S2 Episode 12. BYOB with Andrew Ford - Iyari Cevallos

Written By Andrew Ford

In this episode of Build Your Own Business (BYOB), Andrew Ford sits down with Iyari Cevallos, the Co-Founder of Nucleo Group, to explore her remarkable journey from receptionist to entrepreneur. Iyari’s story is one of adaptability, determination, and innovation, as she navigated a dynamic career path while raising six children and building a consultancy that transforms organisations through leadership development and cultural alignment.

Nucleo Group specialises in helping leadership teams galvanise their efforts and align their strategies with organisational goals. Iyari explains how her business focuses on addressing challenges at the highest levels of organisations, often working with C-suite executives and boards. What sets Nucleo Group apart is its commitment to creating lasting change—not just through leadership workshops but by following up with ongoing coaching and support.

Throughout the episode, Iyari shares how her multicultural upbringing between Mexico and Australia has influenced her personal brand and professional approach. She also discusses the significance of her name, its roots in the indigenous Huichol language, and how her heritage inspired the branding of Nucleo Group. For Iyari, staying connected to her cultural identity is a way to honour her past while building a meaningful future.

The conversation also highlights the challenges of building a business with her life partner. Iyari shares how she and her partner have managed to create a balance between their professional and personal lives by embracing clear communication, shared responsibilities, and a mutual commitment to their vision.

A key theme in this episode is how Iyari balances her career ambitions with her family life. As a mother of six, she talks about the importance of planning, focus, and letting go of guilt. For her, being present in each moment—whether it’s work or family time—is critical to achieving harmony. She credits her ability to prioritise and maintain a "whole of life" perspective as essential to her success, both personally and professionally.

Iyari’s advice on maintaining balance is particularly impactful: “Get really clear about what’s important to you, so that you can protect what matters and flex on what doesn’t.” This philosophy underpins her ability to successfully navigate the complexities of a thriving career and a large family, making her journey relatable and inspiring for listeners.

Finally, Iyari gives listeners a sneak peek into her upcoming podcast, Empower Tech. This new venture aims to demystify the role of technology in our personal and professional lives. Through insightful conversations with diverse guests, the podcast will explore topics such as responsible AI use, technology’s impact on children, and the importance of inclusivity in tech development. Iyari’s goal is to empower her audience with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the fast-evolving tech landscape.

This episode is packed with actionable insights and inspiration for anyone looking to balance a fulfilling career with their personal priorities. Whether you’re a business leader, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply someone interested in creating meaningful change, Iyari’s story will resonate deeply.

LinkedIn 

Nucleo Group Website

Iyari’s Website

Andrew Ford
Marketing expert Andrew Ford, the founder of Social Star, has discovered the secret of ‘Powerful Branding’. With a fire for unleashing people’s inner brand and developing business models to generate profit from an individual’s passions, Andrew leverages ground-breaking digital and social media marketing techniques to create digital strategies for clients to attract maximum opportunities. Having established a strong name for himself in the field, Andrew blends traditional business techniques with now-necessary tools for entrepreneurs to achieve scale, quality, and influence in their niche. Andrew’s comprehensive business background and qualifications consist of a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) (RMIT 2003), a Graduate Certificate in Management (MBA Executive Program, University of Sydney 2005), and a Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Swinburne University 2011). Continually on the cutting edge of his own education, Andrew has tested his marketing theories in forums such as the BCG Business Strategy Competition, which he won in 2005 against all Victorian MBA schools, and the Venture Cup Business Plan Competition (Swinburne University 2003), which he won in the Masters category. With experience working at Hewlett-Packard, Sensis (Telstra) and IBM, Andrew also has mentored dozens of junior staffs to help them achieve their professional goals. Meeting and influencing high-profile public figures helped Andrew to realise just how many professionals require more understanding and control of their public brands or appearance, and need help with the skills to use the many amazing free tools at their disposal to generate success. At Social Star, Andrew consults with clients to uncover their personal brand – both where it is today and where it can be tomorrow – and refine and define how that should be displayed in social media in order to attract their perfect target audience. Andrew mentors his clients to rapidly grow their business’ audiences, resulting in larger potential client bases and higher revenue. Applying formulas that integrate over twenty years of Andrew’s business experience and fifteen years of formal business education, Social Star specialises in building clarity and velocity for clients’ brands using the ‘Understand, Build and Leverage’ methodology. ‘Having a Personal Business enables people to have an authentic, congruent connection with their valued clients and partners, using their brand as the bridge,’ says Andrew. ‘I’m highly driven to work with the new breed of entrepreneurs and small business owners – people who have a passion for making the world a better place. Traditional business models are stepping aside as people follow their innermost dreams and my role is to see them operate within their values while creating wealth. Some people think you have to sacrifice what you love to be successful in your business, yet it is actually the opposite. Follow your passion and success will come.’ Lecturing at Swinburne University from 2009 to 2011 on brand dynamics and digital marketing, presenting at numerous conferences, and consulting to hundreds of clients, Andrew has seen his philosophy work that if you follow your unique path, based on your skills, experience, values and goals, you will automatically attract the opportunities you desire and achieve the success you deserve. Living his mantra, Andrew has created a successful business and attracts high-profile clients including musicians, athletes, authors, models, entrepreneurs, professionals and small business owners, helping them find their ‘why’ in their business and fulfilment in their lives. Business for Andrew is more than work, it’s personal. Running a personal business means that he is able to fulfil all of his values rather than separating his life from work. It supports his two boys while providing social opportunities, educational development, fitness opportunities, spiritual fulfilment and many valuable friendships. Social Star has now become the vehicle for Andrew to crystallise his mission in the world, to help people love what they do, supporting his ‘why’, that if more people loved what they did, the world would be a better place.
http://www.andrewford.com.au/
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S2 Episode 11. BYOB with Andrew Ford - Chris Ashmore