138 | The 3 Qualities That Separate Thriving Coaches From the Rest

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My clients often ask me, what are the

qualities of your most successful clients?

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And after working with more than 150

coaches over the last few years, I've

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noticed something that is really clear.

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The qualities required, are things that

you already have in doves as a coach.

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They are consistency,

generosity, and empathy.

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In this episode, I'm going to break

those down, share what I've seen in my

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most successful clients, and give you

one simple change that you can make

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this week to see results right away.

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The truth is coaching

is a busy marketplace.

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There are lots of brilliant

coaches out there, but people don't

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choose based on qualifications.

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They choose based on trust.

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And trust is built when you show up

consistently, when you give generously,

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and when you meet people with empathy.

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There is a quote from Seth Godin that was

the inspiration for this episode, which

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is people don't buy goods and services.

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They buy relationships, stories, and

magic, and in coaching that magic

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isn't something that you can fake.

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It's created through

those three qualities.

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Where most coaches fail is chasing hacks.

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The perfect funnel, the cleverest niche,

copying what other people are doing,

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who may be years ahead of you, and their

strategies just won't work for you.

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I remember years ago seeing Lisa

Johnson, a business strategist doing

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a five day challenge, and at the time.

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I just thought, gosh, this is so easy.

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She's selling this 2000 pound course.

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She had hundreds of

people buying the course.

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And I had absolutely no awareness

that I couldn't just do the same.

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Because she had built that audience

and had years of experience on me.

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So if you are currently posting

for two weeks, not seeing

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results and then giving up.

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Or holding back on sharing

value, worrying that you are

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giving too much away for free,

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or putting so much emphasis on,

will I get a client from this?

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Is this worth my time?

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Rather than putting the full

focus on who you are here to help.

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When you view your business as a complete

ecosystem rather than one fluke that might

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make all the difference, then you really

do build a consistent, credible business.

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Everything takes longer than we want.

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Six years into starting my business,

I'm sitting in the sort of home

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that I dreamed of and thought would

be possible within one year, but

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it's taken six years to get here

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income wise, I'm probably earning

the amount of money I thought I would

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be earning within six to 12 months.

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Finally, six years on really good,

steady income, a really large home.

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All of the things that I dreamed of

are finally becoming true, but that's

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only because I have showed up for you.

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My ideal client day in, day out.

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For years now.

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I've never missed a podcast.

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I've never missed posting on social media.

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I've never missed sending

an email to my list weekly.

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The key really is how can

we create business as usual?

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How can we build that consistency into

your business where you show up for your

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ideal client as if they were your boss.

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And don't get me wrong, there is waiting.

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There is doubt in all of our lives, mine

included, but I hope this is inspiration,

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that if you stay consistent, keep giving

with empathy for your ideal client,

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then you will get that version of your

home, whatever that goal is for you.

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So let's get back to the episode, which

is something I bore my children with

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day in day out, which is consistency

beats talent, generosity beats

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strategy, and empathy beats ego.

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These three things matter more

than anything else in business,

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especially in the current climate.

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And the best part is you have all

of these quantities in oodles.

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Every single one of my clients has

these, so I know that every single

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one of you will also have these

qualities of consistency, generosity,

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and empathy, and we just need to keep

honing them and keep building them.

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So let's go into each

of these in more detail.

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Number one is consistency.

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The clients who succeed are the

ones who show up even when no one is

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clapping or cheering for them, which

is most of the time, in all honesty,

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especially in the start of your business

where people are kind of cringing at

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seeing you show up on video suddenly,

or things you might be sharing.

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But that is the rite of

passage to having a business.

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Doing things that most people will never

do to get the thing that they want.

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So my most successful clients are posting,

emailing, networking, whatever it is for

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that particular client, week in, week out.

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It's not glamorous, but it works.

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And this doesn't mean you have to show

up on social media all day, every day.

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I have wonderful clients in my

mastermind, for example, who are doing

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super well, earning great money, and

what they do differently is really,

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really keep in touch with the people

that they know through their workplaces.

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So how can you continue to build

those relationships, send that awkward

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message, even if you think it feels

salesy, whatever it is for you.

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It's those awkward things that you need

to do first, because they are usually

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the needle movers in your business.

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Okay, number two, generosity.

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Most successful coaches don't hold back.

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They give their best stuff away for free.

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And here is the magic.

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People don't think, oh, well I don't

need to work with them now they think

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if this is what they give away for free,

imagine what it's like to work with them.

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And for those who think you can build

everything for free, like that's okay.

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Your real ideal clients, the one

who will get results, the one who

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knows that there is more to learn.

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They will be the ones

who come into your world.

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It also massively raises your rates.

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Good isn't good enough anymore and

we want to be excellent to be able to

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stand out in a competitive marketplace.

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So what is one generous post you

could share this week that solves

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a real problem that you would

normally only share in a session?

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Imagine you are aiming for people to

say this was so helpful, or message

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you directly to say thank you.

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And it doesn't always need to be 'how to'

content, although that is really useful.

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It can sometimes be as

simple as sharing your story.

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I shared my story last week on social

media of moving to this house, which

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I never thought would be possible

for me once I had children and went

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part-time and I had so many private

DM saying, thank you so much.

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I've just started my business.

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It's so hard.

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I'm so grateful to you for

sharing that story that's given

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me momentum and a spark today.

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It also got something like 700 and

something likes and hundreds of comments

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from people really grateful for the

perspective shift that it is possible

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to be self-employed and get a mortgage.

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Okay.

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Our third point, which is

my favorite is empathy.

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The standout coaches are the ones

who feel their ideal clients.

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Like I really feel in my body

exactly what it feels like.

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That feeling has never left me

from starting my business as to the

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overwhelm of, oh my gosh, how am

I meant to post on social media?

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And do something else.

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And what I know now, the other

side of this is that it just

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needs to become business as usual.

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And the only way it becomes business

as usual is by doing it So often

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you can do it with your eyes closed.

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It's a bit like when I

drive on the school run.

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If, for example, we're going somewhere

different on the route or I'm meant

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to be pulling over at the shop

I will always end up driving by.

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So my children will go,

mum, you've missed this.

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Because it's automatic now

because we do it so often.

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So your social posts and things that

you want, those consistent habits

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in your business that currently

might take you a lot of energy

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will become easier with practice.

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So instead of staying in your head,

creating your niche statement or

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your offers, really get out there

and talk to real life people and

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try and solve real life problems.

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We might think of that as reframing,

limiting beliefs, for example.

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But we really need to think

about it as our ideal clients do.

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Do they even know what

a limiting belief is?

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Or do they think they have a

completely different problem, which

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obviously might be a limiting belief?

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We know that, but often they don't yet.

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So it's really important to talk to

their front door issues rather than the

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back door, which is what we will work

on when they're actually in the door.

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So these might sound like fluffy

add-ons, but they are really

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your business multipliers.

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One of my clients, Levanah.

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Does all three of these beautifully.

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She has shown up consistently

for the 18 months that she's

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been building her business.

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She generously builds trust with

her audience by being consistent

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and she has real empathy for exactly

where her ideal client is at and

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the challenges that they are facing.

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And she's not afraid to call them

out and let those people really

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see that someone gets where they're

at and that they are not alone.

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So let's bring this back to you.

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The three qualities that separate

successful coaches from the rest are

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consistency, generosity, and empathy.

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Your challenge this week is to pick one

of these and commit to a small action.

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Don't overthink it.

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Just do something.

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And notice the evidence, whether that is

a comment on your post, a conversation

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that feels easier, or that you just

feel more confident in your own process.

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That is your sign.

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It's working.

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And again, like I've talked about in this

episode, don't be the person who puts out

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that one post or does someone a favor and

then throws their toys out of the pram.

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If it doesn't get immediately rewarded.

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Do it again tomorrow.

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If you don't get your sign today.

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I met this guy when I

first started my business.

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And he's a coach also and he

honestly has kept in touch with me

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over six years now and not just me.

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He does this with everyone.

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His system is insane, and because he

is so generous and sends WhatsApps

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and sends the latest ICF reports or

anything else he thinks I might be

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interested in, it's really hard to

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ignore when he asks for a favor.

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So for example, he contacted me

recently and he has published a book

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and he wanted me to read his book,

and I was like, oh, I just haven't

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really got time to read your book.

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But obviously because he has paid into the

value bank of me for so many years, there

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was nothing I could do than try and read

his book and feed back to him quickly.

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So be that person who does

pay into the value bank.

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So when you want something in return,

that person will do what you ask.

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If you want more structure and

support to build your business

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with honesty and not hype, that is

exactly what we do inside my program.

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The business of coaching.

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It is sold out in October,

in fact, oversubscribed.

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So I've had to ask some people to

wait to join because I like to take

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a maximum number each month so I know

that I have adequate time to give

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to those amazing clients who have

trusted me with their investment.

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The next intake is the 11th of November.

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That doesn't mean you need to wait until

then before you can join the community,

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our core calls and the training part of

the program, but it just means we won't

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start your small group accelerator, which

is a four week thing I do to really make

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sure within those first four weeks you

get clarity on your niche, your offer,

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and taking some steps to share that

within our first four weeks together,

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you will find the link to

learn more in the show notes.

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There is an application form right at the

bottom of the business of coaching page.

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So if you are curious but have

questions, wanna make sure it's right

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for you, then just complete that

and I will send you a personalised

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walkthrough to make sure it fits you.

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Like I don't wanna work with anybody who

isn't a right fit in the program either.

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So it's in both of our interests that

I only take on people that I feel

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like can get results in my program.

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So today, take a deep breath

and remember, you don't need

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to chase shiny objects around.

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The ones who succeed are the ones

who show up with consistency, give

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generously and lead with empathy.

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And like I share at the end of every

episode, trust yourself, believe in

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yourself, and be the wise gardener

who keeps on watering the seed

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Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):

Thank you so much for listening to this

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episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.

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I have a mess of free resources on

my website joannalottcoaching.com.

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That's Joanna with an A

and Lott with two T's.

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joannalottcoaching.com.

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And I'll also put links in the show notes.

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Let me know if you found

this episode useful.

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Share it with a friend and

leave me a review, and I will

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personally thank you for that.

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Remember to trust yourself, believe

in yourself and be the wise Gardner

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who keeps on watering the seed.

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Get into the arena dare, greatly and try.