As a woman whose been running a company for 15 years now, I’m here to testify:
There are fears, insecurities, and mental trash at every level of success.
As a newbie coach, you’re terrified that you’re inexperienced and not good enough. You panic about finding enough clients. You worry you don’t have what it takes to excel. When a coaching session ends and your client says “thanks” but doesn’t erupt into an explosion of joy (“omgggg that was amaaaaaazing”) you quietly worry, “did they hate it?”
As a seasoned coach, you’re terrified that all your best work is behind you. You’ve achieved success a few times, sure, but maybe it’s not repeatable or sustainable. You worry that your success is just a fluke, or that eventually you’ll run out of good ideas.
As a coach-turned-CEO, you’re terrified that your best employee will quit unexpectedly, or you worry that you suck at leadership. You get anxious about payroll, team morale, new employee onboarding processes—things you never had to think about before. You feel weighed down with new responsibilities and wonder, “Am I up to the task?”
We often think, “Once I make X number of dollars, then everything will be so smooth and I’ll be living on easy-street” but it ain’t necessarily so.
Fear can haunt you at every level of success.
Whatever type of fear is gripping you today, remember:
– Fears are emotions.
– Emotions are helpful, interesting, and always have something to teach you.
– And, emotions are not necessarily facts.
– You may feel like, “I can’t handle this,” “I’m not good enough,” “It’s too late for me,” but this feeling is not necessarily a fact. It could be pure fiction.
– You don’t have to believe every single thought that happens to cross your mind.
– Just like you don’t have to pick up every hitchhiker you see on the side of the road. You can see them, acknowledge them, assess the situation (“hmm, is he holding an ax in his hand?”) and then decide “nope” and cruise on by. You don’t need to give that dude a ride inside your car. (Or, inside your head.)
On the path of entrepreneurship, success is measured not just in clients served or dollars earned, but also in how skillfully you manage the emotions that arise along the way.
Run your business based on facts, not fears.
PS. Are you a member of the Rich Coach Club, yet? This is a *free* community filled with professional coaches from around the world. Our mission is to help you build your dream coaching practice and earn a great living doing what you love. Join the Club (it’s on Facebook and it’s a private members-only group) by going here. Get marketing tips. Get emotional support. Get applause when you post a victory, big or small. Get in here, boo-berry!
