You may have noticed that many of my recent episodes are about mindsets. It’s a deep topic. Human beings are so good at stopping themselves from success simply by the way we think. I often wonder how my life would have been earlier in life if I’d known about mindfulness and the power of shifting mindsets.A while ago I did a whole series of episodes called Smart Mindsets and Habits. You can find that series at prosperouscoach.com/mindsets. If you’re feeling stuck and in your own way I recommend listening to those episodes.Today I want to dig into something that all new coaches struggle with especially as they are launching. You can find today’s Show Notes at prosperouscoach.com/84Coaches Often Have Money Money IssuesIt’s fascinating because it doesn’t matter how high powered a job the coach had before, how much money they earned, how many certifications or degrees they have or even how confident they appear — I hear the same basic thing from them …I hate selling and asking for money! I used to feel like that, but don’t anymore, because I know how to attract clients in a non-salesy way. And also, I’ve discovered the power of investing in the future. One of my VIP clients wrote in her Session Prep: “I’d rather give it to you than ask for money. I NEED this session!” We’ve been working together in my 5-month Coaching Business Breakthrough program to build her business. She’s close to launching so I wanted to help her with this mindset shift. And, she generously gave me permission to share some of what happened in that session with you. Thank you, D!Money is a sticky subject for most people. There’s so much baggage that influences our decisions and actions based on what we learned about money as kids.Stop Sabotaging Your Coaching Success with Old Money StoriesThere’s a wonderful book that was popular when I started coaching called Taming Your Gremlin – A Guide to Enjoying Yourself by Richard D Carson. It’s a thin book full of exercises and wonderful drawings to help you face the part of yourself that sabotages your efforts to grow. The idea is to draw your own gremlin and shine a spotlight on it as it scuttles around trying to squash your courage. Just seeing it for what it is changes you. Awareness is the tool to overcome that gremlin within.There was an exercise in there about drawing the floor plan of the primary home you grew up in and answer a set of questions about what you learned while you lived there.Coaching a Coach to Shift Her Money MindsetThat book jumped into my mind when I read her Session Prep and gave me an idea about how to coach my client.I began by asking her: “What did you learn about money from your parents?” She responded immediately: “In my family you would certainly NOT hire someone for therapy or coaching. It was looked down upon. We didn’t spend money on ourselves and self care.”I asked: “When have you invested highly in your own self care and transformation?”She said: “It’s when I reached a point where my best efforts didn’t bring the results I needed to happen. When I get to that point I’ll do whatever it takes.”I said: “So you’ve invested in your goals and self care when something is important to you. How much would you say you’ve invested in becoming a coach and getting your business launched with support?”For more of that coaching session go to prosperouscoach.com/84. 

Prosperous Coach Podcast

Are You Afraid to Ask Coaching Clients to Pay You?

I’m tired of overwhelm. Aren’t you?Nothing sucks the joy out of your coaching business like that over-burdened feeling:·      An endless to do list·      The overflowing inbox·      Too many learning curves to climbI know overwhelm. I remember what it feels like to launch. It’s a project with so many moving parts and you can easily get ahead of yourself.The truth is, most often overwhelm is a bad habit wanting to be broken. Whatever your reasons, some part of you is choosing to feel overwhelmed. It’s a choice. But it’s not a conscious choice.Like in the story of the boy who cried "wolf", your brain and body has been trained to perceive challenges as emergencies.You’re actually OK, but you don't believe that you are OK.Now is your opportunity to teach yourself how to be conscious and not choose overwhelm. The are 4 main reasons overwhelm occurs:1.     Non-stop stimulation2.     Chronic disorganization3.     Scarcity consciousness4.     Lack of inner resourcesAnd, as this episode is coming out during the 2020 pandemic and the uprising after George Floyd’s murder, there’s so much pain and sorrow, fear and hope about what has and what could happen. That takes energy.It actually means you can’t do as much as before.Sure, you can push through but there are consequences to that and it won’t help the sense of overwhelm.Now, don’t get me wrong. I do encourage you to keep moving forward on your business as you can. Be gentle with yourself.These days I feel done with my day by 2:00pm. It means I’m getting less done than I used to. And with the rest of my day I need to do more to re-source.Coach, Turn Off the Firehouse of InformationThere's so much coming into our psychic space all the time — we're rarely without connection to global media (much of it anxiety-ridden especially right now).So first, to rehabilitate your brain and overwhelm habit, consider a media diet a few times each week. Thoughtfully control what you watch, read and listen to.You need mental downtime to get ready to effectively learn and grow.  Think of your brain like a basin. Information coming in is like the flow coming from a faucet. If you leave the flow on full, your brain is soon overflowing and you’re in overwhelm.Do you find yourself signing up on lists, attending lots of free courses, purchasing too many programs?It’s tempting, I know. But most likely it’s increasing not decreasing overwhelm.How often are you actually implementing what’s taught in those emails, posts and programs? Most coaches cannot possibly take action on the amount of how-to information they access daily.Taking action is like the drain of the basin. It's what makes the space for more useful information, like allowing learning to be integrated and leveraged.Turn off your info-jones:Develop the habit of mining your own wisdom, experience and knowledge first.Reach only for information you need right now to inspire or take the next immediate step.Integrate and implement what you learn. Commit to doing this before reaching for more information.To read more SHOW NOTES and find other links go to prosperouscoach.com/83

Overwhelm is a Bad Habit Coaches Need to Break Now

This will be a super short episode. And it’s part of the Smart Mindsets & Habits series.I feel so honored that when I work with my clients I get to see them shift their mindset in ways that will help them succeed faster at this game called entrepreneurship.By the way, thinking of building your coaching business as a game is one way to take the pressure off and enjoy the journey.So the specific mindset I’m digging into today is about OWNING your right:·      Own your right to be in business for yourself·      Own your right to earn well·      Own your right to live the life you wantThat may sound odd. Let me explain.My Early Coaching Business Was An AlbatrossWhen I was new to my own coaching business I treated myself like I didn’t deserve to be in business, like I didn’t deserve to earn well and have the life I want. Here’s what I did:1.     I overcomplicated my business model by offering too many options. 2.     I undervalued myself and charged way too little to sustain my business. 3.     I over-delivered in every way. 4.     I was too accommodating with my schedule.5.     I allowed late payments.6.     Ultimately, I didn’t think through what I wanted and plot a strategic course to get there.Bottom line … I was operating unconsciously in my coaching business. I was driven by a mindset that doesn’t go well with being the CEO of a business. Big mistake.A few years in, I realized that I had created a monster — a business that was complex, running me ragged and paying me poorly.Its part of the reason why I now teach coaches to create a Simple Coaching Business Model and to strategically grow their business from the get go.The Big Takeaway for CoachesSo here’s the secret I want you to come away with from this episode … ACT AS IFAct as if you are already in high demand.There are 7 ways I can think of that will help you do this:1.     First decide what you want your life to be like.2.     Strategize every step of your business development to fit that vision.3.     Only offer times on your schedule that you truly want to work.4.     Only offer exactly what you want to offer and not what you think you should offer.5.     Create a low overhead, easy to manage business.6.     Treat yourself with the respect you want your colleagues, prospects and clients to have for you.7.     Charge prices that will help you reach your financial goals right NOW!Imagine the difference between a business where you act like you deserve all the perks that come with being your own boss and a business where you act like you don’t deserve that.Read more SHOW NOTES at https://prosperouscoach.com/82

The Mindset Shift That Helps You Charge More with Coaching Clients

This episode, which is part of the Smart Mindsets & Habits series, is a follow on to Episode 80, which was called Competition, Comparison and Shame in the Coaching Industry.I received many brave and heart felt comments on that episode, including this one from Marian:“Thank you for this episode, Rhonda. I feel like you’re responding to what’s inside my head! This was amazingly helpful to me and has inspired me to reach out more to support and share with other coaches, especially my classmates.”Well done, Marian, because that kindness you shared to other coaches goes a long way for making the coaching industry a more friendly and encouraging field. We need that.It’s not easy to talk about shame.But the upside, is that once you acknowledge it you can quickly realize what triggers it and that helps you let it go. A private client in my VIP Coaching Business Breakthrough program was baring her experience of shame with me in our session today. And I’m so grateful to you, Barbara, that you have generously given me permission to share a bit about our discussion in this episode. Your willingness to be vulnerable helps you and every other coach who hears this podcast. Being vulnerable is one of the ways we can love each other up so we all become more successful at this big coaching business endeavor.The Cycle of Shame for a New CoachBarbara told me that she felt the shame of comparison today when she was encouraging a current client to re-up for more coaching.And talking it through we realized is that shame can come up fast whenever you’re doing something that you care deeply about that you haven’t done much before. Here’s what I think it can look like as a new coach …·      First there’s feeling ashamed that you don’t know everything right now. (Shouldn’t I be a master at coaching? Shouldn’t I know exactly how to do everything?)·      Next comes shame for needing expert help to do it right. (Oh no, I’m spending more money when I’m not yet earning from coaching. Why is everything so hard for me?)·      Then, as you are on the learning curve, there’s shame that it’s taking a while to get everything right.·      And if you model aspects of your business on what other coaches are doing there’s the shame that comes from comparison.·      There’s shame that you’re not 100% together as these other coaches seem to be. (By the way ‘seem’ is the operative word there.)·      When fear comes up about crossing thresholds in your business shame tags along because it’s embarrassing as an adult to feel fear, especially if that fear makes you doubt yourself or stop taking action.·      Imposter Syndrome makes shame darker still. Why would anyone hire me? Who am I to help them?·      And, shame surfaces in the sales and enrollment process. Just having to ask someone to hire and pay you can feel shameful. Why would anyone pay this much? What if I can’t deliver? Will they figure out I’m a fraud because I don’t know exactly what I’m doing yet?Breaking the Cycle of Shame in Your Coaching BusinessSo there’s this insidious cycle of shame. And if you don’t have mentoring support, shame can literally stop you from moving forward – crush your momentum.To read more of the Show Notes for this episode and the key to stopping the cycle of shame go to prosperouscoach.com/81

How Shame Crushes Momentum in Your Coaching Business

This episode is part of the Smart Mindsets and Habits series. You can find the SHOW NOTES at https://prosperouscoach.com/80The last episode was about the crucial role of courage in success and how it comes before confidence.I received a lot of sweet comments about that episode along of the lines of “Thanks, I needed that!”Yes! Every coach needs encouragement, especially in the early days. Have you ever noticed the word ‘courage’ within the word ‘encourage’? I encourage you to encourage other coaches too.Now I want to talk about adverse affects on your confidence as a coach. Namely, petty competition, comparison and shame. One leads to the next.Shame is the Dark Secret in the Coaching IndustryI’m going to get right to the elephant in the room … the toxic result of comparison.Have you ever felt a sense of shame when you compare yourself to other coaches?It’s okay if you have. And actually it’s healing to acknowledge it.Just thinking about it my body can produce that hot pit in the stomach feeling — the distinct sense memory of shame. Teddy Roosevelt said: “Comparison is the thief of joy.” So true.I don’t much do the comparison thing anymore. But I know the territory intimately.Here’s the way I experienced it:As a new coach I’d bounce around the Internet looking at other coache’ websites. Immediately, I’d feel there’s so much I need to do better and overwhelm surged in.A little aside here … I had no idea whether those website were helping the coach at all. Chances are most were dud websites even though they are pretty and flashy. I’ve learned a lot about what makes for a client winning coaching website since then.When I used to attend monthly local ICF meetings I’d brace myself for the continual display of superiority by some coaches there. It felt like a room full of peacocks and I didn’t have anything to display.Don’t get me wrong, I met wonderful coaches there too — people who, two decades later, are beloved colleagues. But the atmosphere was rife with competition rather than camaraderie.Later in my career, as part of a circle of joint venture colleagues who were helping each other promote programs, the competition was even more fierce. There was a thick sense that we were all vying for the same thing and there was only so much to go around.Social media amps up competition and the knee jerk to compare yourself with others. From the number of followers to the quality of reactions to the images … if you let yourself go there, you can compare yourself into a little dark corner and never come out.I see so many coaches give up because of comparison and shame.A Healthy Response to CompetitionLook, if you don’t feel that icky shame that comes from competition and comparison, I’m glad. My guess is someone taught you how to have a healthy response to competition.So let’s talk about that. Imagine navigating in the coaching and marketing world without torturing yourself. What would that look like?Well, I’ll tell you. It’s NOT an internal hardening but rather a softening.Go the the SHOW NOTES to see the 5 Internal and 5 External Adjustments you can make right now.

Competition, Comparison and Shame in the Field of Coaching

This episode is part of the Smart Mindsets & Habits series.Today I’m talking about courage – something all successful coaches had to raise within themselves long before they felt confident about anything. Show Note are here.This episode is for you if you are feeling afraid of crossing any threshold large or small to launch your business and build it into something solid to support your family.If you’ve been looking for confidence in a crucial moment and feeling none here’s the truth … It is courage not confidence that will help you break through. Courage is the fire within you. Confidence is earned through repetitive acts of courage.Before we get into that, I want to share something deeply personal …Courage has been asking me to step up lately.I’ve lived a life boosted by centuries of privilege. My parents were middle class and worked hard. My dad was educated by the GI bill and got a good job. Their parents scraped by through the Great Depression in the South – Arkansas and Kentucky.But they were propped up by privilege, as were their parents before them going far back in the family tree. Until now, I haven’t questioned why the neighborhoods and schools I grew up in or why the companies I worked for in Colorado were homogenously white. I did not get it that those neighborhoods and schools weren’t available to people of color by design.Now, with the murder of George Floyd echoing centuries of similar murders in my country and others, I am finally realizing my own complicity in these crimes against humanity.By failing to see the roots of my privilege clearly I also failed to perceive the policies and systems that built and sustain that privilege for only some.I am an empath and a highly compassionate person who has always cared about fairness. But I have been asleep, accepting the ways of the world. I have accepted injustices that — were I truly courageous — I would not have simply lived with.So I’m making a pledge today to you that I will do more day to day to fight against injustice and systems that exclude black, indigenous and people of color from the privileges that I have taken for granted. I will use my ears to listen and learn. I will use my voice, my vote and other resources to work towards deep systemic change while also working on myself to be a better human being.Thank you for listening. Now let’s talk about courage that will launch and sustain your business …Intelligent Coaches Are Stopped By FearThe coaches I have the honor to work with are some of the most intelligent people I’ve ever known. Many of them are far more educated and have more impressive careers than I ever have. Most of them are brimming with passion that awes me every day.And all of them are afraid to take steps to launch their business and keep getting out there.Fear is a human condition and in the territory of entrepreneurship, it’s a raw emotion experienced often. Not only have I been there in the early days of my own coaching business but fear still makes me hesitate, procrastinate and waste time. I get past it more quickly than I used to but the feeling that freezes me in my tracks still comes up.I’ve seen it in colleagues and clients. Sometimes a person will do everything but cross those final thresholds to launch.It’s one of the reasons why the statistics of entrepreneurial business survival are so dismal.For more Show Notes and 6 Ways to Boost Your Day-to-Day Courage and Gain Confidence go to https://prosperouscoach.com/79

For Your Coaching Business Courage Comes Before Confidence

I have something really special for you today's episode, which is about powerful coaching questions and is a part of a new series on Coaching Skills.There's a free download that you find at prosperouscoach.com/78First, I want to share something personal with you. I have been so buoyed up by wonderful reviews lately. So I want to give a shout out to Gemma who said recently to me:“I'm sending a heap of gratitude to you, Rhonda, your generous podcast has helped me identify my platform and program. Also, I know that I'm not alone in this. You've helped so many coaches. Thank you for cutting through the noise.”That made my week. So I'm grateful to you, Gemma, for taking the time to write that review for me on iTunes. So let's roll with today's episode. I have the pleasure of introducing you to Laurie Cameron of WAKE UP Enterprises. Laurie is literally the best coach I know. She is also the best coach trainer I know.In 2001 I co-created curriculum for Coach Training Alliance and I designed their certified coach program, I was their first trainer. Then I brought Laurie in. She surpassed me significantly and she is their Senior Mentor Coach now. I first met Laurie 20 years or so ago at the Denver chapter of the International Coach Federation and we became fast friends. We were both on the board there. Beyond that, Laurie and I have been accountability partners for each other and doing a little co-coaching now and then. Something every coach needs.LAURIE CAMERON: I am really excited and thank you for all those kind words that made my week as well. So I’m really thrilled to be here.The Most Powerful Coaching SkillRhonda: Laurie, I'm going to ask you some questions. I hope they're powerful questions because that's the topic that we're bringing today. So I wanted to start with … What is your favorite coaching skill, Laurie, and why?LAURIE CAMERON: I would like to ask you a question in return. Complete this sentence: If you want better answers, you …?RHONDA: … have to ask the right questions.LAURIE CAMERON: Close. See when I do full day coach training workshops with leaders and managers and when I train coaches through coach training Alliance, that's the common answer. A better answer is you have to craft better questions. RHONDA: Nice distinction. LAURIE CAMERON: Thank you. Questions are amazing and they're even more amazing and more powerful when you are adept at putting words together in a way that draw somebody's wisdom out and draw out something new and, and send them deep. That's why I love powerful questions and learning how to craft them.Take Your Time To Formulate Powerful QuestionsRHONDA: That's great. I wanted to notice something. You know, you asked me that question and I jumped with my answer. You’re talking about crafting and crafting takes some time. How can a coach that's in the middle of a coaching session take the time to craft a question? LAURIE CAMERON: Well, it's about taking the time to do that actually. And one of the challenges that I've noticed that newer coaches have about asking questions is they don't take the time to craft one before they start asking it. So as soon as the kernel of a question pops into their head, it's coming out their mouth, they are revising it, editing it out loud, and it actually turns into this long thing that the client just loses track of. Learning how to craft a powerful question is more about taking the time, pausing, being comfortable with the silence — which is also a challenge for a lot of coaches — and crafting internally before they open their mouth.READ MORE IN THE SHOW NOTES AT: prosperouscoach.com/78

The Art of Crafting Powerful Coaching Questions

There’s plenty of information out there in training programs about how to coach. And there’s lots of attention out there on how to market and enroll clients plus the various tactics to earn well as a coach. But there’s little communicated to coaches about exactly how to serve your coaching clients well so they love the experience, come back for more and refer others to you. Client service goes beyond coaching skills but does stem from the way you market and engage your target audience from the get go.Your coaching client’s satisfaction in you and your program begins before they hire you and continues after they finish with you.If you’re following the guidelines I’ve given to you in episodes 62 through 77 in this Coaching Business Checkup series, then you’ll be strategically setting everything up for your coaching business in a way that guarantees satisfaction for ideal clients.And if you put in place specific things to ensure that people you attract are ideal for you, it will increase your clients’ satisfaction.Client service is another strategy point for creating a successful coaching business. And that’s why this is part of, and the LAST episode of, my Coaching Business Checkup series.And as I’ve been promising, I’ve got a FREE download for you.It's a comprehensive Coaching Business Checkup you can give yourself. This will help fill the holes in your strategy so you can do everything more effectively and earn more in your business.Go to prosperouscoach.com/77 to get your copy of Coaching Business Checkup.When you download this assessment, take the time to honestly consider what you’ve got going for you and what’s missing. I’ve referenced certain podcast episodes for each of the 10 sections.And of course, if you want more help get my private VIP support to do all of this right. The best first step is to have a private Strategy Session with me, which you can find at https://prosperouscoach.com/strategy.Now, let’s dig into today’s episode …Do you feel nervous with your clients and have performance anxiety during sessions? If you’re a new coach, that’s totally normal. And you want to be sure it’s a feeling that diminishes with each client. In my early days, I was so anxious about delivering value that I lost my personal power by inflating my role. And I ended up feeling drained instead of energized by sessions.Over the years I’ve given this challenge my daily awareness and made a lot of shifts.Happily, there are things you can do that both create value while also setting strong boundaries, which protect you and your clients. I’ll cover 7 main ways you can up your game in providing value. Cultivate Happy Coaching Clients Before During and AfterHappy clients start by being happy prospects. You want them to already have a strong sense of your integrity, personality and exactly how you can help them before they hire you. This makes them happy because they’ll only stick around if they feel the connection with you.I know, I talk a lot about this and that’s because a successful business is the sum of many things that work in concert. And that takes strategy.If your social media, blogs, podcasts, videos, website – everything – comes from being fully informed about what’s important to your audience they can feel that. And it feels good!Read about the other 6 ways and get your free download fo Coaching Business Checkup.

7 Ways to Create a More Valuable Experience with Coaching Clients

Today’s episode is short and sweet. Show notes can be found at prosperoucoach.com/76It was inspired by something that came up in Prosperous Coach Club, my Facebook group.Several new coaches were having trouble drilling down to a narrow and viable audience to serve because they didn’t want to exclude anyone.I had that concern myself in my early days of coaching. I waffled and stayed general for far too long. I didn’t realize how much easier it would be if I did narrow my audience.But as time passed and my income from coaching remained small I became keenly motivated to do anything I could — including things I was afraid to do — to change that.With hindsight I know without a doubt that finally narrowing my audience catapulted me to success so that now I reliably attract ideal clients and earn well – even during the pandemic.Now I fully understand that my choice to narrow was a strategic choice.I’ve been talking a lot about strategy in my current podcast series Coaching Business Checkup. That series is all about assessing what pieces of strategy might be missing if you are having difficulty enrolling enough clients to quit your job and pay for your lifestyle.4 Ways Strategic Choice Makes Your Coaching Life EasierAnd because I’ve been a business coach for coaches for a long time I also know this. When you target an audience and discover their big problem then gear everything –messaging, offers, web copy, social posts – to speak directly to your audience 4 wonderful things click into place:1.     You have clarity. It’s as if the fog lifts and you can now see your path.2.     You grow confidence. You understand your value and believe in yourself.3.     You know what to do. You have pinpointed focus and direction.4.     You have leverage. Now everything you do builds momentum.So, the best reason to narrow to one specific audience is to make your life easier.Stand Out in the CrowdLook, if all you want is a coaching client now and then and a bit of spending money, then you can afford to be a generalist.But if you want your coaching business to be a going concern, as they say, and feed you and your family for years to come, then being a generalist and selling coaching won’t do that for you.Why are you listening to my podcast? Because you’re a coach and this is specially designed to help coaches. I know coaching. I know business.There are lots of other mentors helping any type of business owners out there. But isn’t extra helpful when someone understands exactly where you are and where you want to be and what’s in the way?That, my friend is the power of narrowing and specializing.Take a look at the show notes to read the rest of this episode.

Will You Exclude Some Coaching Clients If You Narrow Your Audience?

Today is all about creating smart content as part of a visibility strategy for your coaching business.I’m finally getting back to the Coaching Business Checkup series, which you can find in it’s entirety so far at prosperouscoach.com/checkup I started the series two months ago and have covered specific points of strategy that are critical for having a successful coaching business. I outlined those in 10 Ways to Be More Strategic In Your Coaching Business, which you can find at prosperouscoach.com/63I want you to know why I veered away from finishing that series after 9 popular episodes.It takes tremendous brainpower to delve into strategy in a clear and useful way. The pandemic has had me swimming through brain fog. I know I’m not the only one affected in that way.But finishing this series now is important to me for a few reasons:1.     It’s high time to get back to it. Procrastination steals energy!2.     I know will help you start thinking strategically for every area of your coaching business3.     I’m putting the finishing touches on a free download for you. It’s a series of powerful questions to help you assess if you’re doing all the right things to grow your coaching business and attract clients who pay you well.So let’s get this topic rolling …Content is Still THE Most Effective Visibility ApproachIn today’s marketplace, whether you have a coaching business, manufacturing business or a bank, delivering useful content to your audience is the best way to build followers, loyalty and revenue.That’s why part of my 5 month VIP mentoring program for new coaches is helping my clients to choose a content creation method, strategize a plan and create valuable content. For more information about working with me to help you strategize everything from your ideal audience to your niche, messaging, offers, web copy, visibility approach and more, go to prosperouscoach.com/VIP.To be successful every coach should put out valuable free content. It’s called generosity marketing.3 Main Content Delivery MethodsThere are three main content delivery methods: 1.     Blogging (articles & newletters)2.     Podcasting3.     Videos (FB Live, You Tube, Vimeo)To make any of these work well for you employ social posting, emails and lead magnets to build awareness, inspire engagement and shares, and drive traffic to your website to encourage subscribes and eventually enrollment.You’ve heard me say that too many coaches try tactics that are beyond where they are developmentally in business building. So what I’m sharing with you is deliberately basic. I’m not getting into ads or email campaign strategy because it quickly overwhelms.And every coach needs to move towards those advanced tactics only after they’ve mastered the basics. Basics are foundational.To read more Show Notes for this episode go to https://prosperouscoach.com/75.

How to Produce Content for Your Coaching Business That Inspires Engagement

Today is all about the F word.  Show notes are at prosperouscoach.com/74Fear is a powerful force. It can move you toward safety and it can keep you from your destiny. The feeling is no fun. But, like all feelings, it holds the possibility of transformation.On any given day, I feel some amount of fear. What about you?Fear could show up while I’m listening to the news. Or, if I’m in a car and I or someone else makes a mistake in judgment. It could be a deep concern that rises up about someone I love.During my work, it could be a moment of uncertainty. Or, maybe I’m trying to learn something new or take a big step that I’ve rarely or never taken.Fear is a fairly present emotion.But most of the time fear doesn’t stop us. It might give you pause, but it doesn’t ultimately stop you from moving forward in your life.And that’s totally appropriate.Everyone feels fear. So it’s not something we want to turn off or stop feeling. It’s not even about becoming numb to it. It’s more about having a healthy process.All emotions deserve to be felt, acknowledged and then released, which is a key to good life, right?Fear is an ancient and primal emotion. It can be a vital response for survival.But fear can also become a habitual response to opportunity. If we let it, it can block our growth.That’s when you know that you need to respond differently to fear. If it has stopped you from becoming who you are meant to be or achieving what you long for, then it’s time for a different response to fear.As coaches, we’re all about helping others to expand their potential – to pull their feet out of concrete and take steps forward towards a better future.But who helps you break free from that concrete?As a business coach for coaches, I have the privilege to help my clients towards an ultimate lifetime goal … to become their own boss, to have a freedom lifestyle and creatively bring their whole selves – all of their talents, all of their skills, all of their passion — to their own unique business.It’s an amazing journey that I’m honored to share and guide them toward.And, that journey is rife with fear.When you’re deep in fear about your coaching business, it can feel all encompassing. Like you’ve fallen into a deep dark hole and there’s no way out.That kind of fear obscures your intuition. It makes you feel paralyzed.It’s normal and natural to feel fear of the unknown and for imposter syndrome to get right up in your face.At the heart of it is the question “Am I good enough?”·      Will anyone listen to me?·      Why would they pay me to help them?·      Does anyone even want what I’m offering?·      Can I really do this? And I have endless compassion for those feelings. They are real. And they can feel like the tallest widest thickest wall blocking your way But, what I know for sure is that in the big scheme of things they are about as substantial as cardboard.Yes, you are good enough. Your people will listen to you and pay gladly for what your offering. You can do this!The way to rise out of that deep dark hole of fear and back onto the path toward your bright future is accountability. You need someone loving and firm to help you to take decisive action one small step at a time.Decisive action will always be what breaks the spell of fear.One last thing to consider … the longer you stay stuck in the fear, the bigger it feels and the more you’ll talk yourself out of risking what you want most.So make an agreement with yourself right now. Give yourself permission to be afraid on your journey towards greatness. Treat yourself with compassion. But also put fear in its place. It’s not t

Is Fear Holding You Back From Launching Your Coaching Business?

This episode is another REPRISE during the pandemic to give me a chance to be with my emotions while still provide something helpful to coaches. Bless my foggy brain. I need a break, ya’ll!You’re going to love this if you haven’t already heard it. And if you have already heard it consider listening again. And, I double dog dare you to choose just one of these archetypes as your primary archetype and not just say “Oh, I can relate to all them.” In my experience, one rises to the surface like cream.So this is a creative exploration of how personality can affect your choice of coaching niche.When I work with coaches to help them determine their niche, I ask a lot of questions to uncover clues that, when strung together, point us to natural possibilities for them.I've been playing with this idea for years — that coaches often have a natural inclination, which influences how they will build and grow their business. And that can influence what type of audience and niche will fit them best.This is not usually a conscious choice, but rather a subconscious leaning. I've decided to call these archetypes.I began to witness 5 major patterns in the way a coach will grow their business. So, in this episode I'll explain those 5 major archetypes and how they emerge to influence the direction of a coaching business.The 5 Archetypes I'll cover include:1. TEACHER2. HEALER3. PURE COACH4. ICON5. CEOTo learn more about these archetypes go to http://prosperouscoach.com/73One of them might be a clue for you about how to model your coaching business. 

Do You Fit One of These Coach Archetypes?

Do you know how sometimes it helps to be reminded of something?Coaches are smart people. We have lots of wisdom brimming inside of us. And, during the pandemic, I especially need reminding about many helpful things.And after recent conversations with past clients and current clients I thought it might be helpful to reprise an older episode.This is all about why it’s so easy to get stuck as a new coach and how to snap out of it! You can find show notes for this episode and links to other helpful information at prosperouscoach.com/72Let’s roll!It's got to be said because it's breaking my heart to see so many coaches bogged down and unable to move forward with clarity ... because they've overloaded their brain with unnecessary ideas and future tasks for your coaching business.I've talked about overwhelm before in Ep #20 - How to Stop Saying 'Yes" to Bright Shiny ObjectsThat episode was mostly about wasting money, time and brain power on programs that you're not developmentally ready for yet as a business owner. Advanced strategies and tactics that won't work well for you until you have the business foundation in place.Now let's dig in deeper to what's actually happening in your mind and your emotional body when you heap more and more information on yourself.When new coaches reach out to work with me, they fill out a questionnaire on my website. I ask them to give me a snapshot of what they're doing day to day to build their business.Nearly every person tells me their head is spinning with all the research they're doing.·      They are looking at other coach's websites. Oh no! That really won't be helpful.·      They read everything they can about coaching and coaching business tips. They're on loads of lists, force feeding themselves with information.·      They're surfing for answers to BIG questions that really can't be answered in a free blog or webinar.·      And, they're signing up for every free webinar and download they can get. And sometimes investing in programs they aren't ready for.Here's the truth. You can't possibly consume a firehose of information and stay sane. It leaves you breathless with overwhelm and unable to move forward.This is what I call the new coach swirl and spin. And those are the words that I hear coaches use. They say: "My mind is swirling! My head is spinning! And I'm so confused that I'm paralyzed."I so know that place!Thousands of bits of disconnected information has literally shut down your executive function, your creativity and intuition.And that's when fear and doubt surges up within you.·      Doubts about whether you can succeed in coaching.·      Doubts that anyone would pay you.·      Doubts about everything you've been working on.·      Fears that you've made the wrong decision, that you've wasted time and money.And then your brain starts pulling up all the "evidence" to support those doubts.Pretty soon you're in a depression. Anxiety has you in it's grips.Everything slows to a dead stop. But it does not feel restful.You start thinking about giving up. Part of you wants to give up. You think it would be so much easier.Then your ever helpful brain begins to justify that idea.And shame surfaces.That's the new coach swirl and spin.To read about the 4 ways to break through swirl and spin go to prosperouscoach.com/72.

Are You Stuck in the New Coach Swirl and Spin?

This episode is about … being highly sensitive as a coach. Show notes are at prosperouscoach.com/71.If you don’t identify as highly sensitive, consider listening to this short episode anyway because a significant percentage of human beings are highly sensitive and you might learn something new.Last week I didn’t post an episode. It’s the first time in 18 months of podcasting that I’ve skipped airing an episode except for Christmas Day.And the last two weeks when I sat down to focus on my podcast I’ve been blank. Sure, I’ve felt a bit blank before when I sit down to create. I’ll take a walk and come back with a burst of creativity.But this blankness has gone on for weeks. My pre-recorded, pre-published episodes have caught up with me.Finally I realized that I’m deep in grief. At times of grief, business as usual doesn’t feel right. And there’s no bandwidth for generative thought.I spoke to a past client of mine. She encouraged me to share on the podcast what’s going on. Thanks, Kate. That was brilliant advice.A Heavy Energetic LoadI’m an empath, which means I sense the mental or emotional states of others. Usually, I sense other people’s energetic states and it’s a slow trickle — totally manageable. In fact, it’s useful to have this skill as a coach, as a human being. And I’ve learned tools to protect myself and release energy that isn’t mine.But during this pandemic, sadness, grief, fear and anxiety have come rolling in tsunami waves. I wake up feeling as if I’m under water. It’s taking much more self care to rise above it. And daily self-care is a normal priority for me. It’s amazing to realize that perhaps for the first time in human history, the whole world is feeling sadness, grief, fear and anxiety all at the same time. That’s a heavy load.So why am I telling you this? I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. Sensitivity is a super power. Especially when used for self healing and doing good.Not Fragile But Uniquely CapableIn 1997 Dr. Elaine Aron, wrote The Highly Sensitive Person. That was the year that I graduated from coach training. I remember reading it and feeling a deep sense of relief to finally be seen and heard in a different way.The Field of Coaching Attracts Highly Sensitive PeopleAccording to Dr. Aron, approximately 20% of the population is highly sensitive. I suspect that number has climbed as population swells, as we move faster, eat less nutritious food, swim in a non-stop field of EMFs elevated by Wi-Fi.I have a theory going that many highly sensitive people are drawn to coaching. I seem to attract clients – all coaches — who are highly sensitive. We recognize and understand each other.What about you? Have you ever felt you were sensitive?Sensitivity is an Asset for CoachesDid you know that being highly sensitive can be an asset in coaching?Here are some of the ways I’ve found it to be valuable:·      I can read a room in a small group even online in a training or mastermind.·      I can sense subtle cues that help me choose a direction for coaching and mentoring ·      Certain words and phrases clients say float into the air with emphasis.·      What isn’t said is as clear to me as what is said.·      My intuition is a reliable guidance system.·      I can sense when I’ve given away my power and quickly correct that.·      I can sense when my client’s have given away their power and gently notice it.My guess is that hearing this you’ll realize you have some or all of these abilities as well. And by raising awareness you can fine-tune them.

Are You A Highly Sensitive Coach?

Prosperous Coach Podcast is hosted by Rhonda Hess, international business coach and niche strategist. This bi-monthly show offers practical guidance and inspiration to emerging coaches who want to launch their own successful coaching business. Episodes will cover how to choose a profitable coaching niche, create authentic messaging, design magnetic coaching programs and other topics to help you get noticed by ideal clients who will pay well. The show will also delve into coaching tools, coaching client challenges, money mindset and moving beyond limiting beliefs. Rhonda has over 20 years of experience in coaching, marketing, curriculum development, copy writing and editing. Join the conversation at https://prosperouscoachblog.com/podcast

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Prosperous Coach Podcast

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