Lets talk about the realities of the struggles and triumphs of starting and growing a coaching business, emphasising the importance of persistence, resilience, and trusting the journey.

Introduction

• Jo introduces the episode by acknowledging the expected topic but shares a more pressing message that resonated with her spirit - the encouragement to persist in your business.
• She emphasises the hardest part of business growth: going from zero to one client and the significant energy and effort it requires during the initial years.

Main Points with Timestamps:

• [00:01:00] Overcoming the initial hurdles of starting a business, including self-doubt, comparison, and the slow pace of growth.
• [00:02:00] The unexpected challenges of entrepreneurship and the personal growth and courage it demands.
• [00:03:00] The significance of dreaming big and trusting that your dreams are there for a reason, guiding you towards making a difference.
• [00:04:00] Jo shares personal anecdotes to illustrate how early passions and dreams can indicate your true calling.
• [00:06:00] The realisation that achieving your dream doesn't mean the end of challenges but rather introduces different kinds of difficulties.
• [00:07:00] The importance of embracing uncertainty and how it can filter out those who may not have the resilience required for success.
• [00:08:00] An inspiring story of a client who was close to giving up but received a rewarding opportunity just in time, emphasising the importance of persistence.
• [00:09:00] Jo explains the metaphor of the wise gardener, underscoring the importance of continual effort and belief in your growth potential.
• [00:10:00] Encouragement to trust in the emergence of solutions and the value of coaching in navigating the uncertainties of entrepreneurship.
• [00:11:00] The power of observation, keeping an open mind, and recognizing opportunities that align with your journey.
• [00:12:00] The crucial role of taking action towards your dreams, rather than getting stuck in planning.

Key Takeaways:

1. Your dream is a significant indicator of your true calling; don't ignore it.
2. Believe in your ability to achieve your dreams, regardless of current skill levels.
3. Embrace the uncertainty of entrepreneurship and trust the process.
4. Keep faith that solutions and opportunities will arise as you continue to take action.
5. Persistence is key: the journey may require repetitive effort, but it’s essential for growth and success.

Useful Links

How to secure more coaching clients' free training

Download the 12 ways to get clients now

Learn about The Business of Coaching programme

Connect with Jo on LinkedIn

Rate and Review the Podcast

If you found this episode of Women in the Coaching Arena helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

If you’re kind enough to leave a review, please do let Jo know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: joanna@joannalottcoaching.com

Enjoyed This Episode?

Don’t Miss the Next One! Hit subscribe on your favourite podcast app to be notified each time a new episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.

Hello and welcome to Women in

the Coaching Arena podcast.

2

I'm so glad you are here.

3

I'm Jo Lott, a business mentor

and ICF accredited coach

4

Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):

and I help coaches to

5

build brilliant businesses.

6

I know that when you prepare to enter

the arena, there is fear, self doubt,

7

comparison, anxiety, uncertainty.

8

You can tend to armor up and

protect yourself from vulnerability.

9

In this podcast, I'll be sharing

honest, not hype, practical and

10

emotional tools to support you to make

the difference that you are here for.

11

Dare greatly.

12

You belong in this arena.

13

Hello, welcome to the 55th episode

of women in the coaching arena.

14

I am so glad you are here.

15

Today I intended to do an

episode on five simple ways to

16

get your first paying clients.

17

But something else is

calling to me right now.

18

So this episode is called.

19

This is your reminder to keep going.

20

Because that is how you're going

to get your first paying client.

21

And I really want to acknowledge

the hard work you are putting in.

22

And all I can say is

getting from zero to one.

23

Is the hardest part.

24

It's a bit like an airplane taking off

that upward movement that they have to do

25

to begin with is so hard and it will take

80% of the energy you probably will ever

26

put into your business is that initial

two years of really trying to grow.

27

Really thinking, gosh,

why is this so slow?

28

Wondering like how long

you can keep going.

29

Wondering why you keep going around in

circles, wondering why it's not happening

30

as quickly as you want it to happen.

31

So that is what I'm going

to be talking about today.

32

Wherever you are in your business, you

will always have times when it's tough.

33

And I think we have the expectation that

things should be easier than they are.

34

And again, a great reminder that

most people would never start a

35

business because it does take a lot.

36

It takes so much personal growth.

37

It takes so much courage.

38

It takes a determination to get over the

obstacle of what will people think of me.

39

So you are doing this and I

think just by being in the arena.

40

You are doing what 90%

of people will never do.

41

So take a minute to appreciate how

brave, how courageous, how determined you

42

are for being in this arena right now.

43

And now let's think about your dream

because I really do believe if you have a

44

dream, it has been put there for a reason.

45

That dream, your burning desire.

46

Didn't just randomly appear.

47

I genuinely think if you have even

an ounce of, I need to do this.

48

Then that is calling you

forward for a reason.

49

And even if you don't know that

end result or what that reason is.

50

It's there to remind you that you are

here to make a difference and why you are

51

uniquely placed to make that difference.

52

And so leaning into our coach training.

53

If you have that dream, you have

what it takes to achieve it.

54

You are resourceful

whole capable and good.

55

Therefore, you can figure this out.

56

And you have the ability

to make this happen..

57

I also love thinking about the

fact that the dream has arisen from

58

the raw materials of your deepest

talents and your truest self.

59

So for me, for example,

60

I often find notes that I wrote to

myself when I was a kid or when I

61

was 17 or I read one the other day.

62

That talks about wanting to do this work.

63

And I was really young.

64

I think I was about 20 at the time.

65

So it's interesting when you come

across these things and you think.

66

This is the path that I am meant to take.

67

And whether or not that feels easy

68

it's leading you into Mary Oliver's

quotes, which is what are you going

69

to do with your one precious life?

70

Does it mean it's going to be easy.

71

Of course not.

72

That's why they call it a dream.

73

You have to work to make it a reality.

74

But you wouldn't have received that

dream, that calling in the first place.

75

If you didn't have what it takes buried

within you waiting to be tapped into.

76

Take a moment to think about

when you have been creative.

77

When you've shown resilience, when

you have expressed your passion.

78

And when you have had pure grit.

79

And remind yourself that it is all there.

80

And you just have to keep reminding

yourself, keep believing every single day.

81

That you can unlock little by little.

82

And surround yourself with supporters who

will champion you when you have forgotten.

83

All of those amazing

traits that you possess.

84

And one day in the future, you will

wake up and realize that your dream has

85

become a reality and you have achieved

everything that you set out to achieve.

86

And reflecting on that.

87

I think it's also worth saying that

depending on how far you are in business.

88

You will know that even when you get there

where you thought you always wanted to be.

89

There will always be other challenges

and that there is no place over

90

there where everything is easy.

91

But the work you put in in the beginning

will make it a different type of hard.

92

Which is nowhere near as hard as the early

days of really building your business.

93

I honestly think that going from say

50 K a year to a hundred K a year.

94

Is actually pretty easy.

95

In comparison to going from zero.

96

to 1000 pounds in your business, which

is like the biggest shift of someone

97

actually paying you to do this work and

gaining those first few paying clients.

98

It's actually why quite a lot of

business coaches aim for people further

99

along in their business, because they

know that actually that early stage

100

before you've received any paying

clients is actually really hard.

101

And it takes a lot of building,

a lot of consistency, a lot of

102

learning to get to the point where

you are established and you are

103

attracting in those paying clients.

104

The key to doing this is realizing that

uncertainty is a part of the journey.

105

And it weeds out those who

don't have the courage and

106

resilience required to continue.

107

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

I am saying that the most resilient

108

or the most with that absolute passion

will achieve amazing rich businesses.

109

So keep reminding yourself that

if you remain flexible, opens to

110

possibilities, unattached to how

you think this should unfold.

111

Then solutions will start to

emerge and you need to have faith.

112

I have a new client who was

kind of having a bad week last

113

week and she'd messaged saying.

114

Like I've been being consistent

for a few months now.

115

And it's getting really hard

without getting that feedback.

116

To say, you know, you're doing a

good job from ideal clients and

117

she sent me a voice note yesterday

saying I was just about to give up on

118

connecting with people on LinkedIn.

119

And then I received an email

back from someone I had just

120

connected with, inviting me to do

a workshop for that organization.

121

So she could not believe

that within a week.

122

Something had happened from the

work that she had put in that week.

123

Just on the brink of her thinking,

forget this, I am quitting.

124

So I think just keep going.

125

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

if you've ever wondered what I mean by the

126

wise Gardner keeps on watering the seed.

127

This is what I mean.

128

Everyone else has given up.

129

Everyone else thinks, forget it.

130

It's not working.

131

It's not working.

132

And has given up watering the seed and

the wise Gardner trusts that if they

133

continue to nurture that seed will

eventually grow into a super strong tree.

134

I talk to my children

all the time about that.

135

And they tell me that no one will know

what I'm talking about on my podcast.

136

When I say that.

137

So I'm glad I finally explained

it in case you have ever wondered

138

what that phrase means to me.

139

I also wanted to cover

that solutions will emerge.

140

My first coach used to always say to

me, It will emerge Jo and it used to

141

drive me absolutely nuts because I

just wanted to know the right answer.

142

And it's interesting actually,

after being coached regularly for

143

four and a half years or so now.

144

How I have lent into that trust

so much more than I did back then.

145

And I was a real black

and white type person.

146

What's right.

147

What's wrong.

148

I need to know the exact answer.

149

I.

150

I will not do anything on this way.

151

Have a guarantee that this will work.

152

And I think that maturity, that

I've obviously gained through the

153

ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

154

Actually shows that you can begin to trust

that you are resourceful enough to be

155

able to handle whatever comes your way.

156

And, that you can lean into

the uncertainty of life, which

157

will always be uncertain.

158

There is no certain path for any of us.

159

So as long as you keep putting

one foot in front of the other.

160

And keep going.

161

Those answers and opportunities

will start to present themselves,

162

even if you can't see them yet.

163

So be observant, keep an open mind

and you will start to notice all

164

of the things lining up and all of

the amazing dots connecting in ways

165

that you had never even imagined.

166

It's like when I look back now at my

business building journey, I realized.

167

I would never have been able to do the

work I'm doing now where it not for the

168

embarrassment of my first video on social

media or my first pitch to someone which

169

was a failure and all of the things.

170

Like you have to go on the journey to

be able to have the experience, to be

171

able to continue to go on that journey.

172

So clarity will come from taking

action every single day towards your

173

dreams are not endless planning.

174

Please do not spend too

long in the planning.

175

stage.

176

You just need to take fast, messy action.

177

And then things will

start to fall into place.

178

And trust the process.

179

So, let me recap today's episode.

180

Firstly recognize that your

dream is there for a reason.

181

Don't ignore that calling.

182

Second believe that you do

possess the abilities required

183

to make this dream a reality.

184

Even if it doesn't feel like you

have all those skills and things yet.

185

Third embrace uncertainty

that comes with this new path.

186

Don't resist it.

187

Know, that you are going to have to trust.

188

Being the type of person to take full

responsibility for you and your own

189

life is what will make you successful.

190

And fourth is have faith.

191

As you keep taking action, unexpected

solutions and opportunities will emerge.

192

Fifth.

193

The most boring part rinse and repeat.

194

I just had a last call with a

client and she was like, I have

195

everything I need to succeed.

196

The problem is now it's just a

matter of continuing to do it.

197

So your dream is yours alone

to birth into the world.

198

Stay resilient, keeping one foot in front

of the other, and you will get there.

199

So keep going, I believe in you.

200

And like I say, at the end of every

episode, Trust yourself, believe

201

in yourself and be the wise Gardner

who keeps on watering the seed.

202

Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):

Thank you so much for listening to this

203

episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.

204

I have a mess of free resources on

my website joannalottcoaching.com.

205

That's Joanna with an A

and Lott with two T's.

206

joannalottcoaching.com.

207

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

208

Let me know if you found

this episode useful.

209

Share it with a friend and

leave me a review, and I will

210

personally thank you for that.

211

Remember to trust yourself, believe

in yourself and be the wise Gardner

212

who keeps on watering the seed.

213

Get into the arena dare, greatly and try.