In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the key to success lies not just in strategic decisions but in the profound impact of personal growth and human-centric leadership. At the forefront of this transformation is Maggie Sarfo, CEO of Meres Consult. As a global leader in business and personal growth consulting, Meres Consult empowers business leaders and individuals to navigate complexities and achieve unparalleled growth. “Our personal and human-centred touch is what makes us unique,” says Sarfo. “At Meres, we deeply care about what we do and the impact we create with our clients and people we serve. We truly believe that together, we can embark on a transformation journey.” In this exclusive Mystic Mag‘s interview, we delve into Maggie Sarfo’s vision, the unique methodologies of Meres Consult, and the remarkable success stories that highlight their commitment to fostering transformational growth in businesses and individuals worldwide.
Your approach at Meres Consult is both personal and human-centered. Can you elaborate on how this philosophy influences your consulting strategies and client interactions?
I think we can’t really separate the person from the work environment. My approach is all about looking at the person and aligning them with who they really are at their core, which I call the personal blueprint. Once you align a person with their true self, it becomes easier for them to align with other aspects of their lives, whether it’s being a business leader, a business owner, a parent, or any other roles they play. The human-centeredness of my work involves having frameworks in place that allow us to consider the human aspect in addition to everything else we’re talking about, be it business, products, or services.
At the end of the day, it’s the human connections within business that drive results. It’s about being able to connect with a person and ask deep questions, such as why they want to do business with you, and really listen to their answers. While it may be about the business services or products you’re offering, there’s often a deeper personal connection that drives their decision. This deeper connection can lead to longer-lasting client relationships and more business opportunities.
It’s essential to be open to understanding their challenges and, if you can solve those problems, communicate that clearly. If you can’t, be authentic and refer them to someone who can help. This approach builds trust and long-term relationships.
I have developed concepts like human-centered selling blueprints, human-centered leadership, and human-centered growth, all of which revolve around connecting with our true selves and the person in front of us. This deeper connection ultimately leads to better businesses and results for everyone involved.
What inspired you to pursue a career in business and personal growth consulting, and how has your journey shaped the unique services Meres Consult offers?
It’s been an interesting journey because I didn’t see myself being where I am right now. However, I always knew that I would end up doing something related to people development. I started by learning French and English as my first degree in university, thinking I would work for the UN and use my language skills. My first role was in a university library, working in HR, focusing on people development. They offered me an opportunity to pursue a Masters degree in public administration, but I found myself more fascinated about why some businesses grow significantly while others don’t. This interest led me to pursue an MBA and become a business consultant.
My focus was on growth: why some businesses thrive and others do not. Instead of just business consulting, I delved into growth advisory, engaging with business leaders and owners, both small and large, across various industries and continents. My advice seemed to resonate with them, and when applied, it often led to positive outcomes. For instance, a current client has grown her business from a £70K annual turnover to £340K over the last couple of years, and we are working towards a turnover of half a million within the next five years. She plans to exit the business by then, so we are planning for that transition as well. This includes leadership succession planning.
I spent about 15 years in the small business and corporate world, focusing on consulting, advisory, sales/marketing and growth. In 2016, I decided to start my own venture, initially intending to continue advising business leaders and owners on growth. However, my clients saw something more in me; they wanted me to focus on personal development and growth. At that time, I was exploring purposeful leadership, connecting with individuals on a deeper level. Consequently, my business evolved into a business and personal growth consulting firm.
Around that same time, I woke up one morning with the word “Akasha” ringing loudly in my ears, leading me to discover the Akashic Records. Some of my clients seek answers to deep questions about who they truly are, their purpose, and their evolving goals. I integrate all these elements to provide a holistic approach, aiming to create more success in everything we do.
What type of services do you offer?
Normally, I make it simple by saying if it’s related to growth, I’m happy to have a conversation to see if we’re a good fit to work together. When I say growth, I mean both business and personal growth. I offer business growth advisory and mentoring services, helping you advance from one level of your business to the next, especially in terms of revenue, turnover, commercial growth, and profitability.
When I talk about profitability, I am also very passionate about impact. I believe we can make a lot of profit in business while still creating impact, as it adds more meaning to our lives and that of others.
For personal growth, it involves people asking deep questions about who they are. Sometimes, you encounter very successful individuals who, despite having good businesses, careers, families, and loved ones, feel there is another level they need to reach. The personal growth work provides them with the key to connect with themselves so they can move to the next level. This includes purpose development work.
Finally, there are the Akashic Records. The Akashic Records contain information about us at a soul (transpersonal) level, from the time we come into being until the time we no longer exist. This is deep-level work that can provide information about anything in existence. People can come for an Akashic Records consultation for their business or personal life, helping them resolve personal issues, relationship issues, and repeated patterns that prevent them from becoming their best selves. This ultimately helps them become happier.
So, the services I offer are business growth, personal growth and purpose development, and Akashic Records consultations.
In your experience, what are the common challenges business leaders face when making transformational decisions, and how do you help them overcome these obstacles?
I think the biggest challenge is being able to combine both the mind and the heart in making decisions. It’s increasingly important to master this ability. I speak a lot about emotional intelligence and how it is a crucial skill, not just for life and at home, but also in leadership. Emotional intelligence involves reading between the lines of what’s happening and making more responsible or conscious decisions that combine both the heart and the mind.
When we make decisions solely with the mind, they can often only support us and our business, neglecting the people we employ, our clients, our suppliers, and the community around us. One of the biggest challenges is helping more leaders make decisions that incorporate both the heart and the mind. The heart is also a thinking organ, just like the brain, and we are learning to use it more effectively. The great thing is that leaders who master both grow their businesses even more exponentially. There’s a way of measuring and showing these results.
How do you balance the needs of individual clients with the overarching goals of the organizations you work with, ensuring both personal and business growth?
So, let’s talk about someone who has personal needs but is also a business leader and seeks business consulting. He wants to grow in both directions.
Of course, business consulting typically generates more revenue than personal consulting, but both are important. When someone comes to me, I have a conversation with them to understand where they are in their personal life, business, leadership, or professional life. Then, we map out a plan, which I call the engagement plan. This plan is holistic and comprehensive, considering both their personal and business needs. As long as they are happy with the plan, we proceed.
We have a program that covers the various areas we’ve agreed to work on to achieve the desired results. Some clients come to me solely for personal work, and we focus on that. Others come specifically for business issues. Interestingly, even if they initially come for business challenges, halfway through, they often express interest in personal development as well.
For example, they might say, “You mentioned purpose before; maybe we can explore that in the next session.” Once we do, they often undergo a significant shift, and their decisions start coming from a more connected place. This helps us create a better personal blueprint for them and also a better business blueprint.
So, in summary, sometimes we work on both personal and business growth, and other times, we focus on just one. My motto is always to meet everyone at their point of need.
To learn more about Maggie’s work, visit maggiesarfo.com/
