55 | This is your reminder to keep going

Speaker: 00:00:00

Hello and welcome to Women in

the Coaching Arena podcast.

2

: 00:00:04

I'm so glad you are here.

3

: 00:00:06

I'm Jo Lott, a business mentor

and ICF accredited coach

4

: 00:00:10

Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):

and I help coaches to

5

: 00:00:11

build brilliant businesses.

6

: 00:00:14

I know that when you prepare to enter

the arena, there is fear, self doubt,

7

: 00:00:19

comparison, anxiety, uncertainty.

8

: 00:00:23

You can tend to armor up and

protect yourself from vulnerability.

9

: 00:00:29

In this podcast, I'll be sharing

honest, not hype, practical and

10

: 00:00:32

emotional tools to support you to make

the difference that you are here for.

11

: 00:00:37

Dare greatly.

12

: 00:00:38

You belong in this arena.

13

: 00:00:41

Hello, welcome to the 55th episode

of women in the coaching arena.

14

: 00:00:45

I am so glad you are here.

15

: 00:00:48

Today I intended to do an

episode on five simple ways to

16

: 00:00:53

get your first paying clients.

17

: 00:00:55

But something else is

calling to me right now.

18

: 00:00:59

So this episode is called.

19

: 00:01:01

This is your reminder to keep going.

20

: 00:01:04

Because that is how you're going

to get your first paying client.

21

: 00:01:09

And I really want to acknowledge

the hard work you are putting in.

22

: 00:01:15

And all I can say is

getting from zero to one.

23

: 00:01:20

Is the hardest part.

24

: 00:01:23

It's a bit like an airplane taking off

that upward movement that they have to do

25

: 00:01:29

to begin with is so hard and it will take

80% of the energy you probably will ever

26

: 00:01:36

put into your business is that initial

two years of really trying to grow.

27

: 00:01:42

Really thinking, gosh,

why is this so slow?

28

: 00:01:46

Wondering like how long

you can keep going.

29

: 00:01:49

Wondering why you keep going around in

circles, wondering why it's not happening

30

: 00:01:53

as quickly as you want it to happen.

31

: 00:01:56

So that is what I'm going

to be talking about today.

32

: 00:01:59

Wherever you are in your business, you

will always have times when it's tough.

33

: 00:02:05

And I think we have the expectation that

things should be easier than they are.

34

: 00:02:10

And again, a great reminder that

most people would never start a

35

: 00:02:16

business because it does take a lot.

36

: 00:02:19

It takes so much personal growth.

37

: 00:02:20

It takes so much courage.

38

: 00:02:23

It takes a determination to get over the

obstacle of what will people think of me.

39

: 00:02:29

So you are doing this and I

think just by being in the arena.

40

: 00:02:36

You are doing what 90%

of people will never do.

41

: 00:02:41

So take a minute to appreciate how

brave, how courageous, how determined you

42

: 00:02:49

are for being in this arena right now.

43

: 00:02:53

And now let's think about your dream

because I really do believe if you have a

44

: 00:02:58

dream, it has been put there for a reason.

45

: 00:03:02

That dream, your burning desire.

46

: 00:03:04

Didn't just randomly appear.

47

: 00:03:07

I genuinely think if you have even

an ounce of, I need to do this.

48

: 00:03:14

Then that is calling you

forward for a reason.

49

: 00:03:18

And even if you don't know that

end result or what that reason is.

50

: 00:03:23

It's there to remind you that you are

here to make a difference and why you are

51

: 00:03:30

uniquely placed to make that difference.

52

: 00:03:34

And so leaning into our coach training.

53

: 00:03:37

If you have that dream, you have

what it takes to achieve it.

54

: 00:03:43

You are resourceful

whole capable and good.

55

: 00:03:47

Therefore, you can figure this out.

56

: 00:03:51

And you have the ability

to make this happen..

57

: 00:03:55

I also love thinking about the

fact that the dream has arisen from

58

: 00:04:00

the raw materials of your deepest

talents and your truest self.

59

: 00:04:06

So for me, for example,

60

: 00:04:08

I often find notes that I wrote to

myself when I was a kid or when I

61

: 00:04:13

was 17 or I read one the other day.

62

: 00:04:17

That talks about wanting to do this work.

63

: 00:04:19

And I was really young.

64

: 00:04:20

I think I was about 20 at the time.

65

: 00:04:24

So it's interesting when you come

across these things and you think.

66

: 00:04:29

This is the path that I am meant to take.

67

: 00:04:32

And whether or not that feels easy

68

: 00:04:37

it's leading you into Mary Oliver's

quotes, which is what are you going

69

: 00:04:43

to do with your one precious life?

70

: 00:04:45

Does it mean it's going to be easy.

71

: 00:04:48

Of course not.

72

: 00:04:49

That's why they call it a dream.

73

: 00:04:51

You have to work to make it a reality.

74

: 00:04:56

But you wouldn't have received that

dream, that calling in the first place.

75

: 00:05:00

If you didn't have what it takes buried

within you waiting to be tapped into.

76

: 00:05:07

Take a moment to think about

when you have been creative.

77

: 00:05:13

When you've shown resilience, when

you have expressed your passion.

78

: 00:05:19

And when you have had pure grit.

79

: 00:05:22

And remind yourself that it is all there.

80

: 00:05:26

And you just have to keep reminding

yourself, keep believing every single day.

81

: 00:05:32

That you can unlock little by little.

82

: 00:05:35

And surround yourself with supporters who

will champion you when you have forgotten.

83

: 00:05:43

All of those amazing

traits that you possess.

84

: 00:05:46

And one day in the future, you will

wake up and realize that your dream has

85

: 00:05:52

become a reality and you have achieved

everything that you set out to achieve.

86

: 00:05:59

And reflecting on that.

87

: 00:06:01

I think it's also worth saying that

depending on how far you are in business.

88

: 00:06:06

You will know that even when you get there

where you thought you always wanted to be.

89

: 00:06:12

There will always be other challenges

and that there is no place over

90

: 00:06:19

there where everything is easy.

91

: 00:06:23

But the work you put in in the beginning

will make it a different type of hard.

92

: 00:06:28

Which is nowhere near as hard as the early

days of really building your business.

93

: 00:06:36

I honestly think that going from say

50 K a year to a hundred K a year.

94

: 00:06:42

Is actually pretty easy.

95

: 00:06:44

In comparison to going from zero.

96

: 00:06:48

to 1000 pounds in your business, which

is like the biggest shift of someone

97

: 00:06:54

actually paying you to do this work and

gaining those first few paying clients.

98

: 00:06:59

It's actually why quite a lot of

business coaches aim for people further

99

: 00:07:04

along in their business, because they

know that actually that early stage

100

: 00:07:08

before you've received any paying

clients is actually really hard.

101

: 00:07:12

And it takes a lot of building,

a lot of consistency, a lot of

102

: 00:07:16

learning to get to the point where

you are established and you are

103

: 00:07:20

attracting in those paying clients.

104

: 00:07:23

The key to doing this is realizing that

uncertainty is a part of the journey.

105

: 00:07:30

And it weeds out those who

don't have the courage and

106

: 00:07:35

resilience required to continue.

107

: 00:07:38

And again, I'm not saying it's easy . But

I am saying that the most resilient

108

: 00:07:44

or the most with that absolute passion

will achieve amazing rich businesses.

109

: 00:07:51

So keep reminding yourself that

if you remain flexible, opens to

110

: 00:07:56

possibilities, unattached to how

you think this should unfold.

111

: 00:08:01

Then solutions will start to

emerge and you need to have faith.

112

: 00:08:07

I have a new client who was

kind of having a bad week last

113

: 00:08:12

week and she'd messaged saying.

114

: 00:08:14

Like I've been being consistent

for a few months now.

115

: 00:08:18

And it's getting really hard

without getting that feedback.

116

: 00:08:22

To say, you know, you're doing a

good job from ideal clients and

117

: 00:08:28

she sent me a voice note yesterday

saying I was just about to give up on

118

: 00:08:34

connecting with people on LinkedIn.

119

: 00:08:36

And then I received an email

back from someone I had just

120

: 00:08:39

connected with, inviting me to do

a workshop for that organization.

121

: 00:08:43

So she could not believe

that within a week.

122

: 00:08:47

Something had happened from the

work that she had put in that week.

123

: 00:08:52

Just on the brink of her thinking,

forget this, I am quitting.

124

: 00:08:57

So I think just keep going.

125

: 00:08:59

And that's why at the end of this podcast,

if you've ever wondered what I mean by the

126

: 00:09:05

wise Gardner keeps on watering the seed.

127

: 00:09:08

This is what I mean.

128

: 00:09:10

Everyone else has given up.

129

: 00:09:12

Everyone else thinks, forget it.

130

: 00:09:13

It's not working.

131

: 00:09:14

It's not working.

132

: 00:09:15

And has given up watering the seed and

the wise Gardner trusts that if they

133

: 00:09:21

continue to nurture that seed will

eventually grow into a super strong tree.

134

: 00:09:28

I talk to my children

all the time about that.

135

: 00:09:31

And they tell me that no one will know

what I'm talking about on my podcast.

136

: 00:09:35

When I say that.

137

: 00:09:36

So I'm glad I finally explained

it in case you have ever wondered

138

: 00:09:41

what that phrase means to me.

139

: 00:09:44

I also wanted to cover

that solutions will emerge.

140

: 00:09:49

My first coach used to always say to

me, It will emerge Jo and it used to

141

: 00:09:55

drive me absolutely nuts because I

just wanted to know the right answer.

142

: 00:10:01

And it's interesting actually,

after being coached regularly for

143

: 00:10:05

four and a half years or so now.

144

: 00:10:08

How I have lent into that trust

so much more than I did back then.

145

: 00:10:13

And I was a real black

and white type person.

146

: 00:10:16

What's right.

147

: 00:10:17

What's wrong.

148

: 00:10:18

I need to know the exact answer.

149

: 00:10:19

I.

150

: 00:10:20

I will not do anything on this way.

151

: 00:10:21

Have a guarantee that this will work.

152

: 00:10:24

And I think that maturity, that

I've obviously gained through the

153

: 00:10:29

ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

154

: 00:10:32

Actually shows that you can begin to trust

that you are resourceful enough to be

155

: 00:10:38

able to handle whatever comes your way.

156

: 00:10:42

And, that you can lean into

the uncertainty of life, which

157

: 00:10:46

will always be uncertain.

158

: 00:10:48

There is no certain path for any of us.

159

: 00:10:52

So as long as you keep putting

one foot in front of the other.

160

: 00:10:56

And keep going.

161

: 00:10:57

Those answers and opportunities

will start to present themselves,

162

: 00:11:02

even if you can't see them yet.

163

: 00:11:04

So be observant, keep an open mind

and you will start to notice all

164

: 00:11:10

of the things lining up and all of

the amazing dots connecting in ways

165

: 00:11:16

that you had never even imagined.

166

: 00:11:19

It's like when I look back now at my

business building journey, I realized.

167

: 00:11:24

I would never have been able to do the

work I'm doing now where it not for the

168

: 00:11:31

embarrassment of my first video on social

media or my first pitch to someone which

169

: 00:11:37

was a failure and all of the things.

170

: 00:11:40

Like you have to go on the journey to

be able to have the experience, to be

171

: 00:11:46

able to continue to go on that journey.

172

: 00:11:49

So clarity will come from taking

action every single day towards your

173

: 00:11:55

dreams are not endless planning.

174

: 00:11:58

Please do not spend too

long in the planning.

175

: 00:12:00

stage.

176

: 00:12:01

You just need to take fast, messy action.

177

: 00:12:05

And then things will

start to fall into place.

178

: 00:12:08

And trust the process.

179

: 00:12:11

So, let me recap today's episode.

180

: 00:12:14

Firstly recognize that your

dream is there for a reason.

181

: 00:12:17

Don't ignore that calling.

182

: 00:12:20

Second believe that you do

possess the abilities required

183

: 00:12:23

to make this dream a reality.

184

: 00:12:25

Even if it doesn't feel like you

have all those skills and things yet.

185

: 00:12:30

Third embrace uncertainty

that comes with this new path.

186

: 00:12:34

Don't resist it.

187

: 00:12:35

Know, that you are going to have to trust.

188

: 00:12:38

Being the type of person to take full

responsibility for you and your own

189

: 00:12:43

life is what will make you successful.

190

: 00:12:47

And fourth is have faith.

191

: 00:12:49

As you keep taking action, unexpected

solutions and opportunities will emerge.

192

: 00:12:55

Fifth.

193

: 00:12:55

The most boring part rinse and repeat.

194

: 00:12:58

I just had a last call with a

client and she was like, I have

195

: 00:13:02

everything I need to succeed.

196

: 00:13:04

The problem is now it's just a

matter of continuing to do it.

197

: 00:13:10

So your dream is yours alone

to birth into the world.

198

: 00:13:14

Stay resilient, keeping one foot in front

of the other, and you will get there.

199

: 00:13:19

So keep going, I believe in you.

200

: 00:13:22

And like I say, at the end of every

episode, Trust yourself, believe

201

: 00:13:26

in yourself and be the wise Gardner

who keeps on watering the seed.

202

: 00:13:31

Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):

Thank you so much for listening to this

203

: 00:13:33

episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.

204

: 00:13:36

I have a mess of free resources on

my website joannalottcoaching.com.

205

: 00:13:42

That's Joanna with an A

and Lott with two T's.

206

: 00:13:46

joannalottcoaching.com.

207

: 00:13:48

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

208

: 00:13:52

Let me know if you found

this episode useful.

209

: 00:13:55

Share it with a friend and

leave me a review, and I will

210

: 00:13:58

personally thank you for that.

211

: 00:14:01

Remember to trust yourself, believe

in yourself and be the wise Gardner

212

: 00:14:05

who keeps on watering the seed.

213

: 00:14:07

Get into the arena dare, greatly and try.