One of the best things you can do for yourself to grow your business and propel yourself forward is to get help. But so many of us keep justifying that we can’t afford help. I can relate to this personally because back in 2008 I had $1200 to my name. One of the things I did that led me to a quarter million dollar income at the end of 2009 was I realized I had to hire some help.
One of the best things you can do for yourself to grow your business and propel yourself forward is to get help. But so many of us keep justifying that we can't afford help. We say things such as: "I'll hire an assistant when I start making more money." Or "I can't hire an assistant until I start making more money."
I can relate to this personally because back in November of 2008 I had $1200 to my name. One of the things I did that led me to a quarter million dollar income at the end of 2009 was to hire some help. I realized I couldn't do it all on my own. Now, I'm not talking about a full-time personal assistant here - though that would have been wonderful. I started small.
I really needed to get my e-zine out, so I invested in 10 hours of help from a Virtual Assistant team. As soon as I had that team in place, I started to look at my business in a completely different way. I found that there were all these other things that I could delegate. And, more importantly, I was also ready when the big opportunities came my way, because I wasn't doing it all alone!
Here's what one of my top clients, Christine Lewicki, founder of O Coaching, had to say about investing in herself, making some huge leaps of faith and getting the help she needed.
"There's my business before I met Lisa and my business after I met Lisa. Before, I was spinning my wheels. I knew I was a good coach, but word of mouth wasn't happening and I didn't have enough clients," Christine says. "I felt that if I didn't grow my business I wouldn't be making the difference I want to make. I wasted a lot of years trying to figure it out on my own. Then I went to a convention and met Lisa and thought, “Here she is - this is exactly what I need.'"
Christine continues, "Lisa gave me the opportunity to work with her and I knew it was time for me to get some help. So I signed up and I barely had enough for the first payment, but it was pretty exciting and super scary. Literally in the next 10 days I got two new clients to fund my investment! The work with Lisa was a mix of spiritual work and technical business strategy to get me to my own juice. And that juice is very sweet for my marketing and awesome for me because deep in my bones I know what I'm all about and what I have to give."
So as I move into 2011, I celebrate doubling my income again last year. Yes, over half million in 2010. And I can tell you without a doubt that having my team, now five people strong, was critical to my success. Especially because I did it working only 3-4 days a week! (Not possible without investing in a team.)
You know how they say you should dress for the job you want? Well, you need to set up your business the way you want to see it in the future. And if you want to break six figures, you can't do it without having a team. There is a lot of power in asking for help. I know it sometimes feels risky to get help, but you need to do it so your business can expand and you can focus on your genius and creativity. You should be delegating the day-to-day, mundane tasks so you can focus on bigger, better - more juicy - things!
Entrepreneurship – The Road Less Traveled
I believe that life is a journey, and just like any journey, it has some bumps in the road along the way. For me, those “bumps” came in the form of three layoffs in two years. I thought, “This is my life. I need to create a way for it to support me and bring me freedom and joy.” So… I started on that journey of entrepreneurship.
What I Learned From A Glitch – And A Rabbit
How did I learn how vital it is to be conscious about your marketing? By working with entrepreneurs! In fact, it's the core strategy behind what I teach, and it’s why I named my business Conscious Marketing. But here's where my head got in the way of my heart: I had an extensive marketing background. I played hardball with some of the top advertising agencies. I thought I had it going on! I didn't think I needed any help from a coach or a mentor, because I already had all the answers. I was wrong.
Everyone Needs a Soapbox!
I was kicked out of corporate America. Literally. I was let go three times in two years! It was difficult at the time, but now I see - the struggle had a purpose. Because of that trial, I found my true calling: helping business owners find their voice, get on that soapbox, and attract in their ideal clients like moths to light.
