Muslim Mums in Business – Level 10 Muslimah Life Coaching

My Muslim Mums in Business series focus’s on inspirational Muslim women, who are balancing the art of motherhood along with running businesses.

Please introduce yourself and your business.

As Salaamu ‘Alaikum Wa Rahmathullahi Wa Barakatuhu, 

I am Seema Umm Rayyan, founder of Level 10 Muslimah life coaching. I am a Spiritual Connection Coach and Creative Journaling Facilitator. I accompany women and teenage girls in exploring spiritual contentment, so they may discover a deeper connection with Allah.

I conduct programs and workshops on various spiritual development and Journaling topics including Quran Journaling. 

I have an education in psychology from both the Islamic and secular perspectives with an accompanying diploma in multimedia and graphic design. 

I established my coaching practice in 2016 ‎Alhamdulillah, prior to that I worked as a volunteer Islamic Counselor for an online organization, along with my own community service program that offered free Islamic counseling services to Muslim women. Unfortunately this program had to be closed due to unforeseen circumstances, but I still offer free coaching to deserving sisters whenever possible Alhamdulillah. 

I am often asked about what Level 10 Muslimah means, I came about this name for my business with the mission of exploring spiritual contentment through various facets of life and its experiences. It is embarking on a journey of self-discovery and awareness in acquiring resilience and a deeper connection with ‎Allah in the process. 

Level 10 is a 360° holistic way of life, going beyond planning to take inspired action, coming back to the crux of our existence that is to create a life that’s pleasing to Allah In Shaa Allah. 

What makes your business different from your competitors?

That’s an interesting question, I am what’s different from others in my industry, it’s what I bring to the table in my capacity as a coach, my confidence in knowing what I offer is unique and authentic in being who I am as a person and trusting in my ability as a coach in delivering what I promise. 

That said, I don’t really see my business in competition with other businesses. In my opinion every person brings their uniqueness and authenticity to what they’re sharing, this being true especially in the coaching industry. I  believe that coaches need coaches too, there’s enough sky above for everyone to exist, I believe in collaboration with my colleagues as opposed to seeing them as a competition. 

What inspired you to start working from home? Did anyone in particular inspire you?

I wouldn’t say my inspiration came from a person rather it was a combination of events. My inspiration came from my own journey, things unraveled for me in the best way all in Allah’s best plans Alhamdulillah. 

Among the things that propelled me on this path was to be of service to those who have had similar challenges in life as I myself once did, secondly it was to put my Allah given talents to use, thirdly the financial independence and lastly, the most important one for me is having a meaning and a purpose to my existence, that my life wasn’t lived in vain In Shaa Allah. 

Is your family supportive of you being a working mother?

My family has always been supportive of everything I wanted to do Alhamdulillah, at the same time just like every other family there are times where I face certain challenges with them too. 

What are the main challenges you face as a mum and an entrepreneur?

I can’t say I have big challenges as a mum and an entrepreneur as of now, my kids are at an age where they don’t need me as much as they did when they were little, but I did have my fair share of challenges starting out, managing my time and balancing my work and home was a big one. 

Now I have more structure and balance around my roles Alhamdulillah.

Describe a typical working day. Are there specific times in the day that you work on your business?

Working from home aligns well with my Islamic as well as personal values. 

My typical work day starts at Fajr, then Quran. I then exercise for 30 minutes to an hour, shower, breakfast and by 9/9:30 AM to 12PM I am working either on projects or taking calls, I break for dhur, cooking and lunch. I get back to work from 3PM to 5PM. I wrap up at 5 and the rest of the day is reserved for anything related to home and family. 

This is how an ideal work day looks like for me, but life is life, it’s not always a structured routine, sometimes unexpected things spring up, so in such situations I shift things around, I keep myself pretty much flexible to whatever might shows up in life. 

What are the pros and cons about being a working mum from home?

Pros:

I am my own boss.

I have a choice to work at my own pace.

I don’t always have to dress up to work, I can work in my PJs if I choose to (which I usually do).

I can take breaks if and when I want/need to. 

Cons: 

Not being taken seriously sometimes, the thinking around work from home is still not considered as traditional work by many. 

Not having the physical connection or interaction with people, which I love and miss. 

On your toughest days, what helps keep you motivated?

I find that motivation is overrated, mostly I perceive a day to be tough and the need to ‘figure things out’ to ‘come out’ of that situation, only when I am unaligned with Allah’s decree in my life. When I am able to see that I am caught in my thinking, I simply allow the process of life to take over, whatever thinking I am having about my day being tough passes eventually and I am able to see clarity in my perception again. I don’t use any tools or techniques to come out of my situation, I find it exhausting to constantly think about doing something about my thinking, but when the thinking of what a tough day I am having passes, and it does moment to moment, the logic of Allah’s wisdom comes through and I am doing things from a place of love and common sense again ‎ Alhamdulillah. 

Where would you like to see your business in the future?

I have been working on setting up my business as a professional coaching practice with certification and ICF accreditation ‎In Shaa Allah. 

I am currently working on creating facilitation programs for teen girls. I am also in the process of creating products’ design and development related to my niche soon to be launched on my website ‎In Shaa Allah. 

What advice would you give to mums considering taking the step of being a working mum?

It’s a process and a journey and if you have the passion, determination and commitment to yourself you can be wherever you want to be by Allah’s will, even if your process is slow-don’t quit. 

Keep your eyes on your own target, looking elsewhere would only slow you down. 

Have a strategy for everything around your business and be consistent. 

If you’re interested in knowing more about Seema Umm Rayyan’s story and work visit her website at www.level10muslimah.com

You can also reach her on her Instagram and Facebook (@level10muslimah.life.coaching). 

If you are a muslim mum with a business and would like to feature then drop me a message in sha Allah.