Owning Who You're Not & Fully Embracing Yourself: Unpacking Nicole Kalil's Confidence Journey

Nicole Kalil is an author, speaker, and leadership coach who has dedicated her work to helping women build their confidence and reach their full potential. She is the author of the book "Validation is for Parking" which explores the journey of self-discovery and embraces the unique gifts and talents of each individual.

We talked about how Nicole had a dream of writing a book for years but allowed fear to hold her back. Eventually, she realized her reasons were just excuses and took the leap. She eventually learned to trust herself, overcome the false messages of society and recognize her unique abilities while understanding that her worth lies beyond her physical appearance and pursuing success through the masculine lens. 

What to Expect During a Free Consultation

One of the practices in the coaching industry that I really dislike is the Discovery Call.  It sounds harmless, but most coaches have been trained to use manipulative tactics to "close leads" on these calls because what they don't tell you is that the purpose of the discovery call is for you to discover that you are in trouble and that coach is your solution.  Period. 

A free consultation is a way for potential clients to discover if the coach is the right fit for them and for the coach to determine if the client is adequately prepared to have a successful coaching outcome. It is different from a discovery call because it focuses on the client's needs, rather than the coach's agenda.

Transforming Your Identity by Writing a Best Selling Book with Kim O'Hara

Today's guest, Kim O'Hara was a Hollywood movie producer and screenwriter before transitioning to book coaching over 8 years ago.  Kim believes that everyone can write a book and that they often discover more about themselves through writing. Writing a book is much different than other forms of communication as it requires a transformation of identity and letting go of preconceived notions about ourselves and the book we are meant to write. Kim works with experts and thought leaders to help them write their books and believes that the process can lead to a great sense of both discovery and visibility.

Stop Getting Ready & Start Taking Action

This episode is all about a lesson I learned the hard way in my own business and want to help you learn it quicker: Taking Action vs. Getting Ready.  What I learned is that getting ready doesn't move the needle and that there is no participation trophy in business. I learned to trust my instincts and to have specific benchmarks to know when enough preparation and planning are enough.  We also need to be leaders to our clients and team by taking action, not just focusing on our mindset. Furthermore, we need to stop overdelivering and undercharging and be mindful of not getting lost in researching and overcomplicating our ideas. 

Uncovering the Bottleneck in Your Business with Amber de la Garza

The story of how Amber de la Garza came to be a guest on this podcast is not the typical one.  It started over 3 years ago at Podcast Movement 2019.  I was a listener to her popular productivity podcast, Productivity Straight Talk, and recognized her at the conference.  Even though I did not have a podcast at the time, I approached her, introduced myself, and pitched her on the spot. 

Amber De La Garza is a sought-after speaker, trainer, writer, coach, and creator of The Leverage Lab, who helps entrepreneurs and small business owners learn to manage their time and build effective business systems. 

In this episode, Amber shares how her past career and life-changing events led her to focus on helping small business owners with their productivity, which leads to the concept of being the bottleneck in one's business, why it can be difficult to recognize, and why it tends to be a recurring pattern.  

How to Know If You're Coachable

The beginning of a new year tends to be a time when business owners think about hiring a coach to help them move their business forward. At such times, most people focus on the credentials and credibility of the coach they are thinking about hiring, but in this episode, I share something even more important than that, determining whether you are even coachable.  

This episode is about Coachability and how to determine if you are ready for a coach and if a coach would be beneficial for you.  In my own entrepreneurial journey, I learned that being coachable is not a set level, but changes over time and can depend on the circumstances.  

We will dive into the three categories of coachability using my system -red light, yellow light, and green light - so you can make a truly informed decision on whether to hire a coach. Want to unlock the key to a successful coaching outcome?  Find out if you are coachable now and learn how to become more coachable if you’re not. 

Pacing Your Ambition, The Anti-Hustle Alternative with Jadah Sellner

I am a driven woman entrepreneur, like you, and wanted to end this year with something more than platitudes and positive thinking.  Instead, I want to stimulate conversation about why we are all feeling so fatigued and offer an alternative to the extremes of manifestation and hustle.  Some of the biggest names in the coaching industry have learned everything they know from male mentors and then turned around and sold them to other women, without disclosing their own privilege and what it actually takes to run their business.  Maybe we need a different approach altogether, one that resonates with most women, women like you and me. 

So, what better way to end this year than with the anti-hustle alternative, who better to have as my guest to describe it, than Jadah Sellner, who published a brand new best-selling book on the topic, called ‘She Builds: The Anti-Hustle Guide to Grow Your Business & Nourish Your Life”?

The Hidden Reasons You Aren't Reaching Your Goals

Many female solopreneurs start a business with nothing more than a good idea, a lot of passion, and a strong sense of purpose. Then they start collecting free and low-cost information and advice, followed by courses and massive group programs that can get them out of the starting blocks but will leave them stuck, stranded, or spinning their wheels at some point because they don’t actually know what they need to succeed or how to implement the information they have and in what order.  

The bottom line is that every single one of us is experiencing what I call “The Gap”, the space between where you are and where you want to be. It might be aspirational, motivational, financial or simply the ultimate expression of your potential or purpose, but however you define it, the gap is painful, especially if you are idealistic, and have a big bold vision for your business and the mark you want to make in the world. 

Stop Attracting Less Than Ideal Clients for Your Coaching Program with Heidi Taylor

When I first talked with Heidi Taylor about being a guest on the podcast, I initially expected to interview her about her specific niche as a consultant - how to use an intake form or questionnaire to pre-screen potential clients for your group coaching program. Clearly, this is something I am interested in learning before re-launching The Boss Up Breakthrough again, and I know it would be of value to my podcast listeners as well.

After we confirmed and started planning the episode, Heidi send me a Voxer message asking me about my Strengths Finder Top 5 and my enneagram number. After I shared my answers, Heidi told me she had an idea for the episode, but it would require a lot more vulnerability and courage, and once she explained what she had in mind, I knew I had to say yes.

Business Strategist, Consultant or Coach: Which One Do You Need?

With the dramatic growth in the number of female experts starting knowledge-based businesses in the past few years, it is no surprise that there has been an equally dramatic growth in the number of people offering to help them to reach their business goals. There are business coaches, consultants, and strategists marketing their services for every stage of business from launch to legacy, and for every possible niche and goal. 

With a seemingly endless number of options, it is any wonder that many of us hire the wrong kind of help and either blame the person we hired or ourselves when we fail to get the outcome we expected.  Or maybe you know you need help but are so confused by all the options (or feeling skeptical because you’ve heard one too many horror stories. 

Playing the Long Game in Business with Sandra Scaiano

Sandra Scaiano is a web designer and brand strategist for female entrepreneurs. After a 20-year corporate career, she created a business that brings her joy and allows her to be present for her family and partner with clients who become raving fans and long-time friends.  While many business strategists try to sell you on their "proven system", Sandra brings out the brilliance in each of her clients and helps them create and amplify their unique brand voice so they stand out and shine.  When it comes to client attraction, it’s not about doing things better, it’s about being the singular choice for your just right clients.  To do that, you need to lean into what makes you special, and that’s where Sandra comes in. 

How to Start Now to Grow Your Business in 2023

It's mid-November and the holidays are right around the corner. As a solopreneur, you can go all-in on a Black Friday Sale, take time off or just hunker down and wait out the rest of the year because "nobody buys coaching or consulting services in Q4."

Well, I don't believe that, for the record, and I will still be selling in December, along with enjoying friends and family time. But, there's one more thing I am doing to insure I start 2023 strong, and prepared for growth. In fact, I'm doing it right now, so I decided to record this episode and share it with you.

I am referring to my business audit, or "clean sweep." In episode #131 I talked about the need to manage our boundaries with time, energy, effort, money, and relationships. 

Why Women Think They Suck at Making Money with Tara Newman

Tara Newman is an organizational psychologist, certified Profit First consultant, host of the Bold Money Revolution Podcast, and leader of The Bold Profit Academy.  Tara is exactly the kind of woman I want in my inner circle because she knows firsthand that being an expert, serving with purpose, and working your ass off doesn’t add up to a profitable business for most women and she’s on a bold mission to change that.

We also chat about what Tara calls an Owners Statement and how she differentiates between personal values and business values. This was an eye-opener: Most women want a fully remote business but that does not mean they want an online business.

The 5 Types of Boundaries You Need in Business

One of the areas of business strategy I find most of my clients need help with is business boundaries, and often times they don't even realize it. Boundary problems may be the root cause when you find yourself working too much, making too little, and dealing with needy, demanding, or never-satisfied clients. Boundary problems are often to blame for working really hard but not moving forward, investing a ton in learning for your business but never having enough time to implement what you have learned. If any of this sounds familiar, this episode is for you. 

When we struggle with boundaries, we tend to feel resentful, frustrated and overwhelmed. We may think it's a time management issue or that we simply have too much to do and not enough support from others. The tendency to blame, whether ourselves or others is very tempting (I do it too, from time to time...) but nothing moves the needle like self-awareness and personal responsibility. 

The No-BS Business Coach with Neena Perez

Women who have the audacity to speak their truth without guilt or apology are absolutely some of my favorite people and today’s guest, Neena Perez and I became instant friends. As soon as I saw the name of her podcast,  “Straight Talk, No Sugar Added”, and the title of her book, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot, How I Overcame a Hard Hitting Life”, I knew I was going to connect with business and performance coach, author, podcaster, and total baddie, Neena Perez.   Neena is also a chef and director of culinary operations, so believe me when I say this woman is a powerhouse and I am excited to introduce you to her.  

Instead of giving into the mindset and way of life she saw growing up, Neena was determined to not only survive but to succeed.   She knew that the key to overcoming her challenges was by changing her thinking, doing the work, and finding people to surround herself with who did not accept limits. Neena and I had such a great convo because she is just as direct and straightforward as I am.

There is No Magic Pill

Of all the things we need to learn how to master as a coach or consultant is expectation management.  It is more important than your niche, your offers, your marketing, price point, packaging our expertise or what social media platforms to spend our time on.   You can’t fully rely on your potential client to know what they expect from hiring you, either.  You have to get ahead of the conversation by asking questions that reveal their unconscious beliefs and desires because those are the ones they will judge you by. 

Something I have come to understand is how often clients are looking for a Magic Pill and have zero self awareness that this is even the case.  A Magic Pill is the belief that there will be a perfect solution to whatever we are struggling with, and they just keep trying different things until they find it.   Sometimes we unwittingly participate in this search for a Magic Pill by the way we market our services and sell our programs by over stating the benefits.

Writing Emails They'll Want to Open with Meera Kothand

Today’s guest, Meera Kothand began her online business journey as a blogger and began writing books for other bloggers, several of which became Amazon best sellers.  She now focuses on helping digital marketers write emails that convert subscribers to customers in a way that is both strategic and sustainable by making them more simple and fun, which was music to my ears.  

Even though I have purchased several of her books over the past few years,  there were a couple of moments during this interview where some really critical strategies finally made complete sense to me.   It was a really good reminder to be compassionate with myself about how long it really takes to learn to be successful as a solopreneur because of all the different skills we juggle on a daily basis with or without a team.

Are You Quiet Quitting in Your Business?

The world of work has experienced some pretty seismic changes in the past couple of years, leading up to three interrelated trends: the great resignation, the rise of solopreneurship, and quiet quitting. Productivity and employee engagement are down, way down and companies of all sizes can’t fill open positions or get the best out of the employees they have now. 

I first heard about quiet quitting on TikTok, and it really made me think about my own work history, and the challenges being faced by the five different generations that currently make up the workforce. If you are not familiar with the term, quiet quitting refers to doing only what is necessary at work, something my generation called “coasting.”   

A quiet quitter is not necessarily on their way out the door, but they are maintaining firm boundaries around their work hours and effort in order to maintain a better work-life balance. 

Creating Confidence Through Personal Styling with Scarlett De Bease

Today’s guest, Scarlett De Bease is a personal wardrobe stylist who shows female entrepreneurs what clothes to wear so they'll make more money and attract better clients. She guides her clients to create their own unique signature style, feel fearless and confident about being seen and heard, and excited to put themselves out to the world in a way that is game-changing.

As the founder of Scarlett Image Consulting and author of “Stop Stressing About Dressing,” her one-of-a-kind in-person and worldwide online workshops reveal how a more powerful presence leads to more opportunities and more profit for solopreneurs and business owners. 

Scarlett and I are both members of a couple of different groups for female solopreneurs and even before I got to know her, she always stood out in a positive way through personal branding and image styling.  

Lessons From a Failed Launch

Why am I pulling back the curtain on my own failed launch (while marketing myself as a business strategist, coach, and consultant?)  And, why do it immediately after it happened?  I must admit I had a lot of reservations about both the content and the timing, but one of my core values is integrity and for me, that means telling the whole truth about solopreneurship, the cringe-worthy as well as the brag-worthy. I also knew if I didn’t share it now, I would miss the true value of sharing our failures- giving shame the middle finger. 

If you are a solopreneur, you have to become comfortable with risk and failure. You need to try things without knowing how they will turn out, ask people to hire you even if you have imposter issues, make offers before you feel ready to do so and some of your programs, products, and services will fail.  You are literally where the buck starts and stops, so getting better at dealing with failure is truly unavoidable.

Fearless Negotiation for Solopreneurs with Joanne Zuk

I recently connected with leadership coach and consultant, Joanne Zuk, and liked her immediately.  We both came to solopreneurship after long and successful careers in another sector.  Joanne was in public service and I worked in nonprofits. In her current role, Joanne is on a mission to help female solopreneurs overcome their fears of negotiation so they can go after and get what they deserve and desire. 

 In this lively convo, we talk about the 5 blindspots that cause women to settle for less than they want in negotiations, and how to get comfortable going from the minimum level to the dignified level to the generous level.  We talk about feminine conditioning, why negotiating like a man just won’t work for most women, and how we can use empathy to create better outcomes for both sides, instead of allowing empathy to be used against us.