If you are a business owner who knows where you want your business to go but needs help making that vision a reality, it may be time to hire a business coach. After all, part of running a successful company is knowing when to reach out and seek guidance. A good coach can help to take your business from a feasible idea to a great business–as long as you are ready to show up and put in the work.
I’ve been a business and career coach for women of color and allies for over 5 years now, and I want to share my perspective on the top 5 biggest benefits you can receive when you work with a business coach.
1. You have a built-in support system.
Building a business can feel lonely and overwhelming at times. While it’s natural to want to bounce ideas off of your close friends and family, those conversations likely won’t amount to much real action at the end of the day. When you work with a business coach, you have an opportunity to share frustrations, victories, and creative ideas with someone who intimately understands your business, vision, and industry. Good business coaches are innately good listeners and also understand when you need a push out of your comfort zone.
I share more about the importance of building a support system in my 33rd Color Your Dreams Podcast Episode, “5 Reflections from My Retreat with Established Entrepreneurs.” You can listen to this 21-minute podcast episode on Apple or Spotify
2. You’ll lean into your Zone of Genius.
In all my years of coaching, I’ve consistently seen that successful businesses are run by people who know their strengths and don’t try to be good at everything. One of the first exercises I do with my clients is helping them determine their Zone of Genius, a concept from the book, The Big Leap, which means figuring out what in their business they love doing, what they are good at but don’t love, and what they dislike or are not great at doing. Then we create an action plan for how they can lean into their zone of genius and either delegate or reorganize the things that don’t fall into their wheelhouse. A great business coach should help you get clear on the vision you have for your business so that you can stop being distracted by the tasks or services that aren’t helping you get there.
In my own business, I realized that I was getting burnt out by being a content machine where I was constantly churning out social media content in order to get new clients. What did I do instead? I stopped wasting my valuable energy worrying about Instagram content and started leaning in where I excel–creating more organic relationships with my audience through a long-form newsletter. I love writing and I love relationship building, so I reshaped my marketing plan to better fit those strengths. That’s why I’m so glad to have Monica Schrock as one of my team members who helps my clients to help with their marketing strategy.
I have two great Color Your Dreams podcast episodes with Monica Schrock, one of my team members, on how I became less dependent on social media:
- Episode 4: How to Start Being Less Dependent on Social Media with Monica Schrock. You can listen to this 1 hour episode on Apple or Spotify
- Episode 38: Part 2. One Year Later, How I Became Less Dependent on Social Media with Monica Schrock. You can listen to this 1.5 hour podcast episode on Apple or Spotify
3. You get an accountability partner.
A business coach is a great resource for you if you struggle to stay on top of goals and tasks in your business. I believe that we are worth so much more than our productivity and that rest is revolution in a capitalist economy. That being said, as business owners we have to find ways to stay structured and focused so that we can continue building a business that allows us to create a meaningful living. Having regular check-ins with your business coach can help hold you accountable to the things you want to achieve, and provides the structure you need to stay on track with your goals. On your own, it can be easy to let things slip and put off the difficult conversation with your team member; a coach checks in on your progress and provides routine where it might otherwise be lacking.
4. You’ll strengthen your leadership skills.
Whether you’re a solo small business owner or an executive in charge of running an organization, strong leadership skills are essential to building success. As a business coach, I work to help my clients continually develop and improve their leadership skills like self awareness, conscious communication, and problem solving. Sometimes these skills develop as an outcome of our work together and sometimes we consciously work on them together through various exercises.
One of the main values I try to instill in my clients is not shying away from difficult conversations, whether that’s with a client, a colleague, or in their personal life. Entrepreneurship comes with immense responsibility and requires immense inner growth. A business coach can help (compassionately) point out your blind spots, target your weaknesses, and guide you through finding the leadership style that feels right for you.
5. You can create a long-term, sustainable business.
We become business owners for a variety of reasons, but one of the main benefits of running your own business is the ability to create a life on your own terms. Scaling your business to be more profitable may be an initial priority, but making sure your business plan reflects long term sustainability is even more important. One of my biggest beliefs as a business and career coach is that you should be able to run a business based on your values without burning out and working yourself to exhaustion. Working with a coach can ensure that you’re not just thinking about profit and scaling, but that you’re also creating a LIFE and business that fits the lifestyle you want to live.
I share more about how to create a more sustainable business in the Color Your Dreams 26th Podcast episode, “Simplify Your Business by Knowing More + Doing Less.” You can listen to this 19-minute podcast episode on Apple or Spotify.
The benefits of working with a business coach are immeasurable as long as you are motivated to take action and stay persistent. My mission is to support WOC and allies to pivot to an aligned and purposeful lifestyle and legacy in their businesses and careers, while collectively creating a sustainable and equitable future. If you are ready to invest in your own business and future,
If you would like further support in your career, business, or leadership, my team and I would love to support you in creating a sustainable life! You can schedule a 30-minute legacy business or career review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together, and you’ll receive 3 action-items from me.
Not ready to work with me? Sign up to receive bi-weekly Color Your Dreams Newsletter here.
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