5 Things I’ve Learned in the Last 3 Years of Running My Business

Two years after I returned from my transformational journey to Machu Picchu, I came home super pumped and excited that I had finally figured out my life purpose - Inspiration.

“My purpose is to inspire.”

The moment I reached Inti Punku (also known as Sun Gate), a viewpoint of Machu Picchu on one side of the Machu Picchu Mountain that marks the entrance to the ruin on Inca Trail, I realized my entire life purpose was to inspire those on the same path reaching to our final destination.

Following this realization about my life, I found myself on a new path of self-discovery -learning to navigate in starting my own business in Life Coaching. I believe being inspirational is important, but inspiration can be very short-lived. Inspiration needs to end with the strategy for taking action. Without action, inspiration is just empty air that we inhale in, it blends with us and exhales on the next cycle of breath. Inspiration does not lead to reality, strategic actions lead to results.

There are 5 things I have learned in the last 3 years of running my business:

When you are speaking to everyone, you are speaking to no one.

This is especially true when you first start out on this journey. As a coach, we often believe that everyone can benefit from coaching. It is true that everyone can work with a coach, but not everyone is ready to be a coach. So, if you are starting out with a full lot of passion in your heart and every conversation you see as an opportunity to coach someone, then you might find it heartbreaking to know that at the end of the day, not EVERYONE will relate to what you are saying.

You are not teaching EVERYONE how to overcome negative self-talk. You are not teaching EVERYONE how to recognize that mindset matters. You are teaching a very specific population of people about something that you can help them with specifically to accomplish. So when you are speaking to EVERYONE, you are speaking to NO ONE.

When you speak to 100 people, only 1% of them will sign up.

This is not a made-up story. It is a historically & statistically proven fact that when you speak to 100 people, only 1% of these will resonate with you and actually take action to sign up with you. This means more visibility, more possibility. The more opportunity you have to be in front of your audience, the more likely to create a sustainable business with a consistent influx of traffic to get seen, get heard, and get hired.

When you are lost in your direction, get back to the basics.

Too often than not, I see starters lost in following others through social media, youtube, and finding pieces of the puzzle while figuring themselves out.

This was me a few years ago when I first started running my business. I spend hours researching how other coaches did this. I join groups to ask questions, asking suggestions, and putting puzzles together pieces by pieces.

The problem is things will start to fall apart. The message that I was speaking was not a true reflection of how I would have done things if it came out of my own heart and soul. What I have learned is true authentic business model comes from being who you are. Your business speaks of your personality and your core values. It is a mirror representation of who you are on the stage and off the stage. When in doubt, go back to the basic- Know thyself.

Vulnerability is your superpower. Use it when it is called upon.

No one likes to be judged. Business Vulnerability means you recognize that you can not do things alone and you are not afraid to ask for help when you need it.

When I first started out my business, I hesitated to reach out to my friends and family for help. I didn’t believe they would buy from me and I was afraid that I might offend them by sending them emails that sound like selling.

I have learned that the most valuable supporters are those who came from my friends and family circle. You know that first post you send out and no one like or share or comment? I have learned that by reaching out to my family and friend, my post began to be seen by more people. They share, like, and comment on my posts which in turn leads to an increase in the probability of beating the social media algorithm.

Be vulnerable and reach out to your trusted circle and ask them for referrals and connections.

When in doubt, ASK.

This has been a big and valuable lesson to me-ASK.

A couple of years ago, after a podcast interview, my host had asked me “what can I do for you to support you?” This was my opportunity to ASK.

I could have asked for an endorsement, a testimonial, a few words from the host describing his/her impression from our interview. But I was too humble and too polite to do the asking. I was too shy to ask.

Later, I learned that when it is offered to you, always ask.

Starting on a business journey is a self-discovery journey.

Running your business is very much like the way you would run your life. You learn and grow the same way you would in life. What have you learned from running your business?

Running 2 full-time jobs and not sure how to balance your life? Check out this free webinar on how to work smart and get things done. GRAB YOUR SEAT HERE.

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