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Has she called yet?  Is the technician scheduled to come out?  I gave her the guy’s number a couple of days ago.  I’m left waiting and wondering.   And while I wait, it’s making me think about two cardinal themes of life coaching … tolerations and personal integrity. 

Ya want to get rid of the first … and you want to do everything possible to uphold the second.

My specialty as a business coach is working with small businesses, typically solopreneurs, to set them up for success, so they build their visibility … their client base … and their income.  

We’ve all seen the statistics on how many small businesses fail.  It’s alarming!  The odds seem to be stacked against you.  And unfortunately, I think the solopreneur or micro-business faces even greater challenges.

So, why is that?  And if that’s you … what can you do about it?

As I’m working with my life and business coaching clients, I often see themes … re-occurring issues, challenges, or opportunities that several of them are dealing with at about the same time.  It’s often something I’m dealing with as well.  And that’s part of the beauty of being a life coach.  

I’m subject to the same issues and challenges and I can’t exempt myself from following the advice I give folks. 

I have to “walk the talk” alongside my clients.

A theme I’ve been noticing lately is how much our self-righteousness gets in the way of what we want … both at work and in our relationships.

I mentioned in our latest business newsletter that I’ve been doing more executive coaching in the last couple of years.

Here are the things that have struck me when it comes to interacting with these folks.  I believe my takeaways will provide insight for the folks I write this letter for … small business owners … solopreneurs … service professionals.

Life doesn’t work like a Digital Video Recorder.  Huh?  What’s this crazy talk coming from your trusty life coach?

You love what you do, and people value and appreciate the service you provide. Doesn’t matter whether you’re a business coach like me or a landscape architect or a Chinese medicine practitioner, you’ve found a square hole for the square peg that is your talents and skills.

Hallelujah.

Consider yourself lucky.  Far too few people find themselves in this extremely enviable position of having found their “calling.”

So, why would you ever want to change things up?  Why would you want to expand your reach and take on new challenges?

“I should be over this by now!”  Recently, in calls with my life coaching clients, several people have said this to me … exasperated that they’re still troubled by something they “should have” dealt with and put to rest by now.   The issue was different in each case … the refrain exactly the same.

What’s troubling them is always something from their past … often childhood … that’s stuck with them, unresolved.  And often, they’ve made up a “story” about it they believe to be true … one that traps them in an unhappy place … a bothered place … a place of self-criticism.

I had an experience recently that made me appreciate something more deeply than ever before.  And, as a business coach who helps people bring in new business, I wanted to share the story with you.  I think it teaches an important lesson. 

But first …

True or false:

Being successful at selling your services is all about becoming skillful at persuasion.  You have to promote the benefits of working with you to prospective clients and get them to want what you’re offering.

Over the last several years, we’ve had the privilege of coaching executives of a high-tech company, whose name you’d recognize.  They’re an S&P 500 company that makes the equipment and provides the services that allow the modern world … and all the incredibly complex systems we take for granted … to operate seamlessly behind the scenes. 

The senior VP in charge of the division we’re involved with is a force of nature and a great leader, in large part because he’s both a good strategic thinker with great instincts and a very skilled, supportive communicator who’s able to get the best out of his people.

We were talking with him and one of his direct reports … another standout leader … about how easy it is to get impatient and kinda growl at people when we’re frustrated.

Our VP told us this story … short and bittersweet.

Last week, I had an open day with no coaching clients, which allowed me to schedule a couple of medical appointments.  I wasn’t looking forward to the first one at all … my annual visit to the gynecologist.  Now, I know you women know what I’m talkin’ about!  And you boys, you have your own version.  Nothing fun about these check-ups.

In fact, I was surprised to be feeling a fair amount of trepidation when nothing was physically amiss.