I should have hired a business coach or strategist, I just didn’t know!
In 2015 I launched my business after leaving Corporate America. It was exciting, fearful and thrilling all at the same time.
Looking back, it was like riding a rollercoaster but not 100% sure if the seat was locked! I was on this ride and I was determined to be successful! (Although looking back I’d never defined success… how can you reach success if you don’t know what it looks like?! That will be another blog post for a later date!)
As you know, launching a digital business is like drinking water out of a fire hydrant. There are a lot of shiny objects to sway you off course. Not to mention, all the influencers insisting they have the right formula for you to hit your goals and telling you what you MUST do.
To say it’s overwhelming is an understatement.
Being from Corporate America I was under the impression I could:
- figure this out myself and
- I constantly had the thought, “I am smart, I’ve got this” running through my head.
What I didn’t know that I know now.
I should have hired a business coach or strategist when I launched my business.
There is no doubt I would have been way more profitable sooner and worked less!
Instead, I dove at lots of shiny objects without any strategy attached. I was growing my email list, and trying to grow my followers on social media, develop products to sell, build a course…
But no real strategy how all of this was going to impact my bottom line.
It was exhausting.
In reality, I needed to:
- Attract people I could serve, people that needed my help.
- To connect with these people and show them that I had the solution they desired.
- Convert them into loyal customers that would refer me to other business owners.
Without direction from a business coach or strategist.
I spend a lot of time focusing on what everyone said I must do, but without strategy. A great example was growing my email subscribers. I just kept hearing I need LOTS of subscribers.
I didn’t sit back and think, who cares about the number. I should have been focusing solely on growing my list with people that needed my services. And then nurturing them into paying clients!
Another large suck of time was focusing on writing multiple blog posts and social media posts.
Content that I was wasting hours a week creating that was not connecting and converting people into paying clients. (When you aren’t specific about who your target customers are!)
Looking back, knowing what I know now…
I should have hired a business coach or strategist. The quality of my life would have been so much better!
If I had found a coach or strategist that was aligned with my brand. One that understood my business goals and the obstacles I was facing and was able to map out a “doable” strategy. A strategy without all the detours and roadblocks. (The detours and roadblocks I undoubtedly hit doing it all on my own!)
There’s no doubt I would have worked WAY less, had more quality time to spend doing the things I love. And hitting my financial goals I had set!
This was the reality… my first year and a half in business:
- Chasing shiny objects and not focusing on money generating projects.
- Not having a clear understanding of digital business or marketing.
- Chasing different influencers and buying into “this worked for me and it should work for you” scenario.
- Not having a clear focus on my business goals.
- No real focus on who my target customer was!
- Having a lot of great ideas and thoughts on how I could help people. But not laying it out in a systematic step-by-step process that I could use with every person to ensure results.
- No to mention the fear of failure hanging over my head that influenced decision making. (generally in a negative way!)
If this sounds like you, leave me a comment with “amen sister”.
The crazy thing is… hiring a business coach or strategist to get you to the next stage is NOT a new concept!
It baffles me as to why we struggle as business owners to hire a coach or strategist!
Top athletes and Olympians all have trainers. People that guide them on what areas to focus on. What to improve and gives them a game plan of how to stay at the top of their game.
Every entrepreneur I know who has hit the $1 million revenue threshold is part of a mastermind. Or has a personal one-on-one coach.
Even you and I, if we were going to run a marathon or our wedding was coming up. We would hire a trainer that would advise us on nutrition and what exercises will have the most impact on our goals.
Am I right?!?!
And here we are… still questioning if a business coach or strategist is going to help us grow and scale our business!
I have to be honest… The biggest reason why I didn’t hire a business coach or strategist early on was simple.
I didn’t know anything about business coaches or strategist!
Now if you are reading this and thinking… I am ready to scale and grow and I need help!I want to give you some tips that are going to help you make the right decision on hiring a business coach or strategist!
The first question- Do you need a business coach or strategist for your brand? “YES.”
Ok, so we got that out of the way!
As you begin your search, it’s crucial you find someone aligned with your goals and vision. It is crucial you are able to be open and honest and work seamlessly together. They should have the knowledge base to get you where you want to be.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What stage of business are you in? Are you an aspiring business owner? Did you recently take the leap and launch? Are you looking to scale and grow your business? If you are looking to scale and grow what phase of growth are you in and where do you want to be?
- Looking at your business finances what bracket is your business currently in? Some coaches want to work with people that make over $100k. Some coaches focus on start-ups.
- What do you want to achieve with your business coach? What is the biggest goal of your business and what is the largest obstacle standing in your way?
- If you worked in a corporate environment and launched your own business. You may benefit from someone that has corporate experience. As crazy as this sounds, it is challenging shifting from Corporate life to a business owner. A lot of mind shift changes will occur!
- Be honest with yourself, if you’re not making the profits you desire- Could you have a money block? If you understand your business strategy but you keep self-sabotaging your profits… seeing a money mindset coach would be your best bet.
- And the biggest question, how much money are you willing to spend on a business coach or strategist? (Also face the reality, that you honestly need to have one to get to where you desire quickly. You will ultimately save money in the long run. )
Laying this out up front will help you narrow down the process. Allowing you to focus on business coaches or strategist that would be the best fit for you.
What to ask when Interviewing business coaches or strategist to make sure they are a good fit?!
Most coaches or strategist offer a free 15-minute consultation call. You can ask questions and see if they are the right fit for you and your business.
I would have pre-written questions ready for the call. Some questions to get you thinking in the right direction?
– What does their process look like? Is it guided?
– Looking at their history, what qualifies them to help you?
– Ask them to share their client’s success rates.
– What is their accountability to you?
– How often will you meet and chat? Is this pre-scheduled?
– Can you send e-mails to them between calls?
Some of these may sound harsh. If you asked me any of these questions I would be happy to answer them. I would answer with confidence and so should your future business coach or strategist!
What are the awesome benefits of having a coach/strategist? Just to name a few:
- Being a digital business owner can be lonely. Working from home all the time. Forgetting to shower. (we have all been there) Having a business coach allows you to have a confidential person in your business to create a strategy for success. Share wins. Share losses. It’s essentially having a business partner but NOT dealing with having a business partner!
- You will save gobs of time from where you are at in this moment in your business to where you dream about. Say goodbye to all the roadblocks and detours that you would have taken!
- You have a personal cheerleader to pump you up and tell you how awesome and amazing you are!
- There’s accountability. Someone that is going to ask you if things got done! No more putting items off, when you know deep down it has got to get done! (If you are procrastinating typically this deals with mindset issues, some sort of fear holding you back)
- Focusing on a step-by-step process for your business growth. Say goodbye to trying shiny new techniques that will ultimately derail your progress.
- Seeing results quickly! Quicker than you “figuring it out on your own”!
These are just a few wins of having a business coach or strategist.
Of course, I work as a strategist! I help entrepreneurs understand their niche customer base to increase their revenue streams by launching products their consumers desire. (If you are questioning if you have a niche customer base check out this blog post!)
If any of the below is YOU, it is time. It is time to hire someone!
- struggle to meet your financial goals
- your products or services are sitting on the shelf collecting dust
- think having a niche customer base will limit your sales
- you’re ready to scale and grow but need customers
- the struggle is real when it comes to attracting, connecting and converting customers
Let’s chat.
I offer a 15- minute clarity call to see if we work well together. I want to ensure that I add value, I am able to successfully guide and help you grow. I want to make sure you’re in it to win it… so we have a joint venture that we’re both committed to. But I may not be the right fit for you…
Keep in mind the most important aspect of a business coach or strategist.
Is someone that is just as committed to you and your success as you are!
If this blog resonates with you and you are thinking I love this girl… you can book a 15-minute clarity call with me, to see if we can partner for you to start attracting, connecting and converting your perfect customers. Click Here
I wish you the best of luck and as always, I am here for you in this entire entrepreneurial life!
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