Success

The Struggle About What To Charge

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In this moment, I can’t actually think of any client I’ve ever worked with that hasn’t at some point wondered or (most likely) agonized over what to charge. And I confess, I certainly have grappled with this many times in the past as well.

The question about where to set your rates brings up a whole slew of internal questions and judgments:

How valuable is my work?

What will people think when they hear my rates?

What are other people in my industry charging?

Will anyone buy from me at all?

Am I undercharging?

Am I overcharging?

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Leading your clients when your personal life takes over

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Joanna and her kids

Last week, while I was leading a group call with nearly 30 women, my parents telephoned me on both my home phone and my cellphone 4 times within about 2 minutes.

I could feel my heart start beating faster as I was coaching. My mother has had MS for 30 years, and there have been many emergencies, hospital visits, and even life-support situations over the years.

A version of me 3 years ago would have tried to ignore her calls until I was done teaching — yet be scared & un-present to my teaching the entire time — because I wouldn’t want to come off as unprofessional.

An even older version of myself would have freaked out completely, told the folks on the call that I needed to reschedule, and then go on to deal with whatever was happening.

Last week, instead, at an appropriate pause in between spotlight coaching moments, I let the women on the call know that my parents had called 4 times and that I was concerned enough to feel I should call back, but that it would only take a moment. I asked everyone on the call to hold for just a minute and quickly called my mom. There was a slight emergency situation, but nothing very serious. I was able to get off the phone in under 90 seconds, return to my clients with full presence, and then take care of the situation at an appropriate time.

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Why I work on some evenings these days…

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Last week was Autumn Equinox which — among other things — is all about the energy of Balance.

During the time of the Equinox, the daytime hours are exactly as long as the night-time hours. The Earth is in a beautiful moment of balance between light and dark, Winter and Summer, inner and outer energy.

So this is a wonderful moment to reflect upon how you are creating balance in your life and in your business.

Balance is one of the most important elements of any successful and happy business. And when things aren’t in balance, you feel off, resentful and most likely are not creating what you want. For example:

–Working so much that you don’t have enough time for rest, self-care, family or the other priorities in your life
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Some vulnerability about my business…

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I recently posted this on Facebook, and it received such an overwhelming response that it felt important to share with you as well. It’s a short article, but a VERY important one!

The last 15 months with a baby and a 1st grader and a business and a sick mom who lives far away and…well, just life and all that comes with it…has been really hard at times.

In terms of business, there has been massive, massive growth on some levels, and on other levels I’m moving way slower than ever before. I thought my re-brand would be done and ready to go by last January. Ha! I’m hoping now for end of September. I thought my Sacred Archetype Assessment would have been ready by last December. I released it in July. I had plans for writing my book and creating some really, really huge marketing moments this last Spring. That hasn’t fully happened yet.

I’m sharing this for a couple of reasons:

1) I could have easily beaten myself up through all of this, judged myself for being lazy or too slow, compared myself to others, etc. But instead I chose to honor my pace, to honor that my business is NOT my first priority in life, to honor that I choose to make time for my children FIRST, and for my business to fit in with my life and not the other way around.

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Too Many Coaches In The Industry? (My Feminist Rant!)

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There are a lot of coaches out there.

And most of them are women.

When I first started noticing this about 6 years ago, I got a little down on it.

“This is the newest, latest fad…How many coaches does the world really need?…Everyone is copying everyone else…It’s a big Ponzi scheme…a coaching fishbowl…and there’s not going to be enough business because the market is so saturated…”. On and on my thoughts would go.

I was judgmental of other women who were coaching, and I was judgmental of myself, too.

Luckily, I realized that all the judgment was my fear speaking to me, and the more I meditated on why there were so many coaches — particularly women coaches — rising up, it became so clear to me:

For centuries, women were considered the priestesses, the sacred holders of wisdom and of connection to the Divine, the leaders, those who passed the wisdom down from generation to generation. Women would gather together in circles and teach the young maidens how to value themselves and how to honor their bodies. They would know deep in their hearts that they were connected to Spirit and that their lives had purpose. They understood that their purpose was to help make their families and communities a better place.

Through patriarchy, these rich traditions, rituals and Truths got lost.

And for centuries, women’s wisdom and empowerment fell behind the veils. We didn’t lose it, but we just weren’t able to flaunt it, let alone always recognize it.

Thankfully, we’re now living in a time where women are beginning to honor themselves in more ways again. We’re living in a time — at least in some parts of the world — where more and more people are coming to understand how vital the Feminine is to the sustainability of the planet, and how important it is to support women leaders in rising up to have their wise voices heard.

It’s a slow process, but the wave toward holding women and the feminine sacred again is happening.

The coaching industry is 100% a reflection of this wave of feminine empowerment and leadership.

The coaching industry is a place where women’s wisdom in business, health, leadership, relationships and beyond can come forward fully. And it’s a place where one can break free of patriarchal “facts”, traditional ways of doing things, systems, and habits, a place where deeper wisdom can be transmitted and learned.

I see coaches as modern day Priestesses — each woman bringing her own unique brilliance, history, experience and talents to her business and community, each woman tending the sacred flames of motivation and inspiration to pass on to others, each woman teaching NOT from a textbook or set of rules, but from her own experience and intuition and guidance and inner knowing.

In so many ways, the coaching industry has helped us return to ways women helped other women become their most sacred selves in Matriarchal culture: through a network of mentors — with and without “degrees” — who are passing down wisdom and knowledge and deep internal learning person by person by person.

I am so proud to be a leader in this movement.

And all of this is why it is so incredibly important that those of us who are in the coaching industry remain conscious and honor the sacred environment for women, women’s empowerment, and the healing of the world that has been collectively created.

That means we must be careful that the coaching industry does not fall into the traps of traditional Patriarchy.

Instead of jealousy or anxiety about all the coaches out there, may we keep in our hearts every moment of every day that the MORE of us who operate in integrity and from our hearts, the more a reflection it is on the ways women’s wisdom is gaining credibility and respect in the world.

May we be excited that this is an environment where we can bring ALL of ourselves to the table.

May we be uplifted by the fact that we are part of a wave, a tide, a turning, that is way bigger than any one of us individually.

May we rest peacefully with the knowing that there is an entire network, a massive sisterhood of like-minded women who are working with us to heal the world.

With love,
Joanna

How Motherhood Has Revolutionized My Business

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Last week, Yael turned one year old, and I spent a few days reflecting on how motherhood has changed me, supported my evolution…and totally revolutionized my business.

When I first became pregnant with Penina 7 years ago, my business had just begun to take off, and I was scared that having a baby and becoming a mother would stop me in my tracks. I was scared the business would just not be there after my maternity leave. Alternately, I was worried that if I did retain the business, I’d be working even crazier hours than the already crazy 60-hour workweeks I was working, because I’d be taking care of a baby in between!

Looking back, I have to chuckle at myself, because Motherhood has actually helped me grow my business exponentially and become a much more sane entrepreneur.

I meet and coach a lot of women who are pregnant or contemplating becoming pregnant and hold the same fears and anxieties about it all that I did. I’m always so excited to have the conversation with these women, because there is so much amazing-ness that can happen for your business when you step into motherhood.

Here are some of the ways Motherhood revolutionized my Business –

  1. I have much better boundaries: Having children made it necessary for me to cut back on work, finish at a reasonable time, put technology away when I’m parenting, and stop working every day of the week. Better boundaries have resulted in doing my work more efficiently, letting go of tasks that don’t actually need to get done, and having more time leftover for myself and my family.

  2. I am much more clear on my priorities: Becoming a Mother put so much into perspective for me. While my career and sacred work are still super-important and meaningful to me, being with my children helps me remember that family, friends, and time for self are usually highest on my list. This allows me to work just the right amount for me, enjoy more of my life…and most importantly, not feel tension around it all.

  3. I am more confident and intuitive than I’ve ever been before: The process of stepping into motherhood was very complex for me. At first, it was really hard. In all honesty, I was a sleep-deprived mess, and I started doubting myself and my decisions left and right – did I feed the baby the right way? Did I use the word “no” when I shouldn’t have? Was it ok for the baby to nap at that time? Not to mention there are so many opinions out there on the “right” way to mother – all of the information was scaring me and putting me into a tizzy!

    I got to a place of such deep anxiety that I realized it was time to listen to myself in a new way, and to learn the next level of self-trust so that I could feel good about my parenting decisions and also act from a place of intuition instead of fear. This deeper sense of confidence and intuition has completely made its way into my business, so that I make better decisions, feel more at ease, don’t waste energy doubting myself, and show up even better for my clients.

  4. My mission has deepened and I am more passionate: Something about becoming a mother has made me more passionate about everything that’s important to me. I’m no scientist, but I do feel my hormones  – and almost my DNA – got re-arranged by the whole experience. Nonetheless, along with now crying at silly cereal commercials, I also feel even more strongly about my mission and my sacred message and the ways that I was put on this planet to help others. I also think to become a mother, my heart had to get bigger. And all the care and love that I pour toward my children now spills over into the ways I take care of my clients and the sincerity of my desire to help heal others in the world. With this deeper mission and passion, my teaching is stronger, my marketing is more effective, I am more magnetic, and I feel more energized.

  5. Self-care has become tantamount: In the first few years with Penina, all the nursing and sleepless nights highlighted my tendencies toward not taking great care of myself, overworking and overstressing. (She was a colicky baby and toddler who almost never slept and nursed 24-7). Luckily, I chose to learn the lesson after that first year or two around how vital self-care is – not just for myself, but so that I’m fully present and happy for my daughters…and also to model for my daughters how to be a woman who takes good care of herself.

    Learning how to take care of myself has revolutionized my business, because the better care I take of myself, the less I am a slave to my business and the more I’ve been able to put better and better systems in place. It’s also taught me how to receive support in a much deeper way, and as a result, I’m proud to say I have what I consider to be the BEST team in the coaching industry.

  6. Limiting family stories have washed away: Becoming a mother to my own children, for me, has meant that I’ve developed even more into my own woman, consciously separate from my own parents, and have been able to put down lots of old family stories and beliefs. For example, I no longer buy into the hold of my family of origin’s Money Story, which is deeply embedded in a narrative of lack, scarcity and the need to overwork. I’ve also been able to put down (mostly) a particularly persistent story about how our family members are perpetual Victims in life. Being able to release the old Scarcity and Victimhood stories has allowed me to earn a greater income than I ever thought would be possible for myself, and create satisfying success and happiness in so many areas.

So, whether you’re a mother or not, or becoming a mother or not, the bottom line is this: embrace all of the life events that come your way. They are given to you to not only become more of who you’re meant to be, but to strengthen your business in one way or another…if you let them!

With love,
Joanna

Freedom

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I’m out of the office this week, spending the Jewish holiday of Passover with my family.

Passover is based on the ancient story of the Jewish slaves in Egypt who created freedom from bondage. Similar to Easter and other holidays this time of year, Passover represents the energy of Spring — the energy of renewal and rebirth, of cleaning out the cobwebs of Winter, and particularly the importance of creating freedom in your life (& business).

I use the holiday as a sacred yearly reminder to take stock of where I’m feeling in bondage and to do some “Spring Cleaning” so that I can feel lighter, more open, and more free and abundant in all areas of my life and business.

It’s such an important ritual because no matter who you are or how successful your business is, things can get heavy, stifling and congested if they go unchecked.

Here’s what bondage might look like for you right now:

  • Holding on to certain clients who upset you are and such a mismatch that you hate working with them
  • Having a schedule that is so busy you don’t feel you have enough breathing room
  • Feeling stuck with a team member who sucks your energy instead of supports you
  • Feeling intense pressure to show up on Facebook every single day
  • Teaching or coaching on something that isn’t really in your brilliance or excites you, but you have a reputation for it so you continue on
  • Being tied to a certain office or work space that is no longer aligned for you
  • Feeling repressed in your mind — frequently feeling anxious, scared or resentful in your business.

Here’s how bondage often shows up for me. I am prone to making things feel more crowded and heavy than they need to be. Why? Because, for as much as I don’t want to feel “busy”, I love to feel busy. I love the feeling that there’s a lot of action happening in my business, that I serve lots and lots of clients and community members, that I get to support a lot of team members, that I’ve got lots of JV partners, that a ton is going on for me in Facebook. In my personal life, I also like to feel like I have a lot of friends, we have a lot of social plans, we’re doing a ton of cultural, educational and spiritual/nature things with the kids, etc.

These desires are in direct tension with my desire for peace, simplicity, and space.

Here’s what I’ve come to observe about myself and many others, no matter what your brand of bondage is. For all that we say we want freedom, there is a strange addiction to bondage.

I’m not talking S & M here. ☺

There is, often times, more of a comfort with feeling cramped and stifled than with feeling open and spacious. It’s almost as if somewhere along the line we were taught that it’s safer to feel over-worked, over-scheduled, over-tired, over-worried. That this is the way to keep things together, to keep things running smoothly, to ensure that all is effective and well. That allowing yourself to experience freedom and spaciousness could result in laziness, ineffectiveness, and everything basically falling apart.

And because of this, we tell ourselves that we can’t let go of unsavory clients, or that we need to keep very busy schedules, or that we need to send a newsletter each and every week.

But of course, that is simply not true.
It’s just one of the ways we keep ourselves stuck.
And it’s a way to avoid one of the things you want most: spaciousness.
Because sometimes it’s harder to take in goodness and good feelings than it is to feel stifled.

So, this Spring, how do you want to feel?
Do you want to feel in bondage?
Or do you want to feel free?

You get to choose!

With love,
Joanna

An Ode To Coaching (& To You)

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Being a coach, teacher, artist, speaker, healer or trainer is challenging.

It asks you to be fully vulnerable while YOU become your product.

It asks you to market yourself and all of your brilliance, talents, skills, experiences, knowledge.

It asks you to take the risk of guiding others when you don’t have a crystal ball and don’t for sure know any outcomes.

It asks you to show up in your expertise, relying mostly on yourself, because even though you can get certified as a coach, you can’t get a PhD in it.

It asks you to trust your expertise, even when you know you aren’t perfect.

It asks you to be seen.

It asks you to keep on going, even when there are the inevitable folks who don’t resonate with you or even like you.

It asks you to create boundaries so that you don’t over-give or take over-responsibility.

It asks you to continue loving yourself even when not every client achieves the goals they want.

And yet, for all these challenges, I love this profession.

I love it with my heart and soul, because it’s enabled me to activate my brilliances and use them to support others.

I love this profession, because it’s helped me be part of healing the world.

I love this profession, because it’s enabled me to trust myself and my intuition.

I love this profession, because it’s showed me how to break free of limited thinking.

I love this profession, because it’s forced me to learn to love myself more and more every day.

And I love this profession, because I feel so alive when I am serving and supporting my beloved clients.

Coaching, teaching and healing are not for the meek or the faint-hearted. There is risk, especially for those of us that are breaking boundaries and leading our clients to deep, sacred places.

But it is oh, so worth it.

I honor every person who dares to step into this beautiful, exalting, messy, risky life’s work.

You are inspiring.

You are brave.

Don’t ever give up your Sacred Work — not because of criticism, not because of rejection, not because of fear.

The more you own it, the more you grow your business, the more you will grow your Sacred Self.

(And of course it would be my honor to help you attract more clients for your Sacred Work – just let me know and we’ll set a time to speak). You can apply here.

With love,
Joanna

The First Thing I Always Do To Fill An Offering

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There are lots of awesome marketing avenues out there, and I put a number of them to practice in my business regularly.

But the truth is that before I employ any of the fancy marketing strategies — everything from Facebook ads to Joint Venture partnerships to even newsletter campaigns and launches — there is one thing I ALWAYS do FIRST.

And this one thing is absolute gold, because it is often, by far, much more powerful than all of the other marketing avenues combined.

In fact, this one little marketing strategy has helped me fill entire group coaching programs and masterminds with 25 women and more in it. (And it has helped my clients do amazing things, too!).

One thing that’s super important to me is that I keep my marketing and my marketing plans as simple as possible — my theory is that if I can spend less time and energy, that’s the route I want.

So what’s my simple, super-effective marketing avenue?

Individual Outreach.

Yes, it really is that simple. If you want to fill your offerings, the first place you want to start is by getting in touch with the people you know to see if they would like to step into your offering.

Why is this so effective?

Because the people that know you and love your work will always be quickest to invest in your services.

Now, you want to make sure you do individual outreach correctly (because if you do it the wrong way, it can backfire on you, and you’ll miss out on a chance to bring a highly aligned client in), and here are some of my tried and true tips for effective and easy Individual Outreach:

  1. Reach out to folks who you sense would be a really great fit for your offering.

    Doing individual outreach doesn’t mean reaching out to everyone, but it does mean having the courage to reach out to those folks you know — past clients, current clients ready to step into something new, prospects that have been hanging around, and anyone you met networking — and letting them know you’ve got a special opportunity you think they might be interested in. Don’t be scared to do this – if you reach out correctly, you won’t come off as pushy or aggressive. You’ll be thanked for being so thoughtful and likely end up with a new client.

  2. Keep the outreach individual and personalized (but use a template).

    The secret sauce that makes individual outreach so effective is that it’s personalized — and when your prospect receives the note you send them or your phone call, they know they aren’t “just another prospect”, but that you’ve really considered what would be best for them. Being thoughtful in this way goes a very long way.

    Don’t be tempted to send out a group email — as best you can, keep these outreaches on a 1-on-1 basis.

    Just because they are individualized doesn’t mean you can’t use an overarching template, and I highly recommend you do. Or else you’ll get tired pretty quickly!

  3. Throw out any market-y language and be personable, warm, and real.

    Along the same lines as keeping your outreach note personalized, you also want to keep your languaging real. Steer clear of anything that sounds market-y and instead, speak from your heart as you share your opportunity with your prospect.

  4. Just because you’re being personable doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stand in your brilliance (including speaking about results and who the offering is for).

    Speaking from your heart can (& should!) absolutely include standing in your brilliance, sharing why your offering is going to be incredibly powerful and valuable, and deeply speaking to all that you’re offering. Don’t hold back on sharing the magnitude of the work out of fear.

  5. Tell your prospect why you specifically think she would be a great fit.

    This is so important and one of the reasons individual outreach is so powerful: you get to share with your prospect why you’re reaching out to him or her specifically, and you want to be very clear on why you sense your offering can really help them create the results they want. Use your knowledge of this person, where they struggle and what they really want for themselves, to articulate why they would be a great fit.

  6. Invite your prospect into a conversation with you.

    Don’t skip this part — it makes all the difference. After you describe your opportunity and share why you sense it would be a great fit for your prospect, don’t just leave it hanging. The next step is to connect for a conversation to explore more deeply how you can serve them. Don’t assume that your prospect will suggest this. It’s your responsibility to make this invitation to them.

So, if you haven’t been doing individual outreach to fill your offerings, I HIGHLY recommend that you start right away.

If you would like to learn about other ways you can fill your private practice, mastermind or group programs, get in touch right away. We’ll do a complimentary assessment of your business along with personalized strategies that will help you build your business and reach your goals. You can apply here for this 1-on-1 conversation.

With love,
Joanna

Outstanding Client Care (Part 1)

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I take pride in the fact that my business has what I think is the best Client Care and Customer Service in the coaching industry.

Outstanding Client Care is one of the reasons I have so many long-term return clients and also a huge inpouring of referrals from clients (Client Care is only second to the biggest reason for all this: the amazing results I help my clients achieve).

One thing I learned early on in my business is that Client Care can make or break you.

You want to be OUTSTANDING all of the time. Here’s why: when clients feel taken care of and seen, they feel more connected to you. And when they feel more connected to you, they manifest better results and also want to continue to connect and work with you.

Here is Part 1 of some of the most important keys to creating a High-Level Client Care Experience for everyone who walks through your doors:

1. Be Crystal Clear on all Expectations at the Start

The absolute best start to a client relationship is for you to be 100% clear on what the deliverables are, as well as what you expect from your clients.

If expectations are clear then everyone knows what they’re stepping into, and with that clarity there is no confusion and the best possible work can be done.

Practitioner deliverables include things such as:

-how many sessions are included in their program
-how they can schedule sessions with you
-your rates and payment process
-your refund policy
-your email turnaround time
-what you’re able to help them with, or not
and more

If you’re someone who works on a schedule (like a graphic designer), deliverables should also include a specific timeline of a project.

Client deliverables can include anything from how many hours you expect them to put into their work with you to how you expect them to handle assignments to how they should connect with you if they are feeling stuck.

I HIGHLY recommend that deliverables and expectations be incorporated into a contract that both you and your clients sign and keep copies of.

2. Give Everything You Promised and More

I see way too many entrepreneurs neglect to follow through on what they promised they’d give their clients.

For example, you mention you have bonus recordings but you never send them out. Or you say you will answer all emails within 24 hours, but you don’t.

For lack of a better way of saying it, this is a bad practice, and even if your clients don’t mention it, they will without a doubt note it to themselves.

Once you promise something, unless there is an emergency, it is your obligation to deliver it.

Now, my philosophy is to actually go above and beyond what I originally promised my clients and surprise them with extra goodies of value to them throughout our time together.

For example, I’ve gifted my clients with:

-extra bonus retreats
-unexpected check-in calls from me
-additional trainings
-gifts in the mail

Going above and beyond shows your clients that they are important to you, and when done correctly (& not out of over-responsibility), it also helps them achieve even greater results.

3. Acknowledge When You’ve Made a Mistake…and Fix it Quickly!

We are all human, and in our very human ways, mistakes can sometimes happen. For example, a client gets double-charged or you are running five minutes late for a scheduled meeting or access gets denied to a membership site.

When this happens and you find out about it, there should be no hemming and hawing and no delay on taking responsibility, apologizing and getting the problem solved as soon as possible.

And if you cannot get the problem solved immediately, let your client know that you are working on it, what you are doing to resolve it, and the timeframe you expect for everything to be solved.

A little bit can go a long way here towards goodwill and letting your client know that they are important to you.

Recently, I signed up for an online program where you needed a username and password to access the trainings. After the first week, my username and password stopped working. I must have sent five or six emails to their customer care about it over the course of three weeks. Never got a response. Even though this company is known for their stellar content, they won’t be getting my business ever again.

4. Ditch the Guru Mask

I see this happening a lot: you are a coach, teacher or healer and, as such, believe that your clients and community need to always think that you are all-knowing and perfect.

Yes, there are some folks out there who are looking for a perfect guru and will only feel safe if they falsely believe they are in the hands of one.

But honestly, most people out there are looking for a teacher, coach, mentor, healer or practitioner who is real, above all else. Someone who makes mistakes and learns from them, someone who has bad hair days like the rest of us, someone who has not put themselves on such a high pedestal that they are remote and isolated from those they serve.

One of the best ways to form a deep connection with your clients and community is to be real and down to earth.

So there is Part 1 of Outstanding Client Care. Hope you enjoyed and can’t wait to send you Part 2 soon.

For now, I highly recommend you do a 360-degree assessment of your own client care and see where things can be upleveled and improved.

And if you’d like to explore how we can help you Bring in More Business for 2015, get in touch and we’ll set up a call right away!

I am looking for amazing women who are ready to stop running around in circles and instead, take ACTION to become more visible and profitable in 2015.

If you know in your heart you are truly ready to earn more while loving yourself more deeply, this complimentary conversation is for you.

Yes? Then let’s talk! We only have 5 calls available right now and will only schedule with women we feel we can really help. Fill out this application, and we’ll be in touch to let you know if we can help.

With love,
Joanna