This weekend I attended a one-day event in Boulder with one of my mentors, David Neagle, and one of his clients, Suzanne Evans.
They are calling it the More Life Tour. Boulder was city number two of eight. I highly recommend you attend one of the remaining.
The whole day is about helping coaches and other service professionals exponentially grow their businesses.
I was a little concerned that the low ticket price of $57 would mean a day-long, back-of-the-room sales fest. They did sell at the back of the room AND they delivered fantastic, usable content. And, I met some wonderful people - including David and Suzanne!
Ann Strong with David Neagle and Suzanne Evans at the More Life event in Boulder, Colorado. July 31, 2010.
How fun to meet my online mentor in person . . .
Do something great for yourself, your business and those incoming clients just waiting for you and get yourself to one of these events.
Sign up today to be one of the first 25. I did and the VIP reception was a fantastic Q & A with David and Suzanne - more than worth the price of admission . . .
Step out from behind the computer, dear one!
A question to ponder:
Who would you need to be to exponentially increase my coaching business income? Ask yourself each morning upon waking and each evening as you fall asleep and listen for guidance.
Take that new awareness to the More Life event that you attend. I'd love to hear your experience . . .
Recently I noticed that some of what I most deeply desire, I keep moving toward no matter what. And, in other areas of my life where I also truly would love something, I say I would love it, yet my behavior indicates I've given up.
In my business, I keep moving toward
greater ways to serve and offer more value. No matter what. I constantly invest my time, money and focus in growing myself and in growing my business. If
something works well, I leverage it. If something doesn't work well, I reassess, look for the learning and consciously choose the next leg of my journey.
When I wanted to lose 20 pounds, I started walking regularly and committed to eating less sugar. That didn't work for me. My perceived sugar deprivation backfired and I ate MORE sugar for
awhile. I also didn't lose any weight. I wasn't sure what to do next, but I was still committed. Shortly after that I felt inspired to begin practicing
Kundalini yoga. Eighteen months later I had lost 23 pounds because I had committed to finding the way that would work for me.
Shortly after I got divorced eight years ago, I realized I wanted to meet and marry my fourth and final husband - my soul mate and beloved life partner. Today, I still have that desire, yet I haven't invested my time, money or focus and I haven't done the inner and outer work to bring that desire into reality.
I now see that I hadn't made the commitment to do whatever it takes to meet my beloved because I hadn't believed it could happen. I had given up. I hadn't been willing to give up the short-term gratification relationships that work in a couple of areas for the long-term huge gain of the amazing romantic relationship I sometimes glimpse. In one of the most important aspects of my life, I'd settled for something being better than nothing.
It's been hard to admit I had given up. The good news about finally admitting it is that I now have the real opportunity to commit to what I desire with my beloved in the same way I did with my business and my weight. So, I am taking the first steps . . .
What about you? In what area of your life is the reality far from what you desire? When you take a deep breath and then tell yourself the truth, do you believe it's possible? No judgment here, just compassionate reflection.
We all have the opportunity to begin again in this very moment. In what area of your life have you given up? Would you be willing to
courageously begin again?
Feel free to post your own story in the Comments.
Last week, I called six of my coaching colleagues to ask them if they have a coaching colleague who is actively looking for more clients and who might be interested in taking my new, nine-month Client Enrollment Immersion Program. I didn't reach any of them directly, so I left lovely, informative, succinct voice mail messages. Or so I thought! After a few days none of them had called me back.
What, they have their own busy lives? I'm not their first priority? Not even in the top ten? Alas . . .
I could've taken it personally. I started to go there. But it turns out I didn't have time! While impatiently waiting for my colleagues to call back, I got three referrals - one from a current client, one from my coach and one from my hard-working website. I no longer had time to take anything personally, as I used my time wisely to talk with these three new precious referrals!
Moral of the story? I need to show up and do my part: call the people I'm inspired to call to fill my program. Then, I need to get out of the way and allow the Universe to deliver the right people. Without the slightest concern as to whether or not they came via the route I thought they should!
Feel free to share your thoughts and insights in the comments . . .
I recently raised my coaching fees. I had been preparing for a few months by getting VERY clear on what would make my coaching services worth the new fee. A steep learning curve, to say the least!
And, I am thrilled by what I have learned. It’s simple, profound and absolutely life-changing.I have a new commitment and confidence that our coaching WILL get my clients to the goals they set when I am willing to ask them the hardest questions. And when they are willing to move through the discomfort of answering the hard questions and then the fear that often accompanies the change as they take new actions based on their answers.
This isn’t always easy work for either of us. But it does bring the change they needed to achieve what they desire.
When someone is considering hiring me as their coach, we need to know before we start working together if I am the best person to ask the hard questions for them. We also need to know if they are actually willing to perceive themselves differently to answer the questions honestly and make the required changes. I’ve been amazed by how quickly it becomes clear if we will or won’t do the tough stuff well together.
These initial conversations fall into two distinct categories.
The people who are ready to receive huge value from coaching often tell me things like:
- I feel really confronted right now.
- This is right on and I had no idea this is where we’d go.
- This brings up stuff for me.
- I can see now I really need to change some things.
- I’m scared and I know it’s what I need to do.
The people whom I’m not going to be able to help right now say things like:
- I can’t make our meeting because I have to take care of a client.
- I am not willing to spend that kind of money.
- I had really hoped you’d give me a magic pill. (Yes, someone actually said this!)
- I’m going to wait until I get (fill in the blank) in order.
- "My husband doesn’t want me to spend any more money on my business.
I love seeing this pattern. I KNOW the people who feel scared and willing will receive huge value from our coaching and will be thrilled with the outcome and investment. I also know that the people who aren’t yet taking full responsibility for themselves, their lives and their businesses, blame many external circumstances on them not being able to achieve what they most desire.
Ah, the joy of hard questions!
Feel free to post your thoughts and insights about asking and answering the hard questions in the Comments.
