Dalida Turkovic was born in the former Yugoslavia. When the war started in the early ’90s, she moved to China and lived there for thirty years. Her career in management training and consulting provided her with rich experience in supporting Fortune 500 companies. She helped them establish effective communication and management practices for the rapid growth of the Chinese market since the ’90s. Dalida understands that change affects physical, mental, and emotional health. This inspired her to explore internal martial arts practices, qigong, and mindfulness. These practices became an integral part of her professional work. In the last decade, she founded and delivered programs at the Beijing Mindfulness Centre. Recently, she started BMC Academy, a mindfulness-based coach training school. Her mission is to train and mentor coaches to build mindful communities. We at CIO Global, are proud to introduce Dalida Turkovic as one of the Business Geek Women Leaders to Watch, 2024.
Dalida enjoys being a pioneer and has embraced this role many times in her career. Being a pioneer in an emerging market requires readiness to educate others and learn from mistakes. Before opening the Beijing Mindfulness Centre (BMC), she ran a small internal martial arts studio. This experience taught her how to combine her practice with work responsibilities. With BMC, she applied lessons from the martial arts community and learned to deal with doubt, criticism, and lack of support. She trusted her vision of helping people manage professional and life pressures through self-awareness and compassion. BMC grew organically in an old Beijing courtyard-style house. It attracted people who wanted to connect with old Beijing culture and lifestyle. After eight years of offering individual and group coaching and various mindfulness-based programs, the community was ready to integrate mindfulness and coaching. Dalida applied this practice in her professional life for twenty years, leading to the creation of BMC Academy. She believes that mindfulness and coaching are the new norms of human connection. She is committed to sharing the knowledge and experience she gathered from thirty years of living in China.
“We are in the moment of crucial shift in how we approach business, life, and connection with self and others. I hope to enable coaches to be leaders and catalysts for mindful living.”
Dalida brings a mindfulness-based trauma-sensitive approach to coaching, which is still new. Many people practice mindfulness but don’t know how to hold space for others to come to awareness on their own. It is different to teach mindfulness and coach using mindfulness principles. As a teacher, the goal is to deliver a curriculum and enable students to grasp mindfulness practice. As a coach, the goal is to partner up with clients, hold space for their contemplation, and coach them on navigating insights and applying them to all areas of personal and professional development.
Dalida thrives when learning and receiving support from her mentors. Deep conversations with friends and peers help her monitor personal doubts and fears, while connection with family provides nourishment and protection. Her daily practice and creative expression are the pillars of her mental and spiritual health. Dalida Turkovic finds inspiration in a quote from Dewitt Jones, a National Geographic photographer: “Mother Nature never stood in front of a forest and said, ‘There is one great photograph hidden here. One photographer will find it, and the rest of you will be hopeless losers.’ No, nature says, ‘How many rolls you got, Dewitt? Bring it on! … I’ll fill it up with beauty and possibility beyond your wildest imaginings, right down to my tiniest seed.’” This quote reminds her to stay grounded and appreciate the endless opportunities available. Being part of mindfulness and coaching communities gives her a sense of support rather than competition. She prefers to see the world through this lens of abundance and collaboration.
“Disrupting a market involves facing setbacks and adversity. Don’t take it personally and keep believing in what you have to offer.”
Dalida had the privilege to organize fundraising expeditions for UK-based charities in China, raising eleven million British pounds through these ventures. Additionally, her efforts helped build a school in rural China and deliver IT education classes, a project undertaken twenty-five years ago. These experiences were profoundly rewarding and taught her about leadership and the power of giving and serving others. Dalida advises aspiring women leaders to identify their strengths and unique skills. She encourages them to connect with what they love and give themselves space to learn from mistakes. Disrupting a market involves facing setbacks and adversity. She stresses the importance of not taking these challenges personally and maintaining belief in what they have to offer.
Dalida envisions a future brimming with hope, where humanity flourishes through the power of mindfulness-based coaching. She believes that integrating mindfulness and coaching into education and parenting can profoundly impact future generations, instilling values of compassion, wisdom, interconnectedness, sustainability, and equanimity. Dalida also sees the potential in leveraging technology and AI to support mindful living, helping us navigate our lives with greater balance and harmony. She is committed to building leadership capacity that can guide us toward a more connected and compassionate world. This year, BMC Academy’s mindfulness-based coach training programs, Foundations for Mindful Living and Coaching from Within, received International Coaching Federation accreditation as Level 1 and Level 2 programs. Earlier in the year, Dalida was selected as one of the top ten executive coaches by Life Coach Magazine, a recognition she is particularly proud of.
Dalida believes that sharing experience and offering mental and emotional support to the next generation is crucial. Building the capacity for the next generation to shift from knowledge-based to wisdom-based leadership brings her hope and inspiration.
Dalida aims to leave a legacy where coaches become community leaders and catalysts for mindful living. She believes we are living in a pivotal time with an opportunity to transform the way we think and act in the world for the world.
“Being part of mindfulness and coaching communities gives a sense of support rather than competition. I prefer to see the world in that way.”
