Women's Success Essentials

a 6-month personalized approach to professional development for female business leaders in Japan

Book a clarity call

Women's Success Essentials

a 6-month personalized approach to professional development for female business leaders in Japan

Book a clarity call

If you're like many high-potential women in Japan, 
you want to do brilliant work - but without sacrificing your personal life.

Does this sound familiar?

😱 Every day you do your best, but you keep running out of time and energy

😱 Despite all your hard work, you feel like you’re never doing enough

😱 You’re always putting other people first - both at work and at home

😱 You want to start doing things differently, but you just don’t have time! 

Well, you’re not alone!

For over a decade, I struggled as a working mother in a fast-paced and demanding corporate environment in Tokyo. Constantly on the go and overloaded, I experienced burnout more than once.

But that all changed. Now, I have more time, energy, and joy than I could ever have imagined.

And as an award-winning, bilingual, Japan-based coach, I’ve guided hundreds of women to embrace practical skills and mindset techniques, so that they too could make changes they never thought possible in their work and life.

You may be wondering…

How could this sort of fabulous transformation from stress to success possible for you too?

Introducing Women’s Success Essentials (WiSE)

 

WiSE is a life-changing, 6-month personalized approach to professional development for female business leaders in Japan.

You'll discover how to optimize your time, energy, and expertise, so that you can enjoy more success with less stress.

This  program is unique because it’s founded on the Sasuga! Success Cycle and the counterintuitive combination of

  1. developing and refining high-impact professional skills 
    AND
  2. prioritizing your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing (which many high-potential women in business tend to neglect)

Phase 1: Care For You - embracing selfcare as a success strategy - not just physical selfcare, but also thought patterns and habits for more positivity and energy at work

Phase 2: Create Your Plan - developing a personal and professional vision, setting meaningful, measurable, and manageable goals, and planning realistically toward them in a demanding work environment

Phase 3: Communicate Your Ideas - speaking up clearly, confidently, and convincingly, facilitating meetings efficiently, and understanding influencing essentials

Phase 4: Complete Your Tasks - getting the important things done at the right time by setting boundaries and using best practice techniques for productivity

Proven results 

🔥 More time and energy

🔥 Greater confidence and assertiveness

🔥 Clearer, more persuasive communication

🔥 Clarity about priorities and ability to focus

🔥 Greater job satisfaction (promotions, job changes)

🔥 Finally feeling at ease with work-life balance!

🔥 Making selfcare a habit even with a busy schedule

Participant profiles 

Female-identifying

At least business-level English and based in Japan

Manager equivalent or above

Usually 30s to 50s

Married, single, with or without children

These success stories could be yours

 

"A total game-changer... and I'm so glad that I made this investment."

Ayako

"I got better results than I expected. It was really amazing!"

Aiko

 
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I became confident and can now be more than who I was

"I started having an "essentialism" way of thinking and began to notice when I’m comparing myself with others. When I do, I switch my focus to something more meaningful."

Kanako

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I thought that I didn't have time - but I did!

"It wasn't an easy decision for me to take the program since my schedule was tight. But as I started taking the course and learning the method, I realized that I was managing my time much better than before and wasn't panicking at the thought that I didn't have time!!"

Miho

I'm leading a life that I feel happy with


"Another year would go by with me feeling just “ugh” about work and being a mother. I was always tired and constantly sighing. I was overwhelmed with day-to-day tasks and kept putting off the idea of investing in myself. I now carefully choose what’s important for me and am leading a life that I feel happy with."

Akiko 

I'm now happy to step out of my comfort zone 


"I had been thinking about challenging myself to move to a higher position within my company, but didn't have the confidence and thought I wasn't qualified. However, through the program, I started to realize that this was just my own thinking and was not a fact. I gained confidence and decided to talk with my bosses - and I got a promotion! I'm now happy to step out of my comfort zone."

Maiko

I overcame my uncertainties and struggles


“As a mother and entrepreneur, I had lots of uncertainties and struggles and always wanted to do something about those “weaknesses.” I thought it wasn’t right that I was always swamped with work and I wanted to change the way I was working.

I had a busy schedule and was already working and taking another course. At first, I wasn’t sure about taking another program on top of that. But I’m truly glad that I joined. All the participants were lovely women, and I always felt it was an environment where I could get realizations and motivation. For any women wondering whether to join, definitely take that step!”

Emi

This is a turning point in my life


"I felt the world is big and life is short. Why do I push myself so hard? Because of the first session being “Selfcare” and Helen’s mindset, I realized their importance and was able to change little by little throughout the whole program. I understood that other women were having similar problems even with different types of jobs. And I got a wider viewpoint outside my business  industry. Thank you for everything. I believe this is a turning point in my life"

Keiko

WiSE is the only “program” for women in business in Japan that gives you

12 Mindset and Professional Skill Modules

in English and Japanese, with reflection questions and specific actions to help you make immediate, sustainable changes in your work and life

12 Online Practicals

to test out new skills and receive feedback and coaching in a safe and supportive small-group environment

3 Private Coaching Calls with Helen or a Sasuga! Expert Coach

starting with a deep-dive to assess your wants, needs, preferences, and goals, so that we can map out together how to make the most of your WiSE experience 

SOS 1:1 Support from Helen

so that you can easily reach out for help through a personal audio/text chat with Helen (LINE, WhatsApp, or Voxer) if you feel stuck

Speak Like An Expert Online self-study course

so that you understand and can start to practice the essentials of clear, confident, and engaging presentations

Complimentary membership in The #LessEffortMoreImpact Movement for Women in Business (LEMI)

so that you have even more opportunities to be inspired by other growth-minded women for the duration of your WiSE experience 

Exclusive WiSE Lunch Invitation(s) 

to meet other participants and graduates in person

12 Mindset and Professional Skill Modules

Module 1
Selfcare
Start prioritizing physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, so that you can perform at your best

Module 2
Vision

Get clear on your personal goal for the program and design your success path with the Sasuga! MMM goal-setting approach

Module 3
Presenting

Learn and practice the essentials of clear, confident, and convincing business presentations

Module 4
Boundaries

Discover why you never complete your to-do list and stop the stress of incomplete tasks weighing you down at the end of each day

Module 5
Reflection

Explore techniques to reflect on your progress and avoid wasting time on what doesn’t work, so that you can maximize what does

Module 6
Thoughts

Shift negative thinking when you learn how your thoughts impact your actions and lead to the results you get in your work and life

Module 7
Meeting

Say good-bye to long, unproductive, frustrating meetings by learning and practicing global facilitation skills

Module 8
Implementing
Dive deeper into productivity techniques and take control of your email inbox, so that you’re getting more done in less time

Module 9
Habits

Start to break old habits and create new habits, so that you get the right things done without overthinking

Module 10
Accomplishing

Find out how to overcome “achievement amnesia” and start accomplishing more of the right things with greater ease and joy

Module 11
Influencing

Take your presentation and meeting skills to the next level by learning the secrets of brain science and using them to be more persuasive

Module 12
Celebrating
Understand why it’s important to celebrate your successes - not just in this program, but at all times in your personal and professional life

Live Online Practicals

Practicals take place twice a month on Saturdays from 10 a.m. for 1-2 hours and rotate through the following 4 topics:

  1. Uplifting Presentations: Practice your presentation in a small group with feedback and expert coaching to help you become a clearer, more engaging, and inspiring speaker 
  2. Wellbeing for Female Leaders: Discover what works for you physically, mentally, and emotionally, so that you have more time and energy to do brilliant work and be a positive influence on those around you 
  3. Confident Communication: Practice meeting scenarios or conversations that may have been a struggle in the past, so that you have the mindset and skills to be authentically assertive.  
  4. Clarity and Focus: Whether you’re questioning what to do in the coming years or simply want to overcome your current overwhelm and distraction, this is your opportunity to explore new perspectives and possibilities in a small group.

You can choose to join all sessions or to focus on what’s most important for you (we can clarify this during your initial deep-dive assessment).

Current schedule

⭐️ May 11 - Uplifting Presentations

⭐️ May 25 - Wellbeing for Female Leaders

⭐️ Jun 8 Confident Communication

⭐️ Jun 22Clarity and Focus

⭐️ Jul 13Uplifting Presentations

⭐️ Jul 27Wellbeing for Female Leaders

⭐️ Aug 10Confident Communication

⭐️ Aug 24Clarity and Focus

⭐️ Sep 14Uplifting Presentations

⭐️ Sep 28Wellbeing for Female Leaders

⭐️ Oct onward - tbc

 

Who am I to bring this program to you?


Hellooooooo, I'm Helen Iwata - the Less Effort More Impact Coach. I'm an award-winning, bilingual Brit with a 3-decade career in Japan.

My passion to help women in business comes from the struggles I’ve seen in my colleagues and clients - as well as my own hardships…

Like the time I’d caught yet another bug from my daughter in daycare, didn’t think I could take time off work because we were so busy and understaffed, and was ultimately rushed to hospital in an ambulance with breathing difficulties.

Then I HAD to take time off work.

Even after recovering, it took me a looooooong time to stop overdoing.

When I finally discovered and embraced the Sasuga! Success Cycle and the techniques I teach in this program, AT LAST I learned how to excel in my work without feeling exhausted.

My career as a coach started at McKinsey & Company in Japan, and I've trained and coached thousands of corporate clients as well as business professionals in the Tokyo University Executive Management Program and Waseda Business School.

I'm the author of the book Eigo no Shigoto-jutsu (英語の仕事術), published by Shogakukan, and a Nikkei Woman Smart columnist.

I've been a guest speaker at numerous events, including TEDx Roppongi, Nikkei's Woman Expo, Google's Womenwill, Women in ETFs and FEW (For Empowering Women) Tokyo.

Who am I to bring this program to you?

I'm Helen Iwata 

My passion to help women in business comes from the struggles I’ve seen in my colleagues and clients - as well as my own hardships…

Like the time I’d caught yet another bug from my daughter in daycare, didn’t think I could take time off work because we were so busy and understaffed, and was ultimately rushed to hospital in an ambulance with breathing difficulties.

Then I HAD to take time off work.

Even after recovering, it took me a looooooong time to finally stop overdoing.

When I finally discovered and embraced the Sasuga! Success Cycle, AT LAST I learned how to excel in my work without feeling exhausted.

My career as an award-winning coach started at McKinsey & Company in Japan, and I've trained and coached thousands of corporate clients as well as business professionals in the Tokyo University Executive Management Program and Waseda Business School.

I'm the author of the book Eigo no Shigoto-jutsu (英語の仕事術), published by Shogakukan, and a Nikkei Woman Smart columnist.

I've been a guest speaker at numerous events, including TEDx Roppongi, Nikkei's Woman Expo, Google's Womenwill, and FEW (For Empowering Women) Tokyo.

Timing

WiSE is like a hop-on, hop-off bus. You can join any time we still have seats on the bus for 6 months. From April 2024, we have 10 seats maximum and some are already occupied.

The 6-month duration makes participating more manageable for women with demanding schedules because you'll be learning and implementing gradually and consistently. 

What’s the investment?

Naturally, you want to be sure that you’re making a wise decision when investing in your personal and professional development.

You want a significant return on your investment of money (and time).

You want noticeable and meaningful changes.

So, to recap, with the upcoming Women’s Success Essentials program, you’ll receive

🎁 12 Mindset and Professional Skill Modules (English and Japanese)

🎁 12 Live Online Practicals 

🎁 3 Private Coaching Calls with Helen or a Sasuga! Expert Coach

🎁 Personal SOS audio/text chat with Helen (LINE, WhatsApp, or Voxer)

🎁 Speak Like An Expert Online self-study course

🎁 Complimentary membership in The #LessEffortMoreImpact Movement for Women in Business 

🎁 Exclusive WiSE Lunch Invitation(s) to meet other participants and graduates in person

And you’ll belong to a growing group of inspiring and supportive women from various professional backgrounds in Japan.

What is this one-of-a-kind experience - rich in expert knowledge, personal coaching, care, followup, and fun (!) - worth to you?

And, more importantly, what’s the value of the transformation that WiSE can bring to you, your work and your personal life?

The investment to participate in Women's Success Essentials (WiSE) is

690,000 yen, excluding tax

(payable in full or in 5 monthly installments 139,000 yen, excluding tax)

But you may have concerns like these…

What’s the cost of NOT doing something different?

 

Stepping into a program like this might seem a bit scary.

That’s normal because your Reptilian Brain (the oldest part of your brain, which focuses on your survival) wants to keep you safe from the unknown.

But have you fully considered what it’s costing you to keep doing what you’re doing now?

What will your time, energy, confidence, relationships, health, and happiness look like 6 months from now if you do nothing different?

What are you going to choose?

Next steps

Are you ready to give yourself the opportunity for more time, energy, and joy in your work and life?

Then here are your next two steps:

  1. Book your clarity call - a complimentary 30-minute call with me on Zoom
     
  2. Make your decision (I’ll let you know gently and honestly if you’re a good fit for WiSE)

As the poet Mary Oliver wrote,

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Let’s find out, shall we?

Book a clarity call