Coaching Services: Charging To Much?

When we challenge ourselves, we challenge others!

In a recent blog post Christian Mickelsen openely shares how his recent prices hike is making his subscribers "MAD".

On my last "Winning Matters" weekly call we spent 90 minutes talking money and how it impacts your coaching business, clients and your life.

The call is every Wednesday...

Call time 11:30am Eastern Standard Time

Phone number: 1-218-936-7999
Access code: 977222

Call length: 90 minutes

Back to the whole money thing...

It's unavoidable, money impacts you whether you like it or not.

When you live in an over populated and heavily polluted area the quality of the air you breath is impacted.  Change your environment, move to a different area, and you can change the quality of the air you breath.

Zig Ziggler compares money to air.  "Money's like air, you don't need it unless you want to breath!"

Your attitudes, perspectives, believes, experience, observations and learnings all work together to either give you a good feeling about money or a yuky feeling about money.

Ultimately it's up to "YOU"...

Either you see money as a limitation or a possibility.

And the important thing about how you see money is that it will impact how you willing you are to receive it just as much as it will impact how much you're willing to spend.

Final thoughts...

1. Checkout Christians blog post, read my comment and share your's as well.

2. Join me on the Winning Matters call today...even if you're late or have to leave early.

3. Start looking at how you relate to money...is it a limitation or a possibility.

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

Coaching Business: Surviving the Home Office...

If you have an office at home you'll want to read this post...

It's to complicated...

I recently came across a post at Michael Port's new Booked Solid Network and the poster shared a challenge that is all to familiar.  How does she keep her office space and time free of toys and other household things and family demands?

This morning while reading and reflecting on the post.  I realized the typical advice in such cases is, far to often, more likely to complicate the matter by adding more work and stress rather than simplifying and reducing stress.

Let me explain...

The symptom isn't the issue...

The easy thing to do is to say..."follow these 10 steps and you'll be golden.  Life will forever be wonderful from that point on..."

Question: If you don't have time to handle what you're doing right now, how will you ever have time to add 10 more steps to your work load...get the point!

Not having a clear division between the home office and the house and family is a symptom, a result of your current habits and even your current perspective.  Habits and perspective lead to certain predictable choices and those choices lead to the same actions over and over again.

When you or I focus on the symptom without looking at the cause life can quickly become "HELL"!  It's like a dog chasing it's tail, even if he catches his tail, then what?

You are not alone when it comes to struggling with how to make your home office a more productive environment.

Don't focus on the clutter...

I suggest that looking at the cause of the clutter or the challenge is far more effective than focusing on the clutter itself.  Here's an example...

We live in an old historical home and closet space seems to be more of an after thought than a functional living need.

Well, for the longest time we fought with the children and keeping their toys and things off the floor.  It was an "EVERYDAY EFFORT" and "DRAIN" on my energy as well as my wife's.

Then it happened, my wife made a comment, one she had probably said before and I just didn't hear it..."If they just had a place to put all the toys..."  Once I heard those words "I GOT IT"!

I immediately went out and purchased some drawers and storage bins and then the miracle happened..."WE HAD MORE SPACE...WINK"!  Wow, it was unbelievable.

Prior to understanding the CAUSE I was focused on the mess and constantly moving the mess from one place to the next.  Nothing really changing other than the location of the mess.

Does this sound familiar?

What is the cause...

Think about it as what is the cause of the challenge...rather than, what is the challenge...

eat too much = weight gain

stopped exercising = weight gain

save money = take a vacation

save money = cash reserves

Ultimately you could say -  

awareness =  choice

You might even say - 

habit without awareness = no choice 

So, are you giving yourself a choice or not?

Time for a change...

Rather than add to the complexity of your day ask yourself...

What could I do to simplify communication with my family? (Goal: Ease transition from working Mom to working Entrepreneur)

Make a list and keep it with you for a week to write down new ideas as you're going about your day.

What could I do to keep my office space free of household clutter?  (Goal: Create a productive working environment for you as an Entrepreneur)

Again, make a list and keep it with you for a week to write down new ideas as you're going about your day.

If there isn't a compelling reason for you to make the change, your habits will win more often than not.

No compelling reason to act = Same old thing

Cause and effect!

You might say that the effect you want is a clean, stress free home office.  Yet, that's only a stepping stone.

You might even say being more productive with your time is the net effect.  Yet, that's only a stepping stone as well.

Then again might say making more sales is the net effect and still you will only be looking at a stepping stone.

Go ahead...continue this process on your own to see where it takes you.

Is it frustrating but tolerable...

If you don't take the time to understand the "WHY" you will never be motivated to make a different choice or to take a different action.  Doing what you're currently doing will continue to be the norm.

What is the ultimate benefit to you turning your home office into a place that allows you to be the very best entrepreneur and business person you can be?

Don't allow yourself to tolerate the frustration, dedicate some time to answering the questions and understanding what is really motivating you to have a business.

Give yourself a chance!

Key points...

1. Change your perspective, change your choice

2. Change your choice, change your action

3. Change your action, change your outcome

4. Simplify

5. Have a compelling reason to change

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

Business: Seasons of Opportunity, Followup...

Beyond our control...

Some interesting things happened since my last post.  Without an effort on my part, today, I know exactly what happened to the YouTube link I shared last year.  The musical sensation with which I was so taken with found themselves and their extremely popular video removed from the YouTube website all because of a third party copyright claim...OUCH!

Sometimes things will happen that are beyond our control.  Like so much of business and life it is not as important that it happened as it is how you will respond or maybe even react.  

A lost opportunity can quickly become a new opportunity.

I had given up...

As I shared previously "I didn't have a clue..." when it came to remembering the name of the group.  All I had was a link to YouTube that went no where.

Well, after I had written my previous post I pretty much let go of the idea that I would be able to share the link and the fabulous sound created by some amazingly gifted vocalists.   Life quickly went back to normal and then it happened.

Word of mouth is amazing...

My wife mentioned the group and how much her friend was enjoying the YouTube video, that's right "THE YOUTUBE VIDEO"!  I looked at her with complete confusion..."how is that possible?".  As I started to doubt myself (which we'll ignore for the moment...wink) she explained that she was sent a new link.

The new link included a new recording of the same song by the same group...the "Straight No Chaser" vocalists...enjoy...

Here is a second video short I'm sure you will enjoy just as much...

Time to put on your business hat...

Take a moment to consider what makes this group so popular?

How can you benefit from understanding what makes them so popular?

Finally, what action can you take today, to begin to build your popularity?

Remember, the power of "Word of Mouth" is HUGE!

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

Business: Seasons of Opportunity

Are you paying attention?

This morning I spent some time going through my past emails...  

December 2007 

December 2006 

December 2005  

...and realized a couple things.

Is there a lesson here for you and I?

1. What "once was" doesn't always last...  

Last year I sent out a YouTube link that featured an amazing group of male vocalists.  Today as I clicked on the link YouTube tells me the video is no longer available...copyright blah, blah, blah. 

What a loss, here I sit wondering "what is the name of the group? is there another way to find them?"

I wasn't paying attention...

2. I noticed a pattern...  

Awareness is so important if you wish to change. Sometimes simply having the willingness to say it out loud, to acknowledge or even to just notice a habit or a thought can be enough to eliminate the frustration it once caused.  

If you've ever struggled with journaling just open your email and start going through the emails in your sent folder. Notice your subject lines, notice the seasons and notice what is old and today appears to be new.  

What will you notice?

Go ahead, take a moment to notice...

What's old?

What's new?

What's forgotten?

Accomplishments?

Celebrations?

...all are there for you to discover.

What opportunities will you see this holiday season?

Opportunity is always near. Being able to recognize opportunity takes practice and often means learning how to "pay attention".

What action will you take?

Paying attention is the first step, taking action will make a difference!

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

Entrepreneurs: Success versus Failure...

So, here's a quick thought I just happened upon...

"Making mistakes is a part of the process not the result!"

Keeping your head in the game is about having a perspective that supports you in consistently taking actions to move you toward your desired goal.

Mistakes can only happen when you are taking action.  Celebrate your mistakes just like you would celebrate your achievements.

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

Coaching: Curiosity and possibility...

Curiosity is where possibility starts...

Here is a great video bit with Seth Godin sharing some thoughts about the need for curiosity and what it really takes for someone to become curious. A provocative perspective to say the least. Enjoy...

What about you...

Are you a fundamentalist or not?

What would change if you began to embrace a perspective of curiosity?

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

Coaching Business Book: Andrea J. Lee's giving it away for FREE!

Wanna be's or the real thing...

In the world of business there far more "wanna be's" than there are those who actually have the experience.  This resource is the real thing and it's coming from someone who without question walks her talk and "KNOWS" through experience what works.

Wisdom, insight and charm...

I can't imagine having a discussion with Andrea and not walking away with some piece of wisdom or insight.  It has, for me, been a constant experience with her...either by phone or by email she always seems to have a way of saying or suggesting something the leaves me thinking "WOW"!

In one of my earliest discussions with Andrea we were talking about income and challenges with money and she shared with me this amazing pearl...

"Small business owners who have money issues that last longer than 3 months don't really have a money issue!"

This thought both in regard to money and the context of time is so powerful.  It literally changed how talked and felt about money from that point on.  It allowed me to begin to focus not on the money, rather on the challenge I was actually dealing with...

Money is only the symptom, nothing more!

As I prepare to launch my 2009 program "Winning Matters" I realize just how powerful and timely this offer is for those who are willing to take action.

Andrea is offering the beta version of her AMAZING BOOK "Multiple Streams of Coaching Income, The Future of Coaching Is Now" FOR FREE!  Just a name and email address...nothing more!

When I first read this book I blown away...I kept finding myself thinking and saying "So, true!"..."You're right!"..."OMG!"  I was taking notes left and right and spent weeks (actually months) contemplating and working with all that was shared. Heck it still impacts my choices when it comes to business.

Here's the link..."OFFER ENDS DECEMBER 8th, 2008!"...

FREE Book!!! "Multiple Streams of Coaching Income, The Future of Coaching Is Now" - click here...

If you're building a coaching business this book is an "ABSOLUTE MUST READ!"

To your success,

James Possible

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

Professional Coaching: A tribe in chaos...

Leading the industry or not?

Recently, as I began to search for details regarding the recent International Coach Federation Global Conference (i.e., ICF Conference) I came to realize how little their community of members shared with the world this coaching industry event.

What does this mean? I'm not sure that I really could say...I just know that it is a great disappointment to see so very little information being shared with the world given that the ICF's core purpose is said to be "To advance the art, science and practice of professional coaching."

Over 15,000 members...

ICF has more than 15,000 members in nearly 90 countries and more than 160 chapters in over 50 countries.

A Tremendous Surprise...

Anyways, back to why I'm creating this post...

As I began to dig around the ICF 2008 Conference page I found and amazing give away. A prize, a gift for my curiosity and desire to find out more, I'll share more in a second. The give away sparked a question in me that I wan't to share those who are professional coaches (i.e., Life Coaches, Executive Coaches, Spiritual Coaches, Personal Coaches, Business Coaches etc.) and looking for a way be a part of the bigger picture, a way to collaborate and play other like minded entrepreneurs.

If you are such a coach here's my question...

In the audio version of the book "Tribal Leadership", by Dan Logan, John King, Halee Fischer-Wright, King talks about stage four organizations and compares the work of George Washington to such. I find myself potentially seeing our community of coaches as an organization in chaos a community locked in stage two or three. A community not eagerly embracing all of it's members and supporting those who are wanting to add their contribution to the mix.

A community without leadership!

How many leaders do we have within the community speaking the language of stage four?

I truly feel Thomas Leonard created a stage four community within coaching. A community eager to collaborate and encourage one another. A community with a voice. Even years after his passing I was able to easily find information relating to coaching, Leonard and Coachville via Google. It was everywhere!

Not only was he prolific, the community he stirred and touched "his tribe" was prolific!

Still, with his passing at least at first glance it seems to me that the tribe that once called Leonard their leader is today fragmented and perhaps even loss or missing the tribe.

Has profit become the voice of current leadership?

Intellectual property a bigger concern than collaboration or even the potential sharing of creative thought.

There are many professional coaches today feeling and dealing with isolation and wanting to be a part of a tribe, a stage four tribe. Still, they may not even realize that is what they are missing.

Can the coaching community once again be joined in a creative and collaborative frenzy of hope and expectation...that is the question?

Without the critical mass of a stage four community the hope changing the world as a whole may not have as much potential or may take so much longer than what some of the few thought leaders are anticipating.

As professional coaches we must find our voice and be willing to share it loudly with the world, no longer is a side conversation at a tea party enough!

Your voice matters and you can start by listening to this audio...

It's time for a change!

James (Mr. Possible)

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

Entrepreneur: Global Entrepreneurship Week

56 Nations in all!

Mentoring is big piece of building a sustainable future for innovation and creativity.

This November from the 17th through the 23rd young entrepreneur minds will be asked to innovate with imagination and creativity during the Global Entrepreneurship Week competition.

Find out more...Global Entrepreneurship.

Potential is not for the faint of heart...

Learning to hear, to embrace and to act on what we know intuitively is a key part of being an innovator. Global Entrepreneurship Week has been created to encourage young entrepreneur minds to do just that; to innovate in a competitive and supportive environment.

"The future belongs to those who dare. " - Unknown

Imagine only six days and a pack of Post-it notes...

What would you create?
What could you imagine?

How far would you be willing to go with your creativity?

During the first competition the participants where able to take a pack of Post-It notes and create...

- Music
- Raise and donate money
- Educate children

...and much more.

Be inspiring! Be creative! Be the change you want for the world!

Find out more...Global Entrepreneurship.

To your success,

James (Mr. Possible)

Business Mindset: The Man and the Butterfly!

Today I'm going to share a writing that was inspired by a very similar piece. A piece without a known author and far to many variations. So, rather than spending my time sorting out which variation I like most I chose to rewrite the piece in my voice and word. Enjoy...

The Trapped Butterfly!

One day a man found a butterfly cocoon. Wanting to watch the butterfly emerge from the cocoon the man took the cocoon home.

Several days later the man noticed a small opening in the cocoon. Curious, he decided to watch. After several hours of watching the butterfly struggle to squeeze it's body through the tiny opening the man noticed the butterfly's progress had come to a stop. It seemed as if the butterfly could go no further.

The butterfly was trapped!

Deciding to help the butterfly, the man took a pair of scissors and snipped away the remaining cocoon. Eventually setting the butterfly free.

As the man eagerly watched the butterfly, with it's swollen body and small, shriveled wings, he could not help to wonder how long it would take for the butterfly to spread it's wings and to fly away.

After an hour or two of watching the swollen butterfly crawl around on the ground the man decided he could wait no longer. His curiosity had faded and his frustration grown as he began to realize the butterfly was not going to fly with such small and shriveled wings.

What happened, the man wondered?

In his hurry to free the butterfly the man did not stop to consider what he did not know: the cocoon and it's small opening where designed to make the butterfly struggle. Without the struggle the fluids from the butterfly's body would not be forced into it's wings. Without the fluids being forced into the wings the butterfly would not fly.

Like the butterfly sometimes the struggle is what helps us to reach our potential!

- What is the biggest challenge you are facing right now?
- What is the benefit of facing your biggest challenge?
- What will it take for you to face your challenge?

To your success,

James (Mr. Possible)

Small Business: Winning in business, your dream depends on it!

Financial Freedom!

T. Harv Eker says it best "First you have to win the money game!"

Most people start their own business to do just that..."win the money game!" Still, it is all to often that these small business owners find themselves working harder and longer than they ever did as an employee. Truth be told they are a far more difficult boss to work for (i.e., working for themselves) than any other boss they've known or work for to date.

5 challenges you might face...

While there are many reasons we can find ourselves as small business owners struggling just to make it let alone enjoying it, let's focus on a couple key points...

1. You have to do it yourself or it won't ever be done correctly!
2. Hardwork equals success!
3. You can't afford to pay someone else!
4. You don't have a target income beyond "your monthly bills!"
5. You don't have a target audience beyond "anyone who will pay!"

You don't have to match-up with all 5 points to find yourself trapped in a business that will never give you the time to enjoy what you have created.

Which one is your biggest challenge?

A great book to read is "The 4-hour work week!" by Timothy Ferriss.

In his book Ferriss repeatedly talks about "challenging your assumptions!" If you are willing to do just that you will find both your business and your life changing in powerful ways.

The first step to any change is to have an awareness of what it is you want to change!

If you are convinced that you are the only one who can do what you do and no one else can do it as well as you...get ready; your life is going to be miserable!

How can you challenge your assumption?

Time for a change!

Pick something small, something you might want to do and may even feel like you have to do it and consider the following...

1. On a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being "EXTREMELY DIFFICULT" and 1 being "EXTREMELY EASY" rate one of your typical tasks.

If the task you are rating comes in at a 6 or less then make it your goal to find a way to have the task completed without you having to be involved.

2. Once you have found a way to complete the task without your involvement then give yourself 3 to 7 weeks to test it out.

3. At the end of the test period rate the success of your test on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being "EXTREME FAILURE" and 10 being an "EXTREME SUCCESS!"

If your test rating was a 6 or less ask yourself "What could I change to improve the results?"

If your test rating was a 7 or higher ask yourself "Do I need to improve the results?" If so, take some time to consider how you might improve it.

4. Repeat the process.

Note: Once you are satisfied with the completion of a given task then move on to the next task. Repeat often and continually.

Financial freedom is an outcome or a result of how effective you are at building a business or being self-employed. One or the other...not both!

Hint: Self-employed rarely means "financial freedom."

You can change that today...

To your success,

James

Small Business: Dream or Nightmare?

All they really did was trade one headache for another!

Have you ever known someone who out of frustration with their job and their income started their own busines or even took the time to plan and to save before they opened their business only to end up struggling with the challenges of being an entrepreneur or small business owner?

The dream of financial freedom!

I created this blog to discuss the issues these small business owners, entrepreneurs and coaches face as they work to build a thriving and financially sustainable business.

Is this you or do you do someone struggling to build their business...if so take the following action steps today.

Action Steps:

1. Subscribe to this blog
2. Visit often
3. Tell your friends
4. Remember to share your comments and to ask question...wink!

To your success,

James (Mr. Possible)