Success stories

New entrepreneur:
Lan Vuga (Slovenia)
Age: 36
www.lanvuga.com (Start-up)
Sector of activity: Legal, fiscal and other consultancy services

Host entrepreneur:
Marta Bethencourt (Ireland)

Company website (10 years of experience)
Sector of activity: Health, beauty and social services

My name is Lan Vuga, and I participated in the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme. I am working to build a group coaching practice that will eventually expand into a global platform dedicated to improving the well-being of people in Europe and around the world. I launched my coaching business in September 2024, initially as a personal practice supporting a small number of individual clients. Now, I want to build on that foundation by bringing in additional coaches and mentors so we can create a greater, collective impact on a global scale. I have years of experience in marketing and business development, beginning with organising workshops for business owners and later developing into a digital marketing expert. I want to use the skills and knowledge I’ve gained to help people across Europe and beyond live better, more fulfilling lives by empowering them to make the changes they seek.

My goal for the exchange was to gain insight into how a psychology group practice operates - how professionals interact with clients, the challenges they face, and how the business is managed. I was able to observe how my HE ran her practice, made hiring decisions, formed partnerships, and solved day-to-day operational issues. I joined team meetings, which gave me invaluable insight into both individual client work and team dynamics. She allowed me to learn by observing her leadership and supported my growth as a coach by sharing valuable psychological resources. I also learned how her group practice is structured from both an organisational and financial perspective, which was extremely valuable as I envision creating a similar setup myself. This exchange helped solidify my vision and made it far more concrete. Together, my HE and I worked on improving her business’s marketing processes, with a particular focus on social media and content creation.  

During the exchange, I gained valuable insight into how a psychology group practice operates - organisationally, financially, and in terms of team dynamics. Observing my HE’s leadership, decision-making, and daily operations helped solidify my own vision for building a group coaching practice. Together, we improved her marketing processes by creating new content, establishing a social media schedule, and implementing strategies that quickly attracted a new client. The experience gave me clarity, confirmation that I am on the right track, and answers to key professional questions. It also expanded my network through eight new partnerships with psychologists and therapists from two countries. Overall, the exchange accelerated my progress and enabled me to develop a clear, actionable business model for my future group coaching practice.

For more information, please contact the local contact points involved in the exchange:

New entrepreneur's contact point:
University of Primorska (Koper, Slovenia)

Host entrepreneur's contact point:
HelpingNetworks (Dublin, Ireland)

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