Aspacia Andonovski, who graduated from EDHEC in 2000, is proud to announce the creation of her company AS-CO (www.as-co.fr) including a school for professional certified training in coaching and management: www.aschool.fr. She offers training courses developed to reflect her 3 fundamental values: transmission, progress and effectiveness. Learn more about her background and the development of the company in the interview below:

Can you tell us briefly how your company came about?

AS-CO emerged from a close relationship, a bond and the coming together of different generations and experiences in a mindset of efficiency, coherence and good humour!

AS-CO has a twofold offer:

- support for the development of companies through coaching and training;

- certified training in coaching and management.

We work with the market for coaching, which has become quite vague with the word “coach” often used for just about anything. Many coaching schools have been set up out of opportunism, often without certification from recognised bodies. We believe we can provide a different approach, offering all that is good about solid, pragmatic education.

Here’s our dynamic trio!

Françoise = on-the-ground experience! She’s been involved with the ICF in France and Belgium since it was first set up, and in 2006 she co-founded an ICF-accredited coaching school. She really understands the market, what its needs are and how it’s evolving. With more than 25 years’ experience, she has an extensive understanding of the world of coaching since it first developed in Europe.

Matthieu = AS-CO version 3.0. He’s been a developer for more than 15 years and his digital expertise allows us to get things done quickly in a way that matches the digital world of today and of the future!

Me = energy. In the world of communications and driving change, I represent the current and upcoming generation of managers. I use my in-house experience to adopt a direct and tangible approach.

A combination of these three forces together with the market realities strengthen our capacity to provide satisfactory solutions to the needs of companies and their staff. Our slogan is: Free your potential!

What is your initial assessment of this entrepreneurial adventure?

We founded AS-CO in March 2015, and what I can say at this stage is that after 12 years working in other companies (supermarkets followed by a communication consultancy agency), this is a wonderful adventure. I am constantly evolving and discovering new things. And with a whole lot of enthusiasm!

Our first year of business was all about opportunities, because we already had the expertise and the capacity to work with our clients.

The only thing recent about AS-CO is its formal existence, as we already had experience and knowledge of the business and sector!

Have you ever benefited from the network of EDHEC graduates?

Yes, absolutely! I have kept in touch with a lot of my classmates and over the last year I have been participating in EDHEC club events (Edhec'Elles, RH and Entreprendre among others). We also looked to the EDHEC incubator for help during this early phase of business development. We are participating in the Business Innovation Project for students majoring in entrepreneurship, and we presented a talk during one of the Careers breakfasts.

Simply appearing in the newsletter is a way for us to benefit from the EDHEC network. I believe in the network and am myself an EDHEC Resource.

What advice do you have for new entrepreneurs?

- Above all else, be motivated and convinced by your own project (business sector, what it represents, future prospects, etc.).

- If you have associates, prepare for the relationship as if you were preparing for a marriage, and ask the right questions ;-)

- Ask those around you about their different experiences in entrepreneurship in order to form your own opinion (including when it comes to choosing your key partners – lawyer, accountant and bank among others).

- I would also say be DARING! Dare to take the leap, dare to trust yourself, dare to take the time you need, be daring because there are no mistakes, only feedback!

What’s next for your company?

First of all, we want to finalise this second phase, which is all about structuring and developing the business.

We have developed a real commercial strategy, in particular with the launch of two certified training options: for professional coaches and HR skills development support for managers.

The next phase will be to transfer all that training material into digital format, in particular with a view to developing remote training.

What are your expectations from the community of EDHEC graduates? 

My main expectation is to gain publicity! I’d like to get in touch with anyone interested personally or for their staff or company!

Our business is based on human relationships, so our strongest weapon of prospection is us!

And we are convinced that the network of graduates is a tremendous opportunity to make ourselves known.

So don’t hang about, be among the first to register for our training courses!

Whether for individual or team coaching, team-building seminars or tailored training courses, get in touch and together we will find a solution that meets your needs.

Email: aspacia@as-co.fr Tel: 0671095022

Francoise@as-co.fr Tel: 0637998344 

Website: http://as-co.fr/ / www.aschool.fr