Can you relate to these short stories?

People ask me about my coaching all the time, and while I talk about working with accomplished women who yearn for change and want to make a big bold move in their lives, it's always the real stories that help people understand what the work is about, and who it helps.

And who doesn’t like stories?

While I could bend your ear for days, check out these (very short) stories.

Three stories about three terrific women

Story #1 | Pricing fears and asking for what your work is worth

Following my Live Big Live! retreat at the start of the month, I began working with a super-talented woman who has done major projects in her field for years. And still, what showed up at the retreat was a money story that many of us are burdened with — and that I related to from years past.

She struggles with how to ask for a fee that she knows is valid, without worry about what the client can afford. On top of that, she has a tendency to skinny her fees down with the hope that she’ll have a better chance to get the project. She allows fear to influence her pricing. That does’t feel good and it doesn’t serve her.

After just one private coaching session, where we worked on a proposal that is due soon, we not only focused on clearly right-pricing the work, but on presenting the scope in a brief but compelling way that felt great to her. And she included a fee that she knows in her heart is fair for what the project will entail and what she deserves to earn.

I love to support clients to make mindset shifts and also bring my business expertise into the work.

Is her mindset challenge “fixed” now? There will be more work to do to address the money stories and scarcity mindset that has challenged her for years, but we have made a big start.

Story #2 | Building a distinctive personal brand

Another client I am working with now is a rock-star in her field. Yet she competes with many other professionals who do the same type of work she does. In a networking program with many other similar experts she has struggled to differentiate herself and garner lots of referrals.

An additional challenge for her is showing up in big virtual meetings so that she looks great, feels confident and is consistemtly recognized.

Once again, my business and marketing background is coming into the work we are doing. We have moved through a process of getting super-clear about all that her work encompasses, how she does it, and identifying her best clients and the aspects of her work she most desires. We then honed a message that is short, distinctive, memorable, and easy for her to deliver. She now speaks it with delight, allowing her true personality and energy to shine.

We are also working on choosing the best place in her home environment for her to attend on-line meetings, so that she shows up well on-screen, even in a very small block. We’re selecting the clothes that work best on-screen and talking about hair, makeup, headsets and lighting so that she will connect to others with maximum impact.

It is a delight to watch this process unfold, and a delight to see the pleasure she is taking, step-by-step.

Story #3 | Refocusing and relaunching after a career pause

A newer client had taken time away from an impressive high-profile media career to focus on family matters (including divorce and a range of health issues), compounded by the impact of COVID. She is now ready to step back into her power and focus on her career again.

She realized that what she had done in the past is no longer a fit with her current life — as a parent, living in a new part of the country, and now seeing things with new perspective. The challenge has been finding a new, clear focus and creating a vision that is fueled by her clarified insights about her purpose. She also needs to choose a path that feels doable.

She is already well on her way. She is excited to be taking a deep dive into learning and she clearly envisions doing this new work. It will have a tremendous impact on a population she deeply wants to enlighten, and will support her to live the life she wants for herself and her child.

What story are you ready to make real?

All of us are on a path as we live each day. What do you envision as you move along your path?

We can all create the next chapter in our lives — whether it entails a big leap into something new or refining and optimizing the path you are on now.

What are you ready to step into, or up to, now?

I invite you to schedule Live Big Breakthrough Call with me to share what it is that you feel ready for.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.