play small?

8 APRIL | Are you in need of an Attitude Adjustment?

18 MARCH | PLAY! When was the last time you did this?

04 MARCH | Are you missing the most important step?

18 FEBRUARY | How to Support Your Own Happiness

04 FEBRUARY | The Vulnerability of Dreams

21 JANUARY | Finding the Balance of Competing Devotions

07 JANUARY | Go from stuck to action to empowerment!

2020

17 DECEMBER | Taking Stock

03 DECEMBER | Bounce Back: Developing Emotional Resilience

19 NOVEMBER | My Favorite Resources

05 NOVEMBER | Don't Let Fear Stop You

22 OCTOBER | Curiosity and Results: What’s the Connection?

08 OCTOBER | How well do you handle failure?

17 SEPTEMBER | Hiring a Virtual Assistant for Your Business

03 SEPTEMBER | Saving Ourselves from Self-Sabotage

20 AUGUST | How to try on-and actually get-the life of your dreams

06 AUGUST | Oh, the stories we tell ourselves!

23 JULY | Top 10 Ways to Get a Good Night's Sleep

02 JULY | How to Create and Use a Team as a Solopreneur

18 JUNE | How do you feel about change?

04 JUNE | Action is worry’s worst enemy.

21 MAY | Empower Yourself: Ask for What You Want

07 MAY | Journaling Your Way Through Crisis

23 APRIL | How to Handle Negative Emotions and Thoughts

09 APRIL | Starting Over: Tips to Finding Grace in Difficult Times

19 MARCH | From Crisis Comes Opportunity

05 MARCH | Self-Acceptance

20 FEBRUARY | The Rebel Within

20 FEBRUARY | Are You Too Cautious?

06 FEBRUARY | Burnout

06 FEBRUARY | Are You Sabotaging Yourself?

23 JANUARY | A New Look at Selfishness

23 JANUARY | How Well Do You Take Responsibility for Yourself?

9 JANUARY | 5 Tips to Help You Stay Focused on Your Goals

9 JANUARY | How Well Do You Manage Your Energy?

2019

21 NOVEMBER | Coping with Change

21 NOVEMBER | Top 10 Ways to Cope with Transitions

7 NOVEMBER | Scare Yourself into the Life You Want

7 NOVEMBER | Ten Fears Keeping Us from What We Want

17 OCTOBER | The Business of Purpose

17 OCTOBER | How to Fulfill Your Purpose AND Make a Living

03 OCTOBER | Overwhelm

03 OCTOBER | Are you living your life on a treadmill?

19 SEPTEMBER | Accessing the Power of Gratitude

19 SEPTEMBER | How Well Do You Maintain Balance?

05 SEPTEMBER | Are your Attitudes About Money Sabotaging You?

05 SEPTEMBER | Top 10 Ways to Clean Up Your Financial Act

22 AUGUST | Being Big in Your Life

22 AUGUST | Conquer Your Fears and Empower Yourself

08 AUGUST | Accepting the Gift of Criticism

08 AUGUST | The Perfectionist Quiz

18 JULY | The Business of Frustration

18 JULY | Top 10 Myths About Owning Your Own Business

04 JULY | How to be more productive today

04 JULY | Time to Focus

20 JUNE | Creating Systems for Success

20 JUNE | Do It Now, Do It Now, Do It Now!

06 JUNE | Tending the Fences: Setting Healthy Boundaries

06 JUNE | Badges of Honor

16 May | Are you living your own life?

16 May | Mastering Your Motivation

02 May | How to Hack into Our Own Brainpower

02 May | Sucess Step 1: Set a Goal

18 April | 7 Ways to Motivate Yourself EVERY DAY

18 April | Your real goals

04 April | How well-constructed are your boundaries?

04 April | Lend a Hand

21 March | Designing the Alliance

21 March 2019 | Look for the Passion

07 March | Making "Impossible" Thinking Possible

07 March 2019 | Don't Put Your Dreams on Hold

21 February | The Power of Intention

21 February | Your Confidence Tune-Up

07 February | Introducing The WEEKLY Leap

January/February | Just Get Started

January/February | Time for a Productivity Tune-Up

03 January 2019 | Life's choices aren't all easy, but they are all yours

03 January 2019 | Your intelligence makes you invaluable

03 January 2019 | Free Organisation Tip

2018

20 December 2018 | Are you living your own life?

20 December 2018 | Your life, Your design

06 December 2018 | Taking Action to Conquer Your Goals

06 December 2018 | Pause then Press On

15 November 2018 | Creating What You Want in Life

15 November 2018  | Brilliant Persistence

01 November 2018 | 5 Keys to Effective Communication

01 November 2018 | It's All About Them

18 October 2018 | Are You a Perfectionist?

04 October 2018 | Overwhelm-Busting Strategies

20 September 2018 | How Well Do You Manage Stress?

06 September 2018 | Playing the Inner Game to Win

2017

20 November 2017 | Meet Alika

01 November 2017 | Self Discovery

23 October 2017 | Branding

23 October 2017 | Helping Hand

04 October 2017 | Get Business Faster

12 September 2017 | Be Relentless

06 September 2017 | Celebrate 

23 August 2017 | Meet Vered

11 August 2017 | Get Unstuck

14 July 2017 | Meet Rose

03 July 2017 | Customers to Cheerleaders

07 June 2017 | Tune Your Pitch

07 June 2017 | Meet Shruti

15 May 2017 | Saving My Soul

15 May 2017 | Meet Kate

07 May 2017 | Go Social

03 April 2017 | Meet Margarita

03 April 2017 | Investment

30 March 2017 | Vulnerability Brings Growth

2016

24 December 2016 | Finally

22 December 2016 | The Secret

19 October 2016 | Rockin' That Power Pose

24 August 2016 | Leap of Faith