You signed up for this, right? This personal-transformation-through-owning-a-business roller coaster you may find yourself on from time to time. Some of us do it consciously, but for many others, you get halfway in, and come to realize that you are being asked to play bigger than ever before. Maybe it’s becoming a leader. Or maybe it’s in owning your value and holding firm in charging rates that fit your level of expertise. Or perhaps it plays out by you being pushed to leverage your time and talent to create a business that reaches many more people than you ever anticipated.

I really believe that the thing we call business can be a huge catalyst for our growth and transformation.

But let me tell you who this article is for so you can decide if you want to keep reading, ok?

If you just want a cash biz and have no regard for changing lives, leaving a legacy, making a difference, or being the best you you can be….you may not be one of my ‘peeps.’

No, the folks I’m talking to and talking about are the ones who know that their business is in alignment with their life purpose. These are the change makers. The “crazy-sane” business owners who are just courageous enough to persevere through the often challenging moments in running a business because they know that the work they are doing in the world is important.

I guess I should start with my view of business. Actually, I call it Business….with a capital “B” because I want to give it its due.

You know before coaching I was a practicing psychotherapist for 25 years. In that time I did TONS of personal growth stuff. I’ve also been on a spiritual path for equally long, and have also done almost every self-help, growth activating tool around. But it has been Business that has brought me to my knees and Business has been the catalyst for more growth than anything I have ever done.  Why?  Seven words -

The Entrepreneurial Journey is a Spiritual Path

Plain and simple. Once you say yes to being an entrepreneur who has a vision to make a difference, EVERYTHING in your life that no longer serves has to go away. Everything. And that means that things will come up to challenge, test, and refine you.

You may have heard the story of Michelangelo who when asked, “How did you create David from this block of marble?” replied….“Simple….I just chipped away everything that wasn’t David until he emerged.”

And that’s why Business can sometimes feel hard. All the things that are not the powerful you have to be released.

Let’s face it. If you are a service provider, it’s HARD to charge top dollar rates when everyone is lowering theirs and complaining about a sluggish economy.

If you are a kind person, it’s HARD to not give a refund or say no when a customer makes a request of you.

And it can be HARD to be selective about who you hang out with, manage your energy, and learn to trust that you are on the right path.

That’s some tough stuff my friend!

So this article isn’t one of those paint-by-numbers ditties that can make it all go away. No, this is article is designed to normalize your experience and give comfort.

Why? Because as I said in my last article – sometimes it’s freaky and scary when it feels like things are breaking down.

When I was in a coaching program a few years ago, the book we used was called, The Last Word on Power: Executive Re-Invention for Leaders Who Must Make The Impossible Happen. Truthfully it’s written more from a corporate perspective, but the premise is exquisite. The author invites you to “put at risk the success you have achieved for the ‘possibility’ you can be.” Deep, cool, juicy stuff.

The author shares that THE THING that used to get you the most success in life, will BREAK down if you want to go to the next level. So if you happened to be one of those first-born, overachieving, super-hero, competent, get-stuff-done types like me….BUSINESS will give you a chance to dismantle that. Why? Because usually the things that we rely on as strengths and how we gets our needs met (like being competent, or nice, accommodating) will fall away as the NEXT LEVEL of skills in us has to emerge.
 That doesn’t mean you’ll wake up being a crotchety old business woman, but it means that if you are committed to being nice and cling to it for dear life and it costs you being powerful…it may need to shift.

Why? Because you have maxed out how far you can go using those old skills/strengths. But, that breakdown process is one scary one let me tell ya!

You may be asked to create skills and ways of being that you never had before. You may feel ‘naked’ as you let go of the old way of being and wait for the newly formed you to emerge. And yet if you do the work, on the other side is transformation. Sweet, exquisite change that will all make sense and catapult you to the next place where you are to work from.

Yes, my friend Business is like a sweet ass-kicker in service of your greatness.

Say yes to it, okay? Say yes to becoming the best you possible. Say a big yes to making the biggest difference you can. And know that you are not alone on the journey. I’m right here, walking the walk with you.

Peace and blessings…..

Therese

How about some business lessons and FUN thrown in?  This is an ‘oldie but goodie’ that I pulled from the blog vault.  .

So let me out myself here…I am a Karaoke Queen. Yep. I got divorced a few years ago and starting singing. In fact, it’s been a huge metaphor for me about showing up and playing bigger and I’ve written a few articles relating to how karaoke can be transformative.

But I was recently thinking about the ‘vibe’ of the karaoke bar I go to and can see parallels with the business clients I work with, so if you’ll give me some artistic license…I’m going to tie together being in a karaoke club and running a business. (Yes, lots of license is needed here!)

Karaoke is colorful and exciting.

For those karaoke-virgins, here’s how it goes. One quarter of the room will be wonderful singers. The other quarter of the room will be mediocre to crappy singers, and the other half will be folks too scared to get up and sing. But because of the brave souls who do get up, everyone has fun.

Is your business vibrant and inviting? When someone ‘walks’ in to your website, are they the ones who know why they are there and are clear about their purpose? Or are they the lurkers…just tire kickers who want to see what you have to offer? If you want to be successful you have to be clear who your market is and then set up the ‘stage’ so that they can have easy access to you and what you provide. Look at your website, your marketing messages, and all the rest of your communications…does they invite folks to say ‘yes’ to you?

The karaoke host runs the show.

The place I attend has a woman – whom we’ll call “Nancy” as the hostess. She’s like a pit bull with pipes. It’s her room, and you follow her rules! Sure, she’ll support you as long as you are working within her system, but step out of line and you may get spanked (or at least given the evil eye!) LOL.

Are you running your business like a strong business owner/CEO? That means that you have policies in place that stick. Instead of tailoring payment and program offerings to each individual, you should have programs that people fit into and not the other way around. Too many exceptions, changes, and adjustments will make you and your team nuts! Create the systems, and then have the courage to stick with them. It will make you a better business owner and command more respect from your clients. Sometimes it takes the courage to tell a prospective client “no” because they aren’t the right fit, but in the long run it’s really good business practice to have things systematized. Remember, you are in business not only to serve your clients, but also to make your life easier. Do your policies and practices contribute to that?

The karaoke scene brings out all kinds of people.

Wow….that is an understatement. Just hanging out and seeing the variety in age, size, talent, and personality is half the fun. Here are a few of the ‘characters’ from my time in the karaoke bar – see which one you relate to:

Bob – he’s a crowd favorite. Probably because he’s at least 75 years old, sweet as pie and does about the best Frank Sinatra songs you have ever heard. But Bob doesn’t just sing. Bob emotes and expresses with his whole body. Bob is so passionate about being there that he truly lights up the room. People are drawn to Bob just because of his energy.

As a business owner, does your passion and expertise shine? Can people tell you love what you do? When people meet you do they instantly get that spark of greatness in you? Do you have the courage to stand up and say, “I did it my way?” (Pardon the bad Frank Sinatra pun there!) If not, what’s in your way? (If you have some fear or mindset blocks, you may want to schedule a session with me and we’ll blow that puppy out!)

Or maybe you are like this fellow:

Ron – this is the guy who shows up and sings the same song every week: an old Roy Orbison classic. The guy is good, but predictable. He’s actually technically a really good singer, but whenever he opens his mouth, it’s tempting to check out because it’s like a “been there, done that” experience.

Has your content become stale and predictable? If you keep rolling out the same tired stuff, soon your market will turn a deaf ear. Gotta spice it up! Ask what your market is interested in. Visit other blogs, social media sites, do a Google search, and discover new things to offer. Are you coming up with at least two or three new offerings a year? It doesn’t have to be overwhelming – a teleclass, workshop, new report, etc. Keep it simple, but keep it fresh.

Or, you might be like the girl of the group:

Tammy – At least that’s what I think her name is. Because truthfully, she’s a bit timid and so doesn’t have the big presence like the men have. Tammy shows up (at least partially anyway) to sing, but is so quiet that it’s hard to get a read on her. Maybe it’s because her voice isn’t that strong, but when Tammy gets up to sing, she barely has a voice that’s audible. I’d love to coach her to find her ‘inner rock star’ to get herself out in a bigger way. She’d sure enjoy it more.

Is your business invisible? I’ve seen that a lot with some of my clients who are either new in business or haven’t yet landed as strongly on their brand. They tend to operate to be ‘safe’ and don’t put themselves in front of their target markets very often. These are the folks who send out a newsletter only quarterly in fear of ‘pissing off’ their lists. That is one of the #1 biggest business killers. I’d rather have you lose a few people who would probably never buy from you anyway so you can be top of mind to your market. Your goal is to be the first person they think of when they have a problem, so figure out how do you find your ‘business rock star’ mode and MARKET, MARKET, MARKET!

What you really need to do is act like this guy:

Paul – he’s the one who will do Neil Diamond first, an opera piece, and then jump into some crazy Jimi Hendrix song. Is he good? Truthfully, he butchers a couple of notes here and there, but is fearless about trying new music. And he has fun, which is the most important part of the whole thing. Paul is also the one who talks to everyone, plays the drums, dances, and is really fully expressed when he’s out for the night.

How comfortable are you at taking risks? Are you stuck in the thinking that it has to be perfect before you can roll anything new out? Do you get trapped in analysis paralysis for months and months, afraid to make mistakes? Take it from Paul…because folks don’t remember your missteps. They remember you getting up and having a voice. So whatever you are working on, know that you can tweak it later. The goal is to get it out in the world so it can make you money and serve the folks you are supposed to serve.

Well, did I do it? Can you see the correlation between life in the karaoke bar, and life as a coach for small business owners? I see a lot of overlap. My hope is that asking these questions in a playful way got you thinking. Drop me a line and let me know which one of the characters you are!

And if you want to read my other articles about “karaoke lessons” click here.

Hope you liked the article!  Feel free to leave your impressions about crazy things that you can connect to business as well too!