You’ve made the first big step – your business is up and running. Congratulations, but…
What’s next?
It can be daunting to know exactly what route to take next. What if there are avenues you need to explore? What if you steer off track? Who’s going to hold you accountable?
Three years into business, I decided to hire my first coach. I had no idea what to expect and was an investment that I could barely afford at the time.
I just knew that I needed professional guidance from somebody who’d been there, done it and got the t-shirt. It was all well and good, meeting successful friends for drinks, gathering advice and feeling inspired, but I needed to take some personal action. I needed a strategist. So I started coaching sessions for direction in how to grow my brand, and the results were incredible.
My business went on to have its best performing year. Then, it continued its growth, more and more. I knew that this was not only down to what I was executing for my personal brand. I was being held accountable to somebody. I had to show up and do the work and do it within a time frame (which always helps).
So what does a personal brand coach actually do?
Well, for starters, they make sure you’re clear on the goals you want to reach. My coach always said to me, “You can’t steer a parked car, you need to know where you want to go.” Which makes sense. Yes, you need to develop your visibility and your credibility, but you also need to have a strong direction. The most successful personal brands on the market know who and what they are from the inside out. And what’s more, they see the light. They know where they’re heading towards and if it changes, they are ready to pivot – you have to move.
A coach will also help you with a personal brand audit. This will raise awareness of where you are with your brand and where you need to go. What needs to go? What should you be focusing on more clearly? Who is your target? And are you attracting the right attention? What sort of press coverage would be beneficial? With a strategy in place, you will be guided towards polishing up your overall consistency of what it is you’re presenting and putting out to your audience.
When I think back to my first coach, I know exactly why I was able to get results quicker. You see, a coach understands. They get it. They get you. They’ve been in your shoes – stood exactly where you’re standing now.
So if you want to improve your social media and visibility, you should definitely work with somebody who’s already got the results for themselves. You’re learning from somebody in the know! Remember that with every step you take in growing your business and your personal brand, you’re doing it to increase your impact, and your income too. That’s the bottom line.
