Stephanie Elie (@BizzieMommy) is a transitional entrepreneur and mother of two children under the age of four. The editor of BizzieMommy.com and was recently listed in the Power Moms 50 list by Neilson Online.

An introduction, gosh, where do I begin? I’ve always had an interest in writing since I was a little girl; I can remember writing short stories during long road trips and writing my first screenplay while in high school. Most recently however, I have been writing about my journey to entrepreneurship on BizzieMommy.com.

I currently reside in the Los Angeles area with my family and work full-time outside of the home as a web producer. Once my two children are in bed, my real work begins. I spend my nights processing orders for my online baby boutique, updating products, blogging, networking and catching up on emails.
I enjoy writing about my journey to become a work at home mom and the tools I discover to help get me there. I love sharing my experiences and hope that I can encourage other moms, who are interested in becoming mom entrepreneurs, to take the leap. You will also find me writing about photography, the latest tech gadgets, web design, my kids and organizational tips for busy parents.

I jumped at the chance to participate in the sparkplugging.com internship even though my schedule was already full. I hope to learn the skills necessary to take my businesses to the next level so I can finally transition into a full-time work at home mom. I look forward to getting to know the other interns, networking and establishing great relationships with other entrepreneurs.

Thanks again for this great opportunity.

I love connecting and meeting new people, so feel free to send me a message on twitter @bizziemommy.  Tweet and I will tweet you back!

When Wendy first spoke with me about Sparkplugging I felt both a thrill of excitement and a stab of fear. The idea of stepping up to the role of General Editor was appealing on so many levels but one small part of me was really freaked out about it.

Why? Why did something so wonderful seem so scary to me?

An issue of Peer Comparison.

I admire Wendy so much and I had a hard time imagining myself in a position she has filled in such a unique way. I think about everything Wendy has accomplished in such a short time and I wonder if I have what it takes to boost Sparkplugging to the next level?

Finally, I resolved my hesitancy by realizing I don’t have to try to be like Wendy to do well in this position – I only have to be ME.

Of course this is also an issue of Self Confidence.

Do I believe that I can do this? For a little while, I just wasn’t sure and that’s scary! If I don’t believe in myself, who else will?

This isn’t the first time I’ve felt stretched in my business. It is a very familiar feeling.

• I felt stretched when I launched Work at Home Moms Talk Radio in 2003.
• I felt stretched when I partnered with Alice Seba on Mom Masterminds in 2004.
• I felt stretched when I quit my day job in 2006 and relied 100% on my business income.
• I felt stretched when I took over Mom’s Talk Network (and took on significant short term debt in the process) in 2007.

Every time I reached out to a new level I felt the same bubbly combination of excitement and fear – and did it anyways.  The results were great!  My business has grown and prospered.

This won’t be any different.

I’m a little unsteady on my feet. I feel awkward and out of my comfort zone. But I’m doing it anyways.

Would you like to join me?

Surely there’s a next level waiting for you right now

Wendy, thank you again for this awesome opportunity to work with you and the other incredible Sparkplugging Authors. I hope this season of transition will see both of us growing in amazing ways both personally and professionally.

From your business….

You gave birth to me one day, long ago. I was the sparkle in your eye, an idea growing inside of you, impatient for the day when I would become a reality.

I know that I’m not an easy child. I know that I’m demanding and always hungry for your attention. Thank you for staying up with me into the wee hours of the night and carrying me with you everywhere you go. I’m your most demanding child, yet you nurture and care for me like no one else ever could. Thank you for feeding me with your creativity, passion, and endless devotion.

I wish to give you something in return. I wish to give you the gift of freedom; I wish to give you something for which you will be forever proud; I wish to give you security and financial independence. Mostly, I wish to give you the means to help others as you do so well – and the satisfaction of knowing that this world is a better place because of you – because of us.

Perhaps I’m still too small to give you all of that right now, but we’ll grow together. Please know that gratitude comes in many forms and while I may not give back to you in the ways you expect, there is a gift in every moment that we spend together. Like the child you hold close to your heart I will bring you joy, even in the most trying of times. Thank you for being you.

Photo Courtesy of Fishman Public Relations

After athletes spend an entire career practicing, competing, and becoming masters of their sport, when it’s time to retire, a lot of them realize there’s going to be a huge paradigm shift for their career.  Former Los Angeles Raider Joe Wells took his experience as an athlete and launched a successful career  offering a high quality line of sports nutrition products and custom athletic apparel. Joe is the founder and CEO of Max Muscle, the nation’s premier franchise in sports nutrition, weight loss and fitness.

During his four-years in the NFL, Joe refused to let the achievement of his ultimate athletic dream blur his vision of the future. Like most professional football players, it didn’t take long for him to realize a career in professional sports was temporary to say the least.  So he started planning for his “retirement”. A lifelong athlete, he gathered a tremendous amount of knowledge about weight training and nutrition.  Joe learned how amino acids enhanced muscle recovery while playing for the LA Raiders, prompting him to formulate one of the first low-molecular amino acid supplements for athletes. It quickly became the top-selling sports nutrition amino acid in the country.

Joe recently took time out of his busy schedule to tell me more about his football career, his successful business, and how he manages it all.

On his most rewarding moment as a Football player:

“As a collegiate player I experienced many great moments. I was a linebacker and believe it or not a kicker. That’s a pretty rare crossover as a player, and it helped me create some great memories. In college I kicked several game winning field goals and I had many games with fumble recoveries, interceptions and a plenty of tackles.  I had a ton of awards, and a blast playing in college.”

“I was never a superstar player after college. It was a fight every step of the way to make it with a pro team. I signed several contracts in the NFL and USFL over a 5 year period. The Seahawks, Saints, Eagles, Raiders and a couple of USFL teams. It was hardly an illustrious pro career. At the time it was downright disappointing.  After 20 plus years of maturing, that entire experience is now one of my greatest memories. I met and played with so many legendary players, like Kenny Stabler, Marcus Allen, Archie Manning, Steve Young and many more. I travelled all over the US and played in some awesome stadiums. It was a great experience, and in fact was my gateway to Max Muscle.  All of this will lead right back to my greatest moment.  I was eating breakfast one morning with the late great player Lyle Alzado. It was training camp in 1984 with the Los Angeles Raiders. Lyle was taking a supplement called amino acids. I asked about them and he obliged with a plethora of information. I was all ears and later when the Raiders released me, I went to work on formulating one of the finest Amino Acid formulas on the market. Having breakfast with a football hero and having that set the pace for the next few decades of my life, that’s truly a great football memory for me!”

On his greatest business success so far:

“When I was in 7th grade I wrote an essay on what I wanted to accomplish in my life. In true seventh grade fashion I had my priorities in line.  Become a pro football player first and secondly own a chain of health stores. I am not really sure where that idea even came from, but for some reason I knew what I wanted.  Once Max Muscle exceeded the 100 store mark, I felt like I could legitimately call us a franchise chain. With that said, I feel that my greatest business achievement to date is actually living my dream of being the CEO of a large chain of stores! As I tell many of our new franchisees, ‘I am living my dream.’”

On traits that are both part of being a football player and business owner:

“I was recently at my 6th grade sons Jr. High Orientation. We were listening to his PE teacher who brought to our attention a poster titled: “I learned how to be successful in life from sports”. It then listed all the similarities like, Sportsmanship, Teamwork, Training, Positive Attitude, How to Win, How to Lose”. You get the picture, sports helps us all in life. But out of all that I can really say what worked for me in sports that I later applied to business was simply, “Work Harder than Your opponent”.  I was not a totally natural athlete; I had to work a little harder than others. I worked out longer to get stronger and I ran uphill to get faster than my opponents. That philosophy paid off in sports and later in business. In my younger days working 12-15 hours per day was just status quo; of course I hadn’t started a family yet!”

On advice for aspiring  entrepreneurs:

“I have 2 things to say as general guides for entrepreneurs. The first is “Believe in what you decide to do. Don’t just do something to make money, really believe in what you are doing. It brings the fire and passion out in you. Secondly “Don’t be afraid! Once you decide what to do don’t hesitate and don’t look back.  Jump in with both feet and be the best at what you do.”

Advice for balancing business and personal life:

“Well some may say that I tilt the scale a little too much for the kids and my family.  That is a luxury that time has afforded me. I have worked hard for my entire life. I have always had a job since I was 10 years old. I have great partners and a smooth running system. I also have 5 kids and if one of them has a baseball game or a concert at 3pm, I will be there. I may hit the computer again at 10pm, but I will never let myself look back and wish I had supported my kids more. It is possible to balance it all; you just need to get creative and flexible with your time.”

The one thing he has yet to do that he would like to do the most:

“I am pushing 50, and there are so many things that I want to do. I see our lives as having multi facets or dimensions.  In business I want to get to the magic number of 500 stores! In my philosophical life, I want to write a best selling book.  In my physical life, I want to win a Gold Medal or do something no other 50+ year old has done. In my family life, I want to see all my kids prosper and become great human beings!  Kind of corny huh, no skydiving or bungee jumping for me!”

Thanks Joe for some great advice and your inspiring story!

Courtesy of Adam Bourcier

After growing up in Long Island, Amos Zereoue went on to play football at West Virginia University.  After a successful run with the Mountaineers he enjoyed an amazing career with the NFL team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Having retired in 2005, Amos now owns the West African/French Fusion restaurant that shares his last name, Zereoue’s, in New York City.  Patrons enjoy good food, often cooked by Amos himself some days, and great atmosphere at this eatery in the Big Apple.

I had the privilege of learning more about Amos and his success recently when he agreed to talk to me about his experiences, both in football and business.

Jessica: Tell me about your most rewarding moment as a football player.

Amos: That’s hard to answer – so I’m gonna give you a couple of rewarding moments. My first ever college game – to be a relatively unknown player and to have made such an impact was a huge thing for me.  I remember in that first game – it was against PITT, they handed the ball off to me – and I was off, something like 69 or 70 yard touchdown run – that was so amazing – and the best part was that it was fun.  Obviously signing my contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers was a dream come true, I was having fun and getting paid for it – like a kid in a candy store.

J: What would you say is your greatest business success so far?

A: By far the ability to open a restaurant in the food and culture capital of the world has been one of the hardest things to do.  I’m still learning it everyday, but it’s a new challenge, so at least I’m learning. I’ve always enjoyed cooking – I used to cook for teammates all the time – and now I cook in the greatest city and I give them a food they aren’t entirely used to.  It’s all about new experiences.

J: Are there any traits required of both being a football player and being a restaurant owner?

A: First and foremost you need backing.  It’s sad, but so much depends on either your ability to have money or get money (either from banks or friends/investors).  Then you just need to have patience and persevere at it.  The early years are usually pretty bad, but it’s not a sprint, you’re in it for the long haul.

J: What advice can you offer aspiring entrepreneurs?

A: Never give up.  If you have an idea run with it until you can’t run with it anymore. Think of it as photography – you’ll take hundreds of photos, but maybe only 2 or 3 come out perfect – that’s how business is – just keep creating those ideas, fleshing them out, see what works
and what doesn’t and then keep going.

J: How do you balance your business and your personal life?

A: That’s probably the biggest challenge – because your business life becomes your personal life and vice versa.  You have to set priorities, be able to not take things too personal, and just move on.  Take the card your dealt and just play.

J: What’s the one thing you have yet to do that you’d like to do the most?
A: That’s the simplest question out of all of these – travel the world!

Do you live in or plan to visit New York City?  Stop by Zereoue’s at 13 East 37th Street and enjoy some West African/French Fusion fare and who knows, Amos might end up creating the meal for you himself!

Photo Courtesy of Jessie Schwartzburg Events & Consulting

Than Merrill, former NFL player for the Chicago Bears and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is now scoring touch downs in real estate.  Than is the star of A&E’s “Flip This House” and founder of CT Homes, LLC and Fortune Builders, INC.  One of the most successful real estate investors in the nation, he has become one of the most sought after real estate speakers and coaches in the country.

Than buys between 9 and 10 properties every single month averaging a profit margin of $27,000.00 each.   In the last few years he has bought and sold a total of over 350 properties nationwide.  As a result his company has rapidly grown into a multi-million dollar business with over 17 professionals under Than’s leadership.

A little known fact?  Than is an Ivy Leaguer.  He got his degree at Yale University before becoming a professional football player and now a real estate titan.  In addition, Than is a national speaker and has shared the platform with some of the top speakers in the country including Donald Trump, Tony Robbins, and Robert Kiyosaki.

Than took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for me recently.

Jessica: Tell me about your most rewarding moment as a football player?

Than: The first time I took the field in my first professional game. It was such an emotional moment for me because there were years of hard work that led up to that moment. Finally, for a few seconds I was satisfied with what I had accomplished. I remember coming off the field in a wave of emotion and having one of the veteran players tell me to get a grip Rookie. It was pretty funny, but something I will always remember.

T: My greatest success is the fact that I have been able to build a multi-million dollar business with two of my best friends. I take great pleasure in working with people I enjoy being around. Too many people have jobs they can’t stand and work with people they don’t necessarily like. I love what I do and the people that I work with.

Also, in 2007 my two business partners and I set a goal to flip over 100 homes and we ended up buying and selling 104 properties that year.

When I take on a new client, I ask them to fill out a questionnaire before we begin working together. One of the questions is: “Success means different things to different people; what does success mean to you?”

It seems like a pretty basic question at first glance, but when you really think about it, it’s fairly loaded. Your answer might sum up why you chose the business you did, how you feel about your family, what global issues are important to you, how important your physical and mental health is, what money means to you, and more. I’ve learned that very few successful business owners will describe success simply as running a profitable business. In fact, that is often one of the last things mentioned. The business is typically a means to the end; a way to accommodate values that represent whole life balance.

Another interesting and telling point is that many of the people who answer this question are thinking about it for the first time. Now I ask you, how can you possibly achieve success if you don’t know what success means to you? If you don’t even know what success is? It’s like trying to achieve goals that you’ve never set! Achieving clarity around your definition of success is a great start to growing a successful business and living a balanced life.

As an entrepreneur, success is probably one of your top values; one of the things that is most important to you in the world. So give this question some serious consideration. Ask yourself, “What is important about success to me? How do I define success?” Remember, this is YOUR definition, not that of society as a whole. This is all about YOU – Yay!

Now, if you respond by saying that you must have a profitable business and be highly regarded in your field, that’s great. But I challenge you to look at the bigger picture. If you achieve those things, but don’t have any time to spend with your friends and family, will you feel successful? How about philanthropic activities? Will you feel successful if you can’t devote time and money to causes that are important to you? Or – I don’t know – say… if your company adds to the effects of global warming? What if you feel and act like a total Scrooge to keep your company profitable and you don’t treat others in a way that’s in harmony with your ideal values – in the way you like to be treated? Will you feel successful if you make a profit, but have to work 12-hours a day to do it? Some people would say yes, some would not. And that’s ok. Remember, this is YOUR definition of success.

Well, you get the idea. Knowing what success means to you today will help you to build your ideal company tomorrow. Your company is an extension of you; identify and define your most important values and apply them to the way you run your company and live your life – inside and outside of work. This is a critical layer in the foundation of a sound business and a happy lifestyle. So, hello, my name is Marla and I’d like to ask you a question: What does success mean to you?

Courtesy of Nancy Iannios

If you’ve been watching this season’s “Dancing with the Stars” then you’ve seen Brooke Burke.  Or you might recognize her as the host of E!’s wildly popular series, “Wild On” before the reigns were handed to Tara Reid later on.  A successful model, television host, and actress, Brooke also has a family life with her three daughters and husband, Baywatch actor David Charvet.  Oh, and guess what?  She’s an entrepreneur with a thriving business!

Brooke recently launched BabooshBaby.com, an online store featuring her product called “tauts.” As a mother of three young girls, Brooke has definitely tried and tested the best of everything mom-related.  This experience led her to decide to develop a specialty line of products for expectant mothers.  At BabooshBaby.com, Brooke shares her secrets about how she’s managed to get back into shape quickly and naturally after giving birth.

Clearly she knows what she’s doing in the looking good after pregnancy department.  She has graced numerous magazine covers, has top-selling swimsuit calendars and is regularly ranked in men’s magazines as one of the sexiest women in the world today.  Not too shabby eh?

Even with her crazy schedule, Brooke loves spending quality time with her family, practicing yoga, pilates, and the “Core Secrets” ball workout.  Her free time includes cooking gourmet  meals for her family and friends, and watching movies and plays.

Lonely Entrepreneur asks: After quitting my corporate job to focus on my own business, I’m feeling in between worlds. I just can’t seem relate to the 9-5 mentality anymore. There are so many cool things going on in my life right now, but it feels like the cubicle dwellers can’t understand my life or what I’m dealing with. Does there have to be a rift between us?

Dear Temporarily Lonely,

First off, huge props for making the leap – it is one of the scariest things that you can do. It takes some serious cajones to make the switch from cubicle dweller to fearless entrepreneur. What you just did counts as a major life-changing decision. It’s exciting and fulfilling, but I’m not going to lie to you, it can also feel lonely.

It would be nice if everyone understood the magnitude of what you just did, let alone supported it, but that’s asking a lot. Some people will be happy for you. Some will be shocked. Some will be threatened and some won’t know how to react. You will grow new relationships and you will have to let go of others. Letting go of people in your life can be difficult, but holding on to relationships that aren’t working can hold you back, bring you down and be even more difficult than letting go.

Now, about those people in your life who aren’t as supportive as they used to be… There are several reasons this is happening to you (as well as many other entrepreneurs who have made a switch like yourself).

Fear: They might truly be afraid for you as they need security in their lives and they try to impose that on you. They might not know how to relate to you because you are going through some significant changes in your life. And as you become truer to your calling, you may find the rift growing.

Jealousy: Yes, there are people (many people) who are jealous of what you are doing. The jealousy is related to fear as they might be too afraid to take a risk like you have. The fact that you have taken a risk is causing others to look at their own lives and dreams – they might want to pick your brain on how you did it, or they might belittle you because of their own insecurities. Hey, you know you’re fabulous when you start to inspire jealousy!

Fear and jealousy can manifest in ways that try to undermine what you are doing or even make you feel bad. How much time should you spend explaining and defending what you are doing in your life? That’s really up to you, but in order to keep moving forward in a focused and clear direction, I would suggest that you not spend much time at all on this. There are people out there who will support and respect what you are doing, you might need to let go of some relationships that aren’t working to make room for ones that will.

How to manage:

Get out there and network. Meet others who are doing what you’re doing or who have made similar changes in their lives. There are plenty of meetups, entrepreneurial organizations and other groups out there – find them.

Nourish your supportive and healthy relationships.

Stay positive and redistribute some of the energy you were wasting back into you and your business.

There are so many amazing and inspiring people out there. It’s just up to you to get out there and meet them.

To becoming more fearlessly yourself!

Starla

Remember, in these times, a successful businessperson must use whole mind thinking. We need to create processes, systems, and solutions in addition to being creative and utilizing our out-of-the-box thinking skills. Hopefully, these 10 steps to planning your plan will help you do just that. Use these steps to create focus so that you can get these fabulous ideas out of your mind and cashing in at the bank.

1) Tell it to three people, not a village: When you create a new concept, plan, or goal for your business discuss it with 3 people. That’s it – 3 people. Perhaps your coach, a close friend, and a peer. You will drive yourself crazy if you put your idea in front of too many people; everyone will have a different opinion and enough feedback to fill a sizeable hard drive. Some will love your idea; others will think you’re a lunatic to believe it will work, and everyone will have a way to “improve” upon it. Remember, this business is about your clients/customers and only you know what makes them happy. It’s also about your passion and values; and only you can possibly connect to those. Let your ideas be representative of your passion and your clients’ needs, not the opinions of a multitude of friends, family members, and peers. You’ll soon discover that the true answers are within you, so why create stress and waste time when you already have the answers? Brainstorming with your Mastermind Group or your coach is critical at times, but no need to ask the opinion of every person you know.

2) Compare yourself only to YOU: At times it’s tempting to take a look at the competition, and that’s good and necessary. But it stops being useful when we begin to beat ourselves up for not achieving everything that the competition has achieved. When I began coaching, I would frequently go to other coach’s websites and make myself feel wholly inadequate because I wasn’t doing everything that every other coach on the face of the earth was doing. Yikes! How is that possible? Thankfully, I’ve learned to rein myself in and realize that we each have a unique offering and there is room enough in this Universe for thousands of successful coaches. There is room in this Universe for millions of successful people and your unique offerings will make you one of them. When you compare, compare your achievements to your own goals and how far you’ve come – not to the goals of others.

3) Examine it: Write down all of the reasons that you want to achieve this goal and all of its benefits. Are you doing this for the right reasons? Do you feel that it is in integrity with your values and your business model? If not, this is the time to revise the goal until it feels right, don’t wait until you’re knee deep in problems. Also, why limit yourself to logic in this phase? Use that outstanding intuition as well.

4) Analyze it: Don’t over analyze, but be diligent in examining the logic and the feasibility of your idea, and ask yourself, “How will I know when I’ve successfully achieved this goal?” and “How is it measurable?” Ask, “At what point is this goal complete and how will I know that I’ve succeeded?” Most importantly; “Is this idea a good fit in my long term vision?”

5) Plan for it: Identify your end-goal and write it at the top of a piece of paper (or a Word doc). Then create the steps you will take to achieve that goal. Be very specific so that each step has one or more action steps. So, whether it’s information gathering, writing content, individual marketing steps, or creating infrastructure, each category may have a number of action steps. In other words, every large step must be broken down into bite-sized pieces so you know exactly what to do next when the time comes.

6) Challenge it: Identify any possible blocks or obstacles in your plan or goal. What might they be and how will you address them if they arise? Now, don’t go getting all pessimistic on me here. Simply take a look at technical challenges, marketing challenges, etc. and the resources that you possess to address any questions as they arise. Is your marketing plan for a new product or service strong enough? Do you need new software or hardware to implement your idea? Who do you know who could help you in these areas – or others? These challenges, if you encounter them, are simply detours that you WILL maneuver successfully if you plan for them.

7) Make it friendly: Referring to step #5, where you’ve identified your bite-sized action steps, create a user-friendly document for each series of steps. For instance, if your next step is adding a shopping cart to your site, have a “shopping cart” document that details each step along the way. Now give yourself a timeline to complete all of these steps. I leave this document open on my desktop, and between my client sessions I refer to it to see what the next action step is – and I DO IT. No thinking about how I can change it, make it better, or even how I can procrastinate on it. I am now on auto-pilot because all I have to do is read and ACT. Wow, what a difference it makes when you don’t have to decide what to do next….ahhhh.

8 ) Create the habit: Now the trick is to remember to look at your working document. Until it becomes habit, put a reminder in your Outlook calendar or sticky notes throughout your home. Referring to your task list needs to become a default setting for you so that you don’t get off track with other projects and grand ideas that can wait until another time. Stick to this project; put other ideas in a separate “idea” document so that your mind is free and willing to stick to this one goal until it’s complete.

9) Get the psychological edge: Sometimes, larger goals lead us to feel like we’re on a treadmill; working hard and going nowhere. I like to use the “double strike through” feature in Word to indicate that I’ve achieved my steps…I don’t delete them as I go. This way, when I refer to my action plan document I can see how far I’ve come. Eventually, I accept that I’m making progress and I delete the completed tasks – that feels good too!

10) Celebrate along the way: The big picture is just that – BIG. Get off the treadmill every now and then and celebrate all that you’ve achieved. Describe it out loud to one of your 3 people; when you do this it really sinks in and you will feel good about yourself and your goals. It’s important to feel like you’re achieving and not sinking in the quicksand of it all. This will keep your motivation strong and your vision secure.

Summing this up; it’s critical that you write down your goals, talk them through with someone who will offer solid feedback and perhaps some accountability, and create the daily habit (and time) to achieve something on your goals list. I keep my Fridays as an “admin and marketing” day and focus on my goals all day long – every, single week – no exceptions. If you can’t take an entire day then schedule in 2-hour blocks of time at least 3 times a week. You have the time. Think about how much time is either spent doing non-entrepreneurial tasks or mentally processing and re-hashing the same information. That’s right; if you outsource and get focused you will have the time.

OK. Go create the plan, follow the 10-steps and let me know what you’ve achieved in 3-month’s time! Most importantly, have fun with it. You’re an entrepreneur because you have spirit, creativity, and passion – enjoy them!

John Jones III http://www.10minutes.org asks:

When should I consider a business coach, if at all?

Great question, John.

Since I am a business coach, you’re probably expecting me to say, “John, if you’re serious about your business, you should have a coach. In fact, all business owners should hire a coach.”

Nope. I’m not going to say that. A good coach knows when a client isn’t ready. A desperate coach will take anyone.

Let me explain.

First off, you can hire a coach at ANY stage of your business, but that doesn’t mean that you should. Think about it this way. A coach really is like a personal trainer. A trainer can help you if you’ve just started out on a new regimen, bored with your workout routine, trying to lose weight or training for something big. Kind of like your business. Anyone can hire one, but if you’re not going to stick with the program, it won’t be a good use of your time or money.

So here is my Am I ready to hire a coach quiz:

1. Am I willing to make the financial investment? Coaching isn’t cheap, at least good coaching isn’t. It’s a long-term investment. Yes, you will see some benefits up front, but don’t go into it as a last resort or expecting a quick fix. Real change takes time, so be sure that you’re willing to make the financial investment to make it happen.
2. Am I ready to really TRY? Like most things, you will get out of it what you put into it. If you just show up each week and expect the coach to do all the work, guess what? You’re quickly going to wonder why you’re paying someone for a bunch of questions. It’s the client’s job to go into each meeting with objectives for the meeting, updates, and questions. It also means that your coach will be pushing you to take action between meetings. Are you ready for some accountability?
3. Do I need a push? No matter how self-motivated you are, sometimes you need a push, new ideas or motivation. Again, think of the personal trainer. If you’re feeling stuck in a rut, that is the perfect time to hire a coach.
4. Do I need objective feedback? Face it, your friends and family have a vested interest in your choices and they’re probably not shy about telling you what they think. Sometimes you need a sounding board, not advice.
5. Are you willing to get naked? To make any real change, you’ve got to get naked. That means that you have to be willing to look at the stuff that’s held you back in the past. It’s vulnerable, scary and humbling. If you’re willing to go there, you and your coach can make huge strides.

If you answered yes, then the next step is how to hire a coach. That’s a whole ‘nother post, but I’ll leave you with this. You are hiring someone to be your partner. They are going to go through a lot with you, so make sure you want them in your inner circle. Trust. Connection. Respect. Those are the makings of a successful coaching relationship.

Hope that helps, John.

Starla

How do I get over it? Do I have to totally change my personality? Will it keep me from really being successful?

-Signed Scared of Selling

Dear Scared,

You’re NOT alone! This is a big topic with a lot of business owners out there. Most entrepreneurs think that it should be enough to be good at what you do. Unfortunately, that is not the case. You need to be able to clearly communicate the benefits of your product or service. That doesn’t mean you have to turn into uber-salesperson or that you have to change who you are. It just means that you have to focus your communication to make it easy for people to find value in what you do.

Here are 4 steps that might help you reframe how you think about selling.

Step 1: Determine your target market
Narrow the focus of your target market to be very specific. Fortunately for you, you have already targeted your market to include parent and soon-to-be-parents. But there are a lot of possible peripheral markets like those who might give your bags as gifts. Do you want to include them? I suggest staying tightly focused – it will make it to sell. And yes, it’s scary to exclude other potential segments of the market, but it can save you time, money and energy in the long-run.

Still trying to figure out your target market? Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Who makes up my current client base?
2. Who do I enjoy working with? Who do I wish I could work with more?
3. My skills, products, services provide the greatest benefit to…
4. Does this segment of the market have the money to buy my product/services?

Step 2: Find your target market
Let’s say that, in your case, you are focused on expectant moms. Get to know your target market – where are they, where can you meet them, what do they read, what are their concerns and what do they value? When you can connect what you do to what they value, you are GOLDEN! It’s not selling – it’s meeting a need. Can you start to see that?

Step 3: Educate – Don’t sell
Create a benefit statement that is about your client, not about you. That means that you have to go beyond the features of your business (I make customized diaper bags with 5 pockets) and talk about the benefits of what you do. Be clear about how you can make your client’s life better. An example for you might be, “Our designs are seasonal so you can always have a bag that matches your wardrobe.”

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. What’s great about what I do?
2. What benefits do I provide?
3. Can I save my clients time, money, or energy?
4. Can I tell a story about an existing client that might be compelling?

Step 4: Make the ask
When someone expresses an interest in what you offer, it’s up to you to ask them if they want to buy. The key is to make it your own. Be light, have fun, and be yourself. Here are some examples of how you might do it:

“This one sounds like it has everything you need. With that one on its last legs, it looks like you need one ASAP. Are you ready to pick a color?”

“I love the pink one for you. Which one are you thinking about?”

“Are you looking to get one today or should I call you next week and schedule a time to go over options?”

It’s about moving the person closer to action. They’re already interested, so what’s stopping you?

If you can change how you think about the selling process – rather than feeling like you’re ‘pushing’ your services, focus on educating. You will be more natural and more successful.

To fearless selling!

Starla