You do not have to spend much time in the company of Nadine Dumas to realise why she has been so successful in business. She exudes confidence and has a strong sense of self.
But don’t take our word for it – a simple search in Google reveals a female entrepreneur featured in Forbes, LA Weekly and Shape magazines – to name just a few – who changed careers mid-stream to become a health coach and nutrition expert with clients worldwide.
Q: Why did you initially choose to become an accountant?
A: Interesting story, actually. When I was 16 years old, I was sitting in my computer class in high school and my teacher overheard me say to a classmate that I wanted to be an accountant. Later that day she came up to me and asked if I had an interest in working for her daughter, who had recently opened her own firm. The deal was that I would work for her daughter every morning in exchange for computers and law class, which she taught me. I received grades for the classes, went to school part-time, got work experience credits and graduated early. I guess to answer your question, I just happened to be in the right place and said the right thing at the right time!
Q: What brought you to the Cayman Islands?
A: When I was 24 years old, I was still working back home in Canada as an accountant and told my boss at the time that I just needed a change of scenery. He had mentioned to me that he knew someone that used to work in the Cayman Islands and if I was interested, he would reach out to them and ask how the process worked. Within 6 months I had a job, packed my bags, and moved to Cayman without knowing a soul. Like most people, I figured I would give it 6 months and then move back to Canada. Seventeen years later, here we are.
Q: What first interested you in the world of fitness and wellness?
A: Health and wellness really didn’t become a part of my life until my early 20s. It wasn’t until I came to Cayman that it became an integral part of my [routine]. When I moved here, I joined a gym, which was incredibly intimidating, but I figured it would be a good way to meet people. Within a few months of going, I started to notice there were a lot of people looking like they were getting ready for some sort of fitness event… they told me it was a bodybuilding show and that I should go and watch. So, I did, and the rest is history.
Q: Was it scary going from accountancy to starting your own company? How did you make the transition?
A: As I started to get into health and fitness, I completely immersed myself in the industry. I wanted to learn everything there was about nutrition so I would spend my time outside of work (sometimes while I worked) reading anything and everything I could. I started helping people for free and I could tell that my interest [had] completely moved away from my career as an accountant… that was when I decided to jump in with both feet into health and wellness.
Q: What would be your advice to other women looking to change their profession?
A: I would tell them to give it a lot of thought as to why they are looking for the change and really think it through. When I made my career switch, I was only 27. I had no commitments, no one other than myself to think about, and so the transition was easier for me. I had a passion and I followed it, but I also think that sometimes when our passion becomes our job, we lose the very thing we were passionate about.
Q: Your website is under your name. Would you recommend someone name their company after themselves?
A: Interesting question! I think it completely depends on the nature of your business. For me, I solely run my own business and have a personal connection with each and every one of my clients, so using my name works. It helps with reputation and brand equity when using your name, but if I had a team of people that worked for me or I had created a product (such as my other company, LuxeBody), it would make more sense to use a brand name.
Q: What do you love most about running your business?
A: The fact that I can work from anywhere in the world. I travel often, so having the ability to work and play is a win-win for me.
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