Hello!
I am super excited to announce YUMO’s founder Q&A series, In Conversation With, which will bring you some of the most inspiring female founders and wellness experts, as well as some pretty cool products, ideas, and words of wisdom.

To get this party started, Dominique Antiglio, globally sought-after Sophrologist, wellness entrepreneur, best-selling author, and founder of BeSophro (be-sophro.com) is stepping into the spotlight and I am pretty sure you will love what she has to say, and don’t forget to check out the website and follow on IG. 

What inspired you to start a company in the health and wellness sector and what do you offer?
I was originally inspired to follow a career path into Sophrology because of my own story of transformation. As a 15-year-old student, I was highly involved in competitive sport and encountered a difficult time where I was feeling constantly exhausted. I started to experience episodes of fainting - I was fainting when using public transport, or even at the hairdresser, and I became more and more concerned about my state.

Following medical tests, my GP advised me to see a Sophrologist. I was living in Switzerland at the time, where the practice of Sophrology is reimbursed by health insurances, often prescribed to people for stress-management, birth preparation, anxiety or sleep issues.

In just five sessions, the practice transformed my physical and mental state. I was no longer fainting, my energy returned, and I gained a sense of control over my emotions and the difficulties that I was experiencing. 

Sophrology is a tool that everybody can benefit from, not only for physical and mental health, but also to unlock your full potential, or improve sport and career performance. It is my heartfelt aim to bring the benefits of Sophrology to everyone and to spread the word about the incredible practise that transformed my life.

What influenced your services or product design
My book, The Life Changing Power of Sophrology, was the first widely published comprehensive guide on Sophrology in English and is now the leading authority on the practice. It quickly became a best-seller, and I didn’t have the capacity to absorb the demand that came with that through my private practice. This motivated me to develop online Sophrology programmes, so that people in the UK and abroad could start benefitting from the practice more easily.

I also adapted the way of introducing people to Sophrology to suit the UK and US needs, as the way wellness is consumed and spoken about in Continental Europe versus English speaking countries is different. This has made Sophrology more accessible and more easily understood in countries where it is traditionally less well known.

How does your company uniquely address the health and wellness needs of its customers?
Our main point of difference is that we teach people to use their mind-body connection to unlock solutions. Sophrology is practical, easily actionable and allows everyone to immediately tune in deeper within themselves to find the resources, clarity and energy to overcome a challenge they face. It can be practised any time, anywhere, making it an empowering toolkit for modern day life.

What major health and wellness trends have impacted your business strategy? 
We are sometimes referred in the press as ‘the dynamic young cousin of mindfulness’ and I do think there is truth in this.

Many of our customers have tried meditation and struggle to pursue it, notably because they find it hard to stay still when they are tired, physically tensed or preoccupied. Sophrology gives you an alternative which includes movement, relaxation, breathing and visualisation, and a clear step-by-step system to connect with body and mind, develop self-awareness and explore consciousness.  

Could you describe a pivotal moment or decision in your company's development? How did it influence your path forward
To date, pivotal moments for Be Sophro are when I became a mum, the success of my book and the pandemic.

When you have your own company and welcome your baby, you need to adapt your life, and some of your priorities naturally shift as a result. My business started as a clinic in central London, where I was seeing clients for one-to-one appointments. The success of my book and the restrictions brought about by the pandemic encouraged me to do more online, developing new online products and strategies. I also saw an increased demand from Corporate organisations who, during the pandemic, started to look for new ways to address the stress amongst their employees.

Having established such a successful digital offering, most of our individual sessions have remained online and the business is better for it, with our clients preferring the flexibility that our offering now provides them.

How do you measure success in terms of health and wellness outcomes for your clients or customers?
The measure of success is how our clients feel in body and mind, how much their perspective shifts as they face their challenges, and how much more in control they feel emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. In our one-to-one work with our individual clients, we ask a number of questions throughout the process which enables us to be able to monitor their progress and see how Sophrology is helping them with their individual, unique challenges and ambitions.  

What role does technology play in your business, especially in relation to enhancing health and wellness?
Technology is key to be able to bring the benefit of Sophrology far and wide. We have already demonstrated the role that digital can play in supporting the practice, both through our one-to-one online appointments, and through accessing specialist online courses that we offer, such as our Sleep Like a Pro course, which aids restful sleep, or our Relax, Reset & Overcome Stress course, which supports stress reduction in everyday life

I believe that technology has a major role to play in continuing to make Sophrology even more broadly known, and we have some exciting developments underway that will bring them even closer together. Watch this space!

What are the biggest challenges you face in maintaining the integrity and efficacy of your wellness products/services in a rapidly growing industry?
The biggest challenge is finding the right people and talent to support you. When you don’t have endless budgets to expand, or to create new products and services, having the right people, with the right knowledge and skillsets around you is key to both growth and relevance.

To play your part in the wellness landscape today, it is not enough to be an expert in your field. You also need to be an entrepreneur and willing to grow your knowledge in fields that are often far from your original training. I personally enjoy that part, but also find it challenging at times. 

How do you stay informed and continue to innovate within the health and wellness field?
While Sophrology is not new in the wider wellness landscape, in countries like the UK and the US, it is still relatively unknown. There is huge opportunity for growth, but understanding how the market, topics and consumer needs evolve is key in being able to innovate and expand.

Social media, wellness reports, media consumption, talking to colleagues and other entrepreneurs,  joining events and travelling are all part of the way I try to stay in touch with what is happening in the industry more broadly. 

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to enter the health and wellness industry?
Have passion and a plan. Find the right people to support you and know that making mistakes is part of the learning. 

For more information about Sophrology, please visit Be-Sophro.com or go to Instagram @besophrolondon.