Recently I’ve been hearing from quite a few people who are in our core programs who have been in business for some time, 5 years, 9 years, 14 years, 20 years, who have been facing really significant business challenges.
For some, their business had been successful, then it dried up. For others, the business was never really successful. Maddening, frustrating… painful.
They asked me, “What do I do, Mark? With the frustration? With the business?”
Admiral Stockade and his Pair of Docks
Have you heard of the Stockdale Paradox? I first heard about it in Good to Great by Jim Collins. You can read a synopsis here, and I highly recommend the entire book.
Briefly, the paradox is that those who make it through longer term challenges hold the paradox of two realities: (1) that they *will* make it through and (2) that it’s not happening today, or tomorrow, next week, or even next month.
My spiritual teacher says that hope is a medicine for the human heart, and the dangling of hope and revoking of it repeatedly can be very, very damaging. This happens when you think, “Oh, *this* will finally make the difference, and next month I’ll be in a happy place.” Then it doesn’t come through and your hopes are dashed. Then you repeat the cycle, “This time it will work, and next month I’ll be in a happy place.”
Over and over again, and soon the heart is weary, worn down.
Cycling through business learning
Building a business takes time, repeatedly going through these cycles:
1. Learning something new about your business.
2. Attempting to implement it.
3. In implementing it, integrating it into your being.
4. Tweaking what you’ve done so it is more in alignment with who you are and still adhering to the principles that make it work.
5. Rinse. Repeat.
For instance: in Foundations2: Expand Your Reach we teach people how to create compelling content. We use a template which walks them through how to use the 5 elements of powerful content to teach the principles. It works, and participants tend to be super happy with the wonderful, powerful content they create.
Yet, of course, that template doesn’t always match how they naturally best express themselves. So after working with the template for awhile, they begin to break out, creating content that feels more like who they are. Thankfully, by that point they’ve integrated the principles and the template becomes less important.
I’ve observed that it takes anywhere from 18 months to 3 years of steady focus to integrate all that’s needed to move through the stages of business development, from Creation, through Concentration, into Momentum. It’s not a six week or 3 month thing.
I’m realizing in writing this it might sound overwhelming. Yet, truly working on your business can be fun and nourishing, especially when you see it start to work!
What isn’t so fun is working on it in bits and pieces, and not really see it come together, despite the effort you have made. That is frustrating, and that’s what can wear your heart down.
We had a client recently who reported she had her first six figure year ever. And no, she’s not a business coach. 😉 She’s an acupuncturist. Pretty amazing! But it took her 3 years or so to get there, from $30K to $50K to $70K to $100K. Which is pretty quick, and yet it’s not the hype of “six months to six figures!”
What I’m Asking of You
This year, at the beginning of 2015, I encourage you to adopt the long game with your business. Accept that there are going to be ups and downs, but by focusing steadily on business development you can be in a really different place by 2016?
You won’t experience the change as an all-of-a-sudden thing. But more like you are steadily walking a path, and then, suddenly, there’s a clearing and you can see how high up you are. The suddenness of the vision belies the process that it took to get there: step by step by step.
What’s your experience with developing your business? Let’s talk about it in the comments below!
P.S. Dana’s Story
Some of the most gratifying learning is at the beginning of the cycle, where you learn how to say what you do in a compelling way and people actually respond!
Or how to talk to someone who is interested, and learn how to handle the conversation so it’s stress-free, comfortable and the right people say yes and pay you! And suddenly you have a good handful of clients… SO fun!
Whether you are brand new in business or have been in it for awhile but still struggle with getting clients in the door, our first-stage program Foundations1: Clients and Money is probably exactly what you need. Priced to meet the budget of someone in this situation, it’s in-depth and really effective. And fun!
Here’s what Dana, a current participant, wrote to Steve Mattus, our Director of Education and one of our practitioners:
“Hey Steve–Wishes for a happy, peaceful new year!
“Yes, I’ve enrolled new clients thanks to Foundations1: Clients and Money. Most importantly, I’ve enrolled new clients who are also my “ideal clients” for packages I designed as a direct result of the Sacred Selling course [within Foundations1].
“Also, since I decided to specialize in what I really love after the first part of Foundations1, I’ve been invited to do a podcast interview in the new year for a top website/company in my “diet area” (paleo-primal eating) and have also been invited to write regular blogs for Thrive Market (a new online food source that’s being promoted like crazy in “paleo-primal” circles…and which agreed to link to our clinic site when I write for them). I accepted both offers (despite being terrified of the podcast interview). I’ve also acquired a new and growing following on our clinic FB page comprised of people interested in weight, diet and digestion–and what I cook each Sunday.
“Things are moving very fast (almost feels too fast), and I credit this to Foundations1: Clients and Money work. Thanks, from my Heart, to all of you for all that you do, Dana Leigh Lyons”
It’s so gratifying to read stories like this. So, two invitations here.
First, if you’re ready to integrate the pieces Dana did above then jump in to Foundations1: Clients and Money to start in February. Come along with us!
Click here: Foundations1: Clients and Money
Second invitation, if you’re ready for some guidance as to what your business most needs next, whether it’s Foundations1, Foundations2 or individual coaching, or something else entirely, fill out a Readiness Assessment:
Click here: Readiness Assessment
And if you have any questions, please ask!
With big appreciation,
Mark
1 Response
With so many more people trying their hand at entrepreneurship, there are a lot more people hitting “the dip” as Seth Godin calls it. So many potential clients I’ve talked with think that just hanging up the shingle is enough to become successful in business. And a LOT of coaches and trainers keep developing “short game” courses which conditions people to look for short term success and NOT play the long game at all… or even think about it. Thanks for the great reminder that real success is about being focused on the long game!