Why I Hired a Business Coach and Has It Been Worth It?
Why I Hired a Business Coach and Has It Been Worth It?
For years, I secretly made fun of people who had business or life coaches.
I always felt like it was a hack. It was a way to game the attention economy and build a business around something that didn't actually require skill set.
It felt cheap.
I knew at any moment that I could run a bunch of Facebook ads, build some landing pages with real excellent copy writing, and make people feel bad enough about themselves that they would hire me as their life coach. I thought about it all the time, but I knew I wasn't qualified.
So with that as my initial mentality, imagine how I would react when I saw 23 year old life coaches who were going to help you "live your best life." How much can you know about life when you've only been out of your parents house for a year?
Those were my thoughts, that was my initial perception on the coaching industry. I knew it was something that wasn't for me.
But then something happened that changed my perspective.
When I moved to Nashville, I met a guy who I've come really respect. He told me about his own experience with a business coach.
He told me about how much it helped him and how much value he has gotten out of the entire experience. In fact, he suggested that I do the same.
I said "no way."
But I was intrigued.
This man isn't a dreamer and he is not a motivation junkie. He is straight forward and rationale. He is a CMO of a major company and if he told me that he was finding value in a business coach, then I was certainly willing to listen. He had some interesting concepts.
Isn't it interesting how it's acceptable to hire a sports coach but not a success coach?
What's the difference?
My lacrosse coach in high school wasn't a great coach because he was a great player. He was a great coach because he knew how to get the best out of us. He taught us how to drill, how to be most effective, how to properly communicate.
He taught me how to guard against a 2-3-1 formation by "keeping my head on a swivel."
He taught me how to be tough, how to keep myself accountable and how to not be afraid to want the ball in the key moments of the game.
So why is it okay for people to want to seek out a sports coach to help them up their game, but there is a social stigma around a business or success coach?
It's about ego I think.
We're capitalists. We love the idea of being visionaries and natural born entrepreneurs. We don't want to admit that we don't now what we're doing, because that would mean that we are weak or incompetent.
When did this become a thing?
Point is, I knew I was in a position where I wanted more. I knew I was starting to feel stagnant with my business and my growth. I knew I was just barely scratching the surface of what I am capable of.
So I said fuck it. I'm going to give it a shot. Her name is Michelle, she's great.
My First Impression?
Right from the first consultation, my new business coach was all about measurements.
This was not about motivating me or encouraging me to love myself. This was about setting clear goals, with clear numbers and building a path and timeline to achieve those goals.
I told her some of the ideas that I had about building my personal brand and about growing my podcast and about Stodzy. I said that I've been thinking about building my own consulting service and maybe sell some online courses.
She told me that I was thinking small. I suppose she heard it in my voice and could tell I was holding back. So she said "Tim, what do you want to do?"
I stopped, I thought about it, and I built up the courage to say out loud was my true desire was. I took a deep breathe and I said...
"I want to have a portfolio of investments, I want to have a personalized consulting service and I want to have a monthly membership site in which people pay me a fee to join my community and get access to premier content such as courses, lectures and special interviews."
She said "that sounds like a plan. Let's get to work."
What Has The Experience Been Like?
It's been great.
I really mean that. I wish I did this sooner.
So far, I've already used what she taught me and have been able to improve my business drastically. I am developing a great consulting program and I already have some personalized clients.
Better yet, I finally built my membership program. It's called #WINTHEDAY Academy, and it's fucking awesome. My goal is to have 1000 members by the end of the year. It's a tough goal, but I will make it happen.
To my surprise, the biggest thing I've taken away from my coaching so far is about having control over my own mindset.
On our first session, I got to talking about some of my insecurities and about how I wish I felt more confident around people. She asked me when I feel most confident and I told her about when I write and work on my brands, I get in these zones. I am dialed in. I am "powerful Tim."
She asked me to picture myself in one of these moments. I re lived a moment in my old apartment when I was building my first blog and I was just on fire.
She taught me how to tap into that mindset any time I need to. It has been super helpful for me, especially in situations when I would usually back down or walk out of a conversation without saying how I truly felt.
It really does feel great to truly know in my heart that I have nothing to prove to anyone other then myself. I don't need anyone's approval to be the best version of myself.
Going Forward
I think I will always have a coach.
I love how it gives me action items and I love how our action items have a purpose behind them. It's not about just "getting things done." It's not about getting through my to do list. It's about progress. It's about getting from here to there. It's very effective.
Look, I'm not about to go preaching about the miracles of coaching to anyone willing to listen, but this experience has made me think about our viewpoints on coaching and mentorship and our inability to ask for help or to admit when there may be holes in our game.
If you want to get better at something, the best way to do that is to find someone who has what you want and get them to teach you how to get it.
This is no different.
I have a mission. I have a goal in sight, and I have no excuses and nothing standing in my way.
I need to get from here to there, and I am grateful to have the help of my coach.