Today we’d like to introduce you to April Lokar.
Hi April, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up wanting to be a teacher, so when I graduated in the last recession and had a tough time finding a full-time teaching job, it was a really pivotal moment. I had to decide if I was going to keep subbing and taking on whatever aide jobs I could or do something completely different.
I chose to explore other options and ended up in a Corporate Training role. This felt like the perfect mix of “office” work with teaching. Adults can be a tougher audience than kids, but I still loved the work.
Through my 15 years in corporate training roles, I have worked in numerous industries – non-profit, tech, manufacturing, eCommerce, and now food & beverage – and recovered after two layoffs. The layoffs were what pushed me into entrepreneurship.
I knew I still loved corporate training, but realized I needed to have something that was just mine. Something I could scale up if (or when) another layoff comes my way. Using the skills, I’m naturally geared toward, along with my experiences in my career, I founded my company: Semi-Conventional.
Semi-Conventional is all about putting your own spin on the world and creating a life you love. With that in mind, I’m focused on helping feminists (mostly women) create confidence with the goal of speaking up and growing their careers and business.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like most people, there have certainly been obstacles along the way. Did I mention two layoffs?
The first time I was laid off, my kids were very young (2 and 4) and I wasn’t all that prepared for the situation – meaning, we didn’t have a ton in savings. I was nervous about how long it would take to find the next job and if I even wanted to stay in the same industry. I ended up finding another role within four months and all felt right again.
The second layoff was kind of a relief, honestly. My first month in the job, I knew this was not a good long-term fit. The company did not value my time and meetings were held all sorts of early/late hours with no real regard for personal boundaries. So when the pandemic hit and I was laid off just five months into the role, it felt like the universe gave me an “out”. This time around, I had learned the lesson and our savings was healthy enough for me to go 6-12 months without working. That buffer allowed me to be really picky and take the “right” job even if it was a massive pay cut.
Alongside that second layoff, I had started forming my own business very slowly in 2019. It was more of an idea than an actual business, but I knew I had something that I could run with. Since then, I have learned a LOT about starting a business, doing customer research – the most critical part of all of it – and balancing a 9-5 with an entrepreneurial endeavor.
The biggest lesson learned is to set time to be intentional with anything you want to make progress on. Family, social relationships, work, and leisure. They all have a place, and it’s up to you to make sure they’re balanced to work for you!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Semi-Conventional?
Semi-Conventional is focused on developing individuals’ confidence. This is a huge factor in all other aspects of life – personal relationships, career, and overall growth.
Currently, all of our clients work 1:1 with us to identify their specific needs, with a curated game plan to get quick wins and start boosting their confidence immediately.
Whether a client has a big presentation they’re preparing for or an upcoming networking event, we tailor their coaching sessions to maximize impact and results.
Most companies that work on speaking and presentations are working strictly with the C-suite. At Semi-Conventional, we believe everyone deserves access to this type of coaching. In addition, our process is outside of the box because we do not believe in creating slide decks for our clients. In fact, we’d rather slides just die off and not be included in any presentation from here on out. Instead, we refine the skill of the speaker to captivate and draw in their audience – and nobody misses the slides!
Pricing:
- 1:1 Confidence Coaching Package – $1,000
- 1:1 Craft Your Networking Pitch Session – $150
- Presentation Planner Template – $Free
- Networking Pitch Template – Free
Contact Info:
- Website: https://semiconventional.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semi.conventional/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-lokar/
Image Credits
Bernadette Marciniak
