Have you ever attended a keynote and been moved? Watched a Ted Talk over and over? Liked and shared a social media post that was powerful?
You have a voice, too, and you can be empowered to share it with others. All of us have the power to be influential, whether in the digital world or the real one.
Here are 6 places to get your voice heard and spark change.
1. Your Blog
Blogs may have started with moms sharing their experiences, but they’ve become a vital part of business. In fact, many people make money sharing their expertise on their own blog and industry, such as travel.
If you have a blog, start sharing your thoughts and ideas. If you don’t, get started! This is a great way to get your voice heard and establish yourself as an authority. It may take time, but it’s worth the payoff.
2. Email
Despite the rise of other types of marketing, email is still an effective way to share content with an audience and capture their attention. You can begin with a newsletter that comes out once a month, or a few times a month, to build your audience.
3. YouTube
Video is a persuasive medium that many have leveraged for success. Whatever your business venture or cause, just about anyone can create professional videos or promos to share on YouTube. The cleverer and more creative the idea, the more traction you’re likely to receive, but don’t be afraid to just jump into it.
4. Social Media
Social media is incredibly powerful. From politicians to brands to influencers, just about everyone is using social media to connect with others and share ideas and opinions, and you can do the same.
Major platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are excellent places to start, but you could also share your expertise on platforms like Quora and Reddit. People often use these platforms to ask questions or seek discussions within certain industries or topics, and that’s your time to shine.
5. Publications
Most publications accept pitches from writers to feature in their upcoming issues. With the rise of digital publications, you have more opportunity than ever before to get a feature article with the right pitch and audience.
Pitching takes time, however. You may not get published at the first try, or the second, or even the 10th, but keep going! Eventually, you’ll find the right fit for your article. And even if you’re rejected once, don’t be afraid to pitch again in the future! Maybe your article is a good fit, but not for right now.
6. Local Venues
Similar to pitching publications, you may be able to book local speaking engagements at small venues. Like publications, venues typically have a long lead time and specific guidelines and requirements for speakers.
You may need to approach a dozen different venues before you get booked, but that’s just part of the process. Don’t get discouraged! Keep trying.
Get Professional Coaching
Learning how to channel and share your voice isn’t easy, but you have plenty of outlets to be heard. The most important thing is having the confidence in yourself, and coaching from an expert like Allison Todd can help! Work with Allison Todd directly!
One of the most effective ways to scale your business is to grow your team. But that can be a difficult undertaking with several considerations before you even start taking applications or interviewing contractors.
The Difference
A freelance contractor works for you independently and covers taxes on their own. An employee is an in-house team member that answers to you. You’re responsible for reporting their earnings to the IRS.
You hire a contractor as a 1099 employee after the terms and scope of services provided are agreed upon, as well as the cost. In this role, you will not have control over their process, pricing, or working hours, unless these were stipulated in the agreement.
This category would include:
– Freelancers
– Consultants
– Temp-to-hire
– Agencies
A W2 employee is usually a long-term arrangement where you provide consistent direction and supervision. You dictate their hours, their job expectations, and pay. For a W2 employee, you may also have to offer other benefits or insurance.
There is also no competition for their time. A contractor will have other clients and projects in the works that require their attention, whereas an employee is someone you don’t have to share.
The Cost
Independent contractors typically get paid with a flat fee for any services rendered or deliverables provided. This is usually determined in contract negotiations prior to any work taking place.
With a contractor, you’re paying for their talent and expertise. While you’re in control of your overall project, they will play a more collaborative role, like a consultant. As a business owner in their own right, consider them a partner in your business, not an underling.
For a W2 employee, you can pay an hourly wage or salary that fits within your budget. Talent that is interested in that pay scale will apply and may or may not negotiate pay. Keep in mind that when you hire a W2 employee, you will also have to cover any benefits, 401K, as well as cover tax payments.
Contractors will typically cost you more upfront with deposits and initial fees, whereas employees will require very little upfront but could cost you more over time.
The Bottom Line
What do you want most out of this new team member? Do you want total control over their schedule? Are you looking for someone you can train up who will buy into your company culture and mission?
Do you want exclusive access to their attention and talents? Are you hoping this person can wear multiple hats to take even more tasks off your plate? If you can afford all of the incidentals that come with an in-house employee, this may be the best path.
Or are you more interested in saving on hiring costs and benefits? Do you need more flexibility with short-term contracts? Is your need more immediate, and you don’t have time to train someone?
If you’re not sure what you need or who to bring on, let’s chat! Helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses is my sweet spot! Book a consultation!
With our always-on, always-available, fake-it-til-you-make-it hustle culture, there’s glory in being the workaholic, the go-getter, the workhorse.
We’ve normalized hustle culture, made it so that if you’re not always rushing, busy, and stressed, you’re not trying hard enough. Always go the extra mile.
Answer an email late in the evening? Sure! Put in extra hours on the weekend? No worries, you didn’t have plans anyway.
That’s not glory. That’s a fast-track to burnout and toxic productivity.
Being stressed and overworked is a toxic mindset skewed positive to keep you pushing harder and harder. But once you recognize it, you can prioritize self-love and break the toxic cycle.
What Is Toxic Productivity?
In recent years, our culture has been about the hustle and the grind. The “first-in, last-out” type is the one who gets the promotion.
The shift to hybrid and remote work only worsened this mindset. The boundaries between our work lives and our personal lives blurred more and more. Our phones and laptops are always on, we’re always available – and expected to be.
It’s difficult to turn the notifications off, especially with no physical separation between work and home. Our home office, couch, recliner, or even our beds may have become the new workspace, so of course we can’t just turn our work minds off.
With no rest, no downtime, and no boundaries, we can’t enjoy our free time or focus on self-care and self-reflection. We may prioritize a project over date night, our child’s sports game or recital, or our own sleep.
Productivity is important, for sure, but it can be detrimental if it consumes our lives. If we think work is more important than anything else, to the point that we can’t relax and enjoy our families, hobbies, or time relaxing on our own, that’s when productivity builds to burnout.
Balance, rest, and self-love are vital to true productivity. If you’re running on fumes or struggling with concentration and focus, are you truly productive? Is the work you’re doing the best quality it can be?
Probably not. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
My Struggle with Toxic Productivity
“Love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
We’ve all heard some variation on this quote, implying that if you’re passionate about what you do, it’ll never feel like work. You can’t get overworked, stressed, or burned out doing what you love, right? Wrong!
I was nearly claimed by my own toxic productivity. I worked all the time. It was easier to be productive.
Then COVID-19 hit. The lockdowns, stillness, and the claustrophobia of the pandemic made me feel like I had to move faster, produce twice as much, and push toward my ultimate goal.
I was buried in toxic productivity without realizing it – only to be buried by the bad news avalanche.
It was time to reconnect and recharge, focus a little on me. Time for a reset.
How to Overcome Toxic Productivity
The most important tool for overcoming toxic productivity is knowing how to recognize it.
Are you always focused on work – always checking email, even during time with your family or friends?
Are you checking or answering communications during off-hours, such as nights and weekends?
Are you measuring your self-worth through your work? Is excelling at your job or career the most important thing to you?
Are you missing out on quality time with your family, friends, pets, or hobbies in order to work?
If you answered “yes” to any of these, you may be struggling with toxic productivity.
Fortunately, you can break the cycle of overworking.
Take an Extended Recess from Work Responsibilities
If you’ve been going and going, it’s time to take a break. Taking time away from work responsibilities to focus on fun and passions is important at any time, but it’s even more important after the tumult of the past two years.
We experienced a collective trauma together during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s time to take a moment to breathe, reflect, and shift the focus back to yourself for a bit.
Spend time recharging and reconnecting. Feed your soul, reflect, and reset. Rediscover a lost hobby, or take up a new one.
Go for a walk or a drive with no destination in mind. Lie in the grass and watch the clouds. Do the least productive things you can think of to give your mind and body a rest.
However you choose to spend your time, it’s important that it’s about what you want, not the professional you, but the personal you – the multifaceted you. Close your laptop, turn off your phone, and just enjoy.
Over time, you’ll get used to unplugging and enjoy some much-needed time for yourself.
Prioritize Work-Life Balance
Even if you work from home, you need clear boundaries between work time and private time. You can set a work schedule for yourself, much like office hours, or designate time slots when you can be productive that work around your family’s schedule.
Whichever you choose, it’s important to stick to your schedule. Adjust as needed but be disciplined in your work time and your personal time.
During your personal time, do the things you enjoy. Practice your hobby, spend time with family, cook yourself a meal, watch your favorite television show, meditate, or do whatever makes you happy. When you return to work, you’ll be refreshed and ready to go.
Create a Self-Love Box
We all need reminders to develop healthy habits, and the self-love box is just that. Having a self-love box on hand can reinforce the message and give you tools to prioritize you.
Drawing from my experience as a confidence and business coach, I put together a self-love box that has all the tools and resources you need to love you greater! I’m always telling clients to create flashcards for their niche, and now I’ve taken that idea 10 steps further to build the ultimate toolkit to end your toxic productivity.
End the Toxic Cycle with Self-Love
Toxic productivity can sneak up on you, but when you know what to look for, you can promote better work-life balance and unplug to unleash your true productivity.
Those menial, tedious tasks you hate doing every day? Automate. The technology to make your life so much easier is out there! You will boost your productivity and relieve yourself from the pressure of all the “to-dos” that you don’t really have to do.
Let’s review my top 3 things you should automate in your business right now!
#1 Client Onboarding
Different from welcome emails, this is your internal process. It’s something you can create and set up once but use again and again.
Using a productivity management system to send contracts, welcome packets, questionnaires, and client portal information automatically saves you time and puts the client at ease that you have it all together! It also ensures that everything is accomplished as quickly as possible, and nothing is ever missed.
My Favorite Productivity Management Systems:
– Monday.com
– Airtable
– Asana
– Trello
– Zapier
#2 Welcome Emails
Did you know welcome emails usually have the highest open rates? These emails are your first access to direct contact with a potential client and are extremely valuable. Use them to engage with the lead and ask how they liked your resource.
Using your CRM or email management system, set up welcome emails to fire off after a new contact is received and drip out over the following days and weeks. This keeps you at the top of their inbox while your name is fresh on their mind.
Leverage these notes to further establish who you are, what you do, and why they should care by providing practical, tangible value in their inbox. Slowly introduce other ways to connect with you and your higher-ticket offers.
#3 Social Media Content
Automating content production can reduce the pressure on you or your team to be creative every day at the optimal posting time. While the content still has to be physically created or curated, there are tools and software platforms that help you automate the process.
You can batch create your social media text and graphics using the free tool, Canva. If you run out of ideas, scroll through the feed of your ideal client or competitors and see what they’re engaged with. Use this to fuel your creation!
Pre-made content calendars are also a dime a dozen, but apps like PostDeck also offer daily prompts and conversation starters to essentially generate content for you.
When you’re ready to publish, upload your content to a platform like Sprout Social, Buffer, or Later. These services help you schedule content out for the week or even the month so you can “set it and forget it” and focus on engagement.
Consider implementing Facebook’s “out of office” auto-responder for after-hours to connect with anyone who may reach out. Or, set up a chatbot to keep the conversation going and assist potential leads.
Work Smarter, Not Harder!
Automation can be tech-heavy upfront, but the payoff is literally buying you more time! If you’re overwhelmed by manual processes and need support and encouragement to confidently make good business decisions, let’s talk! Book a consultation with me!
Language and speech are what separates us from the animal kingdom. It’s a powerful tool when wielded properly.
But it can also just as easily deflate our power as women when we fall prey to some of these common mistakes in business communications.
#1 Lack of Confident Language
You know I love to talk about confidence! Phrases and words that imply hesitation or fear are more common in women’s communications than men.
Hedges, qualifiers, and tag questions siphon the power from your language and thoughts. You appear indecisive and ill-equipped.
Phrases To Avoid:
–“It should be…, shouldn’t it?”
–“I’m not an expert, but…”
–“I just think…”
–“I actually think that maybe…
–“Am I making sense?”
These phrases all introduce “shrinking” language — an attempt to make your thoughts and words less intrusive or confrontational. You’re preemptively avoiding criticism by suggesting that even you think that what you said may not be right or coherent.
If you don’t agree with a point or concept, you can still be diplomatic without being unnecessarily aggressive. “I don’t see it that way, here’s why.” or, “I think there’s a better way. Here’s my idea.” are easy phrases to infuse into the meetings that display confidence in yourself and what you bring to the table.
If you’re attempting to invite feedback or spark further discussion, ask for it without denigrating your contributions to the conversation. “What are your thoughts on this?” or “I look forward to hearing your perspective.” are more confident ways to elicit connection and discussion.
#2 Over-Explaining = Asking Permission
Many women are still working to earn their place in their career fields. This breeds a desire to over-explain their positions and thoughts in an attempt to prove they deserve a seat at the table.
If you’re waiting for someone to tell you that you deserve a seat at the table, we have a little work to do! I’m telling you, here and now, you don’t have to write the textbook to prove you deserve to be where you are.
How do I know this?
Because you’re there!
Your ability to confidently communicate your thoughts and position will advance you much farther than simply filling the space with words. If you can say in ten words, don’t use twenty.
Pauses are powerful. Use them to your advantage.
#3 Deflating Tone and Emphasis
English is one of the most complicated languages on planet Earth, but like most languages, tone plays a significant role in emphasizing our meaning or intent. When you raise the pitch of your voice at the end of a statement, your language automatically sounds like you’re questioning your own words.
It makes you appear tentative, as if you were unsure of your opinion or even yourself before you ever opened your mouth. Practice lowering the tone of your voice at the end of sentences and see what a difference that makes in how you sound and feel.
Clear and Confident For The Win
Helping women take fearless action is what I do. Book a confidence consultation and learn how to boost your business communications.
It can be overwhelming for anyone to start and grow a business, let alone someone who is already managing a household. You’re in charge of housekeeping, child-rearing, meal planning and preparation, running errands, constant chauffeur duties, and a kiss for any boo-boos.
But in the midst of all that chaos, are YOU getting lost? Do you crave something that is all yours, with your stamp on it? Something to eventually make your life easier?
Friends, you can do both. And I’m going to show you how!
Be Flexible
Your LIFE is your priority, not your job or your business. If you are inflexible with your schedule or roles, you could end up making unnecessary sacrifices that will cost more in time, energy, and money.
I know the “mom guilt” comes on strong, and it’s easy to feel trapped between two worlds. Stay the course! When things crop up, and they will, that threaten to disrupt your progress, stay flexible and open.
Remember your priority. As a business owner, you are in charge of your schedule. You CAN make choices that suit your lifestyle.
Designate a Business Zone
Hotels have them, and so should your home! Whether it’s a tucked-away corner where you can still hear the children or a sound-proofed office with a do-not-disturb sign, your space should be treated like your working sanctuary.
When you sit in your sanctuary, focus on what you must do, decide what else you can do, and put off whatever is left. A separate space for only work-related tasks keeps you from being unnecessarily distracted.
Draft a Clear, Ambitious Plan That’s Still Achievable
If anyone can do it, a mom can! But if you don’t have a map, how do you know where you’re going? Of if you’ll get there?
Map out your big goals for the year. Where do you want your business to be one year from now?
Great! Now you know where you’re going, let’s create the route to get there. Break down your yearly goals into smaller steps that you can realistically achieve each month. When you reach the beginning of a new month, map out an overview of each week.
Intentionally schedule times when you can work uninterrupted but remember to stay flexible. Do not squeeze every spare moment of your day, or the slightest inconvenience will set you back.
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
Yes, you can do both, but you also don’t have to. It’s also okay to admit that you can’t, or don’t want to, do it ALL. Something can give, I promise.
Your kids can hang out with a sitter or grandma on occasion. You can hire a freelance assistant or specialist to help you execute tasks in your business. You can work with a consultant that will help you make intentional decisions and stay on target.
Friends, whether you’ve launched your business or aren’t sure where to start, you can reach your goals faster with the compassionate support of someone like me: a confidence and clarity coach for business owners. Let’s chat!
As busy businesswoman, it’s hard for us to take a step back and put ourselves first. IT’s especially difficult when also faced with other demands on your time, such as children and family.
Burnout is often hard to pinpoint or acknowledge. In a post-pandemic world, many of you may be running on autopilot because your cup is empty and dry. This leads to unaddressed trauma, unresolved emotions, and burnout that leaks into other areas of our lives.
Here are my top tips for avoiding burnout in your business and in your life.
#1 Regularly Take A Well-Deserved Break
This one shouldn’t be surprising, but I know firsthand that when you have a jam-packed schedule, it feels impossible. Friend, you have to schedule time off intentionally. You have to choose yourself.
Block out time for a break on your calendar as if it were an incredibly important meeting that you cannot miss. This time should be at least 30 minutes to an hour every week or bi-weekly if that’s not possible.
Sit outside and meditate in the fresh air, lay down and listen to an audiobook to rest your eyes, or go for a walk. Choose any relaxing or leisurely activity you enjoy.
#2 Delegate
In order to preserve as much energy as possible, it’s essential to delegate tasks you don’t have to do yourself. This is the best use of your time and skills.
Determine the tasks you’re weak in or that you simply don’t enjoy. What are the time-consuming little things that drive you crazy every week? What projects never quite turn out how you like, and you wish they were better?
Assign these to your team or a virtual assistant who can ease the burden on your time and your energy.
#3 Say No With Conviction
Burnout often shows up when you’re trying too hard to multitask on too many projects and are overwhelmed. Even the top performers in your industry, or any industry, must prioritize their time and manage projects efficiently.
When new projects spring up, it’s ok to say no if it will help you avoid burnout. This is true for any stage of your career. Whether you work for someone else or own your own company, you need to focus on what matters.
#4 Learn To Unplug
Unfortunately, most working women still perform as if we have something to prove. We take on projects that drag into the night and eat up our weekends. We miss out on things we value to “stay on top.”
Greater productivity is unlocked while you work only when you completely unplug when you’re not. Turn off your notifications and delete apps from your phone if you have to. Resist the urge to “check-in” after hours.
#5 Get Compassionate Support and Accountability
I help businesswomen like you everyday to grow through burnout without sacrificing their careers or business. It’s my job! I love it, and I’m not ashamed to say I excel at it. If you’d like to take advantage of compassionate support and avoid burnout, let’s chat! Schedule with me here!
Everyone is seeing the impact of inflation, from a trip to the grocery store to monthly utility bills. In the past year, inflation amounted to 7.9% — the fastest pace since 1982 – according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Inflation isn’t likely to resolve anytime soon, especially with the increasing energy costs due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This is especially troubling for nonprofits. Many charitable organizations receive a significant amount of funding at the fiscal year’s end – June 30 – and the budget implications are only just now obvious.
Nonprofit leaders need to navigate uncertainty and position the valuable work as critical, regardless of what economic indicators show.
What Is Inflation?
The simple definition of inflation is that it’s a sustained upward movement in the price of goods and services in an economy. If all else stays constant, this reflects a loss of purchasing power for a currency. It takes more currency units to buy the same goods and services.
Simply put, your money doesn’t go as far. You can’t buy as many groceries or essentials for the same amount as you did previously.
Many consumers associate inflation with the rise of a few key goods or services, such as oil or the real estate industry. but inflation is only present when the overall price of goods and services is increasing across the board.
When inflation increases faster than wages, it leads to a decrease in purchasing power that causes people to put up more money to buy necessities, but getting less for it. For the average consumer, this can create financial strain and reduced discretionary spending.
The problem here is that many people don’t understand what inflation really is. They believe the prices are increasing, when that’s not what’s happening. The value of each dollar is declining.
Why the distinction? If people believe that it’s prices, not dollars, donors may unknowingly reduce the value of their donations because they don’t regard inflation as the reduced value of money.
Even if inflation were to return to its previous levels, it would take time before we see the effects of that. With the end of the year approaching quickly, fundraisers need to take a proactive approach to combat the effects.
Plan Ahead in Thinking, Giving, and Strategy
Donors want to make a difference – that’s why they donate. They’re not trying to decrease their gift, but they just don’t appreciate that it doesn’t have the same purchasing power.
We can’t expect them to know this on their own, however. They can be politely reminded that inflation affects nonprofits, too, and the cost of staffing, supplies, services, and more. It also impacts the lives nonprofits serve – if it’s this difficult for the people who can pay, imagine what it does for those who can’t?
Bottom line – we need more money to make the same impact. We need to ensure donors understand the need for the work and how the dynamics of the world impact it. Donors want to hear stories about those served by their donations, and how, so highlight some of your top stories.
If possible, show metrics of how donations allow impact. Whether the nonprofit is focused on food security, education, literacy, clean water, or support for families, showing the metrics ensures that donors know the impact of their investment – and why it matters if money doesn’t go as far.
How Can We Help?
External pressures like inflation can be a big catalyst for creativity and collaboration. How can we, as community leaders, partners, and corporations, plan ahead and be proactive in our efforts?
The simple solution is to increase the gift to account for inflation and ensure that nonprofits have equivalent purchasing power. But writing a check isn’t the only thing we can do.
Inflation not only decreases what can be done with the donations, but increases the costs for the nonprofits. Volunteering helps nonprofits do more with less, reducing the burden and ensuring that help goes where it’s needed.
Finally, there’s advocacy. You can spread the word about the efforts of nonprofits and encourage others to get involved. Whether they offer monetary gifts, volunteer their time, or spread the word themselves, it all makes a difference.
Let’s Talk About It!
I’ve had wonderful conversations with innovative leaders ready to grow their community and “put their back in it.” I’d love to talk to other leaders and business owners who feel the same. Schedule a 15-Minute Discovery with me and let’s get started!
Confidence is just something you have or don’t have, right?
Wrong! Confidence isn’t something you’re just born with. It’s a skill that is developed with time and intentional practice.
If you don’t feel confident, don’t worry – you can learn to become more confident and influence people in business and in life.
1. Practice Self-Love
If you want to be confident, you need to love yourself first. When you love yourself and all that you are – flaws and everything – you’ll have confidence no matter what comes along.
Before you can master the art of confidence, you must master self-love, self-respect, and self-awareness. Be proud of your values and your strengths, and commit to working on your weaknesses. You can acknowledge your flaws and still appreciate what makes you, you.
2. Conquer Your Self-Limiting Beliefs
People without confidence are prone to unconsciously adopting limiting beliefs about their capabilities or what they deserve. Then, as they self-sabotage, they reinforce the beliefs that were there all along.
Overcoming these self-limiting beliefs is a major step toward true confidence. Consider the thoughts and beliefs that diminish your confidence, such as self-doubt, anxiety, and insecurity. Replace them with empowering beliefs – you CAN do it and you DO deserve it.
3. Align Confidence with Your Goals
Why does becoming more confident matter to you? Are you a leader in your workplace and you need to project confidence to run your team? Do you present at conferences and need confidence to conquer your fears?
Knowing the purpose behind seeking confidence is the first step to realizing your goals and taking concrete steps to achieve them. Once you know the purpose of building confidence, it’s about training your brain to be more confident and secure.
4. Change Your Body Language
Confident people exude confidence before you ever speak to them – it’s all in the body language. They make eye contact, stand up straight, and shake hands firmly.
Fortunately, this is one you can “fake until you make it.” Lack of confidence takes a toll on your body language. Stand up straight, take purposeful strides, focus on eye contact, and make your presence known. You’ll naturally feel more confident, which can change your mindset.
5. Shift Your Perspective
If you’re feeling down or discouraged, a shift in your mindset can do wonders. Change your perspective on failure or loss. Remember, every misstep is creating a foundation for learning and future successes.
See failures as opportunities, rather than challenges. Focus on the positives of the situation – what did you learn? How can you grow? Success isn’t as sweet without failure.
6. Use Goal Visualization
Positive visualization can help you build confidence and create an environment of positivity. When you visualize something positive over and over, you start to believe it’s true. When the success finally arrives, such as getting that raise or promotion, you mentally pat yourself on the back.
Confidence Building with Allison Todd
Confident people aren’t born – they’re made. If you want to build your confidence and put your best self forward, coach Allison Todd can help. Her business coaching programs teach you how to have decisive confidence and make better and more strategic decisions within your business. Contact Allison Todd to learn more about coaching services!
In a world where there seems to be a coach for every career, sport, hobby, and life pursuit, the coaching industry is becoming more and more saturated. It seems like nearly everyone has their own “coaching hustle” as a side pursuit, making it harder and harder to differentiate between the kinds of coaches and what value they claim to bring to the table.
One of the newer kinds of coaching is confidence coaching. While at first glance it may seem cheesy or gimmicky, this kind of coach is someone who could potentially turn your life around and help you establish successful habits in the long term, so it’s nothing to thumb your nose at.
Instead, read on to learn more about what they do and why you may be a good fit for a future coach.
What is Confidence Coaching?
The coaching profession has made a marked increase in popularity and acceptance in recent years. While many people think of coaching as something confined to sports, there are actually many areas of coaching that most people could benefit from, whether in their personal or professional lives.
Though coaching is more varied and expansive, coaching typically falls in these three categories::
Career Coach
A professional coach who is skilled with helping individuals navigate their careers, whether they’re just beginning, stagnating, or transitioning. These coaches may help with career planning, interviewing, resume building, or negotiating to develop strong candidates and employees.
Executive Coach
A professional coach skilled at developing future leaders and influencers. They help clients and teams increase awareness of their brand, set up business goals, and unlock their true potential.
Life Coach
A type of wellness coach who helps individuals assess their present state in life and determine their next best steps to reach their personal goals. They help clients clarify their goals, identify the obstacles that are keeping them from them, and develop a plan to overcome them.
While all three of these kinds of coaches will work with you to help you get back on track professionally or personally, there’s another kind of coach that can benefit people in a variety of circumstances.. Before we dig fully into this kind of coaching, let’s look at the definition of the main focus of their guidance: confidence.
“Confidence: The feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust. The state of feeling certain about the truth of something. A feeling of self-assurance arising from one’s appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities.”
While it may be easy to define the word “confidence,” it’s not always as easy to clarify what it means for an individual or how to attain it. That’s where a confidence coach comes in. And really, how many people could better themselves from partnering with one?
A confidence coach is someone that helps an individual move past their lack of self-esteem, fear, and limiting self-beliefs. They work to help a person overcome their doubt and empower them to trust their own abilities and reach their potential.
Coaches typically accomplish this by finding out what is triggering the person’s insecurity and strategically working with them to identify and overcome it.
What Does a Confidence Coach Do?
While the basic definition and career description likely sound all well and good, you may still be wondering what a confidence coach actually does. This process will vary based on an individual’s background and how deep their client’s insecurities lie.
In general, a confidence coach will work with someone to quiet the voices telling them they’re inadequate and find the freedom to live fully and confidently.
This may be accomplished in one of several ways. Let’s explore the primary methods a confidence coach will help their client move forward.
Finding the Next Best Step
Instead of focusing on the end goal, which may feel insurmountable, a confidence coach may work with their client to decide what the best small (or baby) steps are to avoid becoming overwhelmed. By defining and achieving these small goals, the person will gain confidence every step of the way, and their coach will be there to cheer them along and offer guidance as needed.
Banishing Limiting Beliefs
Oftentimes, a person’s lack of confidence comes from a limiting belief that’s rooted deep in their psyche. A confidence coach can help their client identify and eliminate these beliefs one at a time. The coach may help them challenge assumptions they have by asking them questions that shine a light on the falsehoods plaguing them. Once the truth is revealed, it’s easier for them to move forward and gain confidence along the way.
Some beliefs that confidence coaches often have to work past include:
– I’m not enough to deserve good things in life.
– I’ll never be good enough at my job to get a promotion.
– I’m too stupid or ignorant to express myself to anyone.
– If I show up as my authentic self, I’ll never be accepted or loved.
Cross-Reference Areas of Confidence
This approach can be more abstract, but still quite effective. A coach may take an area in which the client lacks confidence and channel it into an area in which they exude confidence. By doing this, the focus is switched to the aspects of themselves they’re more comfortable with, and the area of doubt can take a backseat.
Characteristics and Skills Needed for a Confidence Coach
While one may think that the biggest qualification for a confidence coach is to be confident, that’s not the most important aspect. Plenty of other characteristics and skills are equally, if not more, essential for a person to possess to have a successful career in this field.
If you’re considering a career as a confidence coach, you should take an honest assessment of yourself to make sure you have most, if not all, of the characteristics and skills needed. Keep in mind that some of these skills can be developed. Read through the following list to see if you have what it takes!
The Ability to Build Rapport
In order for a client to feel comfortable opening up, a coach has to be able to build rapport with them quickly. This means the coach has to be able to put people at ease and make them feel as though they’re in a safe place to open up about their insecurities, which are at the core of confidence coaching.
Realize that your new clients will come in feeling awkward and shy, so this is an important part of your job as a coach. Work with them to find something in common, approach their insecurities with openness and acceptance, and then build your rapport from there.
Patience
As you’re likely aware, coaching isn’t typically something that’s finished after one session. Depending on the client, coaching can often take months or even years to complete.
Because of this, a confidence coach has to bring a healthy dose of patience and perseverance to their practice to stick with a client until they reach their goals. Coaching is not the place to bring judgment or a deadline mentality. It takes time.
Strategic Mindset
In order to navigate the client’s insecurities and deeply rooted triggers, a confidence coach has to have the ability to strategize and plan the steps to overcoming insecurities, addressing setbacks, and gaining confidence.. This plan is crucial to the client’s success and must be achievable and thoughtfully executed.
In addition to having a plan for your client, you also need a plan for your business that you can commit to. Building a brand and client base as a coach takes a lot of drive, determination, and business acumen. It doesn’t happen overnight!
Confidence
While it’s not the only skill needed, it’s definitely a top requirement that confidence coaches have a healthy level of confidence themselves. Whether this is a quality they were born with or something they acquired over time, it has to be understood and present to be taught to others.
With confidence coaching, you can’t just talk the talk – you have to walk the walk. Aside from the fact that you can’t teach confidence if you don’t possess it, being a coach in general and promoting your services takes confidence. Let your clients see the confidence in you that they’re wanting to build in themselves.
Reasons Why People Hire a Confidence Coach
Now that we’ve covered what a confidence coach does and what they need to be successful at it, you may be wondering why a person would need one in the first place. The answer is simple: we’re human. In other words, it’s only normal for a person to go through periods or experiences where they lack confidence in themselves, either personally or professionally.
Confidence is something that can either make or break you, especially in some professions, so hiring a coach to help you find it again is a wise decision that more people should be making.
For example, people may turn to confidence coaches when they’re up for a new promotion at work or they just got promoted/hired and are feeling inadequate.
Other people may come in after going through a divorce and are now questioning their worth or how to move forward. Many clients are finally ready to face a deeply rooted fear and are simply needing the push to conquer it.
Benefits of Working with a Confidence Coach
The main benefit of working with a confidence coach is the most obvious one: you’ll gain confidence like you’ve never had before. What is it in your past or present that is holding you back from going after the goals or desires in your heart and mind? Chances are, a confidence coach can help you recognize what’s holding you back, face your fears, and reach your goals.
Beyond gaining confidence in yourself and your abilities, you can expect to walk away from your time with a confidence coach with one or more of the following benefits:
– You’ll be a better leader, both professionally and personally.
– You’ll become a more courageous member of society as you feel more confident to speak up about the causes you care about and reach out to contacts in your life.
– You’ll be an empowered individual, ready to push past your comfort zone and live life to the fullest.
Becoming a Confidence Coach
If you already have the confidence that others are seeking, perhaps you should consider becoming a confidence coach. The pay scale for Confidence Coaches varies widely from anywhere around $26k to over $200k. Since a degree and certification aren’t required to enter the field, you’ll see that coaches come from all types of backgrounds and offer a variety of services, all at different price points.
While certification isn’t required to be a confidence coach, there are several courses available that may be beneficial for someone looking to start their career in the industry. These classes will walk you through how to handle the typical situations you’ll see as a coach and give you the best practices to have in place for your business.
These courses aren’t required, but they do add a level of credibility and legitimacy to your coaching business and help you learn how to run a successful business.
The best way to ensure that you have a successful career as a confidence coach is to do everything that you can to get favorable word-of-mouth referrals. Since this is a newer field, clients will feel more comfortable hiring you for your services if they get a referral from someone they are personally connected to.
If that person used your services in the past and had positive results, they can expect the same for their own experience. Referrals build confidence in your skills and gets your working relationship off on the right foot.
Calling all Coaches
Today’s world is driven by social media influencers selling a lifestyle that seems unattainable, leading many people to feel insecure and inadequate. People’s confidence in their abilities has taken a major blow, but hiring a confidence coach can be the key to getting it back.
For anyone that has moved past their season of doubt and is now walking confidently and living an empowered life, it may be time for you to share your wisdom.
Almost anyone with confidence and drive can start a career as a confidence coach, but only the ones that have a clear vision for their coaching business and a strategic plan of action will be able to make it in the highly competitive field.
By bringing your own confidence and patience to the table, you’ll be setting yourself (and your clients) up for success. One thing is for sure though – the world needs more confidence. Luckily, there’s a coach for that.
