As an entrepreneur, you have to make multiple decisions every single day. What program should you launch? What blog post should you write? What niche should you choose? What marketing strategies will you use? What price will you charge?
The list goes on and on. It can get overwhelming and lead to paralysis.
Trust me, I’ve been there. I want to give you a behind the scenes peek into my world about a specific situation where I had to make some big decisions.
I had an idea for a program that I was really excited about but I couldn’t figure out how I wanted to run the program. I was stuck on a number of points:
- What content to teach
- How much personal and group coaching to include
- The length of the program
- Pricing
- How to launch it
- The messaging behind it
What about you?
- blindly follow your heart,
- or blindly follow what others do or tell you to do….
Oh – and back to the story about the program. I’ll be launching it in September and I couldn’t be more excited! Get ready – it’s going to be awesome!!
Excellent point, Cindy! When I coach small biz clients in a group environment, I know they’ve chosen that venue partially because they value others’ perspectives on how to handle a situation; we all approach similar needs from our own point of view, experience, industry affiliation, training and so on. Yet ultimately, the best choice is the one that incorporates those external views with our own personal compass: the ‘big why’ or big picture goal that our business choices must honor. And, if we only use our own gut as a guide, we might miss out on opportunities and resources our own mental file cabinets cannot provide.
Sadly, when someone is more willing to listen to others who appear wiser or more experienced and has no strong sense of self to ground them, they’ll end up with a completely different kind of mistake!
Thanks for sharing that Andrea. It’s so true that being in a group offers so many benefits, including different perspectives. That’s one of the things I love best about my TALI group. Our private Facebook group is so active with everyone sharing ideas, feedback and support. It’s invaluable!
I do research and follow what resonates with me, but since my niche is so far away from mainstream, there’s little marketing stuff that does.
Good stuff Linda – thanks for sharing that. This is just my perspective, but sometimes looking at how marketing is done in a different industry can be incredibly powerful. It’s a great way to bring innovation to your business.
Yes, I have picked up a few strategies that might work. But as of yet, I haven’t seen any changes.
I get stuck for follow my heart to much and also care too much what others say.
Thanks for the post.
You are very welcome Mary. Thank you for sharing. I hope this post will give you a kickstart in trusting yourself and combining the power of your heart and mind.
I do both. I do considerable research on a regular basis and I ask for input from friends and colleagues. Ultimately, however, I find I mostly rely primarily on my intuition on what to do and how to proceed. In some way that I don’t yet understand, the research and feedback does play into what my intuition tells me. But unfortunately, most of what I do is very different than what my friends and colleagues do, so it is rare that they can provide me with relevant advice. Their advice has been more often to find a safe job that provides a reliable (and higher) income, instead of following my passion.
Good for you Tanya for combining your intuition and logic, and for following your passion! You’re so right that it can be difficult (and even dangerous) to take advice from people who don’t really understand your business.
I do what research I can, though being totally blind makes it a challenge. I frequently have to turn to others. I also follow my heart and mind where possible. The biggest difficulty is that due to my lack of vision, some research options are closed to me.
Hi Tricia, you are truly an inspiration. I love how you find solutions to overcome life’s challenges. Please stay in touch!
Yes, I believe in a Heart-Mind Connection. That is why I named my coaching business that in 2004! I encourage my singles to lead with their mind whereas they are aligned with their values and goals, and follow their heart for moving forward with a relationship. It takes both for a successful journey. Thanks Cindy for reminding us to do that for our business as well! (http://www.heartmindconnection.com FYI!)
I love it Amy! You are an expert in helping singles find their true love by tapping into their values so they don’t waste their time with the wrong person. What a great example of how we need to trust our heart and mind in love and in life. Thanks for sharing!