As you might know, I recently created a business model where I took on clients who are only paying me 15% of the revenue they generate during our work together, and I recruited 5 other coaches to do the same so that we can create case studies to see if this model is a long-term sustainable model within the coaching industry. I had 76+ women apply and 35+ finish the 3-part application process.
Now, I’m breaking down lessons that I learned from #alituppartnership so that you can apply them to your business!
Anytime we do something in our business, especially something new, it’s so important to look back at what worked, what didn’t, and what lessons were learned, and apply that moving forward.
Lesson #1: Confidence is incredibly important to creating a successful business. Both for me, and for you.
Meaning, I created a new business model not being used in the coaching industry. I had no idea if people would be interested, if it would ruffle a ton of feathers, or if people would participate in a long application process…. AND a host of other things I won’t get into 😉
I had to have RELENTLESS confidence in my ability to pull it off, my willingness to put myself out there, my ability to shake off the naysayers, and my ability to get people results.
If I didn’t have that… A Lit Up Partnership would have never happened. And that’s why too many AMAZING ideas don’t happen unfortunately.
Additionally, I saw that need for relentless confidence in many of the applications. There was no one whose business idea was AWFUL or who couldn’t make their business work. What there was more of was entrepreneurs who didn’t fully believe in THEIR ability to make it work.
I don’t say this to make you feel bad because it’s a COMPLETELY normal part of life and entrepreneurship. I say this to remind you that what is missing isn’t always one great strategy.
What is often missing is the foundational mindset COMBINED with the strategy, which is why I truly believe the model to success looks like:
mindset –> strategy –> execution
Confidence and a belief in oneself and abilities is crucial for being innovative, for bringing new ideas to life, for starting a business, and for making it successful. Strategy from there is also key, but step 1 is the belief 🙂
Lesson #2: Commitment is transformational to your business, and if you’re having trouble creating that commitment on your own create an environment or experience that cultivates it.
Meaning, some of the women in the partnership committed to their business in a big way BECAUSE of the partnership opportunity, but the partnership wasn’t what was most important. What was important was that they got committed.
Showing your commitment, not just to your business, but to yourself is a total game changer.
It calls you to show up in a bigger way, a more consistent way, and more results oriented way.
Someone said to me after the process, “This is the first thing I’ve committed to and completed since I started my business”. The thing that was so transformational about that for her was that she started to TRUST herself again.
She started to see that if she committed to something she could trust herself to see it through. This self-trust and ability to see a commitment through is so vital as an entrepreneur.
If you’re in a position where you’re currently having trouble committing, ask yourself… what can you use to up your commitment level? A coach? An accountability buddy? A contest? A 90 day goal?
The “what” isn’t so important as long as the commitment and opportunity to increase your trust in yourself is there!
Saying a commitment to yourself and a commitment to your business is key. Yes, commitment creates results, but it also creates trust in yourself, which is priceless.
Lesson #3: Innovation is necessary as an entrepreneur.
If you know me, you know that innovation is something I value VERY highly. What this partnership reinforced for me in a big way is how necessary it is as entrepreneur.
By providing an innovative model for the coaching industry I saw in a BIG way how many people WANT coaching, how many people are willing to PAY for coaching, and how taking down entry barriers can create a win-win all around.
Yet, the issue is that there are too many “cookie cutter” systems telling us that there’s one way to run a business that we put on our blinders to other ways to do it, so we put our innovation to the side.
Imagine creating an innovative way to do business for your customers… what could that look like if you silenced the noise and listened to your gut?
A lot of people have asked me how I even thought of the partnership idea, and the truth is it isn’t exactly revolutionary. I was taking a bubble bath, thinking about how there were things happening in this industry that I didn’t love, and it came to me out of nowhere. Why? Because I LET myself go within. I stopped listening to all the noise and decided I wanted to create my own noise.
During my time getting my MBA I case studied nearly 100 different businesses and what I learned is that the most successful businesses spend their time trying be one step ahead, to innovate, and to be unique. Not trying to figure out how to be more like everyone else in their industry. So let’s do the same. Let’s create our own unique systems and models that draw the right clients to us.
Shut out the noise and be willing to ALLOW yourself the space to innovate.