23rd February 2022

Breath – to improve your health, to improve your performance!

After a burnout, Marc Plata undertook a training course in sophrology which, in the end, led him to the world of entrepreneurship two years later. What were his motivations and what path did he take? In this article, he explains to us what pushed him to launch his business. Enjoy reading it!

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Meet Marc

My name is Marc Plata, I am a sophrologist and respiratory therapist trained in respiration physiology and pulmonary rehabilitation with the European Respiratory Society (ERS).

I like being surprised and amazed by what nature and our environment sends us. To be receptive, you have to be in harmony and in agreement with yourself. In contact with your respiration and your emotions!

The idea of creating a business

Following a burnout in 2014, I needed to breathe, to take time for myself. I therefore followed a two-year training course in sophrology on a personal basis.

Then in 2019, I was made redundant. This gave me the space and freedom to embark on my project.

Today, my journey is motivated by giving a meaning to my actions and helping everyone to be healthy.

The stages of business creation

1. Training and developing your skills to ensure expertise and commitment

In 2014, at the time of my burnout, one word came to mind: “RESPIRATION”.

Respiration and sophrology have changed my view of the world around me and WHO I AM. It was a real intuitive journey which led me to this project and to develop the RESPIRE Centre, a therapeutic respiratory centre in Luxembourg.

My training:

Graduate of the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) in respiratory physiology
Graduate of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) in pulmonary rehabilitation, clinical interpretation of spirometry results and therapeutic education.
Graduate of the Institut National de l’Enseignement de la Sophrologie de Paris (INES) as a Sophrologist (RNCP certification) and specialised in sports support and the management of eating and sleep disorders.

The RESPIRE Centre is a meeting place between two universes. That of sophrology and respiration. In this period of Covid, it is especially important to change your behaviour, through the development of respiratory capacities to take a proactive role in improving your health. We support people subject to tiredness, stress, burnout, loss of bearings… but also people suffering from respiratory, heart, obesity problems…

We also support athletes in the development of their respiratory capacities, their mental recovery and preparation. We work at the centre in Strassen, by video and also in people's homes.

Learning to breathe is about giving yourself the means to live in good health, sustainably, developing physical, mental and emotional capacities and taking pleasure in daily life.

Managing your respiration means managing your body (physical effort) and your mind (pain).
Marc Plata

Respiration should be considered as a great way of protecting your health.

2. How to get started

Before being a project, the RESPIRE Centre was an idea. The transition took place gradually. Developing a business cannot be improvised, it is a skill. And to obtain training and get started, you need support.

I had the opportunity to join the Fit4Entrepreunership programme of ADEM (Luxembourg National Employment Agency) through which I developed my skills as an entrepreneur. I benefited from quality support through coaching from Nyuko. This helped me take the right decisions.

What I remember is the opportunity to discuss, speak to experts and listen to their advice in order to make my own decisions.

Being an expert in your field is not sufficient to achieve your project. You also need to know how to “market” it!

An entrepreneur is therefore a “jack of all trades”. I am a real one-man band and currently I have to be able to play all the instruments: administrative, accounting, communication, marketing, etc.

Today, being an entrepreneur gives me the advantage of taking control of my own destiny, discovering myself, building, thinking, sharing, having some wonderful encounters, collaborating, surpassing myself and above all having fun 😉 while enjoying the work.

3. Prospecting, earning loyalty, building your network and developing your image

It is important to take time for prospecting, upstream and continually, to establish good relationships, to create synergies and a strong momentum around the project.

This precious time enabled me to find my premises where I currently work, develop my network with health professionals (doctors, pulmonologists, cardiologists, psychologists, etc.) and promote my image.

4. My success: 1 year of existence.

My greatest success currently is having celebrated my first anniversary in this chaotic period of Covid. I aspire to being able to develop new activities for everyone's well-being and health.

Marc’s advice to future entrepreneurs

Be supported! Don’t stay alone! Take time, don't rush, weigh the pros and cons, question… but always believe in yourself. DARE and always BELIEVE in YOURSELF.

Marc and his bank

I consider my bank to be an associate, an everyday partner, which I can count on financially during the good and, particularly, the not-so-good times.

The aim is to collaborate in order to progress together and develop the business. Together, we are stronger! And my bank must therefore believe in me, the project and its development prospects.

Website

Nyuko has signed a partnership with Spuerkeess, in order to foster entrepreneurial spirit and strengthening the bank's position with company founders from the start of their businesses. More info in our article: https://www.spuerkeess.lu/en/blog/experts-corner/nyuko-fostering-entrepreneurial-spirit/.