As a coach, I’ve been trained in The Process. When I was getting my certification, I worked with 12 clients under the same format: 12 weekly 45-min sessions. I built the foundation of my business around that, modifying it slightly to include group coaching as well as a week off after every 3rd session. I felt the breathing room was beneficial for the client, as they can get a taste of how it would be like when we stopped working together and we could address those challenges while we were still within the 12 sessions.
I don’t remember when I offered the Singular Sensation package – 1 60-min session followed by a 45-min session within 2 months – but it took some kicking and screaming on my end, I remember that. While I knew that there were people who could benefit from a one-off session – those that had a more cut-and-dry challenge/goal and didn’t need 3-4 months of clarity and support – I couldn’t leave it at that. The 45-min follow-up had to happen because, well, I’m a life coach – and life coaches believe in experimenting, fixing what’s broken, and building on what works. How could we know what the outcome of the homework was unless we actually followed up on it? I sometimes still wanna say, “So that’s it?!” to my Singular Sensation clients at the end of our follow-up session, but I know they walk away enthused, optimistic, clear-headed, decisive and action-oriented. I actually admit I was surprised it “worked”.
My colleagues are proving this, too. Alexandra Franzen‘s one and only single, solitary service? A full-day, $1500 Velocity session where she writes 8-to-10 copywriting pieces for your biz. “How’d you like to catapult through a month’s worth of minty-fresh copywriting, promotional brainstorming, service re-packaging & digital story-shaping … in a single, voltaic day?”, the page starts. While it seems to good to be true, I know she can double her prices and still be on a 6 month waitlist (that’s right, baby – October’s the next open spot) because she not only delivers in spades, but she creates such goodness that she has her clients crying, taking their tops off and proposing to her (although not all at the same time, but it’s still early). Read the rest of this entry »
Ooh, it’s a very new format for Tough (Question) Tuesday! While you’ll still get the stand-alone, straight-to-the-point tough question you’re used to each week, it’ll be accompanied by answers from various peeps in my tribe. I’ll be switching off each week asking the questions to those who’ve followed me on Twitter, fanned me on Facebook, joined my Clubhouse, worked with me for 12 sessions (I call ‘em my When I Grow Up Grads!) and sponsored this here blog! I’m so excited to start this off with my May blog sponsors, amazeballs entrepreneuresses all!
Going into May, I’m totally totally totally focused on Support: the type I’m getting from my family as I prepare to go in for my Fresh Boob surgery (as my husband calls it) on 5/30, the type I’m getting from my Virtual Wizard that’ll force/allow me to delegate and keep the wheels moving in my business as I’m on a 2+ week break (I have a feeling this’ll lead to some really really good long-term effects that wouldn’t have happened otherwise), and the type I’m getting from my friends and my tribe in the form of much love, check-ins, Thinking Of Yous and donations to my team for the Avon walk. It made me ask my blog sponsors:
No, I’m not talking about my soon-to-be Gummy Bear Boobs (which I’ll be receiving on May 30th) when I talk about “soon-to-be shiny & new” – I’m talking about this here blog!
My love of Stacy Stone continues, and I spent 90 minutes of brainstorming awesomeness with her last week all about how I can refresh my blog and newsletter content, providing as much valuable content as I can offer/handle While I don’t wanna give away the farm, I need me some guest posts and wanted to sound the horn!
I wanted to make sure you loverly blog readers o’ mine know all about a goodies-filled promo I’m offerin’ ’til May 1st, where ya sign up for my Clubhouse & get yo’self:
Unveiling Your Uniquity (& How The Heck To Apply It To Your Passionate Career) – get the video recording & 28-page workbook of the 90-minute workshop I conducted earlier this month. You will learn what makes you *you*, without being a slimy salesperson! After watching the workshop, you’ll have concrete action items that you can start applying to your passionate career immediately.
Within 24 business hours of registering, you’ll be directed to answer some quick questions that’ll let me know exactly what you’re struggling with. Once I get those responses back, I’ll email you personallywith a prescription for the perfect exercises to start working on. That way, you can take action in two shakes of a lambs tail (that’s super quick, or so I’m told).
You’ll also have the chance to win a personal 60-min session with yours-truly during the month of May, but even if ya register after 11:59p Eastern on 4/30, then you’ll still get the amazeballs action-oriented, creatively-consistant community and group coaching that’ll lead ya to say:
Have you ever felt stuck and overwhelmed and scared, gone to get advice as to what to do next in your life or career, and…
…it wasn’t the right advice (But the last thing I’d wanna be is a lawyer! Blech!)
…the person who gave it to you had no clue how to relate to a creative person like you? (“I can make a full-time living as a designer, Ma – I know people that can prove it!”)
…it wasn’t aligned with your values and priorities in any way, shape, or form? (I could care less about having stock options!)Read the rest of this entry »
This is part of The Recession is Bullhonkey series, where I share stories of those who have gotten hired and/or started their own businesses (or sometimes both!) since 2008. This is Darlene‘s Story, and she’s sharing not only how she had the chutzpah to leave her full-time job to run her Etsy shop, but how she got 3 (!!!) freelance gigs soon after!
I quit my day job last summer, despite the recession, to run my handmade goth chainmaille jewelry business full-time. My sales weren’t yet covering all my life expenses, but I knew that they never WOULD get to that point as long as I was toiling away 60-plus hours a week at a high-stress job that sucked out all my creativity. I took my “in case I get laid off” fund, repurposed it into my “I’m quitting NOW” fund, and took the plunge. (There’s MUCH more to the story than that, but that’s a different post.)
When Michelle coached me through quitting my job last year, she listened to many fear-fueled rants that went something like: “OMG, mortgage! Bills! Debt! Bag-lady-dom!” She always reminded me that if my sales slowed, I could pick up part-time or freelance work to get me through the dry spell. A job, not a career, that wouldn’t eat up energy better spent on my business. Read the rest of this entry »
Last week, I received over $3300 in donations for my Avon Team in a 48 hour period (!!!).
Every month, I get together with a group of gutsy, smart, funny, sweet, Brooklyn-based creative (aspiring and full-time) entrepreneurs to catch-up, ask questions, exchange resources, and get feedback on our ideas and offerings.
At least every two months, I have a coaching or consulting call to talk about my business goals and untangle what’s in my head and get my action steps down on paper (yes, life coaches have life coaches too!). Read the rest of this entry »
Last May, I appeared on The Career Clinic with Maureen Anderson, a national live radio show that’s also distributed as a podcast. When Maureen heard about all the boobs*** I’ve been going to, she sweetly and gingerly asked me if I’d want to talk about it back on her show. Of course, me being the open book that I am, I responded emphatically with a great big, “Of course!”
Click here to listen to my 39 minutes on managing a health crisis, and feel free to download it to listen on-the-go. I really open up here as to:
why I decided to tell The World about my boob cancer (and how my ukulele ditty came to be)
how I’m remaining in control (work-wise and personally)
what I do to keep my spirits up as best as I can
my prescription for getting better (medically and otherwise)
what happens when you make yourself vulnerable
how my 2012 plans have really changed (and the disappointment that has come with it)
why I still consider myself a very lucky lady despite all the cancer stuff
While I’m not necessarily planning on keeping up with a video in my I Quit My Day Job series now that I’m past the 2 yr mark (it still knocks me over!), I felt call to make one today (today being Monday the 16th. Yes, I’m a scheduler – especially this week!). I was, however, called to do a video right now because (a) I know you might be worried about me & wanna show you how OK I am and (b) it sounds delusional, but when I record a video for you guys it’s like I see you and can talk to you, and I really wanted to see you/talk to you right now. Awwwww/don’t cart me off to the loony bin.
Oh! And it’s worth noting that I recorded this on Monday night. I’m probably sitting on the couch watching as much of Friday Night Lights as I can handle, so while I’m probably not feeling as good as I come off here, I don’t think I’m doing too bad neither.
So, click below to find out:
what my upcoming surgery means to my business (it’ll be mid-May, although I don’t have exact dates yet)
what my husband tells me I’m not
my mantra for the next month
who’s gonna help me
what I’m looking to learn (yes, there’s still stuff to learn, alwaysalwaysalways!) and how I’ve already been tackling it with some A+ help
Wanna be a sponsor? Shoot me an email at michelle@whenigrowupcoach.com and I'll shoot ya the info! Figuratively, of course.
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Basically, what this means is that everything I write is my own property (duh), but you can use it on your blog or in your newsletter or as skywriting as long as you don't change nothin' & you add the following : "Michelle Ward, aka The When I Grow Up Coach, helps creative people devise the career they think they can't have - or discover it to begin with! A certified life coach by the International Coach Academy, a musical theater actress with her BFA from NYU/Tisch, and a Corporate America escapee, Michelle has served as an expert source and contributor for such outlets as Newsweek, Forbes, and Psychology Today, as well as leading workshops and seminars at SXSW 2011 and the sold-out Etsy Success Symposium. She could be found coachin', bloggin' & givin' away free stuff at whenigrowupcoach.com."
While I don’t wanna give away the farm, I need me some guest posts and wanted to sound the horn!
