Italian born Monica Perna, from the province of Monza and Brianza, is an English coach, mentor and digital entrepreneur who built her academic career as an interpreter and translator. Director of The English Academy since 2018, and founder of the online Masterclass Impara l’Inglese con Monica, she is also creator of the “AUGE Method”, a new method of teaching English based on an experiential, interactive and immersive system with high technological and strategic impact. Among the first professional trainers in Italy to transition from the traditional to the virtual classroom, Monica is the only Italian admitted to the prestigious Platinum Mastermind of Dan Kennedy held in Atlanta, Georgia. Her professional path, begun when she founded her academy in Milan in 2012, led her to Dubai in 2019 where she grew as an entrepreneur in the highly competitive context of the United Arab Emirates. As a sign of gratitude, Monica dedicated her participation as a volunteer at Expo 2020 to the city of Dubai.
Why did you want to start AUGE International Consulting Company?
I founded Auge International Consulting, my education and advanced professional training company, after years of study that led me to the creation of an innovative learning system. I was eager to introduce my “Method” through an organizational and productive system that could offer e-learning instruction that was experiential, immersive and interactive. It had to be effective enough to meet the challenges that the Metaverse poses to any company that wants to operate in the present and future. Online teaching also allows me to reach a wide range of people. In fact, today more than 800,000 students from all over the world have participated in my free seminars, thanks to the possibilities offered by e-learning, which captured my interest back in 2018, well before the pandemic.
Tell us about AUGE International Consulting Company, what makes it so unique?
AUGE International Consulting is a young, dynamic and future-oriented company that I developed with my co-founder Francesco Iannello, to respond simply and effectively to the learning and training needs of those who need to combine education and growth with the dynamics of modern life. This venture gave me the opportunity to carry out projects that I had started in Italy; in the business context of Dubai, I could develop them fully. In this environment in continuous movement, the cradle of a futuristic conception of university education worldwide, entrepreneurs are challenged every day to grow and improve … and they have every tool to do so. The uniqueness of AUGE International Consulting is its mix of innovation, modernity and openness to the future. That’s why I named the company after my method of teaching English. AUGE stands for “Achieve Unbelievable Goals through Experiential learning”. In addition, the company, to facilitate broader access to education for all and to prepare for the future evolution of the world economy, accepts transactions in cryptocurrency, which are simpler, safer and involve no additional fees.
How has the business grown to be where it is now? What has contributed to your success?
AUGE International Consulting has grown from the ground up as a company in step with the most innovative technological advances in the Metaverse. With 30 employees from all over the world, 80% of whom are women, AUGE adopts high technological standards, continuous updating of tools and digital innovation to make users’ learning experiences more dynamic and productive. One of the strengths of the company is our focus on customer service, along with the high degree of specialization and innovation of the services we offer. Indeed, my learning programs now reach more than 800 thousand students worldwide. I must say that working and living in the UAE is very inspiring. The philosophy of the leaders who guide the city of Dubai, above all, Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emir of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, is 100% aligned with our method of teaching and working: “Excellence is a habit, a style. It is love for being number one in everything. It is a journey filled with learning, perseverance and patience. The pleasure of excellence has a special taste that is only known to those who have tried it”.
What are you most proud of as an entrepreneur?
I’m most proud of being able to change people’s lives every day. Learning English is not just about skills, it is about transformation, overcoming your limits, and proving to yourself that you can do it! It means recharging your memory, embracing a new mindset and lifestyle that makes learning English a pleasant habit. Being a mentor & English coach, being able to daily inspire those who put their trust in me implies great responsibility, but also great privilege! Italians to start with, but really, any student in the world who wants to learn this essential language now has the most powerful tools at their fingertips, whenever they want, to achieve their goal of learning and having fun at the same time. This is possible thanks to interactive whiteboards, immersive experiences, mentorship and coaching sessions, native speakers always ready to talk online, virtual study trips and much more.
I spent more than 3 years searching for the right theoretical framework on which to base an effective and long-lasting English teaching program. After years of experience in the field, I found the right answer upon my arrival in Dubai. I came to the conclusion that by activating specific mechanisms linked to experience and emotion, the human mind can store more information, retain it more effectively and use it more easily. This concept, inspired by Dale’s Cone theories and the principle of Learning by Doing, enabled me to create an innovative program where I also reassessed the role of “Translation” as a fundamental skill for learning and to identify Globish as the global English actually spoken today by the international community.
What are the company’s plans in the next 5 years?
My company’s mission is to help people to grow and learn to their best advantage by using the most effective tools so that learning is truly effective and achievable for everyone. AUGE International Consulting aims to improve and simplify access to knowledge for all, thus making it truly inclusive, democratic and functional.
With this mindset, within the futuristic environment of Dubai, I worked hard to bring my company into the Metaverse by 2021, aiming at the internationalization of some of our programs that will be offered very soon, first in Europe and then in Asia. To accomplish this, AUGE International Consulting welcomed a team of collaborators who have had the opportunity to change their lives, growing personally and professionally in a young, multicultural and challenging company context where ” work” means “never stop learning”.
What has been the worst moment of your career so far?
I went through a rough patch in 2017 when, having purchased my dream home in Milan, I began renovating it by relying on a contractor who then vanished, taking my life savings with him. Those were days of suffering and anger that I overcame by taking on new projects and pursuing new goals. As I have always done in times of difficulty, I immersed myself in study. I started studying funnels and tools to start and manage an online business and shift to 100% e-learning. From the ashes of that painful time in 2018, Impara l’Inglese con Monica was created, the project that changed my life. I was among the first trainers in Italy to make the transition from the traditional classroom to the virtual one. But the worst moment for me was the loss of my mother, senselessly taken from me by lung cancer at only 58 years old. Inspired by her guidance, I created paths that completely changed the fate of my academy and my company, including English for Life and Fluency Formula; I brought 15 native English Coaches trained in the AUGE Method into the team. I have dedicated these projects to my mother by allocating a part of the profits to the Italian Foundation IEO Monzino to support research for cancer treatment.
When I share my story, I try to get across to my students that English and my Academy turned out to be my lifeline – a project that wasn’t merely limited to an idea, but was intended to put into practice to do some good. I feel that this is the only thing a person can do when life holds very difficult moments in store for you. The only answer to pain is to use it to help others.
How do you stay relevant and current and where do you get your inspirations from?
My main source of inspiration is the place where I live. Dubai was a pile of sand until 50 years ago; today the city holds more than 220 world records. Dubai’s vision is very clear: “Imagine, design and execute it: impossible is possible!”
When you live in Dubai, you have two choices: embrace the spirit and philosophy of the city and run with it, or stand back, floundering, and watching the rest of the runners pass you by. AUGE International Consulting has always known what to do – run! Running towards continuous improvement, the ongoing drive for excellence and the will to challenge our own limits every day in order to set new ones. After all, here they say, “Many think that sky is the limit for ambition. We say that the sky is only the beginning!”
What has been your key (or keys) to success?
The keys to my success are many.
Mindset: I had to do a lot of work on myself. It is said that to achieve different results, you have to evolve into someone new. I’ve had to grow in terms of mindset, even accepting the distancing of people who didn’t like the new version of me, motivated, but above all focused on the goals I had set to achieve.
Discipline: that ability to keep going in the right direction because inside you know it’s true.
Abiding passion for my work: when you create something of your own, the dividing line between you as an entrepreneur and you as a person disappears. Your company is your creature which, like a plant, with daily care and love, you make sure it has water and light.
Courage: I’ve never been afraid to take the plunge. I grew up as an adopted child in a family from Brianza. Seeing my dad go to work at 4 a.m. and return at 9 p.m. has always been normal for me, as has supporting my mother who has always tried her hand at various activities, making many sacrifices. This has made me the person I am today. I’m not afraid to throw myself into something I don’t know how to do; I’m not afraid to study or work even 20 hours a day if I have to. The fact that I can count on myself makes me feel safe. After all, if you’re not the first to believe in yourself, who ever will?
What steps do you take when you want to get through a less-than-good business day?
I do something! If I feel stranded and stuck, I exercise. After all, “as your body moves your brain grooves.” This is a philosophy that I not only profess to my students, but personally embrace daily.
When I feel confused and don’t know what to do, I read instead. There is a world of people out there who have probably already faced similar situations to mine from whom to take inspiration.
Generally, however, I have a routine that takes care of my body and especially my brain: I always go to bed and get up at the same time, even on weekends; I limit the use of social media to work activities and, most importantly, I surround myself with people from whom I draw inspiration, teaching, learning, and see as role models to improve my skills.
When I have a bad day, this enables me to access the tools and the mindset to help me react. After all, it’s all about how you choose to react to events, rather than just endure them!
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
Join the discussion!