Have you ever experienced “push-backs” in life? Where you feel like you’re getting knocked around, beat down and trampled on? That folks are checking out your dreams by looking down their noses? Have you heard more, “There’s NO WAY that will happen for you. Ha, good luck with that!” than, “You totally will make that happen. I believe in you!”? It’s such a drag, isn’t it? Don’t give up. You are NOT alone.
HAVE FAITH!
Back in the day when I was getting my feet solid on the ground in my new career of massage therapy, that’s exactly what happened to me. I was ambitious and full of chutzpah. I had just left behind corporate America and the security of a steady paycheck, a solid career path, a healthy 401K and paid vacation days. I was doing this MY WAY. I was alive and determined to calm the world and make it a better place, one massage at a time. And then what I never expected to happen started happening: folks started knocking me down, one doubtful comment at a time. In subtle ways that were undetectable in the light of day but grew to full size during restless night’s sleep. Little by little I allowed my confidence to crack and my insecurities around my change of career tracks start to swirl with great centripetal force. It was weird. And I was NOT prepared for it. So I did what I recommend every single entrepreneur to do: HIRE A COACH. In my case, it was a business coach. Someone to help me understand the ins and outs of running my own show. To strengthen the “core” of my business by creating solid infrastructure: accounting practices, legal entities, operation processes, time management, branding and marketing. Someone to help instill in me the great respect & accountability that a success business needs from it’s creator. Awesome. A coach date weekly and homework in between. Brain, ON.
But then he threw a curve ball at me as I was disclosing the latest assignment on clarifying my elevator pitch, “I am the massage therapist to the Rockstars”. “Ha!” he chortled. “That’s about as likely as becoming a rockstar! Instead, why don’t you consider becoming a practice that accepts insurance from vehicular accidents?” Screeeeeetch. Brakes. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLT!!! WHAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaat? I thought coaches were supposed to encourage and help build the structure to support any-size dream, not dissuade you from going big and dimming your light? MIND TWIST.
What happened next is predictable. It’s human nature. Someone tells us we can’t have something we’re going to do anything in our power to make it happen and prove them wrong. “naaaa, neeee, naneeeee, naneeeeee. plfffffffff!”
I’ll show YOU! So, in my case, my business coach DID end up coaching me in a round-about way. He helped me get the bones of my business strong so I could weather punches like his, recover quickly and still stand tall.
I then leaned into my other coach’s advice which felt FAR better, uplifting and inspiring. The take-aways from her Small Business Development Program for me were: Become an expert. Speak as if it IS. Clarify what you love to do and who you love to be around and create it. Present yourself to the world as if you already are what you desire to become. And build in your salary while you’re at it! Jackie Babicky was my personal cheerleader, the beacon in a sea of doubt. Check out her Program : Better Smarter Richer
I DID become massage therapist to the Rockstars. I met some amazing souls while massaging guitar-strumming forearms, piano playing fingers, drumming shoulders and singer’s necks and shoulders. Lucky, lucky and very focused and prepared. All falls into line! Seek those that find it easy to believe in you…Dream a little Dream!
Recent Comments