Meet Aicila Lewis of BiCurean Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aicila Lewis.

Hi Aicila, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
July 1990, nine months after the fall of the Berlin Wall, I boarded a plane to live for a year as an exchange student in (West) Germany. I’d had to compete with hundreds of other students to win the scholarship that made it possible for me to go.

That first step led to many adventures -which may or may not become a book someday – and to a lot of learning. In addition to learning German, I learned a lot about people in general. And I learned a lot about myself. The loneliness of being a ‘stranger in a strange land’ is deeply educational. I learned to be comfortable with awkward silence and to approach the unknown with curiosity. I learned how vital the kindness of strangers can be when you are struggling to understand even basic things that ‘everyone knows. I learned that I can make chocolate chip cookies anywhere with a lot of substitutions and adjustments.

I founded BiCurean Consulting to bring those awarenesses, refined and tested, to a broader community. Through my podcasts and work with clients, communities, and companies, I seek to build connections and move past either/or to AND. Inclusion isn’t just a buzzword- it’s an opportunity to create better business practices and thriving communities by reaching past the obvious to something new and daring.

As Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
When I first conceived of BiCurean, in 2011, I wanted to create a podcast to demonstrate the ideas and principles I’d been developing. I struggled to develop the skills I needed to build the podcast. And then I developed a medical condition that destroyed my vocal cords. It took a few years to recover my voice and, finally, in 2018 I launched my first podcast- BiCurean. If you listen to those early episodes, you can hear the damage in my voice. I cringe a little when I hear it. And I am also really proud of how far I have come. In Jan of 2022, I launched a second podcast, Business As Unusual, in which I interview entrepreneurs, CEOs, & Founders who are innovating the way we do business.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I founded BiCurean to work with people and companies to create sustainable business models. My tagline is “Get Control of Your Time” because I know the people that need me most are the ones that feel overwhelmed by the constant onslaught of tasks needing their attention. My goal is to provide support, tools, and guidance to small business owners and leaders to maximize their resources and build inclusive cultures.

I’m launching a workshop course to help folks that are curious get a sense of my work and to find one thing they can do to create more breathing room in their life. Folks can email admin@bicurean.com to sign up or learn more about the course.

I also offer free 1/2-hour consults to see if we are a good fit. I’m not for everyone and I have a large network of consultants I work with, so even if I’m not the right fit, I can likely help folks find a good person with whom to work. https://calendly.com/aicila/30min

What matters most to you?
Aside from my dog – because I am that cliche these days – it’s being part of the solution. I have a choice, every day, to either keep on with this idealistic faith in a world that is inclusive and kind – or not. And there are days I get discouraged and disheartened. Life is hard. Everyone has unseen struggles and challenges. And most of them are things no one can actually fix. And I believe we can only affect the big problems by doing those day-to-day things to help those in our communities. If I am remembered by anyone other than my kids, I want it to be for the kindnesses I was able to offer those in my sphere of influence.

Pricing:

• $75 for an hour consult
• Free half-hour initial consult
• $45 for workshop at end of July

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bicurean.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/bicurean
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/bicurean
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCMQpoepnLyZoF8i-l7sykbw/featured
• Other: https://solo.to/aicila 

Image Credits
Photo credit for the two images of me is Peggy Dyer Photography- https://www.peggydyer.com/