The first time that I launched my business, it was an epic disaster.
Few people will admit that to you, or at least not until they’re super successful because nobody wants to admit they failed.
I failed massively in my first year in business. I had one client the entire year. One.
Towards the end of that year, I asked myself, “What is going on? What is wrong?”
And here’s what I discovered…
First of all, I was trained as a life coach, a Board-Certified Christian life coach. I kept getting told that the problem that I was trying to solve for my client could easily by going to church. I heard things like, “They won’t pay you for that. They don’t need you for that.”
I learned that it’s not just about being passionate about what you’re doing and doing something you feel called to; you have to make sure that this calling is relevant in the marketplace and that it solves a big enough problem for someone to be willing to pay you for it, too.
I had to go back to the drawing board with the thought of, “if they’re not going to pay me for what I’ve been trained to do in the way that I was trying to deliver it, what else do I have to offer?”
As a nurse, I was trained to heal people, care for the sick, and ensure that people were well. I helped them get to a place of wellness if they weren’t. I got to thinking about my journey, and what I realized was that there was actually something I had accomplished in my career as a nurse that not many people do.
I was training doctors and nurses at the bedside. I was developing training programs and implementing teaching. But there was something else that I did that not very many people have the ability to do. And that is during my time as a nurse; I built a business within an existing healthcare organization. I had the opportunity to learn how businesses worked, how to generate income, how to market, and how to sell within that organization before I ever started my own business.
When I took a step back and started thinking about why my coaching business was not doing well, I realized that the skill set that I was most positioned to help people with was launching their own business, their own training products, writing their own training products, helping them create those offers, and how do you package it and price it in a way that people would want to buy.
And so in the years since, my business has grown exponentially.
Not every business is a success right out of the gate. We know that most businesses fail within the first five years. And for me, I learned how important it was to have great people around you that can put the bumpers up. They will steer you in the right direction when you’re headed down the wrong path.
I was talking with someone just recently, and they told me how they had worked with some coaches in the past that they would just cheer them on whatever path they were going down. They weren’t working with a set of guardrails to keep them on the path to profit or the path to progress. They just wanted to be their cheerleader, and so they’re cheering for this person all the way down the path of destruction.
That’s not what you need as a new business owner. That’s not what we need as colleagues.
We need somebody who will keep us on that straight and narrow. That has the knowledge and wisdom, and expertise in business to be able to give us sound decisions that will help us to be profitable.
Make sure that you have the right people around you. I can’t stress enough how important that is in building a successful business.
I’ve invested well over six figures in working with the highest-level coaches and consultants in my niche so that I can grow my business and have the knowledge of what I need to keep moving forward. The mindset of a lifelong learner is essential to your success in your business.
Through trial and error, as well as great coaches, I learned what works in business and what doesn’t. Many times what works in your business is better at another point or stage. Knowing when to implement all the things that look and sound wonderful and great is crucial for your success. Learning when to do those so that you can get the biggest return on your investment is absolutely priceless to you as a business owner.
Here is a great example…
Everybody wants to have their own book, right? A book is great for showing your expertise, getting media attention, and growing your list. A book is not a great income producer. We often think we’re going to sell a million copies. But if you’re not already well known, if you don’t have a large following, you’re probably not going to sell that many books. We pour all this time, energy, and money into creating a book. And the ones that we do sell, we sell for $15 or $20. That’s a long, painful road to get to six figures selling a $20 book.
The flip side of that is if we have a high-level program or product, we can charge a premium price for that. We will get much more stable and consistent income coming into our business. Books are great, but they have a time and a place in our business strategy.
So what does work?
Speaking is more profitable and more accessible now than ever before because of Zoom and the event space opening back up.
When you speak, you’re getting in front of people and sharing your message, you’re building community, you’re building connections, and you have a greater opportunity to get in front of people who are looking for what you want.
Speaking is at the top of my list, as far as income-producing activities in my business.
My lesson learned in all of this is it’s very important for you to understand what works and what doesn’t in moving your business forward.
When I was still working back at the hospital, it was my job to train the doctors and nurses to save lives at the bedside. I brought that with me forward into my business, because the way I see business when I look at you, I see a life that matters. I see a life that’s going out there and changing other lives. I’ve seen a lifeline for someone in need. I’m not just sitting in my office. I’m not just talking to you on Facebook. I’m still saving lives.
This is still a life-saving mission for me through you, your business, and your legacy. I don’t want you to have to go through all the struggles that I did in building my business.
And that’s one of the reasons that I put together this Spark your Success event. [link]
Unfortunately, sometimes, when we have that first failure, we feel like that’s the end. It’s back to the nine-to-five grind.
I don’t want that for you because you are a lifeline to someone in need. Your business is needed, and your service is needed. What we’re doing serves a greater purpose.
If you are struggling in any way, if you don’t have the income that you want, if you don’t have the influence that you want, if you’re not in front of your ideal clients and cannot figure out why it’s not working, then you need to be at the Spark Your Success event.
I want you to win.
I want you to be successful.
I want you to be a lifeline.
I want you to be a lifesaver, and we can only do that if you have the tools, skills, and resources that you need to be successful.
