Ann Strong

Attracting clients: An empowering process

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In my Notes from the Universe, this morning, I read, “Very simply, Ann, the more that you accept responsibility for, the more power you have.”

I had to read it twice. So, I have more power when I accept more responsibility? Yes, that feels true in my body and I had never thought of it like that before!

When I would like more clients, I don’t passively wait for the Universe to deliver. Instead, I take responsibility. I set a clear intention and declare it to the Universe. Then, I clear my head of disempowering thoughts around attracting new clients. Then, I listen for inspired actions to reach out for those incoming clients. Then, I take those actions.

With full responsibility, I keep clearing my head of thoughts that don’t serve my intention and I keep listening for and taking inspired actions until I have attracted as many new clients as I had desired. This whole process might take 20 minutes or a few months.

I realize as I’m pondering the connection between responsibility and power, sometimes I have heard me or one of my clients say, “It’s out of my control. I can’t make someone become a client.”

Of course. True power is not arm-twisting or attempting to impose your will upon another.

Instead, it’s about matching energy. One of the most empowering things I help clients with involves:

  • Setting an intention for what they desire (in this case, attracting more clients).
  • Clearing and continuing to clear disempowering thoughts that don’t support that intention.
  • Listening for inspired actions.
  • Taking inspired actions.
  • Repeating as necessary until the intention has come to fruition.

The easiest way for me to attract those new clients who would like help with this process: be actively engaged in the energy of this process, feel good about it, have fun with it, be in my power with it.

Probably the most clear way to see how this works: look at the opposite. If I think clients should just find me and I resent that they don’t, if I expect someone else to send them to me, if I don’t set an intention, allow my disempowering thoughts to flourish and don’t listen for inspired action . . . what happens? Nothing good, right?

Business coaches, career coaches, life coaches: would you like to attract new clients right now? I would love to support you in that!

Check inside yourself to see if this inspired action fits for you: I’m offering a risk-free, no-cost, high-value coaching consultation for you to experience this! Sign up for yours today . . .

Conscious choice: Choosing from the best of you

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Recently, I had a conversation that really stuck with me.  We were exploring the paradox of fully accepting who we are, how we are and a desire to grow, change.  If we constantly would like to grow, then isn’t there something “wrong” with us now?

I didn’t quite know how to answer that question at first. 

As a business and life coach, I support my clients in both growing and changing and accepting what is – exactly as it is, exactly as they are.  The more I contemplated and looked at my own growth path, I realized a wonderful distinction.

Each of us makes many, many choices in a day.  If our overall intention involves choosing from the most compassionate, loving, kind, present, aware, _______ (you fill in the blank) place that we can choose from in that moment, then we continue to grow and to accept what is at the same time!

I see a continuum, where on the one end, we each have the ax murderer version of ourselves and on the other end we each have the Dalai Lama version of ourselves (or any other low energy/high energy pictures we care to conjure). 

Now, someone cuts us off in traffic, ends a relationship with us or treats one of our children poorly.  We respond.  Do we choose to respond from a place on that continuum that is closer to the low energy or high energy end?  Do we handle the situation from a version of ourselves closest to the ax murderer or to the Dalai Lama?

So, it’s perhaps becomes less about us changing into something completely different, but rather making choices from the best of us more of the time? 

This is big!  I’m still pondering.  I would love your input and to hear your experiences.

Self improvement: Releasing the need to control

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The more Joyce let go of trying to make her ex-husband do what she wanted him to do, the more peaceful she felt.  And, as a surprising bonus, they could more easily agree on arrangements for their children that worked for both of them.  Joyce saw clearly that she actually received more of what she wanted by letting go rather than threatening, manipulating and demanding.

I, too, have learned over and over again that trying to make my sisters, my neighbors or my business colleagues do things my way just doesn’t work.  And, in the moment, it infuriates me that I do not get to be in charge!  Often, when I have surrendered from exhaustion, I have felt amazed at how well things work out without my orchestrating every little detail to my exact specifications.

I feel an actual release in my body.  Trying to control others or circumstances use a lot of my precious energy that I could instead be using to enjoy or create.

Letting go opens up delicious space in our lives.  As we trust Universal Power to bring together people and circumstances, we become more available to the wonder of the present.  Ah, one of the joys of self improvement . . .  

I encourage you to try it in this very moment.  What could you release into the Life Flow right now?

Self acceptance: Living all of your life

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A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about living your best life.  Since then, I’ve been wrestling with several large challenges in my own life.  Much of the time, not feeling that I’m living my best life!

In the middle of one of these challenges, my 20-year-old niece, Alisha, told me about a website, FMyLife.com, where people write three-sentence stories about bad things that happened to them and other people rate whether they think the story is messed up or if the person deserved what they got.

As a person who makes my living helping people focus on the positive, I was, of course, appropriately appalled.  At first anyway.

Until she had me laughing at some of the things she had read.  And a light bulb went on for me.  Life as a human is often messy.  Sometimes I try to stay so positive and I can’t in that moment.  Maybe I’ll write my story on that website and give others a good laugh.  Ah, full self acceptance . . .

I still have a desire to focus on the positive and help others do the same.  And, I realize that even labeling “positive” and “negative” keeps me from fully experiencing and allowing ALL of my delicious, juicy, messy, sometimes f’ed up life!  

So there’s a new coaching perspective for you.  I’d love your ideas on the subject . . .

Self-improvement: Living your best life

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For each of us, there is a life that is uniquely and simply ours.  A life that comes from our specific soul: from our strengths, values and passions.

Yet, like a fish who doesn’t recognize how special and important water is for him, we humans often have blind spots about our own natural greatness.  

Someone compliments you on how empathic you were with the clerk at the grocery and you don’t quite understand.  Doesn’t everyone notice what’s going on with others?  No, we sure don’t!  Then you tell a friend how great it is that he always seems to know the most efficient way to organize a project and he doesn’t know what’s the big deal!

If you feel you are living anything less than the life that is totally, joyfully yours, take some time over the next few days to notice your specific strengths, values and passions.  What do you love to do?  What comes naturally to you?

Ask a few friends or colleagues what they notice you doing naturally or with enthusiasm.  What do people often turn to you for?  Advice?  In what area?  Help with fixing something?  What?  Getting something started? What?

Just by focusing on this for a few days, you will be living a life that is more fully, uniquely yours!

I’d love to hear what kinds of things you discover about yourself and your best life . . .

Self-improvement: Knowing my security from the inside

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Every day for the past several days, I have been noticing anything I feel scared or anxious about and transforming it.  Working with the simple yet powerful concept that I already have everything I need inside me, I notice what’s causing the fear or anxiety and then find a way to know it from the inside rather than expect it from the outside.

I’d love to share a bit of my process so that you can use this transformation tool, too.

For example, in my business, I got scared and anxious when I felt enough money wasn’t coming in.  So, I asked myself:  why do I want the money?  What do I believe the money will give me?  I want the money to pay my bills.  I believe the money will give me security.  Okay, how can I feel, how can I be security right now?  

I don’t have to wait long for the intuitive answer to come to my conscious awareness.  Spending a few minutes laying on the ground, under a tree, being with the sky though the leaves of that tree helps me instantly feel plugged into All That Is and I feel secure.  Wow.  Easy.  Doable.  Highly effective.  Sure beats the alternative of panicking!

An example from my personal life:  I felt sad and scared when it seemed that a friend was “abandoning” me in a moment in favor of another friend.  Okay, why do I want my friend to “choose me?”  What do I believe me being chosen will give me?  I want to be chosen to demonstrate I’m valuable.  When I’m chosen, I feel important.  I feel I matter to that person.  Okay, how can I feel valuable, important and that I matter right now?

A couple of answers come to mind.  I have taken the time to put the focus on me and what’s going on with me.  I am valuing myself, prioritizing myself and indicating to myself that I matter to me!  And, I have many friends.  If I would like to spend time with a friend, I can value that experience for me and reach out to another friend.  Wow.  I know I matter and I feel valuable and important.

My whole life becomes better in two ways when I transform these “yucky” feelings.  First, I get to feel and be what I desire – secure and valuable, no matter what’s going on or what others around me do or don’t do.  Secondly, I am now in the energy of “security” and “valuable,” so I naturally attract more experiences of security and valuable, including more money flowing in and more friends who treat me like I am important to them!

I am so jazzed about this transformation process right now, I am considering teaching a 3-week, 1-hour each week tele-class for $89.

I would love your input.  

What about this tele-class might interest you?  If you took it, what would you most love to take away from it at the end of the 3 weeks?

Please take a moment to comment and give me the thoughts off the top of your head.  Thanks in advance!

Spiritual awareness: I’m capable of so much more than I think . . .

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As I am integrating all that I learned from both speaking and exhibiting at the Career Management Alliance annual conference last week, I am struck by how well I did both jobs at essentially the same time.

I’m more introverted than extroverted and incapable of multi-tasking.  So, I actually had no idea how I would do both jobs well, back-to-back for two days. 

I do love to be at the front of the room.  My presentation was short, just 45 minutes.  I looked forward to speaking, but thought I wanted to spend the rest of my day alone in my room or take a self-guided walking tour.

Yet, I had to be at my booth the day before and the rest of the day after my presentation, talking to folks about my coaching services and coaching courses.

Thank goodness I usually sooner or later remember to practice what I preach!  I set an intention to show up fully with each person in front of me by being present, connected and playful.  I even practiced with my seat mates on the airplane on the way to the conference.

I had so darn much fun, thoroughly enjoyed all the people I met, rocked the house with my talk and went out to dinner on the second night with 11 of my new best friends.

Not a bad two-days work for an introverted single-tasker! 

Self improvement: We are what we make ourselves

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I just got back from the Career Management Alliance annual conference in San Antonio where I gave a presentation: Strong You, Strong Biz: YOU Are Your Most Powerful Business Attractor. I feel humbled and grateful.

Back in the fall when I agreed to this engagement, I felt excited. Excited to connect with my people – other self-employed coaches, in their cases, specifically career coaches. Excited to embark on a new adventure with my new business partner at the time – she would man the expo booth and I would give the talk and we’d both have a great time doing it.

Fast forward a few months to the day when I learn that the majority of the conference attendees aren’t self-employed and are in fact in the military helping military folks transition to civilian life and jobs. And to the day when my new business partner can suddenly no longer be my business partner for several personal reasons.

Then I start dreading the conference. What do I know to help these military folks? How am I suppose to do it all myself? The conference organizer reassures me that plenty self-employed coaches will come to my talk. I don’t have to re-structure it for the military. My sister offers me some tips on giving my talk and man-ing the booth myself.

Yet, I still have a bad attitude.

Just a few days before the conference, I wake up and realize, just like I wrote on a plaque I gave my grandma when I was 15, that “we are what we make ourselves.” In good coach-like style, I remake myself.

I embody my talk. I can feel in my bones how good it is. As I prepare all the expo materials, I feel grateful for the opportunity to serve in this way. I see the entire trip flowing smoothly, from the moment the shuttle drives picks me up from my front porch to the time another one drops me back on my porch two and a half days later. I set an intention to have a good time, give all I am there to give and connect with wonderful people. I set an income goal for all the new business that will come from this event.

And guess what happened!

It went exactly like my intention, only one better. Many people from the military came to my talk, too. And they got huge value, slightly different value than the self-employed folks, but great value, just the same. Two military ladies even told me I was “under-selling” myself to just offer my services to self-employed professionals, because they saw how I can help them, too. So we are going to talk . . . I see that income goal being met and then some!

And, the shuttle driver on the way home even dropped me off at my house first!

 

Spiritual clarity: Allowing flow

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“Imagine that you could plug yourself into a socket that would tap into the electric current of the universe.  Because source energy is indivisible and boundless, this would give you access to an unlimited supply of energy that only you could limit or stop its flow.  Well, in fact, you are plugged in, and you are responsible for the level of flow you experience.”

– Ernest Chu
From the book, Soul Currency

Oh what rich balm for my spirit as I realize I have been limiting my own flow recently!  While meeting with my coach, Peleg, I heard myself telling him about the “burden” of all I have to do in my business right now.  And, I was talking about things I love to do – like writing this blog, speaking, teaching.

Somehow playing on Twitter had become comparing myself to everyone on Twitter.  I wasn’t “doing enough,” I wasn’t offering anything new, I was just adding to the noise.

Don’t go down that road.  It doesn’t go anywhere any of us want to go!

By synching up with this comparison monster, what I really did: cut myself off from my flow, from source, from my spiritual clarity, from the deep knowing of the intrinsic value of my unique contribution. 

With this realization, I am BACK!  Back to me, back to my flow, back to my source, back in my own power, without concern for how I “measure up.”

Thank God!  Thank you, Peleg.  Thank you, Ernest.  Thank you, Ann. 

Business mentoring: The freedom of self-employment

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Most of the people closest to me are self-employed.  So, I was caught off-guard this weekend while talking to a non-self-employed friend.  He mentioned how much he wished he had my job – the freedom to do it as I want, when I want.  Then, I remembered he had told me that a few months earlier and I’d barely heard him the first time.

I realized I take the freedom for granted.  Self-employed my entire life, I’m used to doing what I want, when I want, how I want.  I do love that.  And yet, it feels ordinary for me because it is my routine.  Interestingly, he didn’t even mention my favorite freedom – the freedom to do exactly what I’m best at and what I love to do most!  Maybe he doesn’t even know that’s possible.

As I was telling one of my friends about the conversation, she reminded me that most non-self-employed people long for the freedom of self-employment.  Yet most do little or nothing toward making that dream a reality.  

What does it really take?  I decided to explore that further.


Making the dream of the freedom of self-employment a reality

We must:

  • Believe it’s possible for us
  • Be willing to risk jumping into the unknown
  • Be willing to learn about the business of self-employment
  • Know or learn how to attract clients
  • Know or learn how to ask for the sale
  • Know our own strengths
  • Get help in our areas of weakness
  • Have a desire to offer a specific product or service
  • Create our own structures and systems
  • Create our own success teams
  • Practice life-long learning
  • Be able to live with uncertainty
  • Oversee all departments (even when we are the only person in the business): R & D, Accounting, Production, Marketing, Sales, Service . . .

Wow!  I’m sure I missed a few.  No wonder a person might be intimidated about self-employment!

What did I miss?  What makes it all worth it to you?  I will write more about that later for me!