Psst... I'm ready to share some of what's going on with my SSP. Or at least, I want to make it less of a secret. May I have a drum-roll, please? Merci.
After a lot of thought and consideration, I've come to the decision that I don't want to be in the business of writing. That's not to say I'm not still focusing on being a writer -- being a writer is not what I "do", it's part of who I AM -- but rather to say that I no longer wish to have a business where I get paid to do ghostwriting, editing or copywriting for other people. I'm ready to put my writing energy into doing work solely under my own name.
What that means, specifically, is that I am finishing up some existing commitments to clients with whom I've been working on various writing projects. A commitment is a commitment, and I'm honored that they have chosen to work with me to help them complete their books. I'll stick with those clients until we're done and will be proud of the work we've created together. Yet I've always known that ghostwriting and editing other people's books and articles was a temp gig at best; in my heart of hearts, it has long been my dream to do my own writing, whether that writing involves articles or books. However, in order to have the time and resources to develop my primary calling to write, I need to make some major shifts in my business model.
And the time to do that is now.
Which brings me to the second part of my SSP. Did you happen to notice that I said, just above, that I have a "primary" calling? Which sort of implies that there's more than ONE? (Did you know you're allowed to have more than one calling in life?) Because there IS something else I really love doing, in addition to writing, and that is inspiring and guiding other people to create extraordinary, amazing, fulfilling, bold lives.
Just as I've always been a writer at heart, I've also always been someone who gets a lot of her energy from hanging out with incredibly motivated and talented people, and helping them figure out just the right strategy to take all that talent and motivation, and RUN with it. I get very jazzed up when I see someone go from living a mundane existence to doing exactly what they really want in life, whatever that might be. I love watching someone take the germ of an idea and develop it into a business that excites them. I like watching them do whatever they're brilliant at, and build on that to create work that also gives them the LIFE and LIFESTYLE they want. And I love helping them figure out how to overcome their old "programming", fears and obstacles to having, doing and being exactly what they want.
So what I love doing, when I'm not writing, is working with these incredibly BOLD souls (you know who you are!) and providing them with the support they need to create the life and business of their dreams. I love working with people who want to be the EXCEPTION, rather than the RULE.
You might call what I do "coaching" (I often do). Or you might call it mentoring or advising or guiding. You could call it sharing expertise, knowledge and information. You could call it having the ability to inspire, catalyze, and motivate others. You could say that I'm a messenger, someone who is simply passing on what has worked for me. You could call me a "straight shooter" and someone who's not afraid to tell the truth as I see it, if I think it will help someone break through their obstacles to success. You could also say that I'm just someone who has made certain bold and empowering choices in my own life, and I'm willing to help other people do the same thing on their own terms.
No matter which of these you'd pick, you'd be right. I do all of those things when I'm working with someone, and often more. And putting modesty aside, I'm damn freaking good at it, too. (When you're genuinely gifted at something and you KNOW it, there's nothing vain about saying so. Out loud. It's not bragging; it's just telling the truth. It is what it is, right? Hint, hint... what are YOU gifted at, but not saying out loud?) One of my star clients recently said to me,
“Lisa, you are a flippin’ brilliant coach. I get more figured out in an hour of talking with you than in months of trying to figure this out on my own. And I love, love, love that you’re pushing me to be bolder and bigger than I had planned. Now THAT gets me excited!”
Now, I've been trained by three coaching programs (one for life coaching, the other two for business and corporate coaching) and have been coaching professionally for more than 12 years, although for the past several years I backed away from coaching to focus more on writing. But it's not the training and credentials that makes me a "flippin' brilliant" coach... what my clients seem to value most about their investment in working with me is my ability to "see" what they can't (because it's always easier to see things when you're on the outside looking in), and to cut to the chase as quickly as possible. It saves them time, energy and aggravation, and they say they accomplish more in far less time, and have more fun in the process.
And if THAT isn't a totally cool way for me to spend some of my time, I don't know what else is.
I've been feeling pulled back to doing more coaching for a long time, but the trouble wasn't with doing the actual client coaching... it was HOW I was doing it when it was my full-time business that I didn't enjoy, and that made me reluctant to go back to coaching as a business. In the past, I didn't have a good business model for being self-employed, and I was putting in a lot of hours with little if any profit to show for it, and that's not a business, it's a HOBBY. So when I started to consider fanning the embers under my coaching practice again, I knew I had to do it differently this time around. I wanted to be able to reach MORE people with LESS effort on my part, and have more fun doing it. I wanted it to be more profitable. And I wanted to be working with people who were up to something AMAZING... I wanted to work with people like me, with other Bold Souls. There's nothing that fires up my own creative, innovative spirit than spending my time with other innovators and visionaries.
The great part of all this is that I have finally figured out how to do all this, how to have the business of my dreams... and STILL have time for writing and my personal life. So my no-longer-secret summer project has been, and continues to be, putting all the pieces in place to re-hang my shingle as coach/mentor/advisor and lifestyle guide, and to do it in a completely new way... one that not only gives me the business I want, but the lifestyle I want, while simultaneously allowing me to reach out to MORE people on a broader scale. AND to focus more time on my own writing, so I can finally get that next book written AT LAST.
What could be better than that? I'm so excited that when I think about it, I have to stop from jumping up and down like a little kid. The best part is... part of this new business model will involve me teaching other people (perhaps even YOU?) to do the same thing I'm doing, if that's what they want to create for themselves. It's not hard, once you know the system and the formula.
The theme for this new business is Living Boldly®, and you'll be hearing a LOT more about it from now on. There are still details to be worked out, things I'll need to complete and communicate in stages over the coming months. I'm creating things so quickly, my head is spinning most of the time! You can stay in the loop AND position yourself to take advantage of special pre-launch discounts on products and programs I'm developing, by subscribing to The Exception™, my FREE newsletter and mailing list for the new business.
So... now you know. The Secret is OUT! Wish me luck, and stay tuned!
