119 - Business Coaches & Mentors Are Assets Not Liabilities
We’ve all heard the saying that everything is hard until it gets easy, and the reason I bring this up is that I recently joined the gym. It has been a fantastic reminder why people need to have a business coach or mentor if they want to accelerate the success of their business, avoid making mistakes and move from hard to easy much faster.
I know firsthand the power of having a business coach and mentor, not just because this is what I do, but because I floundered along in business for a number of years before engaging my first business coach about twenty years ago.
But let me explain my recent gym experience and the thinking behind this podcast.
First Step - I Just Did It
I drive past the same gym every-single-day, and every day for the past few years I've been telling myself I need to start doing some resistance training and get my body back into shape.
I had all the usual back and forth conversations in my head, the why's and why not's, and then about two weeks ago I just took the plunge and pulled into the car park, walk in and signed up for an 18-month program.
I thought if I was going to do this I had to commit 100%. (No Fence Sitting)
Session One By Myself
So, after completing my paperwork, I went home told my wife and daughter what I had done, and I went for my first session the following day. Surprisingly I felt pretty good.
As part of my membership, I also received a personal training session.
First PT Session
So about 10 minutes into my session I realised my trainer was pure evil, and she pushed me a lot harder than I had pushed myself two-days previous.
I also realised that after a ten-year layoff from the gym my technique was not very good, so it was beneficial to receive a few pointers on how to position myself for maximum effectiveness and to reduce the chance of injury.
So after the first PT session, she gave me my program, and I was on my way.
Self Motivation
I’ve always been self-motivated, so I knew I didn’t need a personal trainer every week. However, I did schedule a follow-up session next month so that I could review my progress.
Week Two Complete
I’ve just completed week two, and I’m already finding the program the trainer wrote for me much easier to get through and in another two or three weeks, I’m expecting that I will be smashing it, which will be perfect timing for an updated program.
After going through this process, it was a great reminder why one-on-one business coaching and mentoring, and even personal training is so important.
Good Intentions
No matter how good your intentions, rarely will we push ourselves as hard as someone else will drive us.
Take a look at the best sporting teams in the world and every individual sportsperson at the top of their game, the one thing they have in common is they all have a coach.
And why do they have a coach? Because the coach will push them, and over time their fitness and skill levels improve.
A champion team will always beat a team of champions.
This quote sums up the importance of coaching because an experienced coach can take a group of good athletes and with some planning, strategy and tactics, they will flog a team of far better athletes that are trying to win just on skill alone.
You Need A Business Coach Or Mentor
As individuals and business owners, we are no different.
Every successful business person I know has had coaches and mentors throughout their entrepreneurial journey.
If you’re in business and you’re not reaching the levels of success you feel you deserve, especially if you think you're working hard, you need to get yourself a business coach or mentor. You will get where you're going much faster.
BUT Check Their Credentials
Just make sure the person or company you choose to work with are qualified to be giving you advice, and they have a track record of success working with people in your industry.
Don’t just choose the first business coach you come across. Interview them just like you would with any new employee about to join your team because they are part of your team.
Advice From Friends
Also, if you have friends with experience in running successful businesses and they are offering free advice, take it. But, free advice will not last forever.
It's no different to reading blogs and books, attending live events, watching videos online and listening to podcasts, just like this one. All this advice and knowledge is great, and it's free, but it's also very beige.
It will help you to a point, but to go to that next level in business nothing beats one-on-one or group business coaching and mentoring.
My Background Is Podiatry
My background is Podiatry, and I’ve set up, relocated and sold over 20 podiatry business in my career, and I’ve had quite a high level of success, which makes me extremely confident in my abilities to coach and mentor business owners in the health industry, not just podiatry.
Does this mean I couldn’t apply the business knowledge I have to other industries? No, it doesn't, but if a plumber were choosing between me, or a business coach that had worked with multiple plumbers previously, I would advise them to engage with the other person.
I Only Need Marketing Help
If your business is doing well, but you know you need some help with marketing, then get a coach or mentor with a proven track record of implementing successful marketing strategies.
In both my books, It's No Secret There's Money in Podiatry and It's No Secret There's Money in Small Business, the second have of both books is dedicated to marketing because marketing is such an essential aspect of running a successful business.
It's An Investment, Not An Expense
I know a lot of business owners put off the idea of getting a business coach or mentor because they think it's going to be too expensive and to be honest it’s only an expense if you do not receive the results you desire.
This is why it is paramount that you do your research and find a coach or mentor with a proven track record of business success.
Visual Clues
Try using visual clues. You would expect a personal trainer to look fit and healthy; you wouldn't expect them to be overweight, smoking and wearing a shirt with grease stains.
Business coaches and mentors will also have visual clues. Look for things like a modern website with regularly updated content, a newsletter subscription, a strong social media presence, credible testimonials with real details, and maybe they've won a business award or have written a book.
When you look at their social media, are they attending events and working on their own self-improvement?
Take The Plunge
So if you've considered getting a coach or mentor and you keep putting it off or waiting for the perfect time to start, take the plunge and do it. Take some action and start your research right now.
You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain, and it costs you nothing to do research.
If you have any questions about this podcast or blog please send me an email at .
And if you're in the health industry and in private practice, or considering it, do not undervalue to benefits of having a business coach or mentor because you will get results much faster.
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☆☆☆☆☆ This podcast is great to get your motivation up to pursue your business ideas! If your after great chats with business people who have been there and done that! This is the place to be. sammykkkkkkk via Apple Podcasts · Australia · 11/01/18
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