Category: Purpose

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E#255 How to Play Big (Stop Playing Small)

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How to Play Big (Stop Playing Small)

Are you committed – but terrified – to taking your business to the next level? Have you been playing small and feel ready to step up and into what you were meant to be doing? This episode provides some proven methods to help you stop playing small and start playing big – so you can step into your greatness and live a more authentic and purposeful life.

What Playing Small Means

You’ve probably heard people talking about playing small. But what does it actually mean?

In this episode, we’ll cover 
* What Playing Small Means
* Why We Play Small
* How to Play Big

The Cambridge Dictionary says to ‘play small’ means to avoid risks and actions that might cause problems or make you feel uncomfortable, with the result that you might not achieve what you want to achieve.

It means your actions are motivated by fears, insecurities and low self-worth.

It means you’re not honouring your passion – instead, you’re settling for a life that is less than what you are capable of living.

Now if that definition doesn’t punch you in the face, I don’t know what will!

To me, playing small is a bit like that old analogy of someone ‘being a wallflower’ – standing back, not knowing what to say, blending in and being invisible.

The signs that you’re playing small might include that you:

  • let fear defeat you
  • you wait to be asked rather than taking the initiative
  • you rely on others’ opinions or directives
  • you are crushed by criticism
  • you struggle to say no
  • you may be envious or resentful of others’ success
  • you match other people’s ideas rather than speaking your own – to avoid standing out
  • your life is full of clutter and meaningless stuff (keeping busy to avoid pursuing your dreams)

Playing small really takes away from our ability to live a full life – and it’s incredibly inauthentic. If you’re too afraid of being judged, of failing or not being good enough, then you will likely shelve your authentic self, needs and ideas to avoid the associated pain.

Why We Play Small

Why do we end up playing small?

Maybe it’s because our reptilian brain is constantly trying to keep us safe – to seek pleasure and avoid pain. After all, it’s much easier to sit on the couch watching Netflix than it is facing a difficult conversation.

Maybe we’ve been through traumatic experiences that have dysregulated our nervous systems – and we’ve become risk-averse. For example, some people have been through significant experiences that have led them to be fearful of exposure to harm at the hands of others. Burnout could be one example, or some sort of abuse or assault.

Maybe we’ve been conditioned to believe we aren’t good enough, or that we don’t have enough – and we have adopted those beliefs to make it our own narrative. For example, a lot of people fear not having enough money, of being alone, of being judged or criticised, or of failing, and those sorts of thinking patterns keep them stuck in their boring, unhelpful or toxic situations.

Maybe we’ve developed a habit of outsourcing our sense of worth, validation and needs to other people. For example, some people constantly ask others for advice or opinions of what to do, or to get help with something, not trusting their own ideas or solutions. Some have been in controlling relationships and believe that the other person knows better and has all the answers.

As you can see, there are these physiological and psychological drivers that work together to work against you.

The great thing is – a huge part of turning things around is in your hands. It’s about developing the skills to challenge and overcome your narrative – the underlying beliefs and assumptions you have created for yourself – and to start becoming an independent thinker.

An independent thinker is someone who can use “critical thinking” to evaluate situations and points of view, with curiosity and then, to change their beliefs or standpoints. Critical thinking is not about criticism – it’s about being open-minded to new ideas but ultimately deciding for yourself or solving problems on your terms, based on your own judgement and perceptions.

When you can unwind the thinking habits that lead to this impulsive, reactive and fear-driven way of living, you can start to play big and start living the life you were born to lead.

How to Play Big

It’s clear that playing small can feel safe but is deeply unsatisfying.

Playing big is the opposite of playing small. It means that your actions are motivated by the things that bring you true fulfilment and satisfaction.

So how can you learn to play big?

Firstly, you can become an independent thinker. This involves:

  • Reading and travelling to see a bigger picture and more expansive point of view.
  • Talking to different people with different opinions and asking why people think that way, so you can hear their reasons and understand their perspective.
  • Trying new activities or hobbies to discover new skills and abilities that you can apply to problem-solving and decision-making. For example – playing chess might help you think more strategically!
  • Developing a practice of self-reflection, so you become more self-aware and more in tune with who you truly are and what you want.
  • Ask for feedback from people you work with or who are in your friendship group. Get an honest, non-emotional account of what people really think.

When you do these sorts of things, you get to know yourself better, see life from a bigger and broader perspective, and gain skills to help you move forward on your own.

When you do this, you become more open minded, confident, competent at solving problems, develop impartiality and leadership skills, and learn to be more aware of your own thoughts and emotions so you can stay above them. You can also enjoy better relationships!

Secondly, you can notice and re-wire any unhelpful ‘playing small’ habits and replace them with healthier options.

If you think about it, a lot of people who are in the playing small mindset are operating and responding automatically.

It takes what I call ‘conscious conscientiousness’ to break these automatic patterns and start living a bigger life – that is, being aware of what you’re doing and consistently working on changing those patterns.

I’ve done a lot of this work in my own life, and developed my own model of Factualising (instead of Catastrophising) as per a podcast I did a couple of years ago.

Here are some examples I’ve used:

Thoughts

  • Instead of ‘they’re better than me,’ I caught myself thinking that and changed it to ‘I have unique abilities’
  • Instead of ‘I can’t do that,’ I caught myself thinking that and changed it to ‘I will give it 100%’
  • Instead of ‘what if I fail?’ – I make myself answer that question to see the actual consequences. What would happen if I did fail? Often, the outcomes I come up with are never as bad as it felt at first.
  • Instead of ‘I don’t know enough,’ I asked myself what enough actually looks like, what I want it to be, and if required, what I could do to improve my knowledge.

Actions

  • Instead of not starting a business, I decided to pursue a passion and give it 100% commitment and effort in terms of quality work.
  • Instead of trying to do it all on my own, I chose trusted partners to work with me or to outsource parts of my work to.
  • Instead of sitting in fear, I made plans to move forward and then reality-checked those plans based on research and help from others.
  • Instead of half-committing, I went all in with a focus on being my best and bringing my best. That involved extensive reading from multiple sources, observing others, evaluating what works and what doesn’t, and planning and executing toward well-thought goals.

The interesting thing is that it’s not actually about success as an end goal. Whether you win or lose, flourish or fail, what happens is that you learn to respect yourself, trust yourself, and embrace the processes along your journey. This is where fulfilment actually lies – not in the outcome!

In other words, playing big is a process. If you learn to embrace and love the process, you will get the reward of satisfaction, and integrity and you will live a more authentic life.

Summary

A lot of people play small in life because it keeps them safe – but the downside is a sense of frustration and dissatisfaction.

Playing small comes about from the interplay of physiological and psychological factors – things you have experienced, and things that you tell yourself.

To break out of playing small and start playing big, you need to do a lot of work on your mindset and to rewire your old, unhelpful habits.

When you start challenging and rewiring your thoughts and taking actions from a more conscious and conscientious point of view, you will live a more fulfilling life that is more authentic and meaningful.

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#254 The Insecurity Project and Being an Exceptional Coach with Jaemin Frazer

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The Insecurity Project and Being an Exceptional Coach with Jaemin Frazer

Today I interviewed writer, speaker and coach Jaemin Frazer on his work on The Insecurity Project, what it takes to be an exceptional coach, and how insecurity is a problem that can be solved.  Jaemin is currently writing his fifth book about self-permission.  

To learn more about Jaemin:

Visit his website

Listen to his podcast

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#253 Maximising Your Conference Spend

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Maximising Your Conference Spend

If you’re attending the HCANZA conference for health and wellness coaches in August – or any other conference – how can you make sure that you get the most out of your spend? Today I’ll share some tips and tricks to help you maximise your return on investment at conferences so you aren’t just getting information, you are also implementing what you learn. 

Identify Your Goal 

If you’re attending a conference like the HCANZA conference, there is a lot going on over the few days and it can be both immersive and overwhelming. 

In this episode, we’ll cover 
* Identify your goal
* Identify key learnings
* Follow up and follow through
* Deeper reflection on your vision

I feel it’s really important to identify what you want to get out of the conference in advance.  

Perhaps your goal is about learning specific things or being across cutting-edge industry updates. In either case, there might be certain presentations you’re particularly interested in, specific course providers you want to talk to, or people you want to meet. Look at the program and work those things out in advance so you have clear goals around learning. 

What if your goal is more around networking? Dig a little deeper and consider what specifically would you get from that networking? Perhaps you are thinking about building a community. Perhaps it’s about finding a collaborative partner to deliver services with. Or maybe it’s about finding others you can refer clients to if they are not within your niche or scope. 

If you’re introverted, your goal might be to talk to a set number of people over the course of the conference, rather than be stuck in a corner only talking to people you know. 

These are some of the reasons why you might attend a conference of any sort and some of the goals you might like to think about. Right now, I invite you to reflect on what you want to get out of that conference and write down a few goals. 

Identify Key Learnings  

I don’t know about you, but when I attend a conference, I get so caught up in the energy and interactions that I find myself running on adrenaline and floating around the room with excitement. 

Or you might find yourself immersed in the learning, or even overwhelmed with sensory overload. 

This is why reflection is so important during the conference, so you can ground yourself and pull back into the value of the conference for you personally. 

This period of reflection is so valuable for identifying key learnings along the way and how you might follow up, use or implement those learnings. 

For example, if you attend a presentation that you love, reflect on that session immediately afterwards and use the conference notepad to outline a few key insights or learnings, how you will apply them, and when you will do that (schedule them in). 

Similarly, if you have met a person that you’d like to reconnect with, consider the reason for reconnecting so you have a clear agenda, and then book the time with them during the conference.  

The goal is to squeeze as much as you can out of your time there and maximise the opportunities that present – to make it worth your while! 

Follow Up and Follow Through 

It’s easy to avoid doing the things that seemed exciting at the moment – but following up with your contacts and following through with your tasks are two important parts of realising the return on your conference investment. 

Following up with people can be the easier bit – especially if you’ve already identified the agenda for your meeting. 

Following through with tasks can be harder to do – sometimes they seem unimportant or not as urgent as other things and they get pushed to the back. 

For example, let’s say you identified a great training course that would help you build your skills in a particular area or some further reading on a topic – but you feel too busy right now.  I recommend you enquire about the course or schedule the further reading anyway – because that at least gets the ball rolling. 

Scheduling those non-urgent activities is an essential part of following through and continuing to grow professionally. Being accountable to yourself is an important skill that builds confidence, self-belief and efficacy. 

Deeper Reflect on Your Vision 

Separate to following up and following through is the bigger-picture reflection that I like to do. This is where the magic of personal and professional growth often comes from, and it helps you stress test your vision to see if it is still current and in the right direction. 

I like to reflect on what I learned overall, what it means to me or my business, and how I will tangibly implement those insights. The more specific you are the better – and scheduling any next actions ensures they get done. 

For example, at a recent conference, I learned about some key trends in my niche sector. I have scheduled time to reflect on these, how they impact my business, and what sorts of actions I need to take or messaging I need to develop to capitalise on these trends.  

Your reflections might be different to this e.g. discovering a new area of science that you’d like to learn about and how that might impact your clients. 

The point is that you do the reflection at the big picture level so you can align and refine your vision.  

Summary 

Conferences offer a great opportunity to connect, build community and learn. But as we all know, information can have a profound impact on your business and life – but only if you implement it! 

If you want to maximise your spending on the conference, I covered a few ways that you can milk all you can out of attending so that you achieve personal and professional growth. 

The key points of today’s episode were around being intentional – making plans and goals, grounding yourself via reflection, following through and reviewing your vision.

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#250 What You Must Do to Be Confident: Unleashing Your Inner Power

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What You Must Do to Be Confident: Unleashing Your Inner Power

Are you struggling with confidence in your coaching business or even just generally in your life? I’d love to share some powerful concepts on what you must do to be more confident, from the work of master coach Dan Sullivan and other experts in the coaching field.

Confidence is not an innate trait but rather a quality that can be developed and strengthened.

Today we are going to delve into some powerful concepts shared by master coach Dan Sullivan and other experts in the coaching field. By understanding the ingredients of confidence and implementing the strategies we talk about, you can unlock your inner power and become more confident in your business and personal endeavours.

In this episode, we’ll cover 
* Understanding the Ingredients of Confidence
* Cultivating Commitment: The Foundation of Confidence
* Embracing Courage: The Catalyst for Growth
* Unveiling Confidence: The Reward of Commitment and Courage

Understanding the Ingredients of Confidence

Listening to coach Dan Sullivan recently, I heard a very powerful concept that summarises what you need to do to be more confident.

Firstly, don’t just expect that you can be confident before you start your business or a new venture. Some people are naturally confident, but there are two conditions that must occur in order to become confident.

What are those ingredients? Commitment and courage. These qualities work in tandem to create a solid foundation for your confidence journey. Let’s explore each of these elements in more detail.

Cultivating Commitment: The Foundation of Confidence

True confidence begins with a deep commitment to your ideas, goals, and personal growth. By committing to your vision, you demonstrate a willingness to try new things and persist in the face of obstacles.

Commitment means committing to your idea, to try new things, and to persist whether you fail or succeed along the way.

Without commitment, you won’t persist long enough to truly experience and go through the journey of developing something new and learning new skills, so you won’t understand it, and therefore may not become confident.

To unleash your inner power, learn how to cultivate commitment and embrace the determination required to navigate the challenges that come your way.

I think that one way to do this is to leverage the Be, Do, Have model created by spiritual guru Ram Dass.

The model explains that most people think that the more they do the more they will have and the happier they will be. The issue with this is that it’s a carrot-and-stick model, which means you will only be happy when you do enough to have enough. Meantime, your self-esteem is linked to the amount of work you do which leaves you at risk of overwork, exhaustion and burnout.

The secret to being happy isn’t having more things or doing too much. It’s about who you are as a person. This is clearly a mindset exercise.

To build commitment to your business following the Be, Do, Have model, you would embrace and embody the traits of someone who is already successful in business. For example, you would back yourself. You would be decisive and trust your decisions. You know that the right person is out there to be your client and you are seeking them to give them the help and support they need.

When you embrace this mindset and live and breathe the successful version of yourself, you are essentially going ‘all in’ and committing to your future endeavour.

That leads to the second ingredient – courage.

Embracing Courage: The Catalyst for Growth

Courage is required to commit. They go hand in hand. You need courage to put yourself out there, be wrong, and fail.

When you are committed and have courage, you work through the teething problems to get a result.

And part of that result is confidence.

Confidence isn’t the thing you start with, it’s the reward and outcome of having commitment and courage.

Courage is the force that propels you to take risks and step outside your comfort zone. It is the willingness to put yourself out there, accept the possibility of failure, and learn from your mistakes.

By embracing courage, you develop resilience and expand your capabilities. You become strong because you tried and learned, and you realised that you can do this no matter what the outcome. That means you become determined can persist, and face setbacks more easily.

The key to becoming courageous is to develop strategies to overcome fear and tap into your inner strength, which enables you to face challenges head-on and grow as a result.

One simple way to do this is to set stretch goals. I talked about these in an earlier podcast – effectively it means stretching yourself outside your comfort zone to do things that feel harder and uncomfortable.

This is an incredible growth catalyst and accelerator!

Unveiling Confidence: The Reward of Commitment and Courage

Right at the start of this podcast, I said that confidence is not something you have from the start; it is a reward that emerges from your commitment and courage.

As you use commitment and courage to persist in your business ventures and embrace the challenges that arise, you gain incredible wisdom along the way that creates confidence.

You develop a deeper understanding of your industry, and new skills, and you learn how to overcome obstacles. With each step forward, you strengthen your confidence and reinforce your belief in yourself and your abilities.

Then you get to enjoy the transformative power of confidence and the impact it can have on your business and personal life, to do bigger and better things.

Summary

Confidence is a journey that requires commitment, courage, and a growth-oriented mindset.

By cultivating these qualities, you can unleash your inner power and become more confident in your coaching business and beyond.

The Be, Do, Have Model and Stretch Goals are two strategies you can use to help you on the journey to becoming more confident.

Remember that confidence is not a destination but an ongoing process of growth and self-discovery.

Embrace the ingredients of confidence, face challenges with determination and resilience, and watch as your confidence blossoms, paving the way for success and fulfilment in all areas of your life.

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#249 Communication Skills, Health and Wellness with Executive Communication Coach Laurie Schloff

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Communication Skills, Health and Wellness with Executive Communication Coach Laurie Schloff

Today I speak with executive communication coach, Laurie Schloff who believes there is truly a deep relationship between communication and health and wellness.

Laurie’s work is helping professionals to achieve outstanding relationships and results through communication.

As a renowned master coach and author of three books, she is a specialist in the field of corporate communication. She is a recognized expert for adding to clients’ talents and toolboxes in the areas of:

  • Presentation skills
  • Conference coaching
  • Leadership communication
  • Fear of speaking
  • Leading and facilitating meetings
  • Speech clarity for non-native speakers
  • Communication program development
  • Certificate in Communication Coaching program

Laurie’s clients include Bain Capital, Fidelity Investments, MassMutual, Allstate, State Street, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, TJX, Pegasystems, and Johns Hopkins.

“He and She Talk”, “Speech Gems”, and “Smart Speaking”, the three internationally-translated books Laurie has written, offer practical solutions to communication problems most organizations and individuals face.

Smart Speaking https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Speaking-Sixty-Second-Strategies/dp/0615460607#immersive-view_1686176055733

He & She Talk: How to Communicate with the Opposite Sex https://a.co/d/5vHnVbN

Twenty Twinkling Stars children’s book – Fundraiser https://a.co/d/dPh4seE

Her website is www.partnersincommunication.com. Listeners can sign up for an initial call there or email her there directly.

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#248 6 Tips to Transition from Work to Business Launch

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6 Tips to Transition from Work to Business Launch

Are you working full-time and trying to start a coaching business on the side? It’s exciting to think about leaving your doldrum job to launch a business that is meaningful and purposeful. But launching a business takes a fair amount of creative thinking, strategic planning and hard work to implement. How do you juggle the demands of work and make time to start your business?  

I’ll share my 6 top tips today – and a link to other tips in my previous episode on this topic. 

In this episode, we’ll cover 
* Commit and Go All In
* Your Special Workspace
* Your Ideas Diary
* Refresh Your Ideas and Mind
* Create Boundaries
* Set Focused, Achievable Goals

Starting a side hustle is pretty common. In September 2022, ABC Australia stated that more than ever, Australians are creating ‘side hustle businesses’, with a record 167,646 new businesses in the 2020/21 financial year.  

Of those, more than 80% were sole traders, where people were monetizing a hobby.  

What we know is that trying to juggle full-time work and a side hustle that becomes your part or full-time gig is stressful, time-consuming and can lead to burnout. Even if you’re a health and wellness coach with all the tools to stay resilient, we all have the same amount of time and are subject to pressure, stress and overwhelm that gets in the way of starting a business. 

I’ve had several conversations in the past four weeks with coaches who are facing very busy periods and finding themselves stalling and procrastinating about their business. 

Some of you are listening. I hear the stress in your voice. I hear the despair and the frustration and the ‘two steps forward, one step back.’ 

I understand that when the pressure of your job and life get too great, you can’t achieve your business startup goals and you feel despondent and start to doubt yourself. 

So how do you make the transition a bit easier? 

Commit and go All In 

This might seem obvious but if you commit yourself to starting your business then you’ll find the motivation, persistence and grit you need to succeed. 

If you have a ‘let’s try and see how it goes’ attitude, you will probably lack the commitment you need to make it work. Half-hearted attitudes get half-baked results. 

You need to commit to yourself that you will start a business and make it work in order to visualise what it will look like, why it matters, and identify the critical path and related goals to get there. 

Your Special Workspace 

My clients talk a lot about needing space. So my first tip is to start by giving yourself a distraction-free, special place to create, brainstorm, plan and get immersed into your business. 

Make it pretty, compartmentalised, and appealing so that it feels like a sanctuary where you can do great work.  

Further, make sure you have that same separation in your business tools. A unique email address. A unique Dropbox folder or Google profile. 

And set up a specific planner with all your tasks listed so that when you arrive in your special place, you open up your business-specific stuff and know exactly what to do, without distraction.

Use An Ideas Diary 

When I was in my late teens I started an exercise book where I could jot down all my crazy ideas. The front cover says Crazy Ideas in big letters. 

The function of this idea diary is to get all the stuff out of your head and onto paper so it doesn’t swirl around in there and create a big pile of things that you feel you have to remember, and so that you can sort through it later and weed out all the good ideas that are realistic and achievable.  

This is so important if you’re working full time, because you have a thousand other things in your head, and it’s disappointing to lose a good idea and stressful to try and hang onto them in your head. It can create tension, overwhelm and fear of forgetting things so you end up ruminating in order to try to remember everything. 

The ideas diary is amazing. Carry it around with you to get all that good stuff out of your head and make sure you capture it all. Later you can review and refine your ideas.   

The act of writing it down is also important to avoid acting impulsively in the moment and heading off into uncharted waters that go nowhere. Often, what seems like a good idea in the heat of the moment often ends up being trash – but you don’t see that at the time and it can be tempting to just take action due to time limitations, without really considering if these ideas have merit. 

When you revisit your diary you can weed out the great ones. Sometimes there are even learnings in the crazy ones. 

Do this and you’ll get better at decision-making, evaluating ideas, and choosing a focused, realistic and workable path. 

Refresh Your Ideas and Mind 

When you start a business outside of a paid job, you have small windows of time to generate ideas and concepts for your business. In that time-limited situation, it’s easy to fall into the trap of second-guessing your ideas and doubting whether they are sane and realistic, simply because you don’t have the time to fully explore evaluate and stress test your ideas. 

That’s why the ideas diary is important.  

But further, when you have great ideas, don’t keep them secret – start sharing snippets of them with people you know. Friends, business associates, colleagues, and potential clients. Get their feedback. 

Each little snippet of feedback helps you validate your ideas and see different perspectives. 

When I have an idea, I always run it past at least two people to gauge their reaction. Often, the positive response helps me to feel invigorated about my business. Any neutral feedback allows me to re-evaluate my ideas. 

Here’s one example – podcast topics. If I’ve run out of ideas, I might brainstorm a few and ask people for opinions on whether that’s of interest and why. Or I might even ask someone else for suggestions! 

Create Boundaries 

Your business is a living, evolving thing that requires constant attention, thought and iteration. If you’re constantly working late, putting other people first, doing things you don’t want to do for someone else’s sake, or taking on too much, then your business will suffer. 

It’s important to both schedule dedicated time for your business, and to also protect the time you set aside to work on your business so that you give it the attention it needs and so you can achieve the goals you set for yourself. 

Creating boundaries also applies to carving out not-negotiable time to see clients if you are in a service-based business. 

Set Focused, Achievable Goals 

The saying goes, it’s no good rowing hard if you are heading in the wrong direction. 

It’s so relevant to your business, especially if you have limited time and are trying to keep moving forward despite everything else. 

You will absolutely move forward if you are focused on one or two things, you can more easily set realistic and achievable goals and actually succeed. 

The 5-4-3-2-1-90-30 planning process I use with my clients is a testament to how focused outcome goals create clear action steps that are easily achieved. 

Just last week, one of my clients finished a 5-month block with me and she mentioned how much more she got done because she had clearly identified her focus areas for that time. 

She felt good because she’d set and achieved goals, and we’d celebrated them. 

It’s not rocket science, and it works if you are consistent with it.  

Summary 

Having a business is exciting but it takes a lot of time and energy, especially if you are working full-time and building the business on the side. 

Today’s six tips; creating commitment, creating a special workplace, using an ideas diary, refreshing your ideas and mind, creating boundaries, and setting focused and achievable goals, are a simple formula to help you get your business ticking along in the background in a focused and efficient way that is both energizing and rewarding. 

Which of these tips will you try first? 

Other episodes on this topic include: 

E49 – From Job to Business – Managing Time Expectations  

E135 – Transitioning from Job to Business 

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#243 How to Gain Self-Confidence

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How to Gain Self-Confidence

A lot of people struggle with impostor syndrome – that they don’t know enough, that they aren’t far enough ahead of their niche clients, or that they aren’t a good enough role model – not perfect enough. If you want to be successful in business, impostor syndrome needs to be addressed. In this episode, we cover how to gain self-confidence – in the most effective ways. 

In this episode, we’ll cover 
* Is self-confidence gained through discipline?
* Tackling the impostor with more helpful, compassionate thinking
* Becoming your own friend
* Celebrating your wins
* Skills development
* Support seeking

Background 

Let’s be clear: self-confidence can absolutely be built without any accompanying impostor syndrome. But when learning new things or stepping into bigger roles, impostor syndrome is unfortunately common. 

Working with coaching students and graduates, and even other professionals, I find so many of them have imposter syndrome.  

How do you deal with that? It’s easy to tell yourself that you’ve “just got to stop comparing yourself to others” or that you “need to do another training course” or something like that.  

Have you tried that? How did that go for you? 

I’ve been on that merry-go-round myself, many years ago, and I can say for certain that it doesn’t work. I think it’s because those sorts of thoughts sound more like a punishment than something that’s helpful. 

That’s why I wanted to talk about the self-confidence mindset and tips for becoming self-confident – so that you can become more self-confident at work, at play and in relationships.  

We Think Self-Confidence is Gained Through Discipline – But Is It? 

It’s tempting to think that we can simply just use discipline to make ourselves do things that are hard or that are necessary, even if we don’t feel capable in that moment.  

But how do you speak to yourself in that moment when you feel like an impostor?  

Do you put on a stern voice, and tell yourself to “put the big girl pants on and just get on with it?” Or to “stop playing small and just put yourself out there?” 

These might look like motivational statements or affirmations on the outside, but there’s also judgement in them. And the more you say them, the more you entrench yourself in what I call a ‘judgement loop’.  

In my experience, these statements are rarely said with a tone of compassion or empathy. 

Think about a friend who felt like an impostor. Would you use that same voice and say the same things to them? 

Probably not. 

And even if you manage to put the impostor aside and take action, chances are that you’re still speaking judgementally to yourself.  

You might think things like: “Well that didn’t work”, or “Everyone there was better than me”, or “I’ll never do that again.” You might even feel like such a fraud that you’re feeling guilty about lying to the audience or letting people down. 

And there are other contexts that we speak to ourselves in these ways too, like when you started your business, or your skills at marketing, or that you might fail.  

What does that tell you? Well, it says that your thoughts are the problem, and therefore that it’s a systemic issue that needs to be resolved. 

My opinion is that discipline can be helpful if it’s used wisely, but it is not necessarily helpful in beating impostor syndrome and building self-confidence. 

Tackling the Impostor with More Helpful, Compassionate Thinking 

The interesting thing is that even if some of those statements are true, it’s not helpful for you to think that way, and, you have a choice as to whether you think that way about yourself or not.  

This talks about how to gain self-confidence, and the answer starts with how you talk to yourself. 

I want to help you to see that you have a choice in the way you speak to yourself and that this could have a huge impact on how confident you feel and therefore whether you can take action or not, and therefore how successful you are. 

Imagine what would happen if you swapped your “I’m no good, I can’t do this” thoughts for something more compassionate and supportive, like “Come on give it your best shot”, or “Come on take action keep going!”  

Firstly, how would you feel if you spoke to yourself that way instead?  

How would that feeling affect your motivation to take action?  

How would that affect your sense of self-worth? 

How would that affect your determination and persistence? 

Turning this into a habit is the work you’re looking at. Thought watching, catching the beat myself up language and replacing it with more helpful, compassionate thoughts. 

Journalling can be an immensely supportive part of this process because it gives you a tangible way to document, see and alter the thoughts you have each day. 

Gain Self-confidence by Becoming Your Own Friend 

Going back to the earlier concept I mentioned, considering how you might speak to a friend who felt like this is another way to think about beating impostor syndrome and gaining confidence. 

Imagine if you were your own best friend, and you admired yourself unreservedly and had your back at every opportunity? 

Your ability to build confidence might become way easier and faster. 

I was listening to a Dan Sullivan podcast recently and he described this experience he had years ago. He was asked how he managed to put the impostor syndrome aside and build a thriving coaching business 30 years ago. 

His answer was that he started treating himself like a friend and developed that relationship with himself and everything changed. 

Now 30 years on, he is one of the most successful, richest and best-known men in the business world. 

What if you were more compassionate, gave yourself permission, supported yourself when you failed and encouraged yourself when you tried? 

Give it a go.  

And then – follow up with my next tip. 

Gain Self Confidence through Celebrating Wins 

Most of the people I know who lack self-confidence do exactly ZERO celebrating their own wins. 

This is the simplest and most painless way I know to build self-confidence. 

Celebrate 2-3 wins you’ve had, every day. 

In coaching sessions with my clients, if they are hard on themselves or beating themselves up for lack of progress, I reflect on how far they have come in the past 3, 6 months etc. Even though they are aware of what they’ve done, celebrating the win provides an eye-opening response and they become more self-accepting, aware of their progress and validated. 

Gain Self-confidence with Skills-Development 

If you try and fail at something, there are lessons to be learned.  

Although it feels ‘hard’ and uncomfortable to fail, instead of beating yourself up or crawling back under your rock – you can identify which skills you need to learn, then make a plan to learn! 

I’m not talking about hiding behind 100 courses instead of actually doing what you want to do. I’m talking about getting help to learn how to do things or do a short course for a specific skill. 

For example, let’s say you are great at attracting leads to your business, but people drop off at the sales call. A few things could be going wrong here.  

Maybe it’s the way the conversation goes. Maybe the value proposition isn’t clear enough. Maybe your leads aren’t ready to change or buy. Maybe the options sound too hard or overwhelming. 

Finding out why they’ve said no, and getting some help to have better conversations, are two skills you can develop to help you nail it in future. 

What do you need help with right now? 

Gain Self Confidence through Support Seeking 

Finally, most people don’t talk to themselves nicely, celebrate wins, or work on developing skills. They sit back and judge themselves instead because it is a comfortable and familiar pattern. 

Seeking support to uncover what you’re doing and why, and then to develop these habits I’ve mentioned, is a key element to your success. 

That’s what coaching is all about! So the short of it is – working with your own coach can help you become better at self-confidence much faster and outgrow the unhelpful patterns you’ve had before.  How important is it for you to invest in yourself right now? 

Summary 

Today we talked about how to gain self-confidence. And while you can build confidence without feeling a sense of impostor syndrome, it’s rare that it happens that way. 

We talked about why forcing yourself to do something (discipline) can lead to unhelpful, judgemental thoughts that keep you in a judgement loop. 

I offered four ways for you to build confidence without feeling like an impostor: 

  1. Develop the habit of more compassionate thinking  
  2. Become your own friend and develop the habit of treating yourself like one 
  3. Develop the habit of celebrating wins 
  4. Develop the habit of analysing performance and doing targeted skills development 
  5. Develop the habit of seeking support with points 1 – 4, until they become habits. 

If you would like to work with a coach around your self-confidence, get in touch via my contact page and I can support you or refer you to someone who works in this space. 

E73 – three best ways to build self-confidence 

E74 – confidence in your coaching skills 

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

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E#242 Confidence in Your Coaching Business with Nadine Crawford

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Confidence in Your Coaching Business with Nadine Crawford

Today I interviewed health and wellness coach Nadine Crawford of Future You Wellness. We talk about her marketing, traction and confidence in the 6 months after she graduated with her Professional Certificate of Health and Wellness Coaching from Wellness Coaching Australia.

Nadine shares some insights on what’s worked, and what hasn’t, and how being authentic is an important asset to help you find the confidence you need to persist and win.

In this episode, we’ll cover
* Marketing strategies; speaking, direct contact and networking
* Trials and experiments
* The power of a HCANZA membership
* Leveraging credibility to attract clients and referral partner
* What has worked and what hasn’t for Nadine
* How being yourself, peer coaching and doing things your way boosts your confidence in business

If you would like to connect with Nadine, visit:

⁠LinkedIn Profile⁠ ⁠

YouTube Channel⁠

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#236 How to Grow and Scale Your Business with a Virtual Assistant

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How to Grow and Scale Your Business with a Virtual Assistant

How does engaging a Virtual Assistant (VA) help you to grow and scale your business?

By taking over the tasks that frustrate you, or that you’re not good at – like marketing and being consistent online! A VA helps you grow and scale by freeing up more time and helping you get more headspace to focus on your income-earning work.

As the next episode in a series on how to grow your business and revenue, I talk to Kristy Smith, Founder of Virtual Elves, to discuss what types of tasks VAs typically complete, the benefits and value of using a VA, what’s required to engage a VA properly, and how to hand over tasks to a VA among other things.

In this episode, I’ll talk about 
* How Kristy Smith Started a VA Business
* How VAs can help you
* What onboarding a VA looks like at Virtual Elves
* How to hand over work easily to free up your time and energy

Kristy Smith is the founder of Virtual Elves and has worked with many businesses helping them to develop the strategies, methods and tools for effective outsourcing. She shows them how, with outsourcing, they can scale, grow and be profitable. She is known for her ability to see how businesses can operate in a more efficient way, and for walking business owners through the process. She uses her own business growth, mistakes and lessons learnt to give hands-on practical strategies that can be implemented immediately.

I’ll provide her contact details at the end of this episode!

Virtual Elves started in 2009 with just Kristy at the helm and now boasts an international team of over 50 virtual assistants, graphic designers, web developers and other various contractors.

Kristy is a popular expert in her field for guest podcasts and Entrepreneur education groups such as The Entourage and Her Business.

Prior to founding Virtual Elves, Kristy managed large teams and implemented front office processes and customer service training for private hospitals and 5-star hotels. A mother of two teens, she lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with her husband and family.

If you’d like to connect with Kristy Smith and/or Virtual Elves:

www.virtualelves.com.au 

www.facebook.com/virtualelves

www.twitter.com/virtualelves

https://www.instagram.com/kristysmithinc/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/virtualelves/

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

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E#235 3 Proven Strategies to Grow and Scale Your Business

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3 Proven Strategies to Grow and Scale Your Business

In this current podcast series dedicated to business and revenue growth, let’s talk about three proven strategies you can use to grow and scale your business – even if you’re relatively new to the business and have a few paying clients. Two of these methods discussed today do NOT require you to find new clients – which is often the most costly and time-consuming way of building your business. That means you can improve revenue immediately!

Background

When your business reaches a certain size, you might find yourself working at full capacity in terms of the hours you can physically work or the clients you can physically service in your business.

In this episode, I’ll talk about 
* Upgrading Your Systems
* Changing Your Prices
* Increasing the Offers

You may reach an upper limit of income or find that your start-up business systems (e.g. manual invoicing) are inadequate and time-consuming to manage.

While there are no immediate problems with either scenario, a business that relies solely on you presents a level of ‘risk’.

What happens to the business if you get sick? What if you want time off? And how can you outgrow your expenses and start making a real profit?

These are just three of many considerations that might inspire you to grow or at least improve efficiencies in your business.

There is a saying that goes, ‘If your business isn’t growing, it’s shrinking.’

If you want to grow your business and revenue, there are several options.

Here are three of the easiest options for businesses in the early stages of growth (‘seed’) who have some customers and are ready to expand their reach, sales and profit.

Upgrading Your Systems

Upgrading your systems becomes a relevant growth strategy if you have reached a limit as to how many clients you can see, and therefore how much money you can earn.

Before you consider upgrading, you’d want to make sure you have regular cashflow and enough profit margin to cover the costs you will incur via systems upgrades.

Two ways of upgrading your systems include:

– Getting specialist help (outsourcing) and

– moving away from manual systems into more automated ones.

Either or both of these can free you up to service more clients. Let’s look at each in turn.

Upgrading by Outsourcing

Thinking about the outsourcing, hiring specialist contractors is an easy way to get qualified help when you are busy or need help in a specific area. This is known as a ‘business to business’ arrangement whereby you engage another business to complete specific work or tasks within your business.

It is also helpful if you don’t want the burden of buying and setting up software (e.g. accounting software) and just want someone to do it for you.

If you are considering outsourcing, you might not have the workload or cash flow to employ someone permanently, but they could do some monotonous but important tasks for you, or cope with irregular busy periods, so that your time is freed up to service more clients.

For example:

· Hiring independent contract coaches can be helpful for irregular work e.g.

  • busy periods
  • when you go on holiday.

· Alternatively, outsourcing allows you to hand over specific tasks or regular roles to an expert e.g.

  • virtual assistant
  • bookkeeper
  • accountant
  • marketing consultant
  • IT professional.

I will be talking more specifically about VA’s in the next episode of this podcast.

If you do any outsourcing, you would need to have a formal signed agreement in place before work commences, which clearly outlines the scope of work, specific duties and payment arrangements.

You’d need to have some clear policies in place about privacy, conduct and other things that state your expectations around quality of work and expected behaviour, and procedures to help hand over specific tasks.

Upgrading by Automating Tasks

When you start a business, you’re often doing a lot of things manually. For example:

  • Creating invoices in Microsoft Word.
  • Keeping track of clients in a log book, or an Excel worksheet.
  • Posting your social media posts one at a time on each platform.
  • Manually writing individual, separate emails to your customers, before, during and after programs.

When you switch these manual systems to automated processes and/or use software, you can save yourself a lot of time and mistakes, which frees you up to coach more clients.

Examples include:

  • Using dedicated financial software like WaveApps (free), Quickbooks, or Xero
  • Using a social media scheduling tool instead of manually posting (e.g. RecurPost, HootSuite)
  • Using an email system like Mailchimp or Mailerlite
  • Using a booking system like Calendly or Acuity Scheduling. For more info on these, you can listen to episode #105 Best Essential Business Systems or episode #106 Best Advanced Business Systems.

Increasing Your Prices

When your business reaches a certain level, a very simple strategy to grow your income without any cost to you, or without working extra hours, is to repackage services and/or raise prices.

For example, you might decide to:

  • raise prices by 10% and may also offer a bonus downloadable training course with your program – which raises the tangible value of your services and makes the increase more palatable with only a one-off labour cost, or
  • raise prices by 15% and re-position yourself as a highly experienced specialist in one area of coaching –raising your tangible value, or
  • creating a group coaching model to increase ROI
  • develop a premium (high-priced) specialty service.

There are many pricing strategies to choose from.

Pick the one that best suits your niche, your level of expertise and your business and lifestyle (working hours) goals. Work with a business coach to create the right strategy for you. You might also be interested in my podcast episode #202 Should I show pricing on my website?

Increasing the Options

When you start out in business, you’re often just focusing on doing one or two things well, becoming known, and getting a good reputation.

As you start to get more customers, you will start to see more opportunities to work with people in different ways.

By increasing the number of service options you have, you can grow your business and revenue.

For example:

– A short, DIY program with email support provides a low-cost entry point for people who are interested in working on one small problem they have (e.g. establishing a bedtime ritual for better sleep).

This means you are getting some income for very little live client time and gives them a step into your main program. This equates to more money for less time and effort (note: you would still need to promote this program regularly in order to sell it).

– A 1:1 program is now available as a small group program

This means you are earning more money per session, and also building a community of like-minded people who work with you and connect with each other. They are more likely to want to stay connected.

– Your initial 8-week program is now followed up with a 6-month maintenance program (VIP high-end pricing for individuals or mastermind, or moderate price for groups) or a membership.

This means you are keeping customers longer, earning more money and/or over a longer period, and helping your clients get next-level results after their initial program has finished.

– A higher value program where you add specific resources, a welcome pack, or package up other services or products such as meditation playlists, or a recipe book.

This means you can earn more money in the same amount of time.

One important caveat is this – keep your number of available services to 3 or 4, maximum. Otherwise, you risk entering the paradox of choice, where customers walk away without making a decision as there are too many options or difficulties in making the best choice.

Summary 

When you are coaching enough clients that you hit a ceiling of available time or income, or if you notice opportunities to help clients more or for longer, there are a few strategies you can do to take your business to the next level.

We talked about just three of the options today, including

  • Upgrading your systems
  • Increasing your pricing, and
  • Creating more options for working with you (but not too many).

If you need help developing business and revenue growth strategies to suit your business and niche, contact me to join my private coaching waitlist, which runs for five months in February and June of each year.

My private coaching programs usually sell out within a week of advertising, and you need to qualify to be a part of them. To enquire or join the waitlist, hit up my contact page and I’ll get back to you!

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#234 The Connoisseur of Time: An Invitation to Presence with Dr Joel Bennett

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The Connoisseur of Time: An Invitation to Presence with Dr Joel Bennett

If you’re racing through your day struggling to manage your appointments and be present with your clients; if you’re stuck in your head worrying if you have enough clients, or whether you know enough; if you’re trying to get a lot done and procrastinating or experiencing overwhelm, then this episode is for you.

I’m interviewing Dr Joel Bennett, PhD, CWP, is CEO of Organizational Wellness & Learning Systems (OWLS), whose mission is to catalyse healthy cultures and communities from the inside out with science. OWLS programs, many tested in clinical trials, have reached over 250,000 workers.

In this episode, I’ll talk about 
* Presence and resonance
* The inspiration for the book: The Connoisseur of Time
* How changing your relationship with time supports better coaching and business growth
* How being present creates more satisfying relationships

Dr Bennett’s programs, shown to reduce behavioural health risks and improve the work climate, have been recognized as effective by the US Surgeon General. Dr. Bennett is the author/co-author of over 30 peer-reviewed scientific articles and seven books, including “The Connoisseur of Time: An Invitation to Presence” (available for free at www.presencequest.life). He lives in Texas with his wife Jan and relishes mysticism.

If you’d like to connect with Dr Joel, please visit: Becoming present: www.presencequest.life Resilience Coach Training Certification: 

https://organizationalwellness.com/pages/resilience-coach-and-consultant-certification Stress management tools and toolkits:

Toolkits

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#232 The Work Habits of Self-Made Millionaires

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The Work Habits of Self-Made Millionaires

As a coach, you probably know about the power of keystone habits. But did you know that self-made millionaires share some keystone habits that helped propel them to success? This fourth episode about business and revenue growth highlights the importance of daily health-based routines as a foundation to show up with the right energy, mindset and well-being to achieve success more easily.

It’s no surprise that being healthy and having healthy routines is the platform for business revenue and growth.

In this episode, I’ll talk about 
* 5 Habits that Millionaires have in common
* How to get started with your own success habits

If you think about it, how you treat yourself and what you do for yourself has a profound effect on your mood, attitude, energy, health, sleep and stress – and your ability to show up and do your work well, even on the hardest of days. And those things directly affect your business and revenue growth!

So what are the keystone habits that could bring you success? A 5-year study of 233 self-made millionaires and 128 poor individuals by Tom Corely, author of the book Rich, found some common habits that helped them achieve their success.

This episode is on the edge of a bigger project I am initiating which I think you’ll like – and I’ll reveal more in about a year after I’m finished.

For now, I will give you a hint about my project – while the points I’m about to mention are keystone habits of a bunch of millionaires – not EVERY millionaire surveyed had all of these habits. And rather than just following this list, I encourage you to come up with your OWN success habits.

So let’s dive into the list of key habits.

While you listen, reflect on how many of these do you do. Or, what’s your version of these?

Reading

In Corley’s study, 86% of self-made millionaires spent at least an hour reading after work, usually self-improvement books. Only 2% of the average income earners were doing that.

I loved this because I start and finish my day with reading. Marketing and business books in the morning, and fiction in the evening, is how I like to roll.

For me, reading something non-fiction in the morning sets me up with a positive, inspired and focused mindset for the day. Reading non-fiction at night (and sometimes in the morning) helps me switch off from work or get lost in a story when I’m feeling a bit fragile.

I think the upshot is that reading helps you to feel positive, to grow, to engage in stories, and to separate yourself from the stresses of life. It boosts your vocabulary and helps you relate to others in a similar way.

If you’re not a reader, you might be into journalling, or a podcast listener, or an e-book listener. Work with your learning style on this one.

Or if you’re not into any of these – totally ok!

Exercise

Consistent exercise was another keystone habit of the millionaires in Corley’s study.

This makes perfect sense. After a busy day (or before one), exercise gets you up, out of your head and into your body. It helps you to maintain good physical and metabolic health, and to release endorphins that help you to feel good.

During exercise, you get time to reflect, plan, and dream, collect your thoughts and step out of the day-to-day stuff. You get a chance to blow off some steam and release tension.

Exercise helps you to get into the habit of setting and achieving goals, helping you to stay competitive with yourself and perhaps others, too. This obviously helps to build self-esteem.

Last week I went for a 5km run with a friend. It was tough but there was a sense of ‘instant gratification’ when we finished. In that 30-minute run, I got myself to finish, therefore I got a tangible result (doing the run), and I felt strong, amazing, invincible even!

Exercise also helps you get into the habit of creating schedules. You also bring in an element of discipline both within the workout, and in getting yourself to do the workout.

Do you exercise? Why or why not?

How does exercise make you feel?

What are some of the benefits for you?

Sleeping

The Sleep Foundation shares a list of recommended sleep hours for each age group. Adults need 7 – 9 hours per day to function optimally, or at least a minimum of 6.4 hours per day.

Corley found that the millionaires in his study slept at least 7 hours per night.

Sleep research shows that sleep gives the body a chance to undergo a tune up. At different times of night, the body goes through cycles of physical recovery and repair, processing and embedding memories, and mental rejuvenation.

It’s no wonder that the amount of time you sleep is linked to success. It affects memory, mood, cognitive function and physical health.

Interestingly, each person’s bedtime is unique, according to their chronobiology.

How is your sleep? What is the optimal amount for you?

Thinking Time

It’s no surprise that most of the millionaires in Corley’s study carved out time to think or brainstorm. We spend so much time in the micro details of each day, that we rarely sit back to reflect on life, our goals, where we are going or whether we are investing time and energy in the right direction.

Since blocking out thinking time for myself, I have noticed huge efficiencies in the way I work. The realisations and mental links I make in my time out have saved me spending hours on pointless tasks, and on making impulse decisions.

These days, my time out (usually walking, with or without a podcast) gives me ample reflection to get clarity, direction and focus for my next burst of work.

The Mean of the 5

Finally, millionaires choose their friends and mentors carefully. They spend time with supportive people who hold space for them, who have experience, who are calm and not pushy or overbearing.

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn says you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.

If you’re running a business or just doing life, this could include the podcasts you have in your ears all day, the coach you hire, your significant other, your family, and the people you work with.

If your people mix is not ideal, you can certainly make focused time with the right people, for enough time each week to keep your mind in the right place.

This is something I’ve done, and it pays in spades. I minimise the people and social situations that drain me or add no value. I intentionally choose to spend my time with, and cultivate relationships with, people who are smarter than me, better coaches, better critical thinkers, and who are thought leaders and knowledge leaders. That way, I know I am putting good fuel into my brain, having impactful conversations and building my mental and emotional energy.

Who are you surrounded by? How does that affect your energy?

How can you reduce your time spent with the negatives, and increase your time with the positives?

The Nutshell

While all these keystone habits are great, it is what they create that matters.

Effective habits are the ones that help you to feel inspired, invincible, strong, thoughtful, grateful, engaged, in flow, calm, full of zest, rational, creative, de-stressed, and empowered.

And why does that matter?

Because when you feel like that, you will show up with energy for your business, you will be consistent with the tasks that need it, you’ll be putting your best foot forward, you’ll overcome the hurdles more easily, you’ll be in a growth mindset, and you’ll feel the fear and do it anyway.

Summary

The habits discussed in this episode are based on a study of 200 people. We covered 5, but there were several more in the list.

The real point of this episode is that millionaires are committed to doing the habits that work for them. Their habits aren’t necessarily everything on this list – but their own secret formula.

As you reflect on what you’ve heard today, I encourage you to identify the habits that make you feel ready to tackle the world with energy, enthusiasm and confidence you need to grow your business and revenue.

References

CNBC Online https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/18/tom-corley-top-10-common-habits-of-high-achievers.html Accessed 6.2.23

Cohen, Jennifer. Exercise is One Thing Most Successful People Do Every Day. https://www.entrepreneur.com/living/exercise-is-one-thing-most-successful-people-do-everyday/276760 Accessed 6.2.23 Corley, Tom. Rich Habits Study – Background and methodology. https://richhabits.net/rich-habits-study-background-and-methodology/ Accessed 6.2.23

Loudenback, T. 2019. 17 habits of self-made millionaires, from a man who spent 5 years studying rich people. https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/good-habits-of-self-made-millionaires?op=1 Business Insider Website accessed 6.2.23 Suni, E. 2022. How Much Sleep Do We Really Need? https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need Sleep Foundation Website accessed 6.2.23

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#231 Annie Braendle on Health and Wellness Coaching with Athletes, an Integrative Clinic and Better Up

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Annie Braendle on Health and Wellness Coaching with Athletes, an Integrative Clinic and Better Up

Are you wondering if it’s possible to work full time as a coach and earn the income you want? Are you interested in what a portfolio coaching career looks like? Are you interested in coaching athletes? Today’s interview with Annie Braendle answers these questions and many more. Annie’s working with clients in a face to face and global online capacity, leveraging partnerships, platforms and her own networks. This is the third in the season about business and revenue growth.

In this episode, we’ll cover: 
* Annie’s Journey to Professional Coaching
* Running her Own Business
* Working in Integrative Medicine and with BetterUp
* Coaching as a Lifestyle Profession

Background

A lot of coaches think it’s not possible to earn a decent income as a coach. There are actually a lot of options available, and when you understand those options, it’s much easier to see the ‘how’ behind your what and why.

It’s clear to see Annie’s journey unfold – from pursuing a niche in her own business that aligned with her personal life circumstances to working with a similar demographic at the Change Room, before moving into an Integrative Medical practice and the BetterUp platform. The latter opportunities have reduced Annie’s time spent on marketing and given her a regular stream of clients.

This interview shows that coaching CAN be a lifestyle profession, that it is possible to create a viable career, that you can find ways to get variety in your work, that you don’t have to do it alone, and that marketing can be easier when you make the right connections.

Summary

Annie Braendle is a coach to watch. She is using her skills and strengths, such as her natural competitiveness, to set and achieve goals for herself and build a career that is rewarding, satisfying and allows room for both personal and professional growth.

You can learn more about Annie here: https://sparkcourage.com.au/

You can learn more about BetterUp here: https://www.betterup.com/

https://anchor.fm/dashboard https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/habitology-success-habits-made-easy/id1449277541

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#230 Finding Your Mid-Life Purpose

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Finding Your Mid-Life Purpose

If you’re into your mid-30’s to mid-50’s and are feeling a bit restless, let me say this – your life is about to change. It’s a time is a culmination of many things in your life and a curiosity about the future – away from the hustle and grind, what is your true purpose in life? To help you ease into this transition, I will share some of my tips to find your mid-life purpose more easily. And although it might not seem like it, this episode is the second in my season about business and revenue growth, and we’ll talk about that, too.

There comes a point in life where you wonder what the point of it all is. Often, it’s when you reach your late 30’s, 40’s or 50’s. From hormones to work and empty nesting, everything is up for discussion. You’ve had a wealth of experience in a career, and you may be entering menopause or andropause.

In this episode, we’ll cover: 
* Step 1 – Skills, Strengths and Bucket Lists
* Step 2 – Discover your Needs
* Step 3 – How to Live or Work Purposefully

There’s a new chapter of life ahead, and it makes sense that you might question who you are and what you’re meant to be doing – your purpose.

If you’re in this age group, you’re probably thinking about the years ahead – about your personal and financial security, how much money you need to retire, and how to build your assets.

For a lot of people, the shift involves taking your foot off the pedal and enjoying life more. You might be thinking about working smarter, working less or going part-time. And that raises a bunch of questions about how you will fill your days, or how to create a new lifestyle with more balance and financial security.

Aside from the amount of time at work, you might also be looking to switch to a new career where the work is more meaningful. You might be considering starting a lifestyle business or going to a completely different vocation – but giving back is often the key. It could be mentoring others around certain skills that you have or finding a way to help others in a way that uses your skill while giving you leveraged or passive income. Why does purpose matter? A study by the University of Michigan found that people who had higher levels of purpose had better physical agility than their less-purposeful counterparts. Further,

Washington University’s Purpose, Aging, Transitions and Health Lab found that more purposeful adults enjoy better cognitive function and greater longevity, and better self-care.

There are three themes emerging here. Mid-life purpose involves seeking greater freedom of time and money, and more purposeful work. The result is a better quality of life, health and longevity.

I went through this at 35. After 15 years of hard work and burnout, I reinvented myself and stepped away from running a medium-sized business into a small business with no employees, working less and doing more meaningful and impactful work. Now, 16 years later, I am running a lifestyle business that gives back and affords me time off to be in nature and explore other avenues of joy.

The thing is, as you get older, your past behaviours can catch up with you and may result in health issues. I want to take action now and avoid health issues caused by any unhelpful or unhealthy beliefs, thoughts or actions, so I can live an exceptional and joyful life.

If any of this is resonating, then let’s look at a process of exploring your mid-life purpose, so that you can align your abilities and strengths with your aspirations for the future.

I want to share my process with you as an example of how you might explore your own mid-life purpose and figure out what’s next for you.

Step 1 – Skills, Strengths and Bucket Lists

Amidst a busy work and family life, it can be easy to lose your identity. Your work (or role in the family) can end up defining you.

This happened to me. I was a Director and General Manager of a medium sized business and because I became consumed by the role, my self-worth was pinned to it. When I moved to NSW in 2007, I felt like I was a nobody with nothing to offer.

To reinvent myself and craft a new identity, career and lifestyle, I had to explore my purpose – what mattered to me, and how I wanted to contribute.

An easy way to do this is to write down a list of all the things you love to do – or would like to learn how to do – but don’t seem to have enough time for.

Next, think about everything that’s on your bucket list of things to do before you die.

If you feel stuck, look to your past and your leisure time for clues. Consider what you loved doing as a child, what you do to relax, or what you do that comes easily but others find hard.

Think about the role models in your life and what they’ve done, that you would like to do, too.

Please put your fears and obstacles aside when you do this. Let your brain come up with all the crazy ideas unfettered and build a big list.

You might also like to do a strengths test, personality quizzes, or anything that helps you identify and acknowledge your skills and character traits.

It’s just a list! But it’s also a starting point for change.

When I did this exercise, I realised that I was passionate about health and fitness, I loved being near the beach and being in nature. I liked deep conversations with the right kinds of people. I loved personal growth, psychology and leadership and listening to understand others. I enjoyed puzzles, mysteries and solving problems. I also realised I wanted to run a business on my own, not in partnership.

All of this led me to start looking at health-related business options, and then I stumbled across coaching as the methodology that combined many of my desires in one vocation.

Now it’s your turn. Block out some time to create YOUR list!

Step 2 – Discover Your Needs

Tony Robbins’ model of the 6 human needs explores core needs that affect what we do each day, and why we do it. In other words, every thought we have and resultant action we take is driven by one or more of these needs.

Robbins says that dysfunctional behaviours come from our inability to consistently meet these needs – but that they are also behind the good things that we can accomplish.

By understanding your core needs, you might discover a starting point for the next part of your life or identify areas that you’d like to work on to improve the quality of the rest of your life.

When I took this test, Uncertainty was high on my needs list – which means I tend to seek variety and excitement. This is true, but I know that at times, my need for variety and excitement means I get bored easily and delay finishing tasks, or I might take on too much, or be impulsive or rash when making decisions. That explains the burnout I experienced years ago – and thankfully I have developed strategies to reduce or avoid the negative side of Uncertainty.

For me, taking this test is about fine-tuning and going to the next level, as I am pursuing growth.

My recommendations were to focus on Growth and Contribution. These are definitely coming up as needs for my next stage of life.

My goal is to change my business model, so I am creating more impact and giving more, while working less and maintaining income, partly through leverage or passive income sources. With more free time, I can work on personal growth. I can also devote more time to spirituality, physical health, mental health, and socialising, which have been a bit neglected in the past 5 years.

I encourage you to take this test and see what is driving you, and any areas for improvement. It gives you some recommendations of what you can focus on to counteract any negatives that might show up in your behaviour.

And with your list of skills and strengths, and needs, you are in a position to pull it all together and see what shakes out.

You’ll see some common themes in what you want, what matters to you, who you are, and how you work. So then, what do you do with all that?

Well, since we are on the topic of business and revenue growth in this season, I want to finish this episode with a couple of final points in that direction to help you explore options for how you work on purpose.

Step 3 – How to Live or Work Purposefully

How do you feel about working a job for someone else?

Your working hours are defined, and your remuneration is capped. Maybe you’re fine with it and it is a safe, secure and comfortable way for you to live your life. In this case, maybe your purpose is explored and expressed outside of work, via hobbies, charitable work, or simply being more involved in your community or in volunteer organisations. Great! Go explore those things.

For some of us with a more entrepreneurial mindset, we feel that our work is our best opportunity to give back and make an impact. We are the people who want to step away from working for others or in roles that feel constrained, or lacking in purpose.

We are the people seeking time and money freedom, creative expression, and an opportunity to do more purposeful work.

This is me, and I have created this in my business. I work in three key areas – teaching, business strategy and business coaching – and am on the board of our industry association. This gives me the variety and excitement I want. It allows me to work purposefully and provides the income and lifestyle I desire. I am now looking at leverage, so I can help more people and work less, give money to charitable causes and pursue personal health goals to set me up for a strong, healthy future.

Here are some ways that you can transition from where you are now, to start working more purposefully. They are all about you working in a way that you give incredible value to the people you work with.

By focusing on the value of what you do and your passion for it, you can usually ask for higher fees.

And depending on how you set things up, you can earn a regular income or a leveraged or passive income from any of these options.

The regular income version is simply having regular clients.

The leveraged version is working with groups.

The passive version is developing online training courses, new technologies or physical products. If you want, you can offer add-on services to these. I want to share an example of how this can look, via copywriter Jay ‘Crisp’ Crow.

Freelancing or Consulting

Some people move away from their career but then end up consulting back to the organisation they used to work for – or others like them.

This is a great way to stay in touch with your skills but pick the work you love to do best. It also means that you work with a few clients and get paid well to do high-level work that recognises the specific value you offer.

Just ask Jay Crisp Crow. Her first career was working in private school communications. She took a leap of faith into starting a business that was essentially a consulting business.

She wrote copy for small businesses so they could create exceptional landing pages and websites. And she was soooo good, she went viral, and she started upping her prices as the value of her work was realised and shared. At this point in time, she charges $6,000 per single sales page on a website.

Mentoring or Coaching

If your career has led you to be highly skilled in one or more areas, you have a great opportunity to give back to others.

Personal mentoring as an unpaid venture, or professional mentoring as a lifestyle business, are two ways that you can leave the 9 – 5 grind behind and give back to the rising professionals in your industry.

Either way, the joy of teaching others and helping them with their struggles can be super rewarding and fulfilling.

With her services being more expensive, Jay Crisp Crow created a coaching service to help people do it themselves, with her guidance.

At this point in time, a 1:1 session with Jay is $550 per hour. And these days, it’s application only.

Online Courses (or Products)

If you wish to reach more people or build more revenue, then online courses (or products) are a great way to do that.

The OTHER side of online courses is that if your coaching fees are a bit high for some people, then your courses offer a lower cost option to get your support. This is great if you want to scale your business.

Jay Crisp Crow developed a bunch of copywriting resources that are free or low cost, and she also has a DIY program option for $750, full of teaching modules and masterclass recordings.

If you’re a coach and wondering how an online course works – it’s simply you focussing on a topic and asking people a bunch of questions to guide them through self-inquiry.

That’s a topic for another day.

Summary

Wow, what a jam-packed discussion this was today.

We talked about why people in their mid-30’s to mid-50’s get restless and start wondering ‘what’s next?’

It’s a time of reflection and anticipation of your future identity, and real purpose in life.

I shared some tips to get clarity on what’s next:

  • List and review your skills, strengths and bucket lists
  • Discover your needs – what’s driving you
  • Review those things and see what shakes out
  • Decide on whether you will live your purpose either
    • outside of work through hobbies, charity, volunteering or community participation, or
    • through your work, via freelancing or consulting, mentoring or coaching, or online courses.

There are a LOT of options here. I explored them in depth not to blow your mind, but to help you see the options you have and give you a sense of how to navigate them.

Now, over to you. What’s ahead? What will you do next?

I can’t wait to see. Let me know!

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#229 5 Quick, Effective Ways to Quit “Busy Working” and Have More Fun in Your Business

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5 Quick, Effective Ways to Quit “Busy Working” and Have More Fun in Your Business

This episode is the first in a season that focuses on growing your business and your revenue.

Are you a small business owner who regularly feels overwhelmed at all the things you must manage every day, every week, every month? Does it feel hard sometimes, and exhausting, and like you’re spinning your wheels?

Let’s take a step back and map out five quick and effective ways to significantly improve your work life balance and therefore, grow your business more easily. My goal for you in this episode is to help you have the impact you want in your business, more easily and with less stress.

In this episode, we’ll cover the 5 key points:
* Creating Clear, Specific Goals
* Having More Fun at Work
* Setting Clear Boundaries
* Cultivating Hobbies (Flow) and Connections
* Reframing the Day-To-day

The Backstory 

When I first started running a business back in 1996, I was a biological scientist who had no idea or experience about the ins and outs of running a business. But working closely with the founder, and being in a managerial role, I intuitively started seeing things we should and could be doing to be more efficient, effective, professional and profitable. 

For example – not writing invoices out by hand on a pad of paper! Charging clients for photocopying and printing! Developing professional looking stationery and proposal templates!  

As our client base and staff grew, I found myself flying by the seat of my pants in business, trying to manage all of the little details, and feeling like I was an imposter with no idea what I was doing. This was the dawning of the internet, when emails first came about, and the learning curve was steep. 

The thing is, no matter when you start a business, it’s full of complexity and challenges that you can’t foresee. 

For that reason, a huge part of the journey to succeeding without burnout is learning how to trust yourself, and back yourself, so that you can cope with all the curve balls that come up. 

Right now, think about a time when you totally trusted yourself to be able to cope, to find the answer, to work it out, to get it done. 

How did you feel? 

And what’s the consequence of feeling that way? 

For me, trusting that I knew enough and could cope, allowed me to take my foot off the pedal. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t slacking off – I just quit all the busy work and made more effective use of my time at work. 

Busy work can include anything that sucks up time for little return.  This is a little avoidance rabbit hole that anyone can go down, when they have fears, self-doubt or uncertainty. It’s our brains way of keeping us safe – but you often end up feeling like you’re groping around in the dark for an answer, and this creates more fear and uncertainty because you’re not doing anything concrete that’s getting you traction. 

So what does busy work look like? It includes things like constantly checking emails or your social media profile, making website edits, poring over blogs, doing more courses, trying to perfect your elevator pitch, and anything else that gets in the way of marketing and servicing clients.  

After all, it’s marketing and giving clients an exceptional experience that creates a profitable, viable and sustainable business. 

So, what can you do to eliminate busy work, time wasting or low ROI activities so you can enjoy your work, do it more effectively, and therefore improve your business growth, client base and revenue? 

I’m going to share 5 things that have worked for me. And because of doing these things consistently, I now work fewer days and hours each week, I have greater clarity and focus on what needs to be done and where I’m going, and I work more effectively and efficiently.  

Creating Clear, Specific Goals 

It sounds like a no-brainer, but a lot of my business coaching clients have not set any specific targets for their businesses. 

When you are really clear on the outcomes you want to realise in a specific time period, and the steps required to get there, it helps you to manifest the outcome.  

How? Firstly, because you better understand the level of effort required to meet the outcome goal. Secondly, having specific outcome goals allows you to reverse engineer them to define the smaller milestones and actions that need to be taken, and in the right order. Go back to episode #227 – 90-Day Business Planning – for more info on how to do this. 

In short – creating clear, specific goals and reviewing them regularly helps you decide in advance what you’re going and how you will get there, so you can then just follow the plan. 

That is a MUCH easier way to work than trying to make it up as you go, or doing it on the fly. 

Having More Fun at Work 

I want to illustrate this point with a client of mine, who we’ll call Toni.  

Toni was struggling in her coaching business with making videos and doing FB lives, as part of her marketing. She really wanted to do videos as she was good at talking, but she was super nervous about it. Wanted to be perfect. Did 100 takes of every video. Wanted me to review all the scripts she had written. 

She kept telling me how hard it was. She told herself she was no good at it. These statements she kept making created and reinforced some limiting beliefs. 

In one of our sessions, I asked her how she could leverage her strengths and make it more fun. 

Toni found her solution. She realised that showing up nervous and fussy was creating a negative energy in her videos. They looked as awkward as they felt.  

Toni decided that she would find a way to have fun with the videos and to show up with confidence and conviction. 

It was as easy as tapping into her bigger ‘why’ – her passionate advocacy for women and women’s health.  

As soon as she approached her videos with that energy, the words flowed. There was confidence in her voice. And funnily enough, her fears melted away and she started to look forward to recording videos! 

And suddenly, this shift in energy created enquiries and engagement with her videos. 

Just as importantly, Toni no longer spent hours preparing and perfecting scripts, worrying about the perfect lighting, hair and makeup. That was her busy work, and she let go of it, instead showing up with confidence and professionalism, on a mission to change the world.  

This one shift saved her about 6-10 hours per week and she started sleeping better, feeling more energized and showing up with confidence. 

Another coach I know decided that she didn’t like long, boring written business plans. She found them tedious, so didn’t do them. But not having plans was impacting her work. 

Being a creative person, she decided it was more fun to create a one-pager with coloured bubbles highlighting her key goals, marketing processes and packages for the year. This was a fun way to plan, and it resulted in more ease, flow, clients and revenue. 

Now she looks forward to planning and sees it as a creative process that allows her to have fun in her business. 

Where can you have more fun at work? 

Having fun creates flow, which helps you to feel just the right amount of challenge, play to your strengths, be more present in the moment, and experience positive emotions. 

Setting Clear Boundaries 

If you are working from a place of fear, lack, uncertainty etc, then you might find yourself falling into the trap of working late, working weekends, seeing clients on any day or at any time, and being constantly on your marketing channels looking for leads. 

This is ends up being a bunch of energy leaks that leave you feeling unfulfilled, drained and disheartened. 

The better way is to set clear boundaries around your time. It might feel hard at the beginning, but that’s your brain trying to tell you that more time at the desk equals better outcomes. 

We all know that’s a lie! 

Having boundaries changed so many things for me. A few years ago I stopped working weekends, set a clear cut-off time on weekdays, and this year am only seeing clients and having meetings on 3 days per week as this allows me time to recharge my energy. 

Now I’m actually making more money with fewer meetings and clients than I did previously. Most importantly, I feel calm, centred and energized.  

That’s because having clear boundaries has allowed me to do more outside work to balance my intense focus of the day. 

Imagine working without guilt or fear, knowing you have done enough, and having the time and energy to decompress and recharge? 

It is a game changer. 

It changes the way you show up to client meetings – calm, present, confident, assured, professional. It changes the way you sleep – soundly and completely without a monkey mind. 

And you love going to work each day, knowing that your way of working helps you to feel like this. 

Cultivating Hobbies (Flow) and Connections 

Leading on from the last point, creating time outside work means you have the time to cultivate hobbies, social connections and other flow activities. 

Those types of things meet your needs in those other areas that are essential to your wellbeing.  

I also believe that creativity is the opposite of stress. When you have creative flow in your life, it counterbalances the demands in your daily work. 

On top of that, research shows that people with more hobbies end up at the top of their professions. The more diverse their experiences, the higher they go. I will share more of this exciting research in a future podcast!  

Reframing the Day-To-Day 

One last point is to keep watch over your mind. 

A lot of the time, having a tough time at work is related to what you’re thinking, or in other words, the sentences you say to yourself each day. 

When things get tough, the negative thoughts come out, and they create a downward spiral. They take up valuable time, space and energy. 

By catching your thoughts each day, you can reframe them to change the conversation you have with yourself and with others, to make work more pleasant and enjoyable. 

Here’s an anecdote. I recently started back at the gym after a long break. The long break was because I had a billion excuses not to go, and why I didn’t like it. 

This thinking made it impossible for me to get there. I never found the time. 

But then I changed the conversation I was having with myself, and I started looking forward to the gym. Now I seem to find lots of spaces in my calendar for the gym and I am desperate to fit it in. 

One of the conversations was about becoming the strongest I can be at 51, to be a role model for other women of my age. To apply my love of challenge to see what is possible.  

Another example is marketing. Years ago, I would say that I hated marketing. I was no good at it. It was hard. Guess where that got me? 

Then one day I realised some important things. That marketing is a coaching conversation. That marketing is a creative activity. That marketing creates connections and offers hope and leads to services that offer real, tangible change.  

Now I love marketing. I became curious about it, and it is one area that I research deeply on an ongoing basis, because it’s so closely intertwined with both psychology and creativity.  

What are the negative things you say to yourself? 

How could you reframe those to totally change the game? 

What will the benefits be of those reframes? 

Summary 

Sometimes work can feel like a grind. It can be hard or scary, and that can generate negative thoughts, feelings and a propensity to do busy work. All of that saps energy and affects your professionalism and presence as a coach and business owner. 

But there are five things you can do to make work more enjoyable: 

  • Create clear, specific goals so you have a clear roadmap of steps 
  • Find ways to have more fun at work, to improve the way you show up 
  • Set clear boundaries, so that you get enough time off to recharge 
  • Cultivate hobbies and connections, so you can get into flow, and meet other needs 
  • Reframe the day-to-day, catching and changing unhelpful thoughts so you can be your best every day 

One last thought – don’t expect every day to be perfect, amazing and wonderful. Shit happens. Negatives are a part of life. 

But if your day to day focus is on cultivating good, positive, fun and light-heartedness, you’ll be more resilient and better equipped with the inevitable curveballs in business and life. 

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#226 Building Your Coaching Business: Burnout in Health Professionals with Dimitra Mersinia

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Building Your Coaching Business: Burnout in Health Professionals with Dimitra Mersinia

How does someone with an economics degree become a dentist, and then a health and wellness coach for health professionals in midlife who are dealing with stress and burnout? This interview with coach Dimitra Mersinia presents a case study that describes this transition.

In this interview, Demi talks through her professional evolution: a landmark event that forged her direction, the path to getting there, and building her future with a pivot to health and wellness coaching, based in curiosity, compassion and empathy for others in her profession based in lived experience.

In this episode, we’ll cover:
* Dimitria’s Pre-Coaching Background
* From Dentist to Health and Wellness Coach
* How Demi Started a Burnout Coaching Business

Background

As a clinician for over 25 years, Dimitra combines coaching, mentoring and consulting as a personal health and wellbeing strategist and results coach.

Her varied skillset has been built on extensive experience in corporates, in the medical, dental and neuroscience fields. She has worked in the European Union on regional policies of Europe, in US multinationals, as a humble neuroscientist in a lab in London, travelled with the MSF (1) as a junior medic, and worked in public and private sectors as a dental surgeon in the areas of pain management and special care in 3 countries.

This experience gained together with coaching certifications (2), and with the insatiable attitude for continuous learning and developing, has equipped her to work as a personal coach and healthy life strategist for re-igniting a healthy mindset and getting results in any area of life.

As a diagnostician, she helps find the real problem behind a presenting problem, demystify and simplify confusing health information and takes her clients through precise health and lifestyle medicine in her private practice in Sydney.

As the founder and CEO of “M.i.n.d Your Health”, she has set up a safe ‘hub’ for distressed health care professionals, supporting them out of burnout.

As a volunteer in different organisations (3), she is supporting teenagers make sense of the new world, expats with relocation stresses and culture shock and asylum seekers.

She believes Health is your Wealth and having a healthy mind and body, unlocks your potential to optimise performance in any area of your life and business.

 

(1) (medecin sans frontier/doctors without borders)

(2) (with Authentic Education, ICF, Tony Robbins Leadership academy, Mental Health First Aid and Health & Wellness Coaching Australia)

(3) (raise.org, Roses in the Ocean, the Red Cross)

Summary

Demi Mersinia is an inspiring example of how you can build a health coaching business with empathy, curiosity and compassion. She has drawn on her personal and professional strengths to create a business in her own unique way.

If you would like information about the next intake of my Passion to Profit course, or to enrol, follow this link: https://www.wellnesscoachingaustralia.com.au/business-resources/passion-to-profit/ You can connect with Demi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimitra-mersinia-97104944/

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#222 What to Stop and Start Doing in 2023

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What to Stop and Start Doing in 2023

Do you have this nagging sense that there are things you should stop doing and things that you should start doing in your business? Does business feel like a grind at times, sapping your energy and creativity? If so, then it’s time to create your business plan for the next year to work out the kinks and start getting what you want with more ease and flow. That’s what I’m here to help you to do by sharing my 4-step process to developing a 2023 business plan. 

It’s that time of year I start to think about the year ahead and start creating some plans for my business. I figured that you would be doing that too and that you might be wondering what sorts of goals to set.   

In this episode, I’ll talk about 
* Presence and resonance
* The inspiration for the book: The Connoisseur of Time
* How changing your relationship with time supports better coaching and business growth
* How being present creates more satisfying relationships

Sharing my process will help you get clear on not just how to create a plan, but how to make an exciting plan to get you where you want to be. 

Step 1 – Reflect on the Past 12 months 

A good starting point is reflecting on how this year went for you and what you’d like to do more of and less of. 

When I do this process, I start by thinking about what I really loved doing this year and why I loved it, and which strengths I used. I sit with the feeling of my favourite types of work and the things that I’ve achieved and what I did to get there.  

For example, this year, I loved doing the strategic thinking work behind projects and business ideas, because that taps into my strengths of creativity, innovation, problem-solving and brainstorming. 

Next, I think about the things that drained my energy and dragged me down or that I found awful and difficult. 

For example, this year, I found it really draining to do very detailed intricate work, logistical stuff, and anything that required a lot of very deep research-based work.  

I really sat with that and thought about why I didn’t like doing that work, and it was because it created a lot of anxiety and stress. It dampened my creative thinking. Anything with too many detailed moving parts creates a sense of anxiousness that I might have forgotten something or not done something properly.  I do like some types of detailed work, but not many. 

Thirdly, I look at where I earned money and spent time. I spreadsheet this based on time documented in my calendar. Funnily enough, the work I love to do most takes the least time and earns me the most money. The work I dislike the most takes the most time and earns me the least money – probably because I have to do the grind to complete it. 

Finally, I reflect on my most important achievement of the past year. This is important because it shows you what your toil created that you are most proud of and gets you thinking about the bigger picture. If you don’t look at the bigger picture you might end up just planning another year of doing rather than thinking about your overall direction first. 

 

My greatest achievement this year was fulfilling four important professional roles, and even though the juggle was hard at times, it gave me a bigger picture view and understanding of two important knowledge areas (menopause and mental health), and of three bigger macro trends (psychosocial risk legislation, supporting and recognising women at work, and improving mental health at work). 

With this knowledge, I have a good idea of which business ideas will succeed in 2023, where the focus and money will be in the broader economy, and what my best opportunities are. Those insights allows me to set some tangible and meaningful goals that leverage these opportunities. 

When you reflect on the past year, ask yourself these questions and write some notes; 

  1. What did you love doing in the past year and why? 
  2. What drained your energy in the past year and why? 
  3. For every type of work, you were paid for, which was the best return on investment in terms of time and money? 
  4. What was the most important outcome you achieved this year? 

This should give you a good summary of your past year, what worked and what didn’t, in less than a page. 

Step 2 – What did you learn about yourself? 

When you reflect on what you learned about yourself, you can potentially see the work that you need to do and the obstacles you need to face, and the skills and strengths you can leverage. 

I learned a bunch of things about myself this year. 

Firstly, I am persistent and can work hard to get things done. 

I’ve realised that I am a sore loser – and this costs me emotionally and energetically. 

I’ve noticed I prefer to fly solo so I can create my own ideas, I tend to avoid groups, but I do enjoy collaboration if it is a bit hands off and not too intimate or intense. I’ve always known this at some level but have really experienced and felt it this year. 

My greatest strengths are creative brainstorming at a strategic business level and with clients, and summarizing, simplifying, and creating processes to get things done. When I do these things I am truly in flow. 

Finally, I can do about 10 coaching sessions or meetings a week before I start to get overwhelmed and find it hard to focus and be present. 

Having given you some examples, I now invite you to reflect on your year.  

  • How were you operating when you were at your best? 
  • What are your greatest strengths and moments of flow? 
  • In which situations do you thrive? 

Once you’re clear on steps 1 and 2, we start to consolidate. 

Step 3 – Map out your new business habits for 2023 

It’s one thing to think about what you have done and achieved and loved doing or being drained by in the last year.  

The first two steps in this process allow you to evaluate the past, so you can look ahead with clarity and map out your new business habits for 2023. 

In other words, it’s time to use your reflections define what you want to keep doing, stop doing or start doing next year.  

Some people like to start with their outcome goals first, and you can certainly do that. To me it makes more sense to find my flow in the process – then decide what I will create with that new way of working. 

I’ve learned in my first two steps that what’s important to me is to work more strategically, to simplify things, and to scale, so I can earn comfortably and remain in flow, and be at my best with the clients I work with.  This is how I will work. 

Tangibly, to define the habits I’ll stop, maintain and start, my next stage of planning is to: 

  • Knowing I dislike some types of detailed work, I will evaluate the detailed tasks I do each week and decide which ones I can delegate or stop doing. A really easy one for me is checking email once per day instead of 4 times. 
  • Knowing how I feel about being in groups, I’ll review the group work I have tentatively planned for next year and decide what I’ll commit to and how I’ll show up (this is both professionally and personally). 
  • Based on what I learned in 2022 (knowledge and market trends), I will decide which areas I want to focus on in 2023. 
  • I will rewrite my vision, mission, value proposition and elevator pitch so I’m clear on what my focus is and how I work with people  
  • I will ask my VA to update my online platforms to reflect the updated pitch 
  • To become a better loser, I will start journalling about challenging situations where I lose, or fail, to change my perspective and rewire my beliefs about those things. 
  • To manage my volume of appointments, I will change my booking calendar to allow a maximum of 12 meetings or coaching sessions per week, which should be achievable when I make the other changes I’ve decided on. 
  • To manage my volume of appointments, I will also put out an invitation to my hand-picked 1:1 clients with the terms of engagement for 2023. 

What would your next stage of planning look like? 

  • What would you decide to stop doing, or delegate? 
  • How will you choose to work – for example more networking and groups, or more 1:1, more strategic or more detailed?  
  • How might your weekly schedule change as a result, and how will you maintain those boundaries? 
  • How do these changes affect your vision and value proposition? Do they need review? 

Step 4 – Defining achievable outcomes goals for 2023 

Having completed the previous three steps, you’re ready to think about outcomes you will be able to realistically achieve with this new way of working. 

I personally feel it’s important to keep the goals simple and few, so you can do a few things really well. As Robert Kyosaki says – the word FOCUS stands for Follow One Course Until Successful. 

My outcome goals for 2023 will be achieved if I do the things previously mentioned. Here are mine.  

In my business, I will be: 

  • Working 20 hours per week, Tuesday to Thursday to earn my target income. 
  • Helping my VA to earn a comfortable living doing the tasks that I dislike, that she is good at 
  • Working collaboratively with intelligent, energized people for a common purpose 
  • Supporting 100,000 professional women to thrive at work through appropriate education, coaching, allied health services and resources 

In the area of coach training and advocacy for our industry, I will be:  

  • Teaching 2,000 health and wellness coaches to create sustainable businesses that they love, in their unique way, leveraging the coaching methodology 
  • Advocating (through HCANZA) for appropriate standards, definitions and consistency in our industry, and promoting the benefits and quality of what we do as professionals 

In my personal life, I will be: 

  • Tackling one hard thing each quarter, focusing on a consistent practice in a creative pursuit, and reframing my negative thoughts 
  • Exercising daily in nature to give my brain a break and recharge 
  • Completing 20 hours of personal or professional development (including working with my own coach) each quarter. 

This is my plan, now over to you. 

What are the outcomes you want to achieve next year in your business? 

What are the impacts you want to have in the world? 

What will you do in your personal life to grow and evolve, show up better and function at your best? 

I look forward to seeing what you create, with intention and purpose, in 2023. 

Summary 

If business feels like a grind at times, and you have that nagging sense that things need to change, you now have a four-step process to start getting what you want with more ease and flow. The steps to follow are: 

  1. Reflect on the highlights and lowlights of the past 12 months 
  2. Reflect on what you’ve learned about yourself 
  3. Map out your ‘business habits’ for 2023 – what you’ll stop doing, maintain and start doing 
  4. Define your achievable outcome goals 

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#220 Rebecca Taylor – Coaching Compassion Fatigue

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Rebecca Taylor – Coaching Compassion Fatigue

Are you curious about what compassion fatigue is, the signs of compassion fatigue, and how to coach around compassion fatigue?

We answer these questions in today’s interview with Rebecca Taylor of Exploring Wellness with Coach Bec. Bec is a vet nurse with 13 years’ experience in vet clinics and animal shelters, and a recent graduate of Wellness Coaching Australia.

In this episode, we’ll cover 
* What is compassion fatigue?
* What are the signs of compassion fatigue?
* Compassion fatigue vs burnout – what’s the difference?
* How are you getting traction as a coach?

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#219 Becoming a Confident Coach

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Becoming a Confident Coach

Despite extensive training, a lot of professionals talk about having impostor syndrome and fear of not being good enough. But what do you do about that? How do you flip that on its’ head and tackle impostor syndrome so that you can become a confident coach?

Why you need to be enough

Impostor syndrome is rife in many professions – I know, because I’ve been through it, and I’ve spoken to a lot of people who struggle with it.

Today I want to talk to you about WHY you need to be enough and stop impostor syndroming yourself.

In this episode, I’ll talk about 
* Why you need to be enough
* What a digital legacy strategy is
* Four steps to creating your Digital Legacy Strategy

I think the key reason that you need to feel that you are enough, good enough, worthy, and competent, is that then you can switch your focus off your own shortcomings and onto your clients.

Let’s face it, if you’re worried about your own performance, then you’re not giving all of your attention to the people you are purporting to help and support.

I think this is SO critical. This was a realisation I had when I started coaching. I was so busy worrying about what to do, whether my questions were good enough, whether they got something out of the session, whether they were engaged and so on, that it was taking up a LOT of real estate in my head.

I was feeling anxious and would be nervous going into each session.

THEN one day I reflected on how my feelings and energy would be seen and felt by the people I was coaching. What would they say?

By worrying about my performance, I was creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. I was creating tension where there wasn’t really any.

But most importantly, I realised this behaviour was about me spending too much time thinking about ME and my shortcomings, rather than my client.

This aha moment flicked the switch for me and allowed me to totally change the way I showed up, coached and the impact of my coaching. It was amazing.

Here are some benefits and outcomes of dealing with your impostor syndrome.

Giving your best to clients

Firstly, when you invest in overcoming your impostor syndrome you become more confident as a person and as a coach. You feel good about what you do and your ability to give value. That means that you invest more time thinking about the people that you’re helping, rather than your own

shortcomings. It means that you are flipping the switch from a focus on you into a focus on your clients.

Imagine how that changes their experience of working with you. Imagine how that changes their relationship with you in a coaching sense. And imagine how that therefore impact their results that they get from the coaching relationship.

Secondly, if you deal with impostor syndrome and start believing that you can do this, that you are good enough, you be willing to invest enough in your own personal and professional development – because you know that it is worth it for your clients, and that you are worth it. The ripple effect is more advanced skills that will make you a better coach, giving your clients better outcomes.

I think it’s really important when you’re starting any new career to know that you are not going to get it right all the time – ever. It’s important to manage your own expectations and to know that you will do things wrong and get things messed up along the way. And that’s totally okay.

What’s more important is your commitment to investing in your own self-belief, personal development and professional development so that you can deal with those mistakes more easily, with grace and candour.

So how do you get there? How do you beat it and become the best coach you can be, so that you can help people create their desired outcomes and impact the lives of more people?

How do you beat impostor syndrome?

Personal Development

Start by working with your own coach. That way, you will improve your own thoughts habits, well-being and sense of purpose, so that you can be a role model for your clients. Being a strong role model promotes self-confidence.

A reflective practice is also a must for all graduate coaches. After each coaching session, reflect on what went well, how you used your strengths, the verbal and nonverbal feedback from clients, and any areas for work. Write it down. Then, set specific goals to polish up any areas. One thing I like to do is focus on a particular coaching skill for all clients within a given month, so I can build and hone my craft.

Ask for feedback and testimonials from your clients. Their feedback is really valuable as it tells you what they liked and didn’t like. Make sure to ask how things have changed for them – not just an assessment of your skills (remember, it’s about them, not you).

Start hanging around more experienced coaches and having conversations and unpacking challenges so that you can more easily develop the habits and language of a masterful coach.

Professional Development

You can also do deep-dive training courses into specialty areas and practice those with your clients to become a better coach. For example, mental health first aid training if you are working with clients who have stress, anxiety and so on.

There is a caveat on that. A lot of people see education as a tick box thing and they get really interested and they do more and more and more courses but without actually applying the learnings. And I think impostor syndrome comes from this too.

I know some incredibly smart people who have numerous qualifications, who are full of self-doubt because they haven’t actually used their knowledge and practised with clients and seen the sorts of results that can

If you complete a lot of educational courses but you never apply it, then you become potentially a very good teacher but maybe not good at the practice that you have studied.

I recommend that you invest in practising new skills with clients. Ask permission to try new methods if you know them well, or find practice clients to test new skills and education with.

Always, always, do market research – keep asking your clients what they need and want – keep learning about other people and their lives and how you can help them – that’s where you can overcome your own self-limiting beliefs, shift the value to what your clients want, and find ways to give it to them.

Summary

Today we talked about why you need to beat impostor syndrome and start stepping up to be a more masterful coach.

In short – if you’re focussing on yourself, you can’t focus properly or be present for your clients.

Flip the switch by investing time, energy and money as needed into personal development and professional development.

When you do this, you’ll feel more confident, and be able to truly serve your clients in a more authentic, impactful way – because your work will truly be about them.

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More

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E#218 Benefits of Niching Down

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Benefits of Niching Down

A lot of trainee coaches I meet are terrified of niching down and just want to help everyone, being afraid that they will have fewer potential clients. Today, I’ll help you understand what it means to ‘niche down’, six benefits of choosing a niche and what coaching a niche involves.

When you’re starting out as a health and wellness coach, the experience you get with practice clients and your first paid clients will help you develop a niche that you can focus on, and market to directly.

Starting more broadly is ok, but please know that it can be hard to find clients who want to coach with you if your marketing is not specific.

In this episode, I’ll talk about 
* What it means to niche down
* Six benefits of choosing a niche
* What coaching a niche involves

Why?

Because, unless you can clearly explain the benefits of coaching (see the previous episode of this podcast) then they won’t understand the benefits and value of coaching.

That’s why I recommend starting to niche down as soon as you have some clarity. Let’s talk about what that means, and how it works.

What it means to niche down

Let’s start with the definition of a niche market. A niche market is a subset of a target market. It is a specific group of people that are desperate to solve a specific problem.

When you hear the phrase “niching down”, it simply means getting more specific and targeting a certain segment of the group of people you want to work with.

Why do this?

Because people are VERY specific when they’re searching for an answer to their problem. They will be ultra-specific about the detail of their problem. And if they find someone who can help them with that specific thing, they’ll be much more interested than finding someone who does ‘all areas of health and wellness.’

For example, I recently Googled ‘night sweats and insomnia in menopause’ – which is super specific. If I was looking to work with a coach, I’d be choosing someone who works with women in menopause, either listing those specific types of symptoms or at the very least, indicating she works with business owners. I wouldn’t look for a ‘general’ health and wellness coach, because they wouldn’t necessarily understand what I’m going through!

Let’s just be clear – you won’t necessarily be able to choose a niche right away if you are just starting out. You will need to practice with people and work out who your people are and what challenges they’re facing.

In other words, niching down is a journey. I recommend that you start out by picking what’s called a target market – which is a broader category of either person or type of problem that the market is spending money on.

Spending is the key – if they’re not spending money to solve the problem, it’ll be hard for you to engage with them for coaching (they may not be ready, willing and able to buy – or the problem may not be big enough).

Here are some examples of target markets:

– Weight loss for women 30 – 40

– Weight loss for women in menopause

– Stress management for men in white-collar roles

Do these sound specific to you? Actually, they are pretty general!

As you coach people in a target market like this, you quickly understand that not all people in that group are created equal. There are subgroups! And they are very different.

For example, the target market may differ in terms of their demographic, take-home income, family situation, and circumstances that are causing the problem.

But that’s ok – start broadly and then you can get more specific as you get to know the people you are attracting.

For example, more specific niches in weight loss for women in menopause could be things like:

  • Female corporate leadership roles who are tired and listless, struggling with sleep
  • Primary school teachers who are struggling to lose weight due to stress
  • Women in the beauty industry who want to lose weight because looks are important, but they’re going to lots of lunches and drinks
  • Women who are emotional eaters.

ANY of these could be viable and more specific menopause niches.

If you can’t pick an area of health and well-being, start with the type of person that you want to engage such as introverted women in corporate jobs, or mothers with two young kids, and find out what their problems are.

Six benefits of choosing a niche and niching down

Thinking about the more specific menopause niches I mentioned earlier – let’s say you are running group coaching and you put that bunch of women into a group together.

They’d all think and behave in slightly different ways. For example, you’d have teachers who are overweight in part due to stress, corporate leaders who are overweight in part as they are tired and struggling to sleep, and emotional eaters.

They might have some common ground, but they’ll potentially all be interested in different things.

And while that doesn’t matter too much in a 1:1 scenario when you are starting out, any groups you run will be WAY more cohesive and MUCH better equipped to create a community if they can relate to each other on a personal level. That’s benefit #1 of niching down.

Number 2 is that you’ll find it much easier to coach even in a 1:1 setting because you’ll be dealing with similar types of people or problems, rather than being stretched in lots of different directions.

No wonder new coaches think they don’t know enough! Having to face a barrage of different people and issues can make that worse.

Benefit #3 – imagine you have picked a niche and narrowed it down so it’s more specific. What does this mean for your business? Suddenly you are seen as a one-of-a-kind, unique business. It’s SO much easier to speak specifically to your audience, stand out from the pack and become a trusted go-to source of support.

Benefit #4 – you’ll become a proficient and confident coach much more quickly and easily. As you really get to know your audience, you’ll realise that you have really started to master the key areas that matter to them, the main coaching approaches that work, and the interactions with those clients.

Benefit #5 of niching down – you’ll be working less and achieving more. That’s because you won’t be customising your marketing content for different types of clients or needing to source tons of different resources – you’ll be diving deep into one area and using the same sorts of content and resources for all your clients, saving you LOTS of time. You’ll be marketing in one or two places where your niche hangs out, rather than all over the place, hoping someone will respond.

Benefit #6 is that you will have a bigger number of clients and more loyal, committed clients because you know them so intimately and deeply. In fact, your sales call conversion rates will be much higher because the more specific niche trusts that you know a lot about them and really understand what their problem is.

These are six great reasons why niching down is beneficial and valuable.

But start walking before you run – choose a target market at first, and with practice clients, start to really listen and learn more about them.

Now, let’s look at what coaching a niche involves. It’s actually not what you think!

What coaching a niche involves

Coaching a niche isn’t really much different from coaching different types of people more generally, or in different niches.

That’s because no problem exists in isolation.

Let me say that again – no problem exists in isolation.

No matter who you are coaching, and what their key problem and goal is, there are a lot of other areas of health and that they will need to be coached around.

For example, weight problems are influenced by sleep, nutrition, exercise, stress and mental health/mindset. Or some combination of these. What changes is the order of priority!

Or, for example, stress/anxiety problems are influenced by sleep, nutrition, mental health/mindset, and exercise. Same thing – it’s a particular combination, and order of priority.

Not all areas will be relevant for every person.

But what the CLIENT is thinking about is the bit that matters to them. Speak to that in your marketing, honour that in your coaching, and know that you will invariably be working around the other areas to some degree, anyway.

In addition, the likelihood is that the reason behind their perceived problem is a general skills gap.

For example, someone who is stressed and overwhelmed is likely not very good at setting boundaries, being kind to themselves, and/or making enough time for themselves.

Those three skills are also relevant to many other areas like eating, exercise, sleep etc.

So when you work with a niche, you are actually helping a client fill specific skills gaps (they develop the skills through experimentation) that will help them to solve many different problems they’re facing – all because of the same reasons.

As the saying goes, “The way you do one thing is the way you do everything”.

Summary

Today we covered what niching down means, and six of the benefits of niching down (there are others!)

Those benefits are:

  • More cohesive and connected clients when coaching groups
  • It’s easier to start with similar types of problems/people rather than being stretched
  • You’re seen as unique, one of a kind, standing out from all the other coaches
  • You’ll become proficient and confident more quickly
  • You’ll be working less and achieving more as you’ll save a LOT of time not customising marketing content and resources
  • You’ll have more loyal clients and higher sales conversion rates.

Finally, I discussed the fact that no problem exists in isolation. So while your niche thinks they have a specific problem (which is an area they want to focus on and which you might market to), you will end up coaching them around other areas. In other words, you will actually be helping people to develop skills in one area that are transferrable to many areas of health and wellness. All that changes is the priority!

Ready to get clarity on your pathway to success?

Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.

Learn more here:

Learn More