10 terrible mistakes I’ve made when I launched my first group coaching programme.

You don’t really need to repeat them, trust me.

I remember the time that I was so eager to create an offer for my audience that I didn’t even think of these mistakes that I made but good thing is that you don’t need to…

Let’s Dive in…

1 – I was a “Jack of all trades and a master of none”.

In the beginning, I was literally marketing to everybody’s and not focusing on my ideal audience. So the expected happened, I become a generalist and neglected the need to be a specialist. You see, when you don’t position yourself in a specific market segment and provide the solutions that your audience is seeking, your message becomes dilute and without meaning. When you specialise in what they want, you become known for that speciality.

2 – I forgot to ask my audience what they wanted and instead I just created something that I thought they wanted.

In my defence, maybe I didn’t ask them because, in the first stages of my business, I didn’t know-how. Engaging with others on social media is such a different “beast” then networking face to face. The trick is to keep the conversations fluid with those that want what you have to offer.

I had to change my interaction strategy in social groups. I started to be present, give value and asking them questions which allow me to create content around the solutions. Children ask questions all the time because they want to find out the solutions so why would it be different for adults? Only by asking relevant questions, you can assess if there is a need for the solution.

3 – Stressing about having everything perfect. Nothing is perfect dear Coach and that is the truth and a costly mistake.

Stressing about having everything perfect was my next mistake. The thing is that nothing is perfect and neither you would want it this way. Being perfect, keeps you stuck wondering how you can do everything better. Unfortunately, that keeps you from moving forward.

It makes you question your worth, how valuable you are to others and to yourself.

“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people,” wrote Anne Lamott

Being a perfectionist I always wanted my ideas and decisions would be validated and praised. I would be waiting for that voice in my head to say: “Yes go for it, It’s fine” but the “fine” was not enough, I needed more reassurance until the day that I became aware that “what if I do and fail”, “What if it’s not perfect in my eyes, would anybody else notice it”.

To help me see the value of what I was doing I started an exercise (given by my Coach), and I would love for you to do the same. Write down in your journal daily for 10 consecutive days. If you can do longer the better! It takes around 21 days to create a new habit.

I AM valuable when [fill the blank] because [fill the blank]
I added value when [fill the blank] because [fill the blank]

This exercise is going to make you think about the little daily things you do that you take for granted which you don’t consider “perfect”, they just are and you have disregarded them in your life. It all sums up to this sentence. “Don’t get it PERFECT, get it DONE”

4 – Yep rookie mistake… I forgot to do the research.

I was convinced that I knew exactly what my audience wanted. However, I was wrong?
I forgot to ask my audience what they wanted and instead, I just created something that I thought they wanted.

Yup, rookie mistake… I forgot to do the research so what happened was that my content and my message was not resonating with anybody. Yes, some call it CRICKETS but I like to call it NADA! It wasn’t until I changed my perspective and started focusing on exactly what she wanted that I started to attract amazing clients and start creating the solutions that they were seeking.

5 – I wasn’t speaking the same language as my audience and my message was all twisted… painful right? This is what we call “white virtual noise” and I was doing plenty of this one. Oh man, I sounded so corporate!

My audience didn’t hear me because I wasn’t using the right words and therefore my message wasn’t resonating. I was still using corporate jargon and nobody listens to that.

6 – Possibilities were passing me by! I thought I could do it all alone but that was blinding me to opportunities.

I needed to redo my website and membership site. I wanted to send emails to my list and guess what? I did it! I had to put together all the group coaching programme content. I plugged all the tech. I created all the images and graphics. I built all prelaunch elements, launch and post-launch content, and guess what? I did that too.

Funny, can you see how everything got so busy? I was doing it all alone and to be honest I was stressing out completely. Again, I wasn’t focusing on my zone of genius. Possibilities were passing me by. I thought I could do it all alone but that was feeling me with dread and make me invisible to other opportunities.

You don’t have to do it all alone, find a Guide that is going to take you where you want to be faster not harder. While I was messing about with all the tech because let’s face it, I love it, what happened was I wasn’t focusing on the most important elements of my business. I wasn’t creating a system.

Busyness creates more busyness.

7 – I was a total control freak!! 

Behaviours and patterns I’ve carried from my 9 to 5 were leaving me stuck and overwhelmed. All I was thinking was that “I had to do it all if I wanted a job well done”. You see when you work in corporate for that long, it’s hard to let go of the control and this is something we need to learn and shift. This led me to my next costly mistake.

8 – I was more tired than when I was working for somebody else.

The fact that I wanted to control every single moving part of my business, left me exhausted. Actually it wasn’t until 3 years later that I have started to outsource some of my tasks. I finally employed an assistant and started growing my team. Yes, I should have done it sooner but the as I always say: “Better later than never”, right?

9 – I wasn’t at all happy because at the end of the day I wasn’t taking care of number UNO.

I ignored the most important person in your business… ME. You see, I used to put myself 2nd all the time and making sure that everybody was happier than me, was taken care of. I still don’t like to say it but when I started to be more selfish with it incredible shifts took place. It’s true that your business is a reflection of you and when I become aware of this and started making changes within me, I started seeing the RADICAL possibilities.

You see, the inner work is an ongoing JOB and once you become aware and accept your own limitations the sooner you move forward with the life you’re creating every day.

I was completely unaware that feeling unhappy was actually bringing me even more unhappiness. Like Esther Hicks has said on the last conference I’ve attended “Mind your words but most importantly mind the way you feel”. You get what you think about on a daily basis either you want it or not.

So, it is of vital importance that you calm your mind down, meditate and do the inner work.

10 – Finally, the “Biggie”.

I thought I was in control of my business…when in fact, I was faffing about aimlessly, frantically putting out fires (just like I used to do in my corporate JOB, duh!).

Why am I telling you all this… I don’t want you to go through what I’ve been through. It might sound cliche but I want you to succeed faster and for that to happen you need to allow others to help. Others that have been through what you are about to go through and accept guidance. That was the only thing that I did properly when I re-launched my group coaching program, I asked for help and suddenly not all was lost. I managed to learn from my mistakes and move forward.

The question now is… do you want to be guided by someone that has been through it or do you want to make those mistakes yourself on your own? I’m here for you if you want me to be your guide, let’s chat and see if we are a good fit for each other.