I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
A Fool for a Client
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I hate that as a coach, consultant, and expert in a few different things, I'm lousy at diagnosing and treating my own problems. It's like some cosmic catch-22. Do you hear that? It's the universe laughing. What seems easy when it comes to clients, students, and friends suddenly becomes convoluted and just plain hard when I turn the lens on myself and my business. I know it's a blind spot most people have, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. When I used to do career coaching and resume development, I had such a difficult time updating my resume. I had to turn to another professional to help me work through it and craft the best language and approach. It's like 90% of what I know suddenly gets overshadowed (and even erased) by the mental gymnastics of rationalization, justification, and fear. And, I'm left wondering: Do I really know anything about anything? I recently had a catch-up call with another business coach. We were checking in on how things had gone over the first half of 2022 and sharing plans for the second half. It was a perfect opportunity to review the various changes I've made to my business since the new year and also codify what I've been thinking of late regarding new offers and business models. Like any good coach or consultant, my friend immediately started asking me questions, making suggestions, and cheering me on. It took me a minute to realize that she was doing for me what I do for my prospects, clients, and friends. She helped to clarify my thinking as well as explore possibilities and options, in addition to encouraging me to take action so I could move forward and get from thinking to doing more quickly and confidently. It was such a great reminder that it makes a real difference to have an outside perspective and someone who serves as a partner to you when you're trying to do better and get better. Of course, the other takeaway was that while I know I do these things for my clients, students, and friends, I often forget just how crucial that work is. Being on the receiving end was a great reminder of all that. So, here are my questions for you:
In all honesty, my answer to number one on any given day is likely, "Today." My answer to number two is almost always, "Nope." How about you? Are you good at taking your own advice? Are you able to reach out for help, clarity, and/or support? Do you sit with things and then get busy working on other people's issues and needs at the expense of working on your own? In short, are you a great or "foolish" client for yourself? Need an objective perspective to move you and your business forward? Book a session with me today. Sharing is caring. Please feel free to pass this message on. Your success is our strategy!No longer want to receive my newsletter but don't want to miss my special offers and announcements? Click here. |
Easily Said & Done
I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
Hi Reader, Last week we had the first tornado warning in Manhattan and the second in New York City that I can recall. There was horrible air quality from the Canadian wildfires as well as torrential rains with their accompanying flood warnings the week before. Right now, Spain and France are suffering devastating wildfires and heat waves. I've written before about disaster preparedness, but I really want to drive home the need to think about and plan for the potential impact of natural or...
I promised I'd share some AI wins after bashing on it for the last couple of months, so here goes. An old client of mine runs a wine shop in Brooklyn. She's got some help but she's largely a one-woman show. She's been using Monday's AI features to help her analyze and manage her inventory and understand seasonal sales trends to purchase more smartly. She had to level up her investment and hire someone to help her set up the AI agents she needs but feels it's been money well-spent. Another one...
There are lots of thoughts spinning around in my brain at any given moment. Maybe you can relate. We're kind of living in whirlwind times where information is coming at us incessantly; it's like being caught up in a tornado. There's just no way to catch your breath and really marinate on anything for too long. So here are a few things I'm trying to give a little bit more thought and attention to these days: What impact will Pope Leo's AI encyclical have on governments, tech leaders, and...