Permission to be real?
The whole believe-in-yourself-thing can feel impossible when you’re building your coaching business, especially at first.
I’ll never forget the very first webinar (teleseminar!) that I offered. I was so pumped about the content and the value that I packed into an amazing presentation. I was revved up, ready to deliver, and then the time came for us to start…
…and no one was on the line.
Not one. Single. Person.
If It Weren't For the Lessons
All of the time, work, energy and excitement that I had invested in marketing, sharing, promoting, and creating the presentation had been for nothing. I wanted to cry and completely give up.
I felt as if I was watching a movie and the hero was just about to cross over into the land of achievement and then the movie screen just goes black. Completely shuts off.
I had visualized that evening with such clarity. I imagined the evening with an amazing group of coaches on the line, ready and eager to learn. I pictured myself sharing the content, answering questions, and then having a group of at least 10 amazing, ideal clients, raise their hands and say that they are ready to go ALL IN and partner together to grow their coaching businesses.
They were dream clients. Ideal clients. Ready to go ALL IN and do the work.
Instead, my fear that no one would show up was confirmed that night.
No one was there to benefit from the time and energy I had invested.
I felt defeated and wondered if my business was ever really going to succeed, if going back to a corporate job may be the best next step …
What I chose in that moment was a lesson that I revisit often for myself as well as when I’m working with my clients.
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Where are you cutting corners because you think no one notices?
Instead of going down the death spiral (you know, the stories that get worse and worse at lightning speed and before you know it, you’re under a bridge, with zero friends and family, no health insurance and nothing to eat)…
I chose to show up for me.
I chose to show up for my business.
Instead of zero people on the line, there was one. She was committed. She was resilient. She was THE most important person to have show up for that call.
That evening, I sat down, slides ready to go and launched into my full presentation. I delivered value, I practiced my content, and I recorded everything so I could send out the recording the next day.
I didn’t take questions at the end of the presentation (for obvious reasons) and I resisted the urge to apologize for not having a lot of questions or interaction during the presentation.
I knew that just the right person was on the line that night.
I sent out the email the following day, with the recording, and reported that we had record attendance on the webinar. It wasn’t a lie… I had never done a webinar for just one person prior to that night.
It’s powerful to look back at that evening and to see how easy it would’ve been to throw in the towel and to take that evening’s “results” as proof that I wasn’t cut out for this. That THEY were right and that it really IS too hard.
I Showed Up
Whether speaking at a global conference or when offering highly attended webinars in the present day, I know that none of this would’ve been possible if I hadn’t learned how to show up for me.
To show up for my business.
And how important it is to show up especially when no one was looking.
This lesson was a really hard one to absorb at the time. I’m not going to lie, it stung.
My ego was bruised.
And I’m now stronger (as is my business) and more resilient because of it.
So, today I invite you to consider where and when in your life – and business – you aren’t fully showing up as the best you.
Where are you not showing up just because you think no one is watching? (Because they are. YOU are.)
Where are you cutting corners because you think no one notices? (Because they do. YOU notice.)
When YOU show up for your business, you’ll notice that opportunities, clients, and results show up too.
My challenge to you is to look at where you aren’t currently receiving the results that you desire, look at where you’re out of alignment and not showing up as the person who receives those results.
Then, lean in and BE the person who shows up fully, always, and watch how quickly results, clients, income and impact start to appear in your business.
