One year ago, I naively launched my coaching business and my website. As a new business owner, I feared naming a niche. Couldn’t I just coach everyone that wanted to work with me? Couldn’t my niche just be all the people? While good looking, my website lacked a voice. I was working hard to talk to everyone, but in turn, I was talking to no one. I had a cute website, with zero substance.
In February, I decided to invest in a business strategy program that completely woke me up to my opportunities and connected me back to my potential. I realized, through the many discovery exercises in the course, who my ideal client truly was. I revamped my site, and took on clients that more closely aligned to a niche of female executives in the tech space. I continued with my program, got focused, gained some confidence, and bam! COVID.
Six months ago, our world turned upside down. Gone seemed my dream of running my own coaching business, home were the kids. Gone was my vision, creativity, and inspiration. I almost quit. I shrugged my shoulders to my dream of coaching, and decided I’d focus on my family and do what I could with my Beautycounter business while I homeschooled and took one for the team. It hurt to realize so much of what I had imagined this time to be, wasn’t.
Over the summer, I played around with different ways of making it all work despite the challenges, and decided I’d pivot. Again. I re-worked my time blocks, asked for help, and reimagined my businesses. And bam! It’s becoming better than I imagined.
We’re hearing some big numbers right now. For example, in September, 865,000 women left the workforce. 865,000 (and growing, I’m sure) women taking one for the team. Had I not transitioned out of corporate 18 months ago, you could have bet I would have been one of those women.
Women, in particular mothers, are working differently than ever before. While hundreds of thousands, maybe even a million, women recently left the traditional workforce, don’t underestimate them. I have a feeling some of them are taking this time to imagine new dreams. I wouldn’t be surprised if many are creating new income streams for themselves, getting creative, and doing anything but quitting. I’d bet some are creating stronger boundaries, new systems, and efficient routines that work to ensure their health is a priority. I envision many are resetting expectations. There’s a strong chance it feels pretty clunky right now, yet I have faith in them. They’ll get it down. I anticipate moments of heartache, stress, and fatigue. I expect many moments of self doubt, anxiety, and fear. When those moments pass, I imagine they will realize new strengths, flex dormant muscles, ask for help, and make stifled dreams big realities if that’s what they want.
When I first started out on my own as a coach, I tossed a wide net. The net was gigantic for a lot of reasons, but mostly because of my comfort zone and the fear of turning business away if I got too specific. The net was too big. The past 6 months have forced me to get really specific about what I do for work. This time has forced me to get protective over my energy, my time, and my dreams. It’s exactly what I needed. It didn’t show up in the pretty package I had expected, and it definitely didn’t feel easy to come to. I have hardship, fear, acceptance, and my business coach to thank for getting to this place. It was supposed to be this way all along.
My role as a business coach is now very specific, and my net is small. I mostly coach women who work for themselves. They know there’s more for them, they have enormous capacity to work their way, aren’t always sure where to start or how to stay focused on their path. They’ve got big dreams, and really only themselves to overcome. Most are women just like me – multi-passionate, with a strong sense of self, determination, and a passion for business.
I have to admit, it feels good to get that granular about my business, and to know very clearly who I serve. This post is more for me than anyone else, to document my clarity and to move forward with even more passion and conviction than I had before.
2020 will not be the year I got lost. It will be the year I found my way.