Business is a funny thing, each day you can experience those on top of the world feelings, then the every next moment feel like your struggling to doggy paddle your way to shore, …or some form of safety, sometimes just trying to breathe (not that there is ever safety in business).
Change is good. It’s also often hard. But to succeed in business, you must run toward it.
For this reason, and as I am making the big leaps to make my business something real, I decided to invest in a Business Coach. An investment that I felt was priceless.
While I know a bit about business from 10 years as a BDM {Business Development Manager} for leading companies in their respective fields, and managing…its a different world when you’re in your own business. Im currently re-reading the E myth…making the change from a toddler to adolescent business can be scary (and it is!). The most difficult issue being that while once you were everything in your business; the technician, the manager, the entrepreneur, the accountant, the dreamer, the marketing pro, the delivery man, the social media guru and every single thing in between, making the jump to potentially being a BIG business means your taking a leap of faith…not knowing what will happen but only knowing & trusting where you are going.
These are the things I am currently changing in my business world that will ultimately (I believe) progress me towards my BIG dream reality, my vision of making a healthy change in the world.
‘Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.’ Brian Tracey
*Staff….because I can’t keep doing everything, everyday. Now if you don’t know, this itself is a huge investment of time, the interviewing process…I wish I could have some type of lie detector test (I guess this is really only a test of my intuition), people know how to interview today, and your basically opening your heart and soul that you’ve made a business to other people. It’s imeperative they have the passion and drive that you do. For me, one of the Clean Treats values is INTEGRITY. Ad let’s be 200% honest, no one will ever love your business like you do…so honestly…. I am scared.
‘A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.’ Denis Waitley
In taking team members on board this also means; contracts, systems, policies and procedure manuals (that I dont have)…structure (that I also dont have a lot of).
NEW PACKAGING…as I write this on a Sunday, I underestimated how much work this would be. The risk…the pressure to get it right (I am also a perfectionist), and really just the need to have it now. Working with designers (this hasnt been my best experience) and printers, trying to make the decisions that will either mean success or failure (even though you can never fail if you dont quit), I should probably say the difference between right and wrong. And theres so many aspects to this. The legalities, the testing of the product, food regulations, display, appeal, marketing…..
‘As you move outside of your comfort zone, what was once the unknown and frightening becomes your new normal.’ Robin S. Sharma
New Websites for both The Clean Treats Factory & my personal brand.
Ebook & Healthcoaching (I need to focus on this as helping people is my passion).
Secret projects… I cant write too much here, but these are completely new opportunities created with a thought… #collabmagic.
*Inhouse Accountant…its time for me not to waste anytime doing what I can average do and have a pro do what they professionally can.
So with all of the above, and some things being a lot more difficult than I imagined, it was only natural that I had a few tears when meeting with my Business Coach this week… her perfect words to me (and said excitedly) … your out of your comfort zone, this is where the magic happens.
‘Im continually trying to make choices that put me against my comfort zone. As long as your uncomfortable, it means your growing.’ Ashton Kutcher
Im SO uncomfortable right now. Her (I’m using Alison Morgan from The Relauncher ) words were a perfect realisation for me. Spoken at the right time, in a little moment of self doubt & pressure. This is exactly the reason I chose to work with her.
A business coach is someone that might have more experience in an industry than you, it might be someone who has more experience with wealth creation, or it could be someone who inspires you… for me, Alison was this.
She gives me homework, so I can’t be ‘to busy’ not to do some of the things I need to do, she lets me know that everything is going to be ok when I feel overwhelmed and out of control, she helps me get all the crazy thoughts that consume out onto paper and helps me make a plan. So instead of doing everything I can until I burn out, we make a strategic plan and timeline so I know whats happening and when and can pause for a moment to catch my breath. I just feel like she has my back.
You see getting a business coach, isnt admitting your bad at business, but it’s reaching out for help and making an investment in your self and your business because you might be too far in to look perspectively at all the wonder you’re creating (perhaps even the mess you are making). Just like you get a personal trainer for your body, a business coach is an investment you are making in your business, in your desire to be more, to grow and develop, and personally I dont have the business skills I know I will require to take my business where I want it to be. So in the terms of Henry Ford (he was a great man who knew nothing about his industry), build a team around you of people who are experts at what they do, so you can be an expert in what you do (me…Im the dreamer, the lover, the idealist)
‘Adaptability is about the powerful difference between adapting to cope and adapting to win.’ Max McKeown
Another thing…its kind of like a health coach, your basically paying for someone to hold your hand, and when you don’t have a world of business minded people/family/husband/lover, or financial support behind you…that alone is more than priceless.
Love & light, Charlie x.
{look her up, Alison also does skype coaching and I highly recommend her)