Archive for January, 2008
Look Beyond the Problems
Posted by: | CommentsLast week I went to a leadership workshop and the speaker was an interesting guy named Brian Biro. He bills himself as “America’s Breakthrough Coach” and he lead a high energy session that had the crowd yelling – literally. The end of the evening included Brian helping two audience members break a one inch wooden board with their bare hands. Quite a dramatic demonstration of a breakthrough. The secret of breaking the board is the same secret that will help you get your coaching business going.
Brian taught us that the secret to breaking the board is to aim beyond the board – it allows you to just put your hand through the wood like it wasn’t there! Translate quickly to your coaching business and the success formula becomes to look beyond the business obstacles to the goal of a thriving business. This requires you to have a very clear vision of what it is you are trying to create. Keep working on your ideas until the business is so specific and compelling to you that you can’t help but find a way to make it work.
One woman in the demonstration took three tries to break the board. One woman did it on the first try. I was able to see that the difference was that the woman who tried several times was focused on the board itself and her concern about how it might feel on her hand. A nice reminder of the “you get what you focus on”. What are the obstacles in starting your coaching business? Coach yourself into looking for the solutions to the obstacles and not spend your time examining the obstacle itself.
Brian Biro had a whole lot more to say than this of course. He was pitching one of his books called, “Beyond Success”. He was a dynamic speaker with great points to make. He unfortunately does not have a blog, but check out his website at http://www.brianbiro.com.
The Mind of an Entrepreneur – Part 2
Posted by: | CommentsThere is something about being a business owner that is terrifying to some people – it’s the idea that everything rests on you. While it is absolutely true that the responsibility for a coaching business rests on the coach, the entrepreneurial coach doesn’t think of it as frightening. It is instead a challenge. This leads us to the second key to the mind of an entrepreneur.
A coach who is successful is focused on action in his or her business. You probably talk often to your clients about action plans and steps to take to reach a goal; you help them with accountability, noticing and encouraging even the smallest steps that they take. Then when you look at your own business, do you lose that focus on action? Too many coaches wallow in information collection in a vain attempt to make the “right” decision and never move to significant action. Would you allow your client to do this without addressing it?
An entrepreneur accepts the responsibility for the business by moving into action. There is a basic truth that says that nothing will happen until you make something happen. In his new book, “Ready,Fire, Aim”, Michael Masterson calls this one of the most important characteristics of success. Don’t wait to get perfect aim on your target. Instead get moving and make course corrections as you need to along the way in order to hit your goals. (Click here to read more about the book at the blog or check out his newsletter, Early to Rise, by clicking here.)
If you are starting a coaching business or trying to grow the business, one of the biggest questions can be, “What is the best way to market my business?”. In order to think like an entrepreneur, the answer needs to relate to “what is the marketing technique that you are ready to do?” Get going and do it. If the results over time are not what you need, then you shift focus, but until you get into action, your chances of success are slim.
The Mind of an Entrepreneur – Part 1
Posted by: | CommentsThe mind of an entrepreneur is a very special thing. It is the source of possibility, growth and success in business. All those things are rooted in the business owner’s ability to think and dream. If a new coach has been an employee for a while before starting his/her own coaching business, then they need to learn to change thinking patterns.
An entrepreneur has an excitement and passion for what is being created that translates into actively looking for opportunities to make change happen. A person who is employed by someone else is often focused on the elements that are barriers to change. The successful business person is aware of those barriers, but instead focuses thinking on HOW to get around the barriers and WHAT to do instead.
In the early stages of a coaching business, this type of thinking might look like the coach is taking risks in order to get the business rolling. This is true. In my first year as a coach, I presented three free workshops at my local Chamber of Commerce. I gave away time and information in return for free publicity and PR. I didn’t let the fact that I had never done public speaking before stop me!
The entrepreneur is looking for opportunities; he or she is seeking out people and situations that will move the business in the direction of growth. The thought is about what “can” or “could be” instead of much attention to the “can’t”. Being a detective on the search for opportunities may be all the new coach needs to open up a wealth of creativity inside and start on the path to success.
Glad you are here!
Posted by: | CommentsHey, glad you stopped in here. I’m Janet Slack and I’m a coach and a counselor. My coaching focuses on helping others build their coaching businesses and on helping people who want to have more of a sense of adventure in their lives.
I’m a latecomer to blogging – didn’t everyone else start 2 or 3 years ago? I’ve known I should do this for a long time, just somehow never got around to it. So this is the beginning. I’m excited about the new experience and know I will be learning a lot as I go. That’s the essence of being an entrepreneur.
Coaching is a wonderful way to make a difference in the world and to make a living. My goal is to help ensure that more and more coaches are able to do both. Too many coaches are struggling and need some ideas and advice about business matters.
This blog is dedicated to the business side of the coaching business. All the details of business, the systems that coaches need, the issues to be aware of, and the marketing that needs to be done will be fair game. I hope that you will join in the discussion by posting your comments.
