Why It’s a Good Time to Hire a Coach

by Cara Lumen

 

 A coach can save you money.  What, you say? But a coach costs money and that’s a consideration in today’s economy. But can you remember a time you didn’t read the directions and ended up with several mysterious pieces left over?  Or the preverbal don’t-ask-for-directions-I-can-find-it-myself attitude that put you miles out of your way?  A coach helps you create a map of where you want to go and then gives you step-by-step GPS directions. Of course you’re going to get exactly where you want to go. And that straight line from here to there can save you money.

A coach holds your vision, sees the best route and clears the path ahead for you

 

Here’s the deal – if you don’t know where you are going you will certainly end up someplace else.  A coach knows the territory.  She knows the shortcuts and the pitfalls.  She knows the watering holes and rest stops. She is a valuable guide for your journey.

 

But first you both have to figure out exactly where you want to go.  That’s called laying the foundation – your target community, your niche, your branding, and the type of service and products you want to offer.  

 

This work, done right, will save you hours of going in the wrong direction  

 

Remember the old trail bosses? They helped the travelers know what supplies they needed and how much they could actually carry.  You know the stories of scattered furniture along the way because those items, beloved or not, were just too heavy to carry.  Well, a coach can help you choose only the things you need to move you to your destination.  You can leave the rest behind for another time and trip. You travel light, you travel fast.

 

I have a client who is an extraordinary visionary.  She thinks up fabulous projects.  Big ones.  Time-consuming ones.  And my job is to keep her grounded so she completes basic things like her web presence and sets up systems to begin to build her community.  It’s hard sometimes, her ideas are tantalizing to me too, but my job is to be certain she has a strong foundation and puts the basic things in place like a web presence and personal branding.

 

Do you want to get your guidance from someone who is just learning or someone who has been there, done that?  You want the expert, of course, the person who is excited about their area of expertise and continues to study it and grow wiser in it and explore ways to teach it to others.  That deep knowledge and experience helps them guide you on your journey and choose the right path for you.

 

Once you find that perfect coach/guide pay attention.  When there is homework, do it on time.  When you start to go off on yet another great idea, allow her to pull you back.  If you have a project, allow her to help you break it down into small steps and stay with it till that phase is completed.  A good coach will honor your personal way of working, but she won’t let you aimlessly wander off the path

 

Entrepreneurs have tons of ideas and we can get pulled off course and get stuck in the mud of overwhelm.  A coach can see that pitfall ahead, and will help you focus on one step at a time instead of the mountain you are trying to climb. That saves you time, and preserves your energy for the task of moving forward.

 

Working alone is great and it can be lonely.  How do you keep yourself on target when you are the boss?  A coach is a motivational partner  – a person who will call you on your “stuff”, creatively find ways around your blocks, shore you up when you falter, and stay by your side as the partner she is.

I’m a coach. I’ve had a lot of training.  I’m a Certified Book Yourself Solid Coach which makes me really good at building strong foundations.  I’m a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach which makes me really good at creative, innovative, inexpensive ways to market yourself.  And I’m a prolific writer, so developing rich content for the internet is a talent and a passion. I can help you build an authentic business from your inside out.

 

And I’ve added a partner to help you with one of the steps. We are the Magnetic Blog Builders   If you want to establish a magnetic web presence, you begin with me.  We center and focus your vision and start moving toward your goal.  Shortly after we begin you work with my partner Nancy Hendrickson, the WordPress expert, who will help you create either a web site, a blog or a combination of the two. It takes both of us to get your web presence positioned and aimed in the right direction. Then you’ll be off like the proverbial arrow – right on target to attract the people you are meant to serve.

 

© 2010 Cara Lumen