Premier Coaching Blog

Premier Coaching: Business Coaching through the art and science of empowering and advancing you and your business

The power of trust starts deep within ourselves when we access the state of vulnerability. The psychologists tell us that by becoming vulnerable we can be healed. It is in the risk-taking that we move through our fears. When we stretch our limits, we continue to grow and develop our strengths. This space can only be accessed when we feel complete safety. It is in a trusting environment that we become willing to take risks. Whenever we are in a space where we are free to express all emotions, free from judgment, criticism, and anything except wholehearted support, we let go of our defenses and open up. When we experience consistent love and support, we start to feel safe and open further, allowing our natural and authentic self to come out and play. When we let go of caring about what others might say or think and allow ourselves to make mistakes, we start to form a natural bond of comfort and ease with ourselves and our audience. It is this place where self nurturing and unending creativity pop out. It is here where we begin to communicate better, feel better and know the perfect movements, statement, feelings and actions for each moment. Many of us feel the need to be performers, always rehearsing our lines and comparing ourselves to others. As children, most of us were manipulated by parents, teachers and authority figures to do and become what they thought was best for us. Some were told, “Children should be seen and not heard,” or “Think before you speak.” Many of us were, at best, supported through “constructive criticism.” Some were diminished, embarrassed or just plain ignored. We performed in a way that supported what others thought we should be doing or saying. We accepted the idea that we had to perform rather than be ourselves. In fact, many of us took speech training where we were told to stand a certain way, speak with a “normal voice,” and look over our audience in a certain manner. The thought seldom occurred to us that we are perfect just the way we are! It is our uniqueness that shines the brightest and our differences to which others connect. When we celebrate our differences, we connect to our human oneness that says, “You’re different and that’s great!”

The power of trust lies within the power of truth. When we are truthful with ourselves, we start focusing on our brilliance instead of the past illusions of what others told us we should do or who we think we should be. It is only when we have the willingness and desire to let these illusions go that the truth of our being is revealed. It is in this search that we can let go of past wounds that stifle our abilities in the moment to realize what we have become. When we are busy thinking about what we could have become or should say, or what we should look like in front of others, our creative nature is blocked. We are then relating to others from a place of limitation, lack and fear — not trust. The power of trust is realized when we open up to our unlimited possibilities that lie just this side of truth. As you open up to this truth, the masks and defenses fade way and the uniqueness that only you possess comes forward seeking its greatness!

As you open up your heart, you will see the amazing qualities that lie locked within yourself.  I can coach you through this!

Premier Coaching: Business Coaching through the art and science of empowering and advancing you and your business

If you’re like most entrepreneurs and business owners, doing business alone poses one of your biggest challenges.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with all you have to do? Do you work more hours than you would like to?  Are you stressed out?  Do you sometimes wish you had a different life?  These are all signs that it is time for you to leverage what you are doing by putting together a team to support you.

Strategic alliances provide invaluable support for business owners.  When allies work as a team, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. You win. Your allies win, and your company wins.  Because when people work together toward a common goal, magic happens.

Attract and choose your allies carefully. In any relationship, it’s not who shows up, but to whom we say “yes” to.  Ignoring red flags ensures disappointment and distress down the road.

Creating strategic alliances is like anything else – it’s an inside job.  When you are clear with what you want to attract into your life, you will find it quickly.  Start by asking yourself these key questions:

v What do I love to do and what would I like to delegate?

v What are the values, qualities and skill sets of your ideal partner?

v What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

v Where are 5 places I can find my ideal strategic alliance?

To find out more about asking the right questions check out www.asksucceed.com.

Once you’re clear on the answers to these questions, you’re ready to move on to forming your ideal strategic alliances by taking these 10 steps:

1) Look at the different areas of your business – sales, administration, accounting, operations, marketing and publicity.

2) Look in the areas where you need support. What do you enjoy doing? What would you rather hand off to others, if you felt you could trust them?

3) Prioritize areas where you need help and support on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 as “it would be great if …” to 10 as “I need a lifeline now!”

4) Determine your highest values.  What MUST you have in a partner?  Do you want someone who’s trustworthy, creative, intuitive, or system-oriented? What MUST you avoid in a partner – lateness, dishonesty, a lax sense of ethics?

5) Determine the outcome you want.  What result do you want from your alliance – more customers, higher profit margin, or more time off?

6) Create a big vision for your company. Small aspirations lack the charisma to attract desirable strategic allies.  Think about how your company can be a force for good in the world – and how much more powerful that force could be if you formed the right strategic alliances.

7) What are you willing to give to make your strategic alliance work? It’s good policy to give first, and it always comes back to you in some form.  Think about what you can do for your allies to lighten their load. Get clear on why it’s important to you to form a strategic alliance.

Think about where you need to go to find the type of person or company you want for a strategic ally.  Ask yourself, where do I go to find these people? Who do I know who knows people like this?

9) Make a list of those people and where you’re going to go. Then set up a  specific timeline of when and where your will meet your new alliances.

10) Take immediate actions.  Do what it takes to find the strategic alliances you want: check with friends, go to networking groups (like www.sharedvisionnetwork.com/join and ask business associations to find the type of person you’re looking for; talk to potential allies; check their references; pitch them on the idea of forming a strategic alliance. Be proactive and choose your allies. Don’t wait for someone to choose you.

Once you’ve found prospective allies, ask them the same questions you’ve asked yourself:

v What do I love to do and what would I like to delegate?

v What are the values, qualities and skill sets of your ideal partner?

v What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

v Where are 5 places I can find my ideal strategic alliance?

Their answers will tell you all you need to know about whether you’re meant for each other. When you find the right alliance you’re on your way to increasing success and creating a super life.

End

Ken Foster is a free-lance writer and the CEO of Shared Vision Network. To find out more go to www.sharedvisionnetwork.com/join or www.asksucceed.com or

Premier Coaching: Business Coaching through the art and science of empowering and advancing you and your business

Recently I asked myself, “what do I know that would help others create new levels of success?”  The answer quickly came to me!  Over the years working with thousands of business owners and coaching clients, I have found that those who are most successful apply certain principals time and time again.  In fact, there is a formula that when used, will help anyone achieve quantum breakthroughs in any area of life.  Sound like a large claim?  It is, because it works!

So if you are in a place where you are ready to step into your Greatness, then follow the formula exactly and you will win.  First is to dream big.  Create a vision where many others can participate with you.  If the dream is too small you will end up doing what most unsuccessful people do and that is you will doing it alone.   Second is to turn your dreams into goals.  Establish daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals.  Without goals most dreams will remain dreams.  Third is to know what is really important to you about accomplishing your goals.  Without a strong purpose for accomplishing your goals you will be stopped when the going gets tough and it will get tough.  Fourth is to decide what you are willing to give or give up to accomplish your dream.  Fifth is to design the action steps necessary to fulfill your dreams.  Don’t fret over how you will get to your dream only take daily action toward your vision.  Commitment is of paramount importance here!  When you take daily action toward your dreams your dreams will take daily action toward you.

Now these actions alone will not accomplish what you desire.  There are a few more pieces to manifesting a life.  You must find a mentor who has traveled the road before you.  Maybe a business coach or mentor!  This person will be your guide and knows what lies ahead.  Next you must have a network of like minded individuals or master mind group to share your vision and support you in accomplishing what you have set in motion.  And finally you must release it to God, for everything comes from this one source and this is the true source of your power.  Without a daily connection to the infinite struggle will be the common theme of your life.

Ken Foster is CEO of Shared Vision Network – www.sharedvisionnetwork.com and CEO of Premier Coaching.com – www.premiercoaching.com.  His latest book “Ask and You Will Succeed can be found at www.ask-succeed.com.