Even though I’ve been running my own company for nearly 20 years.
And even though I’ve coached numerous clients to create and build their businesses.
Like Martha, who, when we first connected,felt she’d “already done the inner work to move beyond fear” and that “all she needed was nuts and bolts business development advice.” I helped Martha identify subtle beliefs that were holding her back from thinking bigger. We then rebranded the various aspects of her business into one unified message and expanded her product offerings. The result: In addition to feeling more confident as a business owner, fulfilled and aligned with her sense of purpose, Martha reported: “In my first year with Tara as my coach, my sales revenues increased by 117%. As of this writing, now in my second round of coaching with Tara, my first quarter revenues alone (during my quiet time of year) are up 46% over last year. Thanks to Tara, I’ve created a business that is unique to me and I have not had to compromise!“
^ From this testimonial alone, I could call myself a business coach.
When someone is struggling in their business, it is completely understandable for them to think that a better social media marketer, or strategist, or new business coach is what is needed.
But – what my clients have found is that the real difference comes from a shift within THEM.
Another client, Cathie, dreamed of being a consultant for nonprofits, but she wasn’t clear on how to earn what she needed and attract the right clients while also maintaining the kind of work:life:family balance she wanted. Cathie and I mapped out her unique service process, packages, and plan (the 3 P’s) to create $240k in revenue, serving in a way that aligned with her “Big WHY” – all with just 7 client organizations and 4-day work weeks.
BUT – before any of this awesomeness was possible, her WHY needed to be clarified, she needed to learn how to manage her energy differently, and (perhaps most important of all) she had to self-identify as having what it takes to BE a successful business owner!
Her words: “Through Tara’s wise and focused support I have more energy than I’ve ever had, a clear plan to grow my business, more time to pursue a life outside of work, and I’ve learned to ask for and RECEIVE powerful support from other people. … Every day I wake up and am thrilled to be doing what I love! And I know there is so much MORE to come!”
Then there’s Friderike, who was able to double her income and generate her best revenue year ever! And, she added, “I didn’t kill myself in the process and had fun with it.”
✴ Despite all of this AND the fact that people tend to be far more willing to pay top dollar for business coaching than life coaching, I still don’t call myself a Business Coach. ✴
Here’s WHY:
Because experience has taught me that you really can’t separate life coaching from business coaching, ESPECIALLY if the ultimate goal is a fulfilling and satisfying life.
And that’s certainly my goal for my clients. No matter who I’m coaching.
But – in order for that to happen, life and business MUST work together.
Yes, we strategize. Of course we strategize! Yes, we adapt and customize business models. And we most certainly create plans, test new approaches, and map out action steps – all to help ensure desired outcomes.
But even more than THAT … it’s the internal shifts, personal shifts in how you think, prioritize, and choose to spend your time and energy. This is what makes everything better, easier, bigger, and more powerful.
Businesses benefit from life coaching because business owners(like Martha, Cathie, Friderike, and numerous others), benefit from life coaching.
Just as non-business owners benefit from life coaching.
When ‘the Business of Life’ thrives, YOU thrive.
Having the support of a skilled coach who knows how to create transformation within your personal psychology and help you live a fulfilling, impactful, joyful life creates a ripple effect, beneficial to every area of your LIFE – from your relationships, to your health, to your business, or whatever career path you may choose.
Like Melissa, who shared that before connecting with me she’d “spent the majority of life doing things for all the wrong reasons.” Though she very much wanted success, she wasn’t sure where or how to focus her energy. Together, we uncovered a belief she had that was holding her back: that success was hard and that it meant sacrifice – none of which (understandably!) was how Melissa wanted to live.
Upon realizing that her dream is not one particular passion but, rather, a passion for how she wanted to live (free to decide her own schedule, with autonomy and plenty of time for not just work, but for herself, her friends and her family) it became clear that real estate encompassed all the things she wanted out of a career, while also allowing her the freedom to live life the way she’d dreamed she could. In Melissa’s first year as a real estate agent, she made over $2.5 million in sales! And, to quote her, “the really amazing thing is … it felt effortless and FUN.”
Having this kind of support on your side is invaluable and goes way beyond business!
Bottom line: None of this is unique to business owners. Whatever you’re up to, coaching together can help!
I am a coach who’s not afraid to ask the hard questions. I’m a coach who has an astutely attuned ear. I don’t let you stay on the track of old thought patterns and behavior patterns that aren’t serving you. Together, we stop, look at it, shine a light on it, name it, deconstruct it, and then implement new strategies and build new habits in those areas where a break in the old pattern is going to support you far better. (a.k.a. brule breaking)
It’s who I am. I see what goes unnoticed by most. As I learn your personal psychology, and I learn what your go-to behaviors are, and I see the default path that your thoughts and beliefs tend to follow over and over and over again, and I pinpoint the assumptions you make over and over again … opportunities for the applied psychology of change abound!
That’s the fun part. 😊
Yes, your business may grow in the process. But that’s not ever going to be the primary measure of your success – or, frankly, mine.
There’s one more piece to what really makes private coaching such a powerful combination: LOVE. I adore my clients. It’s why I don’t stand for them standing for their own BS. It’s why I lovingly help them see that. It’s why pattern interruption strategies are a must when what’s been happening isn’t serving.
And, lastly, I believe it’s why my clients trust me to do the deep work. To tell me the truth, even when it’s hard or has shame attached to it.
They know that I have their best interests at heart. They know I’m not here to judge them. In fact, in large part, what I do is help them understand how NORMAL what they are feeling shame about IS, and how wonderful it is that their bravery to share it anyway is already a break in the old pattern.
With this shared understanding, and my decades of education, training, and tools for how to apply the psychology of change in a customized way, it then becomes easy to team up and help my clients effectively apply new practices and make new choices and see new possibilities that allow them to grow, to meet and exceed their goals, and make their dreams happen – business or otherwise.
Are you next?
Go HERE to read the full testimonials of these clients and others, and, if you’d like, claim a complimentary Assessment Call so we can connect 1:1 and explore how I might serve YOU – and your professional goals and aspirations too. 😉
From the moment I learned about the book publishing training happening in Italy and decided to get myself on a flight to Europe, put my butt in the seat, and show up for my book dreams … the entire experience has been terrifically exciting, while also deeply vulnerable, emotionally overwhelming, and, at times, intellectually confusing.
For perspective: One literary agent, whose book I’m reading, likens getting a traditional publishing deal to being the rare “sperm with merit” that manages to get through – because 99.9% of those who pitch their book proposals, don’t.
If I want this, (and I do), I have an enormous amount of work ahead of me. I also have a gajillion doubts and questions about what to do, how to do it, and, frankly, whether I can.
So…
Am I feeling overwhelmed by the learning curve and the work I have ahead of me?
Am I feeling vulnerable and afraid that it will only ever result in a pile of rejection letters, at best?
And am I wondering and battling thoughts that doubt whether I really have what it takes?
You bet I am!
But – these feelings are NOT a free pass to deflect responsibility for my actions, or inactions.
Feelings of confusion and overwhelm do not dictate or predetermine me to quit.
Such feelings also don’t dictate or predetermine YOU to quit.
This is when it’s time to:
Take some deep breaths and do what’s needed to settle your nervous system
Go for a walk to shake off the nerves and come back to it
Get a good night’s sleep and start fresh in the morning
ASK FOR HELP from the people who are there to help
👆 This is what showing up for yourself and your dream looks like.
Expect overwhelm! AND, stay in “the room” to receive support, the very reason you decided to be there in the first place!
Rather than a reason to quit, it is all the more reason to be vulnerable and available for support.
This, my friend, is the game-changer.
And it’s not only what I do for my clients, it’s also what I do as a lifelong learner who believes and trusts that my dreams have merit.
I seek out experts who guide me, so that, despite me being intimidated and overwhelmed, I have support from those who can guide my hand, hold me accountable, challenge me to step up, take action, learn new skills, and set myself up for the results I want.
This way, even on days when doubt and fear want to have their way and try to derail my belief or undermine my momentum and my capabilities, I KEEP GOING.
That is why I do this work and this is what I want for you.
Your dreams become possible and you become so much more powerful with this kind of support on your side.
When you show up for ACCOUNTABILITY and you keep showing up for yourself and your dreams, and you keep stepping up to the challenges that present themselves, calling on support for help as needed … that’s when forward movement becomes INEVITABLE.
My private clients know that, in addition to our regular private coaching calls, they can always send me a message with any quick questions that come up, anytime, and I’ll reply. They reach out, we get their questions answered, and they get quickly back on track. This is just one of the many aspects that Dream Acceleration Program members receive that helps them to realize their dreams and create accelerated results.
Feel a bit like a bird in a cage ? Like your dreams and potential are cooped up?
Eager to spread your wings and fly free?
You’ve worked hard to get where you are in your life, career, relationships, family, home, finances, etc… but maybe some things just aren’t working or delivering the satisfaction and pride you thought they would and there’s a nagging sense that there’s got more to life than “this.”
You want to thrive.
You want your time to be your own.
You want full creative expression.
You want the freedom to do what you want, when you want.
You want to feel clear, confident, and capable of creating anything you want.
… BUT, as you consider making a change, your mind gets busy about predicting and wanting to plan for everything that could possibly go wrong.
As hopeful and determined as you are about creating the best and fastest path to what you want most, it’s a struggle to figure out what’s needed, how to get out of your own way, how to break the habits and patterns that aren’t helpful. And what tends to happen instead is, that cage becomes a great place for a much-needed nap!
Relate?
In Video #2 of my No-Vacation-Needed Blueprint training, I drop Two Keys for you to unlock the door and set yourself free so that you can take the first steps to own the extraordinary power and influence you have over your life.
I love my coaching clients. I don’t love the coaching industry.
More than 16 years as a coach, I see so much in my industry that is problematic, unethical, or just plain false … all of which makes it incredibly hard for a prospective client to discern who the heck can actually help them.
This is deeply concerning to me.
But this article isn’t about that.
One common standard for success and measure of results-orientened coaching is dollars.
One problem with this is that true wealth is NOT measured in dollars. You don’t have to look far to find unhappy, stressed-out people with money. And more money is not their solution.
I coach my clients to create a no-vacation-needed life.
In doing this, I hold firm to the big picture dreams for their life. I remind us both periodically that a goal without a dream is a recipe for dissatisfaction, and that money alone does not a dream make.
This said, when money comes through aligned action – yeh!
Earning money doing work you love is cause for celebration – woot!
Successfully working smarter not harder is reason for a happy dance hoedown.
Two of my clients this week had big wins in this department and I am so friggin’ proud of them.
One client hired me to help her turn something she loves and “would do for free” into a business.
Yesterday was our kick-off session.
Step one in this realm requires understanding that the fact that you love doing something doesn’t in any way minimize the value it provides for others. By the end of our call, she had prices for her services and a plan to tell people about it.
Less than 24 hours later, she has two paying clients. Woot!
She said saying her price out loud was hard.It’ll get easier…
Another client of mine and I have been strategizing about how she can work smarter not harder in her business. The goal around building her business is to intentionally allow her more time-freedom. Yesterday we celebrated that AFTER paying a new team member, her business made $2240 off of that team member’s effort, with little to no time required from my client. Go girl!
We’re now putting wheels in motion for her to bring on yet another contractor and do it again, x2. Repeat, repeat, repeat, scaling her business by building her team so that my client can focus on bringing in new contracts and customer care, while her team does the bulk of the work.
One more …
Last week, another client wrote to me with this realization: “My business HAS provided me with the time and money freedom to pour into my family and to be the mother I want to be for my daughter. This makes me very, very happy, proud, and grateful.”
This is wealth. >>> Doing work you love, leveraging your time through team building, and feeling supported and able to really pour yourself into family and the people that mean the most to you.
Now, to be very clear, my clients created these results.
I merely coached them.
Their results are THEIRS.
Too often, I see coaches claim responsibility for their clients results. This is not only an act of hubris, it’s wrong. Especially when those very same coaches are first to say that they are not responsible for the lack of results that other clients of theirs received.
Anyway, I am really friggin’ proud of my clients and so honored to be able to contribute and serve and play a supporting role in their progress and success — as defined by them.
![HOW you have to show up for yourself [part 2]](https://i0.wp.com/tarasagecoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/c51f397e-e2db-4d40-9edc-1cbae0055ef8.jpg?resize=908%2C675&ssl=1)
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