Investing in a Business Coach or Professional Organizer

In an interview, I was asked how do I help people see the value in investing in personal productivity?

My response was that I learned to be very focused on what I am truly passionate about and to concentrate on the outcome and the completion of what it takes for individual personal productivity. Like my clients, I strive to not get distracted by the shiny objects. Just as I coach my clients, I avoid the peripheral “things,” the “maybe we should look at that too or look at this.” I focus on the simplified methodology for the issues they are dealing with, and that is really where I am the most successful.

I have clients who ask me to do things that are off my radar screen and although I may have a good experience, professional or personal, it’s really not in the mainstream of my core competencies. In those instances, I’ve learned that I have to say no and work with my wonderful network of colleagues from mastermind groups, The National Speaker’s Association, and other associations. I find other professionals and recommend my clients to those individuals and let it go. That’s where I feel I can be most of service, and I really learn from that. It doesn’t have to be all about me; it’s really all about the client.

People sometimes feel ashamed of where they are, and they are embarrassed to say that they need help. Oftentimes, they think they should have figured it out by now. At other times, they believe that someone in their organization, who already shares in their pain and knows the challenges, will be able to fix things. They consider using someone from the inside rather than bringing in an outsider. The issue with using insiders is that they may be enmeshed in the problem themselves and lack a sense of objectivity. Having an outsider, such as me, come in and take a look offers the organization that objective, non-judgmental, bird’s eye view. I am there to assess and analyze the problem, identify the root causes, and offer solutions that, once implemented, will result in consistent, positive, and efficient outcomes.

I always like to remind people that they're in business because they wanted to do something they care deeply about. Maybe they run an international nonprofit organization or want to be a physician heading up a healthcare company. That’s what their passion is, and my passion has always been analyzing methodologies to help people be more efficient. I’ve worked with so many different people through different industries—entrepreneurial to large organizations—that I can make more expedient decisions and not just set up little packages of quick fixes or band aid containers for how things should look. I can really give them systems that are repeatable and transferable to other people. Once those systems are in place, they will be there for the long haul. Their investment in me and my services is really a significant and worthwhile value to them and their organization.