What I Wish I Had Known Before
I Invested $18,000 In A
Business Coach
By: Karen Pattock
This is part two of a five part series I am writing about the success and failures in my business. Here’s part one if you need to catch up! |
I was sure I had made the right decision to hire an online business coach and mentor to show me the ropes of building an online business. I felt positive that by investing a whopping $750.00 per month with an experienced coach it would finally give me the ultimate experience. She would take me aside, whisper in my ear the secret I was dying to hear… the missing key to my business.
It all started so well. My questions were being answered and I was making progress by getting answers to my online marketing questions.
I started to make some money, not record-breaking numbers but it was something. $1,000 one month, then $2,000 another month but I hadn’t yet reached a consistent income, which was really important to me.
My coach and I were still in our honeymoon phase. I was still awe-struck of her multi-million dollar business so I was just hanging on for the ride still waiting for the missing key.
Then one day I began to notice that while I had more focus I still felt like she was giving me more busy work to do than guiding me on revenue generating projects.
I was posting 12 times per day on social media, (which seems almost unbelievable to me now), I was writing two 1,200 word blog posts per week and I was trying to develop new programs to promote to my email list monthly.
At the 6-month anniversary mark of my time with her I realized I was again overwhelmed and exhausted. I wondered where had I gone wrong?
Upon further reflection I realized that I was still chasing the missing key to a process or system that would add order and consistent revenue to my business.
Although I had substantially increased my income during those 6 months I knew I couldn’t keep this crazy pace up. I had sacrificed the whole premise of owning a ‘lifestyle business’.
So fast-forward to January, 2013… the beginning of a brand new year. I decided to go to the next level with this coach. Surely the missing key I was seeking would be available to me at her highest level of private coaching.
My investment was $14,000 for the year, (which I paid in a one-time payment, up front, for a hefty discount).
I knew that 2013 was my year to reach my goal of owning a 6-figure coaching business. I was growing my email list and I had found some momentum in selling my online programs.
So I went on my way following her instruction. She had me developing new programs every one to two months, promoting, releasing and then developing new programs again. It was a exhausting cycle.
Then one day it hit me like a ton of bricks, ‘I was working harder not smarter’.
I asked myself some tough questions…
Why wasn’t I repurposing everything I had already created?
Why wasn’t I building my list at a more rapid pace?
Why was I still feeling like every other successful online marketer knew something that I didn’t know?
(Truth is they did know something I didn’t know… but I’ll tell you about that soon.)
The good news is I know for a fact that 2013 was the turning point in my business.
Full disclosure, my coach and I were no longer in the honeymoon phase of our relationship and I had begun to ask very specific questions about scaling my business online. In other words, working smarter, not harder.
By May of 2013, (one year after I had originally hired her), I knew that I wasn’t getting the direction I needed to move my business forward so it was time to cut ties with her.
It was evident that I wasn’t being supported or getting the specific answers I needed and I knew I was facing an uphill battle because if you remember, I had paid for the entire year of coaching up front.
Was The Missing Key Written Here?
She had control of my money and wouldn’t be happy that I wanted out.
Long story short, after some negotiation we parted on good terms and I was now on my own again looking for a missing key that I was beginning to fear really didn’t exist.
At this point I think I actually began to doubt my ability to succeed in an online coaching space. Sure the people that were taking my trainings were giving awesome feedback and telling me they wanted more but how much longer could I continue to develop, promote and deliver new programs each month?
I was tired, frustrated and my faith was wavering. I was seriously considering what my life would look like if I threw in the towel.
But just when I was at my darkest place, the universe stepped in and gave me EXACTLY what I needed.
What happened? I’ll tell you all about it next time, when I share with you what I did next, (that I said I would never do again), and the solutions that presented themselves like magic that forever turned my business into an income-generating machine…
Check out the other posts in this series:
Episode 1: My Plan Was To Win The Coaching Business Building Lottery (3 painful lessons from my ‘not-so’ rags-to-riches story)
Episode 3: When The Universe Comes Knocking You Better Answer The Door
Episode 4: 10 Days and a 5-Figure Launch In The Bank
Episode 5: History Repeats Itself & Practicing What I Preach
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The suspense….
I have tried to develop an online presence for the past few years without success (my family is tired of listening to my dream), so I am eager to hear how you discovered the missing link to finally making this work for you. I am still on my journey and still spending the $$$. Ugh.
Thanks for your honesty, it is truly refreshing.
I’m so glad you are finding value in my story Terri. This is the first time I’m putting it ALL out there… warts and all. Hang in there. Your dreams deserve your attention and you are right where you are meant to be at this time. Stay true to yourself and don’t let anyone change that. XO
This is a great article. I recently had a similar ‘ah ha’ moment. I’m going to focus on all the programs I have already created and reuse and repurpose these before building anything new. I can’t wait to the next part of the series…
Hi Elizabeth… It’s an empowering feeling when you realize how much valuable content you already have available and the benefit that comes from repurposing. Keep up the great work! You’re amazing!!!
I have been at this for a number of years and still don’t have a consistent income. Every penny is invested back into learning marketing and hiring coaches with big promises! It really is disheartening. I spend many hours writing blogs, creating videos and posting Facebook articles I feel ….well overwhelmed..
Rhonda thanks so much for sharing your experience. It sounds like your efforts to attract new people with free information is right on target. Are you taking time to consistently post free offers on various social media platforms to grow your email list? The free info is great but remember, growing your email list and having a consistent promotion schedule to generate income is how you actually put $$ in your bank account. Stick with it and please don’t let anything detract you from reaching your dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur. XO