Part Six of Six

A coach can have a huge impact on the lives of his or her clients, and I certainly know that’s been the case for me. I’ve worked with five different coaches. I hired each one for a different reason, at a different time in my life and career.

That being said, the work I did with each coach built upon the work I’d done before. My results have been greater because at each step of the way, I’ve already laid the foundation for further growth and expansion.

Here’s a summary of my experience with my fifth coach:

The Coach:

Stu McLaren

Why I THOUGHT I Hired Him:

When Kate Steinbacher and I launched The Coaches Console, we were essentially two coaches launching a technology company. As time passed, we found that we alternated our focus between coaching and the technology, but we didn’t focus on both at the same time.

As The Coaches Console reached and surpassed the million-dollar mark, we realized we could reach more coaches if we focused on coaching and technology.

That’s where Stu came in. I hired him because he’s successfully built several multi-million-dollar businesses that bring two different worlds together under one business model—and I knew he could help me do the same.  And he is. And it’s going great!

Why I REALLY Hired Him:

You know how you have the reason that you think you do something and then after you move forward, with hindsight, you realize there was a different reason that was necessary but you just weren’t aware of?

That’s what happened when I hired Stu.  The real reason I “needed” Stu became obvious very quickly.  My dad made a comment once and said when describing someone in his community “she is more gifted then she is confident.”  When my dad made that statement, although he was referring to someone else, it rang through my body like a bolt of lightning.  He was describing me and he didn’t even know it.

As I continue to grow my business and move deeper into unchartered territory (I’ve never created a multi-million-dollar business. I’ve never had to assemble and manage a team.”) my confidence continues to take hit after hit. My doubts creep up and sometimes it gets the best of me leaving me paralyzed or succumbing to my resistance.  It wreaks havoc on me as a business owner, as a leader, as a woman.

What Stu actually provides me through his coaching is someone believing in me more than I believe in myself. And to have someone remind me, regularly, that I DO know more than I give myself credit for. That I AM more capable than I realize. Stu is there as a mirror for me to remind me of my own greatness. So often I just need that mirror and that push as I continue to take leaps and bounds outside of my comfort zone (and lead others with me). Through Stu, I’m reminded of and realizing at whole new levels the importance of surrounding myself with those people that will give me that loving push when I most need it.

How He Helped Us:

Under Stu’s guidance, The Coaches Console is simplifying. And by that I don’t mean scaling back!  We are putting in place the next level of systems, processes, and teams so that we can continue to better support our existing clients in even bigger ways to create their business beyond their wildest dreams so they can live the lifestyle beyond their wildest dreams. And we want to scale to bigger levels and reach even more people.

Stu has guided me in defining a simple, consistent “mega brand”: we’ve mapped out a new evolved business model, along with marketing strategies that blend together the different elements of our business. He has helped me refine our current programs, trainings, and offers to reach more people—and to structure those programs, trainings, and offers to ensure our clients get better-than-ever results.  All of that in under 10 months – that’s the power of coaching, support and accountability.

Now, Stu is guiding me as I map out the vision for the next iteration of The Coaches Console. Most importantly, he’s taught me how to replicate the processes I’ve learned so I can use them again and again. It’s like that old saying about giving a man fish versus teaching him how to fish. Stu is teaching me how to fish, so I can reproduce powerful results over and over.

Why He Was Invaluable on My Journey:

I’ve never built a multi-million-dollar business before. I have no idea what I’m doing. Because Stu reminds me of what is possible, that I DO know more than I realize and that I AM capable, my confidence expands daily as I continue moving forward in this uncharted territory. He reminds me of what’s possible, what my talents are, and how they’ll assist me on this journey. He reminds me that I am capable.

And (thank goodness) he brings the fun factor into the serious nature of business growth and working with clients! Because the more fun our clients can have in the coaching and learning process, the more momentum they create, the more wins they experience, and the better results they get.

In Conclusion …

Working with coaches has transformed my life, personally and professionally.

Because you’re a coach, you already know about the benefits of coaching. But what you may not realize is the huge ripple effect that happens when you coach someone effectively; the amazing impact it has on his or her life for years to come.

That’s why, over the course of the next several weeks, I’ll be posting articles that focus on my coaches and what I learned through working with them. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, comment below:

Have you ever had an experience where you were navigating completely uncharted territory? How did your coach help you remain confident as you did? Or, if you’ve never had a coach, tell me about how you coped as you navigated unknown terrain—and now, from hindsight, what would have been helpful to know in advance, that a coach could have pointed out to you to make this journey smoother?

The Importance of Coaching