Don’t Take Another Business Course Til You Read This
Here’s what usually happens when you start a business: You’re excited about it! You make your cute little DIY website, you take all the business courses, you start a Facebook page, and for all intents and purposes, you’re a proud business owner.
Sure, you’re hustling your ass off, the clients aren’t really coming in as fast as you’d hoped, and your confidence is kinda low. Maybe you’re struggling to sell yourself because you’re not even sure you if you would buy what you’re selling. But you keep pushing forward, figuring that there must be another business course, or book, or program, or coach out there who can help you fill in the gaps and amp up whatever it is that you’re missing in your business. You’re determined to be successful!
So you fork over all your hard earned business income on courses that teach you things you already know, on books that reiterate what you’ve learned in those courses, and on coaches who try to help you implement everything you have learned. But you still feel stuck. You’re not moving forward.
So you figure you probably need a rebrand. It must be your website! Yes yes yes. This is the problem. So you spend hours on canva re-doing all your headers and graphics and swapping out your WordPress theme for something flashier and changing your opt-in yet again and YES – this should do it!
But you’re still not psyched to put yourself out there. In fact, you get nervous every time you have a new client consult, and you kinda secretly hope they won’t hire you. Especially now that your website looks so professional, you’re worried they’re going to expect more than you can give. And you’re not entirely sure you can deliver. Your confidence is in the pits.
You so want to be putting yourself out there like all the other people you see online. Why are they so fucking confident? Why don’t you feel the urge to tell everyone in the world what you’re up to?
You’re totally sabotaging yourself. And here’s why: You’re not running the business you WANT to be running, the business you’re MEANT to be running. So everything is falling flat.
Something is off. You’re either copycatting, or doing what you learned in school but it’s not what you REALLY want to be doing, or you’re taking on all the wrong clients because hello, you need MONEY!, but it doesn’t feel very good at all. Basically, you’re making things really hard for yourself.
This happens all the time. I swear to god, it recently happened to me in my business back in the day. It’s almost laughable now, how long it took me to realize it. I hired the best business coach out there, and nothing we were doing was working… until our very last session when she flat out said to me ‘Becca… I don’t think you want to be doing this”.
Ugh. Shit. How did she know?
She knew because it was obvious. It was obvious to me long before I even hired her. I just didn’t want it to be true. I wanted to carry on with what I’d created, and not have to make the hard decision to let go of the way I was doing things. It was scary! And it was kind of embarrassing. Me, the Uncaged coach, was still going shit I didn’t want to be doing. It was subtle, but it was there, and I was pissed at myself for it!
And I tell you this because I see it happening in other people’s businesses ALL the time.
Some common signs:
You’re not putting in the effort to actually implement all the things you learned in all your business courses.
You procrastinate.
You constantly compare yourself to everyone else, and you feel like you’ll never measure up.
Your confidence in what you do is pretty non-existent.
You’re not excited about your business and you’re envious of the people who you see rocking their stuff, because you want that!
But you just don’t feel the drive to do anything about it.
But the big secret is that when you’re doing things in your business 100% YOUR way, it’s easy.
There is NO competition. It becomes easy to sell yourself, because your confidence goes through the roof. You’re stoked to get up everyday and do your work, promote yourself, and bring in the clients, because you fully believe that you’re the best at what you do. And if your business isn’t quite right, if you’re not working with the right clients in the right way, and you’re not connected to your bigger message – there’s no way that it will grow. It just won’t.
So here’s the deal. You don’t need another business building course to teach you stuff that is just going to make you overwhelmed. You don’t need another program, or book, or rebrand. You need to get super clear on what you are doing in your business and cut out all the crap that doesn’t fit your main focus.
What is it, exactly, that you wish you could change? If you could do your business any way you wanted, what would you do?
And then you need to take a deep breath, let go of the way you have been doing things, and make some serious changes. It’s scary and it’s hard. But it’s also super exciting! Because you will finally be running a business that works for you, and I guarantee that when you step into doing this, things will start to fall into place. Clients will come. Money will come. Everything will become so much easier.
3 month business building checklist
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3 month business building checklist
ENTER YOUR EMAIL BELOW TO learn exactly what to do to start your new business
If you’re feeling stuck in business and getting the itch to take yet another business building program, start by asking yourself if you have already implemented everything you have learned in the other courses you’ve taken. If not, why not? What parts of your business are you not feeling excited about? And how can you change them so they’re more in line with what you really want to be doing?
And if you can’t quite figure out how to put it all together or how to figure out what’s not working, I help my clients do just that. Hit me up and we’ll Uncage your business. It’s often hard to see our stuckness ourselves (that’s why even though it’s my job to help people see where they’re not working in their sweet spot, it still took me thousands of dollars in business coaching to have me see it in my own business. Duh. But that’s why coaches have coaches.)
I don’t let my clients off the hook until they’re totally confident in what they are doing and they wake up excited to get to work. I’m mean like that.
So get off Facebook, get off Twitter, stop fucking around worrying what everyone else is doing, and stop investing in more how-to skills that you don’t need right now… and FOCUS, from the inside out, on creating the business you actually want to run.
PS. The next round of Uncage Your Business starts soon. If you need a month of cutting the crap and zooming in on YOUR business focus, join us. It’s been called the course to end all courses.
Darling… this just plain rocks. I think a whole book could be written about this. And I don’t know a single successful businessperson who hasn’t gone through this very moment. Well done.
illanaBurk Thanks lady! I’m always curious how business coaches work with clients in these situations. When they’ve been hired to help the client grow their business, but they’re totally doing the wrong business…. must be tricky! I actually asked my business coach about it, and she said that she can often tell when clients are in this place, and she doesn’t work with them (but apparently I pulled the wool right over her eyes, hehe).
What happens when you get clients who are in this place? What do you do with them?
Rebecca Tracey I feel like a huge part of my role is to give them the RIGHT tools to uncover the wrong and mold it into the right. Since my sweet spot is working with people that are teetering on the edge of diving into entrepreneurship head-first or leveling up to a new realm, I hit this ALL THE TIME. Usually the first step is pulling back and helping them evaluate ALL their goals… not just the business ones. Usually when you help someone see the bigger picture of their full life and where their business fits in, it becomes a lot easier to see what’s not in alignment.
illanaBurk Thank you for saying that. That this is par for the course.
JulianaGregory You’re so welcome! I wholeheartedly believe that the first (and probably most important) step any coach can take with a client is to make sure that they understand that a. they are not broken, and b. that they are not alone. Zero business people ever have struck out the first time and found their bliss. It takes a lot of failure and a lot of change and a lot of help, and a metric fuck-ton of trial and error to find the ‘right’ thing. A bit of luck and the occasional well-placed lightning bolt doesn’t hurt either.
YESSS! Where have you been my whole career? This is something no one ever says, but it’s such a simple and powerful truth. Thank you!
SarahGabbart YESS! It totally is Sarah! SOOO important, and yet no one really wants to talk about it, because it kind of sucks! It’s not easy to admit when things aren’t working, but it’s so important for your business (and your happiness) to be doing things your own way!
Ugh, I know that I want my own business of some sort, I just have no idea what kind of business I want.
KendraForrest well you just happen to be in luck.. stay tuned here over the next few weeks. I’m rolling out a new service that’s geared towards helping wanna-be entrepreneurs come up with their perfect Uncaged business idea, so they can get out of the gates and start their business already!
This is good to know. I am a new follower of your blog (and facebook group) and am in the same boat. I know I want my own business, something portable and online based, but not sure WHAT.
Lots of possible ideas floating around but none that are jumping out at me.
KendraForrest Do you love tote bags and purses? If so, I would love to share my business with you.
Kaycee Mays KendraForrest collabo- LOVE IT!
I so! So! So! Love this. I recently unleashed myself and became free and I love it. Things are now aligning, falling into place and I’m enjoying working. You know what it wa for me Becca? I love to give away value for free so people can see how much I’m worth when they pay me. I LOVE TO GIVE! And it does return to me. I stopped giving as much almost to 0 and then all hell broke lose. Moral of the story. DO WHAT FEELS RIGHT IN YOUR SOUL!! xoxo great post Becca❤
AlishiaWillardson Ahhh This is such a great example of this!! They say “don’t give away shit for free:, but if that’s what energizes you and pumps you up, so you can then go on and do your paid work, then screw the rules, and do what works for you! Love it!
Thanks love! Sometimes it’s hard to find your balance and what works for YOU but it’s all about paying attention to what makes your heart sing and then that’s what you should be doing more of.
I knew I was lacking in my business. I continued looking around for what was missing. I found a wonderful coach who has helped me by teaching me business strategies that WORK. No more looking around and taking course after course. No more changing the way I do things because I have found what is working . I have found what is working and what wasn’t. Loved reading your post.
Kaycee Mays I’m so happy to hear you found a great coach that worked for you! Absolutely, sometimes it IS just a solid business strategy that we need!
I SO needed this right now! I’ve definitely been the one spending money on books and coaches and courses without much action. (Well my ‘action’ was basically dumb crap similar to treading water instead of actually swimming!) Bschool is fantastic, but still, like you said, didn’t exactly fill in all the blank spots I wanted/needed it too. So then came some expensive coaching sessions…and lots of tears because they were AWFUL! I feel a million times better just reading this! I’m so printing it out and keeping it on my desk!
AshleeThurlow I’m so sorry that happened to you, but what a great lesson for you! It’s time to put away the learning and do some serious introspective work about the business you’re actually building – is it a PERFECT fit for you? And if not, if you could change anything about the way you work, what would you change? It takes a lot of trial and error and a LOT of honesty, but you will SO get there… recognizing that it might not be more “business advice” that you need is a great first step! You’ve totally got this girl. Keep at it!
AshleeThurlow This all happened to me EXACTLY as you said! B-School, expensive coach, sitting in tears just now because it all seems in vain. I’m nowhere closer to what I want and can do than I was 3 months ago…
Sometimes what we see as aweful or like it wasn’t what we needed or like it didn’t work is more the fact of our own resistance, lack of action and not paying attention or listening to our inner voice that’s guiding us. It’s speaking to you NOW! Guiding you NOW! Where is it taking you? What should you be doing? What makes your heart sing? Where are you resisting? Take some time to be still, listen & be free! xoxo Ashlee!
Hi Becca! I LOVE this post and thought about it often last night. However, at what point do you know you’re running the wrong business and not just giving up because you’re not successful enough? I’ve been doing mine for 2 years (to mild success) and I often want to pack it in but I just don’t know if I have the wherewithal to start another business and put in another 2 years for my next startup that might just leave me in the same position. I guess I’m just unsure as to the real reason I’m feeling blah about it.
Sincerely,
Sarah
chadmachenowith Sarah, this is such a great question, thank you for asking it! Start by asking yourself where your energy is draine din your business, and what parts of it bring you energy. Which ones are you spending more time doing?
Connect back to your big WHY – your underlying purpose – and ask yourself ‘if I could do this ANY way, how would I do it”… don’t worry about rules or what you learned in business courses or even what training you have…. focus on what brings you energy, and where your strengths are. For example, if you totally thrive in a connected group environment, and yet you’re spending all your time behind a computer or one-on-one on the phone with clients, you’re not working in your sweet spot.
Check out your values and make sure they’re being honoured in your business. Pay attention to the parts of your business that are feeling like a drag, and shake them up a bit – what would be a new, fun way that you could do the same thing?
Hope that helps for a start!
Rebecca Tracey chadmachenowith Hi Becca, Thank you so much. Yes, this really helps. I guess what I’d really like to do is make in more online. I’m tired of doing classes and meetings at my home. While I enjoy this during, I never look forward to them since preparation can be draining. This is something I’ll definitely work with. Thanks so much. Sarah
Great advice. I’ve gone down so many paths in the past, trying to find the right one for me. I think I definitely nailed it with my current pursuit, but it was a very long road to get to this point, and I had to be realistic with myself about chasing the other projects, knowing deep down I wasn’t that passionate about them.
FreshRag It does take a lot of trial and error to figure out what DOES work for you. I think that’s the key to success, is not being afraid to try things out and fail (miserably), and then learn from then and tweak as you go. I’m so happy to hear you’ve found your perfect thing (for now… it always evolves 😉
Rebecca,
I love this so much. You hit on so man great points….points about being clear, being honest with yourself, having confidence and being excited about what we are doing each day. You are so right. When I compare myself to others is when I spin my wheels the most, just wasting time and getting low on the self-esteem. When i do what feels so right to me, so natural, I get the best feedback and I don’t even feel like I worked. We can’t get stuck in the preparation time and time again. Buying another course can’t solve a self-esteem problem or if the problem is we are doing things we simply aren’t passionate about, why are we buying a course to help us do those things better? we just need to stop doing those things? Seriously, thanks for this post!
CourtMcCracken Bingo -> “buying another course doesn’t solve your self esteem problem or the problem of doing work we’re not passionate about”. It can be THAT simple – just stop doing the things you don’t like doing. SO much easier (and cheaper) than trying to find ways to make those things work!
[…] even struggled with this myself in my business. I wrote a really important post about this. (Click here to read Rebecca’s post.) I find that when you really let yourself be exactly who you are, […]
A good article. That is a reminder to do what you love, focus on what you love, and your ideal customers will be attracted to this
Amen Becca! This is spot on.
You read my freaking mind. How did you do that?! I like the way 100% me sounds like.
Amen to this!
YESSS. YESSS. YESSS. Mhmm. Yup. Spot on. 100% true life story.
Thanks, Becca! I was on the fence about taking that course, and I already know that there are some issues I have with my business (target audience for one). I need to focus on making those right for me before I wander into another course. I so appreciated reading this right now! You’ve been such a great help in giving me clarity to see what I really want.
Wow! This post rocks! I could totally give you knuckle to knuckle, right now (that has a name but I can’t think of it and my teenagers are not here to ask) I often wonder about that course and ya know, it seems to be marketed in such a way that it has made me feel that I am less of a businessperson and will fail by not attending. Sort of cultish, I guess. Ya know, I even feel funny in some groups that I am in because it seems everyone else went to that course..
I even ask friends what they learned and they really don’t tell me. Honestly, 2 grand is a lot of money to someone who is just getting started and well, if ya have that kind of money to shell out for a course, maybe, you are further along in your biz than you thought. I am the type that needs someone to get into my multi passionate brain and help me with actionables and directions. So, I was so glad to read this! You don’t even know. 🙂
Hey Christine! I wasn’t actually referring to THAT course. I’m an affiliate for that course and it’s a great program for the right person at the right time
This blog post was actually written as something to help people see past all the smoke and mirrors of MOST courses and to help them get clear on what they really need, before they buy.
But glad it helped you decide what was right for YOU
A million times YES! Every time I read one of your posts it resonates with something going on at the time. Thank you for not naming the school. I literally just posted on my FB this post: “50 Shades of Greay, B-School and frigid temps….What do they have in common?” (the answer of course is that it’s all anyone is talking about in social media/blogs etc..). It’s overwhelming how many people are pushing it. To be honest, I have lost respect for some of the people I follow. Not because it’s a bad program. The push is relentless and incongruent with their messages. I really enjoy your posts. Thanks you.
Hey Rachel!
I’m actually an affiliate and I have promoted it here and there too – hope you haven’t lost respect for me!
AndI totally understand that it’s frustrating when people are promoting it to their lists when their clients are not even in the market for it.
I do believe that we get to choose what we read though. And to be honest, I haven’t seen a SINGLE pitch for B-School this year (none in my inbox and none on social media). All I have seen is people bitching about it. Which I find veryyyy interesting.
I love Marie and everything she puts out. I wasn’t dissing B school itself or people that put it out there here and there. I just happened to have a ton of it in my FB newsfeed as well as my email. It made me crazy. In fact, i am going through my old emails in my promotions tab and it’s sick how many times I got repeat emails.
I love all that you are doing. Love the way you promote your stuff. Love the vibe. All of it.