When I first started my entrepreneurial journey, I was so sure I had all the answers to, well, everything. Have a business idea? Check. Have a product people will pay you for? Check. Have a nice enough website? Check. What I quickly realized was that while some of these things were working, not everything would work all the time.
There were loads of things I didn’t know: What do you mean I had to have a lead magnet, what does that even mean? Why do I need to create original content, I just sell jewelry? What is so awesome about Instagram? No joke, I had never been on IG before!
Had I hired a business coach to help earlier in the process, I’d have grown my earlier businesses much more quickly. So. Much. Faster.
And that brings me to today. Over the past five years, I’ve tried masterminds, go-at-your-own-pace courses, group coaching programs, and one-off classes. I’ve gained and learned something valuable from each one. But there’s something extra valuable with having a business coach.
Here are my top 5 reasons why I have a coach and why I’ll always have one in some capacity:
- The help you get is specifically for you. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach that you have to alter and amend to fit your business. A good coach is further along in their business than you are in yours, and therefore can provide a framework to help you with your business’ unique challenges as they’ve already been there and done that. It’s 1:1, there are no other students taking up your limited time while you share, reflect, and problem-solve together.
- They know what you don’t know. Coaches help you see what you can’t see – your potential, your blind spots, opinions and solutions contrary to assumptions you’ve made that you take for granted, and the potential of the business in a different perspective than you ever will. New ideas and ways to approach your business are co-created here.
- They force you to set goals. Once you define your vision together, a good coach will help you create attainable goals so you can start making that money, honey. It’s much harder to kick the can down the road or say to yourself “eh, I’ll try harder next month” or “ok, maybe my goal really should have been 25% lower, so missing my target wasn’t all that bad” when you’ve got well-reasoned numbers that you worked out with a fellow entrepreneur.
- They help you change your mind.I think the biggest factor in changing the course of your business or life is changing the way you think about something, followed by taking action. Was that failed product launch where no one bought anything really a failure, or simply a learning because now you know what not to do the second time? If I didn’t have a coach to challenge me and help me talk through the quick opinions I made subconsciously when evaluating results, I’d just be stuck in my ways and not growing as a businesswoman. I consider mindset work priceless and the payoff amazingly immeasurable.
- They keep you accountable. My coach and I come up with actionable things I’ll do which all support my business to generate more revenue. I’m someone who likes to take a yoga class at a studio versus doing it by myself at home, because I know the instructor will force me to do the work to improve. Similarly, knowing I must do the work because my business coach will ask me about it later lights a good fire under my ass. It’s hard to slack off when you’ve got a bona-fide successful businesswoman in your face saying “why aren’t you getting it done?”
If you’re wondering who my most recent coach is, it’s the one and only Jadah Sellner, from our January 2023 box. She is awesome, you can read more about her here.
Did you know I also coach and advise small business owners just like you? If you’d ever like a discovery call with myself, I’d be honored. You can learn more about that here.
I see you, am supporting you, and always rooting for you to take control of your life and rock your business.
To creating the life you’ve always wanted,
Carol
