We recently chatted with the founders behind digital life coaching company Prosper, Krystyn Harrison (Founder and CEO) & Beckie Thain-Blonk (Co-Founder & Chief Customer Officer), about their easy to use service. Looking to improve your work skills? Try these digital courses and 1 to 1 coaching experiences.
What is your business called and what does it do?
Prosper is a digital coaching service that allows members to enhance specific areas of their professional life and exercise soft skills with the help of Prosper-certified coaches. The app guides members through their career queries and worries with training content, practice tools, and 1:1 chat-based coaching.
What made you want to do this work?
We started Prosper because too many of us wake up anxious about work. Burnout culture is a hot topic and we wanted to build a community that can help people feel better at work and find their sweet spot.
The team at Prosper believes that everyone should have access to the tools they need to be successful, and our best-in-class coaches are committed to helping members hit their goals.
What problem does this solve?
Though hard skills are in demand, soft skills are proving to be a powerful differentiating factor that may not always be addressed during traditional career development. We recently conducted a study and found that 1 in 3 Canadians don’t feel that their current job helps them develop and grow their skills, so we knew that Canadians needed something to help them level-up in their careers.
A gap in these soft skills can contribute to a lack of confidence within the workplace and create a roadblock for success. Prosper’s personalized coaching helps members set goals and accomplish them so that they can take ownership over their skill development.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Prosper’s coaching is a tool for any member of the modern workforce. Whether it’s a recent grad looking for guidance to land their first job, someone navigating the world of entrepreneurship and starting a new business or someone looking to grow their leadership skills and step up within their current role, Prosper has a coach to suit any situation. Members are encouraged to try out a coach to find the right fit for them.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
Prosper makes money through coaching sessions, which members can book through the app. Each half-hour session is competitively priced at $63 CAD, without monthly membership fees. Follow up sessions can be booked as needed, without a long-term commitment and the platform offers packages of multiple sessions for those looking for an on-going coaching relationship.
Where in Toronto can we find your profession?
Prosper is free to download and can be found in the App Store and Google Play.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services?
In surveying Canadians, we found that 51% of Canadians would access career coaching if it was more easily accessible. With the average cost of a session costing approximately $150, pricing is a huge factor that professionals should be looking into. With our mobile platform, Prosper is easy to access anywhere at an affordable price, helping people take strides and not only set career goals, but crush them.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best part of working on Prosper is being able to help others succeed and find their passion. It really is win win for us to be able to build this community and watch members excel.
As cliche as it sounds, there isn’t a downside. We love our job!
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another Toronto business that you love?
One Toronto business we really admire is the FinTech start up, Koho. Our friends over at Koho are reimagining the financial landscape by eliminating fees. They are a consumer-first brand, empowering their communities and building their product around feedback. With a mission to “Restore Balance” to Canadians, they are providing them with the tools to save and design for the future.
