When I kicked off my career as a coach, I believed three ideas with every fiber of my being:
1. I was born to be a coach for people stuck in jobs they hated.
2. If I mimicked every step I saw the pros take, my business would flourish.
3. Calling myself a coach + building a website = clients would find, love, and hire me.
It turned out that all three of these ideas were dead-wrong.
However, each one taught me a valuable lesson, and I’ll share both my mistakes and my turn-arounds with you today.
Wrong Idea #1 – I had found “my thing.”
Before coaching, I spent ten years working for a Fortune 500 high-tech company. While the company itself was fine, I was miserable. I realized that I needed to take my career into my own hands.
After lots of soul-searching, I decided to become a coach for people who hated their jobs but didn’t know what else to do. I dropped six grand on a great training program, happily left my corporate job, and declared, “This is what I am meant to do.”
I was wrong.
Wrong Idea #2 – Copying the pros leads to success.
In my early days, I assumed the pros had a secret, plug-n-play formula for success. I analyzed their every move. I created a website, blogged, and sent email newsletters. I schmoozed at networking events, made a gorgeous digital product, published articles, and held an awesome live workshop…
… but my business growth was still sluggish.
Wrong Idea #3 – Clients will fall into my lap.
The high-powered coaches I learned from didn’t talk about the challenges of making a living as a coach. I figured my clients would easily find, love, and hire me. After all, this was what I was meant to do!
It turns out that it doesn’t work that way.
Facing failure and the prospect of returning to a cubicle job, I put out one last ditch effort. I decided to amp up the personal growth angle. I slept more, changed my diet, and spent more time in nature. I got a puppy, goofed off with friends, and practiced visualization techniques. I tried to inch my way to success with deep, healing breaths.
None of this worked, either.
The Lightbulb Moment
Finally, a thudding realization brought everything into focus. With all ideas exhausted, reality hit. I didn’t love the business I’d created.
After all that effort, soul-searching, and omm-ing, I saw my new career path was still the wrong path. I was thrown right back to square one. I shut down my business, stopped working with the few clients I did have, and took a step back.
First, I asked myself: “What did I really enjoy doing?” and “What don’t I really enjoy?”
Months later, it clicked. I am a creator of practical strategies for creative entrepreneurs who want to create and grow successful businesses… today. I found “my thing,” but I also realized “my thing” will change over time. My business will evolve as I do.
Click to TweetMy business will evolve as I do.Second, I discovered the wonderful world of marketing. With my new business focus established, I sat down to review my previous mistakes, determined not to fall into the same traps again. It was time to shift my efforts toward learning and implementing practical marketing and business strategies. I dove in headfirst.
Third, I hired a superstar business mentor. I learned to talk about what I did in a way that made sense to people. I cleaned up my website copy, hosted my first webinar, and went after my first 1000 newsletter subscribers.
Gradually, gorgeously, my business began to grow and grow and grow.
Looking Back
I’m often asked what I would change if I could do it all over again. My answer? Absolutely nothing.
All of that trial and error was the best education a business coach could ask for. It provided me with a true understanding of the nature of purpose-driven businesses, and it helped me get a grip on precisely why my original ideas were so wrong. These hard-earned lessons created the concrete foundation for the blossoming, authentic business I now enjoy.
The moral of my story is this: there are no shortcuts and no one-size-fits-all approaches to growing a business. If you want to be successful, you must be willing to figure out what really works for your business. You must combine your unique talents with practical business and marketing concepts. You must be willing to try new ideas and be willing to fail in order to find what works for you. And you must, must keep moving forward.
Learn about business. Be willing to experiment. Don’t give up. With these three things, you will be unstoppable.
Your turn
Now those three turn-arounds are core to how I keep moving forward despite challenging obstacles. I’d love to hear your input on this as well.
Think about the struggles you’ve had and how you’ve turned them around. What happened and how did you keep moving forward?
Leave a comment below and let me know your story. We can all benefit from what you’ve learned and experienced.
Jenny,
Thanks for the great input and especially for being so honest.
This is all still fresh to me so most of “working on my website” is listening to others advice and getting to know more people with integrity (like you and others 🙂
I recently read “Good to Great” and it was fantastic. It made me stay calm about what I’m doing. Great companies took time to skyrocket, it wasn’t overnight. They also took time to get clear on their hedgehog concept, which is what I am working on now.
I’ve always enjoyed being unique, just me.
Love being part of your community.
Thanks for chiming in, Sandy. Learning the whole online business thing takes time. We weren’t born knowing how to do this, that’s for sure!
Listen and learn from others PLUS take action. Doing work that brings you closer to your vision helps you get clearer on your vision. You don’t have to do a ton, but step by step, you’ll get there.
I love that you get that companies take time to take off. There’s so few overnight successes — even if it looks that way from the outside. It takes lots of behind the scenes efforts over time to make it work.
Glad to have you here!
I completely turned my business around in May, after I got tired of making a bunch of products nobody wanted. I decided to create a business that more closely fit who I am today. So far I haven’t gotten much business out of it. But I hope that will change once I’ve rebuilt that monster of a website and split it into three parts. I know I could use some help with my copy, at least for the sales pages and gallery. But I don’t want the cookie cutter page that I see everywhere, and I have no money to pay anyone else to do them either. The one thing I’d love to be able to outsource would be the bookkeeping, but since the regulations are different here, I’d have to go local, and that costs something like $5000 a year.
One of the great things about you, Linda, is your persistence. Since we first crossed paths online, I’ve seen you always moving forward and trying new things, never settling or giving up. Such a great attitude!
Stubbornness is definitely me 🙂
I am currently in the process of learning how to start my own business, ‘square one’ as you mentioned. Having the vision in mind, I’m still in the stages of learning how to build my site, market it, get a list together, etc… and, not really sure of which stage should come first (my biggest challenge). So, any/all information geared towards being a complete ‘newbie’ would be more than welcomed!!
Hey Jennifer – If you know exactly the kind of biz you want to start, get the basics of a website up first. You don’t need to spend thousands with a designer. A simple wordpress site (you do yourself or pay $500 for) will get you started. Start blogging, sharing your ideas, and selling your products or services. Shoot for the 80%. (Details on that here: https://jennyshih.com/2012/10/the-perfect-business-myth-have-you-been-fooled/ )
It’s hard to give you exact input on steps 1, 2, 3, etc, since I don’t know what biz you’re starting. But a basic website is a great place to begin. Good luck!
Thanks, Jenny… the thing is, though, that the kind of website i want to build is complex because it addresses the issues i’ve noticed with other sites i’d visited years ago in the area of health/well-being. upon looking for information for a health issue a family memeber had, i found it difficult to track what i needed, which gave me the idea for what i’ m working on now. So, it is going to take some time, but, in the end, i feel it would be well worth the effort.
That makes sense!
For most people, a simple website is enough. But not always 🙂 Sounds like you know what you need and have the patience to go after it. Love that!
thank you! question: do you give direction/counselling for people who get lost in the details? i do have a course of action i’m taking (studying a book on html and css), although having some difficulty taking it all in at the moment.
Yes, specifically as it relates to business. You can check out the details of my packages here: https://jennyshih.com/. If you have more questions about if and how they’d apply to your specific situation, feel free to drop me a note via the contact page.
Hey Jen. As always your blog is in sync with where I’m at personally. I quit my job at the end of March and started a creative online business. Just like you I followed the pro’s and created digital products, started a newsletter and began a coaching practice. I had a few successes, but overall it felt like I had simply created another job. My heart wasn’t in it.
A few weeks ago I realized that what I want to do is write books. I want to speak at TED events. I want to make a difference. I want my business to donate 50% of its profits to dolphin conservation. That is my heart.
So slowly but surely I’m changing my business model and brand. It takes time to make the shift and to have the guts to move forward, knowing that many of your followers may not come along. But I know in my gut that this is right.
I’m so glad that even my online super heroes like you went through similar trials. It helps to know you’re not alone.
Love M xx
I’m so glad to hear this met you where you needed it. I have talked with colleagues and friends about this myth that the successful online business owners we see were always successful and that they never struggled. I want to keep transparency in my business (and please remind me if I ever forget!) that it’s not easy to start and I struggled at the beginning. It does take work to make it work. We do struggle to find our footing at first. …and if we keep at it, it may just work out incredibly!
Keep moving forward, one key stroke and then the next. You’ll get there, too. I believe you will.
Hi Jenny,
I have been reading your articles for the last few months and I truly thank you for them. I feel I have tried every path. I went through traditional academia to find that I hated psychology in the clinical setting. I pursued I/O psychology realizing I hated the politics of business. I have tried work in corporate and non-profit settings, all with the same outcome – feeling like I don’t fit. After some personal trials, I decided to completely start over. I bought some land, a used trailer and am slowly re-vamping it. This is where it clicked for me. I like fixing, taking old and making new, breathing new life into what had been forgotten. I am the outsider who sees into a situation and knows what needs mending…so I don’t fit…WOW! I am now on the path to starting a business remodeling with a green colored lenses….who knew 15 years ago…I sure didn’t! Looking back and connecting the commonalities in my “failures” has brought me here…I am thankful everyday for my past.
What a story, Liz! Thank you for sharing your story.
You have such clarity that the “failures” were not bad things. That’s sooo important to notice. Our society can get down on us for not getting things right, quitting, moving on, etc. But sometimes, that’s exactly what we need to do to bring ourselves to the perfect place for us.
I’m so glad you shared that here. Thank you so much.
I am there. Thanks for the words that spoke to the parts of me who often don’t know who to talk to. I loved “gradually and gorgeously!” I am just wrapping up a class that I may turn into a guide and then it is off to other lands… The adventure continues!
Ooh, I just noticed the “js” up on the web address line! I love it.
So happy to help a superhero like you on her journey, Caryn!!
And yes, my web guy made a little JS favicon for my site. Fun, eh? 🙂
Funny how the write piece falls into your lap right when you need it 😉 Thanks Jenny for your honesty and solutions.
Happy to help when and how I can, Sammi!! Thanks for saying so!
Great post. My stumbling block came around my spiritual growth. While soaring at top speed in my spiritual life (and feeling totally aligned with my life’s purpose), I flew straight into a tree. It’s taken me a while to dust myself off and re-orient myself. The scene post-crash is entirely different, and I’m now feeling courageous enough to try again. This means operating for a while without definitions. And evaluating just what happened. And promising myself to learn from the mistakes. What’s amazing is that, until I made space to repair and repurpose my spirit, NOTHING in my business seemed to work as well. I think this is because I was out of alignment. It seems alignment is a very big deal.
Thanks again for the post.
I can relate, Frances. Well, not to the tree part, but to the importance of repairing and healing my spirit in order for my business to flourish. Part of getting to this point in my business was me putting attention on myself and my own healing in order to have the space and energy to create what I’ve created.
Thanks for sharing your experiences here!
One thing to remember when new to business is, it is a work in progress. Your first website won’t be perfect, your first offering or client interaction will need some improving and you can’t be so hard on yourself!
I learned this the hard way. =)
Yes! Yes! Yes!
I totally agree with you, Dani. Thank you so much for mentioning that here.
Everything is always a work in progress.
For readers who are still trying to find “their thing” I would highly recommend a book: “Now Discover Your Strengths” by Marcus Buckingham and Don Clifton. Quick, easy read. Buy it New (not used) because it comes with a code for an online assessment that is priceless in identifying your greatest strengths. This is most often what you have the most “juice” for.
That is a good book, Vera. I agree!
I also like the enneagram, Myers-Briggs, and Kolbe for honing in on what makes us tick.
One of my favorite coaches for narrowing in is Bev Barnes. Although I had taken all of the assessments and knew who I was, I still struggled to fit it into a business. She helped me a ton.
Yes! Thank you for this in particular, Jenny:
“I found “my thing,” but I also realized “my thing” will change over time. My business will evolve as I do.”
I’ve struggled to accept that as I was always told not to change things and that I needed to stick to “the plan”… I’ve decided to embrace change and see where it takes me. I know in my heart that where I’ll be in my 40s will be completely different from my 30s and that’s awesome!
Thank you : )
I’m glad you liked that, Claudia! It took me awhile to get it!
I kept wanting to get “there” but it wasn’t happening. I finally figured it out and have so much peace around knowing things will shift before I’m done. It used to be stressful but now it’s actually a huge relief!
Thanks for reiterating that here!
I need to stop feeling like I need to apologize for allowing my business to grow and evolve over time. Of course it will change as I change!
I am still in the process of fine-tuning what I’m doing and this post really resonated with me, partly because I, evidently like you, love to give people creative solutions to their problems that they can use NOW. I am still trying to figure out how to authentically offer what only *I* can do!
My latest development was having a professional organizer come into my home office and help me get my systems up and running. I was getting leads and interest but my follow-up wasn’t what it needed to be, and I FELT disorganized. I needed my office to feel and function like an office, too!
Now I FEEL better in the space, and FEEL more like a business owner…and because I have the foundation of good systems in place, everything is running more smoothly, too. The sky is the limit!
Thanks for sharing your experiences….it is helping me a LOT, to navigate my own path!
That’s awesome, Tabitha! I’m a big fan of systems. I’m also a big fan of doing what you need to do to feel official. For everyone, that’s different. I love that you know yourself to know that you need to have the office space setup right–and you did it. (I’m a fan of action-takers!)
If you ever want help with the follow-up aspect of your business, Kendrick Shope is amazing!! http://kendrickshope.com
Thanks for being here and sharing your experiences!
I LOVED this! I can definitely see myself in this story.
I thought I was meant to be a Personal Trainer and Nutrition Consultant. (Which I was for over 2 years). But this past summer I realized that I didn’t love my business and I needed to find another path.
I am now building a business as a Health & Life Coach for women who find it challenging getting their butt in gear (pun intended). I don’t do personalized diet and exercise programs anymore because that wasn’t my favorite part. My favorite part was interacting with my clients and coming up with ways to keep them motivated and boosting their willpower.
I’m so happy you expressed the idea that your business can and should evolve even when you think you’ve found “it” because I’m sure there will come a time when I’ll decide to shift again. Thank you!
LOVE it, Jenna! Nice to see your example of how you shifted your biz as your ideas and passions shifted. Awesome!
Thanks for sharing that here. It’s always helpful to have others with similar stories–it helps us all see that what we’re going through isn’t unusual!
Jenny, I love your blog and your engagement and interaction you’re definitely one of the faces of the new business model. Involved, integrated, and authentic!
For years I struggled with starting my own business. I balked at the “traditional plan” and while I did some research into the literature of the time I opted to just jump in the pool and start putting my product online. When I started I didn’t have the best packaging, no real branding and in fact just used a ready made ecommerce site. While in the beginning I struggled to nail down everything at once I have in these last three years learned to focus on one thing at time and have applied that vigorously this year since May. I have made a plan, read up on the latest & move innovating people, got a coach and slowly reworked one thing at a time, starting with my website set up, then product photography. Now all I have left is updating my systems (thanks for the ebook Jenny!) and rewriting my copy! Then it’s create, create, create – market, market, market!
Thanks for your kind words, Aradia!!
Your story is so great. Seeing what wasn’t working at the beginning, then stepping back and really going pro with it. It takes more time that way, but it creates the foundation for a sustainable business.
You’re right, working on one thing at a time to move forward in the right way for your biz can make such a difference. Thanks for sharing that here!
I definitely think it’s better to do things right the first time rather than haphazardly only to have to re-do everything again later. Although I’ll point out that one shouldn’t focus on perfectionism as that holds you back. You should focus on doing a good job and doing quality work as well as producing quality content. But if you have to redo, it’s not the end of the world, just an opportunity to make something “sing” that much more!
I think many of us new entrepreneurs get so excited and caught up in that “I can do it” attitude that we forget that sometimes we need to back off from trying to do everything. Scattering your focus leads to sub par work many times anyway!
I love this jenny!
You are, and always have been, spot on with your advice- it’s so nice to get a glimpse of your journey and how you came to where you are, yet know you might not be here forever..
; )
Aw, shucks, Danielle! You’ve always got nice things to say.
I like to share this story (I’ve shared it elsewhere, too) because I like to bring truth to it all. It’s hard to start a business and make it work, but it can happen. Reality check + beacon of hope is how I like to think about it 🙂
Jenny~
I have been following you for a few months when one of my friends posted on your wall one time.
I just finished a Coaching group that really allowed me to launch my business. I love combining business with passion. For me, that was yoga. Even though this may sound like a stretch, it is about the connection I felt to my body, business and life.
I have struggled with reaching my ideal audience. I love working with fellow coaches, but really I want to serve people who are new entrepreneurs or creatives that want to make a difference in the world and also allow this business to meet and serve their needs.
What I struggle with is getting it all done. I paid several people over the years to create websites for me, until I got frustrated and bought a program to teach me how to do it myself. I love having the control of making changes when I need to my site. What I struggle with is getting it all done during my office hours. I have a part-time VA that I work with but not sure what she can help me with. I have so many ideas and projects in the piper yet struggle with some of the commerce. I want this business to support myself and family so I am trying to find an income balance so that I still am creative, yet have some steady income coming in. Any ideas or suggestions on that?
I would love to work with you but not sure you ever offer group coaching. I am not in a place to hire you 1:1, but love what you do. Keep me posted on that one.
All the best,
stacey
Stacey, Sounds like you’ve got a lot going on. That’s actually worth a congrats! You’ve got a business that’s up and running. It’s great!
And, I get how there can be a huge never-ending list of things to do. The key to help you do this is going to be setting very clear priorities, then focus on only the top priority. Get that done, then tackle the next priority. I often see newer folks taking on way too much at once, and that’s stressful and makes things take longer. If you haven’t checked it out already, I suggest you listen to my free class: https://jennyshih.com/2021/05/work-less/ It’s all about how to get more done in less time. It will help a lot.
As far as coaching programs, the details always go to my list first, so if you aren’t already, you can sign up here: https://jennyshih.com/free-resources/
Thanks for being here!
I have also qualified as a coach and I keep wondering.. Is building a website the Panacea for all the ills that we face as start up coaches…
I am seriously interested in knowing how many newbie coaches have got onto business only by using a website and a blog… Is this enough for one to get sustainable business?
Hi Natraj. I personally agree with your questioning whether building a website is the panacea for all the ills coaches face as they start their business. In my experience, most coaches try to jump directly to writing a website when they aren’t even really clear on who they’re called to serve and what they’re offering those people. That makes it hard to write something clear and compelling that speaks to your tribe, whoever they are.
By contrast, I actually had my first 5-figure month way back with no website, newsletter, or list. But I was clear who my audience was, I had a fabulous 6-month program that they really wanted, and I knew how to be in heart-centered conversation with ideal clients. I started with the people already in my world (low-hanging fruit), then expanded to networking, then speaking.
Later I went back and created my website and newsletter, both of which are actually very important to have. I just don’t think they’re necessarily the first step.
Hi Susanna,
Thanks for your comment. I think the real challenge that we as coaches face especially in a country like India is to actually get people to understand what coaching is all about. You are right in saying that we need to be clear about our target audience, but I guess that is the challenge. As beginners we are apprehensive that focusing too much will actually cause the numbers to shrink..
Can I ask what the six month program was?
Natraj, I totally understand what you mean about being in a country where coaching is still very new. I’ve worked with clients in Asia who have faced that same challenge.
The key is to talk to your target audience in a way that they understand. Even here in the US, a lot of people don’t know what life coaching is. BUT, they do understand what is meant when a life coach says, “I help people who have no idea what they want to do for their career figure out what they’d love to do and go for it!” (for career coaches)
Hope that helps!
Natraj, There are lots of ways to build a business. When I started my coaching business, I knew that I wanted to be online-based, not in-person based, so a website was the way to go. I also know people who wanted in-person coaching businesses, so websites were less of a priority for them. It’s all about how you want to work.
I don’t believe in coaches getting websites for over a thousand dollars when they first start. $500 can get you a very basic website that you can edit and work with, put your info out there, and blog to your target audience. This, I think, is a great idea. The best part about a website like this is that you can edit it and it can change as you do. (That’s what I love most about the internet.)
The other thing for building a profitable, sustainable business online is having a list–that email subscription thing I have for my site. That allows you to directly communicate with the people interested in your work on a regular basis, and it also sets you up to have a steady stream of clients.
With a website, a blog, a list, and some clear coaching packages, you can build a solid business for yourself. That’s what I help clients do all the time.
Hope that helps!
Thank you for this generous offer. I reframed my coaching business from management coach to Alzheimer’s coach on 11/11/11. Remembering4You.com (R4Y) is just now receiving more visibility after one year of publishing articles, raising awareness to this new niche of coaching that is so much needed throughout the world, and enjoying every moment consulting and coaching management in hospitals, care centers, and assisted living. My passion is to train new life coaches into this niche but am having problems attracting them. I am hoping your material, which is printing at this moment, will shed light on this matter. R4Y’s mission is to change one facility at a time and improve the level of care for individuals living with Alzheimer’s. I believe Alzheimer’s coaching is a wonderful way to fill up a coaching practice.
~ Ethelle Lord, DM
Congratulations on your launch and finding something that you love, Ethelle.
What great article, Jenny. Yes, I’ve fallen into all three of those traps. They are so common!
Trap #1: I surprised myself and everyone who knew me by becoming a business coach when my passion was nature and being a wilderness guide. I love the entrepreneurial spirit and now coach what I call complex, deep-thinking, heart-centered, conscious entrepreneurs in the business of transformation. And I’m starting to bring pieces of what I used to do into this work, so it’s perfect!
Trap #2: As you said, analyzing what successful coaches are doing and trying to copy it never worked. Between that and a lot of free and low-investment programs, all it gave me was a bunch of isolated pieces and I had no clear idea how they fit together, no bigger picture. There was just so much I didn’t and couldn’t see by trying to voyeur my way to my own success.
It only changed once I was willing to invest at a fairly high level to get an entire business building map and the support I needed. Between several years of nominal income and then throwing money at all sorts of low-level programs, it would have actually been a money saver to just hire a superstar coach/mentor. And a shortcut too.
Trap #3: Clients only started to fall in my lap once I turned into my fear of marketing and selling, shifted my mindset about it, and learned how to see it with the energy of service. Then I could talk about what I did in a way that opened up a field of possibility for the right people and invited them to step into it.
I just finished teaching a telesminar called From ‘Sleazy’ Sales to Sacred Selling. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d be teaching other heart-centered business owners how to sell their services in a high-integrity way.
For me, the path to my right business has been an incredible journey of adventure and healing on so many levels. Generating a great income is awesome to! Thanks for sparking these ideas.
Congratulations on your journey and finding your way through it all, too, Susanna! It takes a lot of hard work, introspection, and determination to make it happen. Sounds like you were able to do that in your biz, and that’s wonderful!
Hi Jenny. I hope you’re good with me posting on your blog, being that I’m also a business coach. I just clicked on an interesting sounding link from LinkedIn (your blog title pulled me in!) and felt inspired to contribute.
Bravo Jenny! I love your post and agree 100%. I work with women in professional services who are struggling in their business and every one of them had become disconnected from the joy of what they do. Many were in the wrong profession all together. But once they reconnected to the joy of doing what they loved to do, they were able to create a clear vision for the business or career they desired. When we build our business or career based upon the joy we receive and the fulfillment we achieve in serving others, it is far easier to create that successful business or career. Our marketing is easier because we speak and write from the heart and when speaking with others, we don’t feel ‘salesy’. Instead we have enthusiasm and enjoy telling others about the gift within ourselves, the very gift we offer through our products and services. Thank you for such a great post.
All well put, Judith. Yes, being in a career we love fills us up, and it also helps us sell our services–we just get so excited talking about what we love and it’s hard for others not to notice!
Thanks for sharing your perspective here!
Very good article Jenny. I like your honesty and your simple clear way of expressing some fundamental truths that it takes a lot of business people a long time to discover. I can certainly relate to your story.
I always bring it back to my core intention. Over the years I have seen the same pattern play out. If business slows up or opportunities dry up I need to revisit and re-energise my intention. When I do that it is usually amazing how quickly the energy opens up, even if I have not done anything different on the practical front.
The clarity of our vision (or intention) that emerges from what we love and can do best can move many mountains.
Thank you for this discussion.
Thanks for sharing that, Clem. It’s always helpful to hear the words others use to describe the same concepts. I know that we each learn in our own way and the more ways we can present the same concepts, the more likely we are to get our message across.
Thanks for contributing to the conversation!
Hi, Jenny,
I just came across your blog, and just wanted to add a slightly different perspective to what you wrote.
I think that your lessons learned are perfectly valid, but to me you didn’t attribute your success to the right cause. You wrote, “First, I asked myself: ‘What did I really enjoy doing?’ and ‘What don’t I really enjoy?'”, but I don’t believe that the answer to these questions is what led you to a more successful path.
I don’t know if you are familiar with the book “So Good They Can’t Ignore You”, by Cal Newport. The book’s title is from a quote from comedian Steve Martin. When asked what his advice was for aspiring entertainers he said “Nobody ever takes note of my advice because it’s not the answer they wanted to hear. What they wanted to hear is “here’s how you get an agent, here’s how you write a script…”, but I always say, “Be so good they can’t ignore you”.
One of the themes of the book (which I’ve been successfully using to help my mentees at work) is to shoot down the prevailing wisdom that we see in a lot of books and blogs about career advice, what Newport calls the Passion Hypothesis. This is the hypothesis that the only thing between you and your dream job is your lack of conviction. if you only had the courage to pursue your “true” passion, then you would finally live the fantasy life you’ve always dreamed about. Newport argues that not only is the Passion Hypothesis ineffective, but it is also downright malignant. He gives various examples of people who have naively followed their passion and switched careers into their fantasy only to watch their lives fall apart.
I believe that what helped you was not figuring out what you like and don’t like to do, but rather, finding the intersection of what you like, what you are good at, and what is so valuable that others are willing to pay money to have. You even said something similar here: “If you want to be successful, you must be willing to figure out what really works for your business. You must combine your unique talents with practical business and marketing concepts. ”
One way to look at it is this: we *already* do what we like to do, without being paid. For example, I like to play the piano, and will play for pleasure, even though I’m not being paid to do so. I want to be happy at work, but the way I do that is not by following my passion, but rather building relevant skills (obviously in an area I like enough to keep doing it to get increasingly better).
Being “too good to be ignored” means we have more personal control over what we do, more flexibility and less supervision at the office, more leisure time at home. This is how most of us get to accelerate our career far beyond what we thought was possible, and start to do work we love.
There are people who have had problems for a long time. But for this length of time, they still weren’t able to think of a way to get through or over it. Here is where a life coach can be instrumental. People who have this kind of predicament usually are stuck, unable to move on, or are unaware of what action they need to take to address the specific situation. The coach will help you on deciding which direction you are going to take. This can be related to your personal life, your business, and many more things.
Hi Jenny
This was eye opening. I am doing second round of Bschool.
My company supports moms of premature babies through the emotional and mental struggles she faces and most recently due to my own loss, I have included a section on how moms cope with loss. We focus on mom because she is going through so much and we talk about the things that are in her head and heart that she doesn’t share.
My website is under construction. I finding it difficult to pull together the emotional aspects I want to address in the form of emotional support(blog), the clothing I have for preemies and my workshops I speak at all under one vision. I feel a bit fragmented because each ideal client has different emotions.
I have clarity in each of these areas separately but all together, the presentation is not seamless in my mind.
I’m not a coach, just provide support, maybe I am, I don’t know. I know in my heart this is what I am supposed to do, refining and talking about it helps me to get more and more clarity.