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.  

Does Your Business Need You to Boss Up?

Have you ever heard the term “boss up?”  I started using it with my one-to-one coaching clients about a year ago, at times when they needed and wanted to change their mindset and take new actions.  Usually, this happened because they had plateaued, believed they were stagnating, or just felt stuck and were ready to do whatever it took to move beyond it.  

I had been trying to decide on a name for the signature framework I spent months creating (with the help of a consultant I’ve mentioned on this podcast, Claudia Schalkx.)  I looked up the term “boss up” and recognized instantly that it was the perfect name for my framework.  Here’s the Urban Dictionary definition of boss up:  “take ownership of one's life, by directing the full capacity of time, resources, and attention toward a specific direction, goal, or intent. In other words: step up, raise your standard, up your game, and take responsibility for the direction of your life and the full maturity of your dreams.”

Leading With Your Values with Laura Eigel, PhD

I recently connected with today’s guest through our common belief that high-achieving women are most fulfilled when they are working in alignment with their core values, setting boundaries that honor them, and mentoring other women to do the same. Laura has a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology and is a college professor, author, podcaster, advocate, and coach.  She is also a wife and mom to two young sons.  

Laura’s company, The Catch Group,  was founded on the principle of living a life guided by your values. They believe that leaders should bring their authentic leadership to the workplace to build inclusive teams and that leaders should be able to have big career goals AND career fulfillment. Laura believes that top leadership at companies should be diverse and that women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ leaders need to hold more top jobs at companies. 

The Cure for Imposter Syndrome

Human beings have a need to understand themselves and others.  We label behavior and decide what is normal and what is not.  Our culture is particularly fond of pathologizing behavior and especially the behavior of women.  The way we speak to and about ourselves matters a lot.  We have all literally learned to think of ourselves in a certain way from an early age and it is a lot harder to change those beliefs than it is to question them before they stick. 

We have all used labels to refer to ourselves and others in ways that are harmful, inaccurate, and lasting.  Referring to ourselves as having imposter syndrome may be spot on, or not.  When we lack the confidence to start a business, ask to be paid for our services, are afraid to raise our rates, set boundaries with clients, or hold our team members to a higher standard, is it imposter syndrome, or could it be something else?  

Marketing Your Genius: A Client Success Story with Meredith Ferguson

I love helping female solopreneurs find their Zone of Genius, so they can create a satisfying and sustainable business doing what they do best. Today’s guest is client Meredith Ferguson, who decided to work with me because she had two fledging businesses and neither of them was profitable.  She had a lot of natural talent but no systems and no boundaries.  She wanted a legitimate business but was literally giving her work away and because she wasn’t taking herself seriously as a business owner, no one else did either. 

Getting rid of the “freeples” (people who want what you’ve got and expect to get it for nothing) and learning to value her time and skill were some of Meredith’s biggest Boss Up moves during our work together. 

Right-Size Your Business to Fit Your Life

If you are like most of us, you jumped into your online business with nothing more than the intense desire to BYOB ( Be Your Own Boss, that is…) and put your faith in the celebrity coaches and online gurus to show you the way.  Now you are a few years into it, working too many hours,  making too little money, and feeling super stressed about how to get anything else done in your so-called life.  

It’s time to do a reality check, climb out from under our sunk cost and shame shit and forgive ourselves, so we can get busy right-sizing our business. None of those gurus is living your life, paying your bills, or coping with your problems so you are the expert on how your business should actually look and how to make it fit your life, instead of taking over your life.  You can right-size your business, no matter how long you have been in it, by asking yourself some important questions and making the changes that align with your honest answers.

What Does Trauma Have to Do with Your Business? with Nicole Lewis-Keeber

I am pretty sure I am not the only one who has noticed the dramatic increase in the number of coaches who refer to themselves as ‘trauma-focused”, ‘trauma-aware” or “trauma-conscious.”  There is no question that there is a tremendous need. Half of all women have experienced trauma at some time in their lives and there is a significant percentage of traumatized people who become entrepreneurs.

Nicole has spent years studying, training, and developing her expertise in this area as a licensed psychotherapist, coach, facilitator, speaker, trainer, and published author. She created her signature program “Do No Harm” because simply having a personal history of trauma and the desire to help others does not qualify anyone as “trauma-conscious.” This convo may be triggering to some, but I hope will listen all the way to the end of the episode.  This subject is far too important to not address, even if it might ruffle some feathers. 

Getting Better at Hearing No

One of the most common scenarios I encounter with my business strategy and coaching clients the fear of hearing the word “no.  I have been interviewed on the topic of entrepreneurship and rejection sensitivity on several other podcasts, so I know this is a pretty widespread struggle. 

There are a number of ways we unconsciously resist hearing no that actually limit our income, profit and success in business.  Many of us go so far out of our way to avoid being rejected that we basically reject the chance of being found, hired and paid.  Or, we just don’t ask for the sale, avoid using a Call to Action in our marketing and “forget” to follow up with prospects.  

With everything I am learning about confidence, failure and resiliency, I have come to the conclusion that getting better at dealing with “no” is a skill that all of us need to get better at.  Think of it this way: we either need to learn how to deal more effectively with “no” or get used to settling for less than we truly want.  

You Need a Virtual Assistant with Belinda Sandor

A business workflow and productivity expert with 25 years of experience, RocketGirl Solutions Founder Belinda Sandor has been hired by small businesses on a contract basis to act as their part-time “business manager.”  She turned her experience into founding The VA Connection, a professional online community with the goal of educating and connecting independent virtual assistants around the world.

Belinda is also a sought-after speaker on the subjects of small business growth, business technology, brand communication and development, and more. Groups who engage her as a speaker benefit from her ability to simply and clearly explain how, when and why technology and marketing can be smoothly incorporated into their daily workflow.

What is Your Unfair Advantage?

In this value-packed solo episode,  I share my perspective on a word that is totally overutilized in the coaching industry: AUTHENTICITY;  and why I think what is being taught by many is actually manipulative AF and anything but authentic.  My definition of authenticity involves true vulnerability, courage, and risk-taking and is strategic, not tactical.  

The more authentic I have become, the more I have been learning to unmask myself and share who I am, and the more I understand that I’m not the only one who feels like a square peg in a round hole,  who has paid a high price for conforming to the norm and is learning to excavate myself from under layers of cultural conditioning that began almost in the womb.  

But, authenticity as your unfair advantage does not mean sharing everything with everybody indiscriminately, either.  

Becoming Confident on Video with Helen Polise

Helen Polise is my inspiration and today’s guest on the podcast.  A successful producer of TV commercials for the past three decades, Helen knows her way around a camera and how to attract and engage an audience.  When the Covid pandemic put her producing career on hold, she discovered TikTok and quickly went from consumer to creator to teacher.  Helen is not only a natural teacher, she is a relentlessly positive, upbeat, and optimistic human and a grown-ass woman, not a Gen Z ‘influencer.”

If you listen all the way to the end,  you’ll see how and you’ll also see exactly why I can’t say enough about Helen Polise.  If you are trying to get yourself to start using video to share your message, promote your business or simply improve your ability to face the camera with confidence,  Helen will change your life.  I highly recommend her TikTok confidence course which some of my clients have used to get started on video, and are achieving great results.  When you hear what has been going on in Helen’s life and how this interview almost didn’t happen, you are going to become as big a fan of hers as I am. 

Using an Application to Find Your Ideal Clients

If you are a coach, consultant or other professional service providers, I don’t have to tell you how frustrating it is to be on a sales call with someone who is not a legitimate prospect and believe me, it feels bad for them too.   When you are just getting started, you may choose to work with almost anyone who is able and willing to hire you, but  once you are established, and find yourself in the enviable position of having a waiting list or being able to hand pick your clients, you need a system. 

One of the strategies I have developed in order to make sure I am getting in front of the right people, for the right reason at the right time is my consultation process and the language I use and the questions I ask of anyone scheduling a consultation with me.  I use Calendly, but you can apply the same process to Acuity, Schedule Once or any other online scheduler.  

In this value-packed solo episode, I walk you through my exact system and how it benefits both me and the prospective client, even if we decide not to work together.  

Embracing Creativity: A Client Success Story Episode With Lauren Hirsch

I love working with creatives and today’s guest, my client Lauren Hirsch was one of my favorites.  Lauren decided to work with me after interviewing several other coaches and even having the first session with one of them.  She had just been diagnosed with ADHD and was struggling to find direction in her career,  create consistent habits, and feel more confident and intentional.

Lauren learned that being a creative means she literally sees and experiences the world differently, so she really can’t look to others for acceptance and approval, without first giving it to herself.  She wanted help with career direction, self-confidence, creating more structure and routines in her life, and managing her impulsivity as a multi-passionate creative.  What she got was all that, and a whole lot more.

I Hate My Business. Now What?

If you are a woman who has started her own business, I don’t have to tell you that you face quite a few challenges.  You have to know why you're in business, your goals and obstacles, and what's working and what isn't working.  You also need to know how to ask for the money, how much money to ask for, and how to feel good about asking for it.

With all these challenges, the majority of us dive head first into consuming content about business,  hoping it will make the daunting task of decision-making easier or more comfortable.   There is nothing wrong with seeking advice, consulting or coaching, but the risk of following others, either too many experts or over-reliance on a so-called “expert” is you may very well end up with a business you hate.  As hard as it is to admit, you would not be alone if you ever said or thought this.  In fact, there is a growing number of women who have hit the wall in their business and don’t know what to do.

Client Success Story with Coach Pam Peterson

I just love inviting someone I have worked with to join me on the podcast for a Client Success Story episode. As you will hear in the preview to this one,  I do not interview my clients during or immediately after we have completed my 12 week coaching program, when the bond is strong and they are flying high on how much we have accomplished together.  

I wait a few months, because I am not interested in only helping my clients during the time they are actively working with me.  My goal is to set them up for the kind of success that lasts,  and that they can maintain on their own.

In this convo, you will meet my client Pam Peterson, who is a health and wellness coach, specializing in working with women with chronic pain in a mind-body-brain framework.  Pam has a masters degree, a bunch of certifications and has learned what actually works for chronic pain, because she has been living with it for years.  

Maybe it's not "Just" Procrastination 

If you are anything like me, you have a tendency to procrastinate. You procrastinate on the trivial, but also on things that are important to you and when you do, it can create a lot of seriously negative consequences.   You might even think of yourself as a “procrastinator” (something I do not recommend, and talk about why, in this episode.)   

I believe that everyone procrastinates on some tasks, some of the time,  but it’s just too easy to dump all those times when you said you would do something and you aren’t doing on the procrastination pile.  But, what if it  isn’t “just” procrastination?  What if it’s resistance, avoidance, imposter complex, resentment, or even your intuition pointing you in a different direction? In this solo episode, we explore the different scenarios that we might incorrectly label as “just procrastination” that really aren’t, what is actually going on, and what to do about it. 

The $250K Business Breakthrough with Laura Khalil

This is a conversation I have been looking forward to having for quite a while because my guest, Laura Khalil specializes in helping female consultants make $250k. 

First off,   I was intensely curious, why $250k, when the majority of business coaches and consultants are talking about helping their clients hit 6-figures or 7-figures? 

I already knew that the skills and strategies that get you to 100k are not going to get you to 250k, but when you are not promoting group programs, courses, or having the leverage and scale convo, what else is there? 

Well, this is where we are going in today’s super exciting conversation.  I am so rarely speechless, but it literally happened in this interview because of all I learned from Laura and can’t wait to share with you. 

Life Lessons for When Shit Happens

After many years of “winging it” as my preferred modus operandi, I knew I would have to become less spontaneous and more of a planner when I decided to launch this podcast two years ago.  Once I decided to commit to it,  I learned to become a planner and even found I liked it.  But sometimes, in spite of our planning, things go sideways and shit happens. My husband and I just relocated for the second time in barely three years and the experience has been full of surprises, and not the good kind. 

This episode is not about planning or being consistent, at least not directly.  It is about the fact that many times in life, things do not go as we intend or expect, no matter how well we have planned.  Life has an uncanny knack for throwing us just enough curveballs to have some of us thinking ‘why bother?” about planning, while others become humorless control-freaks trying to get life to conform to their will. 

Writing Your Own Rules in Online Business with Deanna Seymour

The celebrity coaches and online marketing gurus have made multi-million dollars selling their courses and coaching programs, and they have pages and pages of testimonials gushing over them, so it had to be “The Way” only it wasn’t.  Several courses later, this teacher, whom we will call Deanna (because that’s actually her name) is not only not getting anywhere closer to the promised land of the laptop lifestyle, but she is starting to feel just as disillusioned with this whole online entrepreneur thing as she was as a teacher.  

So, is poor Deanna doing something wrong or did she simply get caught up in the “results not typical” marketing hype that has made celebrity coaches fabulously wealthy while leaving most of their students blaming themselves for not being one of the success stories they bring on stage at their high ticket sales events?

Therapist vs Coach: What's the Difference?

One of the subjects I am asked for my opinion on most often is the confusion between therapy and coaching.  I guess you could say I am uniquely qualified to address this topic because before I trained and certified as a coach, I was a licensed psychotherapist for over twenty years.  It has become a complicated, contradictory and at times controversial subject and one that a growing number of people are talking about. 

After being asked this question in a number of interviews on other podcasts, I decided it was time to discuss it on The Driven Woman. In this episode, I hope to raise awareness, stimulate some thinking, and most of all, encourage people to trust their intuition and do their homework.