In the first two parts of this “Breakthrough on a Water Slide” series- we talked about the fear, and getting through it, but  let me tell you what happens in business.

After a few years, you reach a certain level of mastery. But then you hit another wall. You have to deal with these three questions -

How do you take yourself from where you are, and really get expert status?.

How do you get to be well known?

How can you have a leveraged business, and have a solid client base.

Those are the questions and the challenges of this stage. At this point having mastery isn’t enough. You ability to attract your ideal clients means you need to have ‘the hook’ of what makes you different, special, unique, etc. For example, it’s not enough just to be a chiropractor. Your success depends on you being able to articulate very clearly why you are better and there has to be enough to differentiate you from the crowd. And this journey is not easy.

When I was trapped in that black tube, with no control and NO WAY OUT BUT THROUGH, it hit me that so many business owners get stuck right here. At times there literally is nothing you can do but surrender to the process. You can’t force, push, control or manipulate your next phase of growth. And here’s the thing – everyone goes through this. If they aren’t talking about it, it doesn’t mean that they haven’t’ been in the dark, not sure how to get out, not sure where the next client is coming from. But being in that tube, and having the experience of just surrendering to the flow, taught me huge lessons. Part of it is in our control, but the rest isn’t. Sure…you can market a bit more, but you will go through some dark times when you are ready to make the leap.

Let me wrap up with my process for how to get on the other side if you are feeling like you are in the dark or aren’t sure how to get over your business blocks.

1. Make a decision. It always starts with the decision. For me it took noticing that my kids were off having fun and I was all alone standing there in the heat, missing out. I decided that my fear would turn into an opportunity for growth. What do you need to decide in your life and business?

2. Ask for help from someone who has been there before you. Thankfully, the lads had been on all the slides so knew which one to start me on. You will be well served by enlisting support from people who are committed to your success, but can show you the way themselves.

3. Use all the tools you have. Truthfully, doing EFT on top of the slide was probably quite funny to some people around me and I’m sure my boys were horrified (cuz aren’t all kids embarrassed by what their parents do) but it worked. I’d make a list right now of the tools that you need to get you through to the other side. Maybe that’s doing some meditation or journaling, or creating a vision board. Just pull ‘em out and start using them.

4.  Put yourself in an environment that will challenge you. I hear from almost every creative entrepreneur that their big breakthroughs don’t happen while sitting in front of their computers!  Get outside. Do something physical.  Change your scenery, and you will open up to new possibilities you had not seen before.

5. Have some fans. Part of the cool thing for me was that my kids saw me conquer a huge fear. In fact my son said, “Mom, does it kind of bug you that you have missed out on water slides and all this fun for fifty years.” Yeah John, it really bugged me, but now I now get to make the next 50 years full of more fun! My kids were super excited and proud. Who is in your life that is cheering you on? When you are going through one of these ‘dark nights’ in your business, there is nothing more important than cheerleaders who can show you how far you have come and what’s possible.

That’s my story!  Now I want you to share yours.  Where did your big breakthrough occur?  And what has changed because of that?  Put a comment on the blog and share please.

Blessings!

Therese

OK, here’s the deal…

You are going to spend at least one third to one half of YOUR LIFE working. So why not make it something that gives you joy?

Today’s article is about looking at your business not just as a ‘cash machine’ or a form of revenue generation, but more of something that becomes an extension of you…and your life’s mission. Deep stuff I know, but since we are gonna be putting in all those hours, at the end of the day, let’s find a way to make it matter.

Since this article is not your basic Marketing 101 type of article, I want to set up in the beginning who I’m writing to.

If you are the kind of business owner who understands that in some ways your business is like your ministry, I’m talking to you. If you feel called to fully express your gifts through your business, I’m talking to you. If it’s important to you to serve as many people as you can, I’m talking to you. And if you are passionate about leaving a legacy – then you are my people…So let’s get going…

Business as Your Ministry –

I’m not referencing here the traditional or religious sense of the word ministry. To me it means that you know that your soul’s purpose is being expressed through your business and the services that you provide. One of the definitions of ministry is “the act of serving.” You may be a coach or speaker or own a store. Your work can be done consciously or unconsciously. You can look for ways where you can show up more fully and be of greater service, or it can just be a way to collect a paycheck. You get to decide.

That’s the absolute first step. If you have the sense that your business is like your personal ministry, you stand in the knowing that you are here to serve and are committed to that. From that level of commitment and decision, everything else falls into place.

Fully Expressing Your Gifts –

We are here to make a difference in people’s lives. (OK, that may be my belief, but I like it and am keeping it!) Your business becomes effortless when you express your gifts in the world, instead of trying to be what other people want you to be. This is where fulfillment lives, where passion lives, and its cute little down the street neighbor, Fun, lives!

First you have to know what your gifts are. And a big hint…what you think is easy and comes naturally and likely gets overlooked as “Doesn’t everyone have that?” – That’s YOUR gift. Take an inventory of what you do easily that your clients are really blown away by. Notice your passion-meter. What gets you juiced to talk about or do? Show up more fully in your business and you’ll not only enjoy it more, but you’ll also attract the RIGHT kind of clients who will resonate with your unique energy, AND you’ll also make more money doing it.

Stuck on what your gifts are? Ask! Survey your clients or close friends/mastermind partners and ask what they see that you are gifted at. You will probably be surprised at what they see that you have overlooked. Next – assign a value to what they say that your gifts are. You have to really own how much impact you have, so discovering what your gifts are worth is a huge step in gaining entrepreneurial confidence! When you really get clear about how much value you bring, raising your rates and being paid what you are worth will be easy.

Leaving a Legacy –

What will your footprint be? When you are gone, how will you be remembered? By the lives you touched? For the contributions you made? From the children you so tenderly raised?

Is legacy something that you strive for, or a thing that just happens when you show up and do your work in the world?

It’s my belief that sometimes we get so bogged down with the daily ‘to-do’ list that it’s easy to forget that we are here to make a difference. What would change in your business if you regularly tapped into that place in you that could hold the longer vision of what’s possible.

This legacy stuff on one hand feels a bit big and scary. But on the other hand, it can be energizing when you tap into the knowledge that your ideas and contributions will outlive you. I remember years ago meeting a copywriter and her big dream was “to be an influence.” It hadn’t occurred to me at the time that my scope was any broader that the local folks I was working with, but her soul knew that her purpose here was to influence how people thought and to help them open up to new possibilities.

What will it be for you? It’s not something I want you to ‘work’ at or stress over, but do give it some thought. If you create that new product, can you see the ripple effect? Imagine that 100 people work with you, and that work effects 10 of their friends, and five more down the road, in their networks. Can you see the endless possibilities?

So my wish for you, my dear reader, is to really do some thinking about the meaning of your business and the difference you make in the world because of it. Own your vision in a big way! We need that from you.

Did you ever just wish you could be a fly on the wall when great coaching happens?  People make shifts all the time in this process, so I thought I’d share one of my cool client stories with you so you get to ‘eavesdrop’ on the process and apply the questions to your own business.

A couple of days ago I did a strategy session with one of my newer clients, Karen Kanakanui of www.wordsareus.com.  Karen came to the call looking  to figure out how the info product she was working on would fit into her long term plans, but WHOA Nelly………..she got WAY more than she bargained for!

You see Karen is a copywriter who calls herself an “expert in using audio to grow your business.”  I often listen with an ear for how a consumer hears our ‘elevator’ pitches, so the first place I intervened was in suggesting to Karen that what she thought she was an expert in wasn’t really THE THING.  See, she’s really an expert in helping people drive traffic to their sites using copywriting, and then using audio to get them to take action.  (We call that magical concept conversion!)  We discovered that when Karen only spoke of the tools she used, her audience probably didn’t connect as powerfully with her because no one really cares about the WHAT….customers only want the RESULTS.  First big breakthrough……

Next we looked at Karen’s business model.  Oh, this is where it gets juicy for me!  She currently offers copywriting and voice over.  She has an idea for a product where she would interview people, then create an audio product (like an opt-in piece) do the technical stuff, write the ‘hooks’ and then get it back to them.  This is a good idea, don’t you agree?

But it came to me like a lightening bolt while we were discussing this………..

“How else can I consume you,” I asked.

Of course this is such a WEIRD question that Karen stopped and said, “WHAT?”

How else can I consume you,” I asked again…….

Let me put it a different way for you just as I did for Karen.  “If I were to want to buy some of your time or get more of you or your knowledge HOW ELSE COULD I DO THAT?”

See, as Karen was telling me the amazing things she was up to, I was getting really excited because I just happen to be her target market and could use her services.  But she hadn’t yet told me how I could! Do you see how big of a challenge this is?  Karen had one thing she offered – copywriting – yet she’s such an expert in so many areas that could help me as I design a new website and do marketing for my clients.

Breakthrough #2 was when I basically blew Karen’s business model apart and said, “OK, let’s look at all the ways folks could get access to your knowledge.”  We began with her audio product, then added two more components to it.  (Some folks are DIY’s – Do It Yourselfers – while others just want to hand it off and have it done.)  I then added a consultation level because there are some of us who may just want a few hours with someone who knows so much about traffic/conversion.

Karen started the call with the idea of adding a very one dimensional offering, and ended the call with about 5 new things!  It’s funny because when I called Karen the next day to ask if I could share this story, she said, “Yes, tell them that it was overwhelming, amazing, and mind boggling to walk away with all of this.”  I do have to admit that sometimes I get on a roll with these strategy sessions and it’s a bit like drinking water from a fire hydrant, but hey….it’s a gift!  What can I say. 

Your task, my dear reader is to sit in that question……….How can someone consume more of me? That one powerful question can literally generate thousands of dollars in new revenue.

I’d love you to comment on what you come up with as you ask yourself this wonderful question…

Go for it!