Last week, three people asked me about what I had learned after doing the Free Coaching gig I offered at the end of April.
When three people ask, I know it’s time to write. Not that I’ve been looking for things to write about. That appears to me, in every nook & cranny of my life.
But a bigger, underlying false premise behind what stops me from writing is thinking it’s not valuable, relevant or meaningful enough to share.
And since three are asking, I figured even though it feels weird and funky and foreign… I’m willing to share it through my eyes. The things I learned from giving 30 days of free coaching away…
#1 – Just Do It
Before I did it, I had so much hesitancy. Boat loads of it.
I learned, again, that most of the time (at least 95%) I just need to do it. I just need to begin. To start. To jump. To do it.
There is no more right time than right now.
I went for it. Noticing the hesitancy, but not needing it not to be present in order for me to proceed.
I also faced some fear talking smack. It sounded like, “What if no one shows up? What if no one wants what I’ve got? Or gets what I’m doing?”
Ugh. Painful.
But at some point, I think after experiencing my perception of failing, enough times, I’ve made some kinda new peace with it. I still get totally freaked out about it. But once I get enough room to detach, I’m able to remind myself that making mistakes is a good thing.
And the only failure is in not beginning. Or starting again. As the case may be.
#2 – Getting to ‘Money is off the table’ is total freedom.
This one feels like a long time coming. Not that it has come all the way. But it’s coming nonetheless. Like birth again. I feel lots of things being born within me at this time.
Here’s a big one that clarified during this free coaching biz: the people I want to work with want to pay me.
This started out as me internally getting that when I pay someone, it gives me freedom to ask for everything I want from them. From the experience. A real investment in myself. To just go for it.
I want to work with those kinds of people. Where investments in themselves is something they just do. And have done. For a long, long time.
The people showing up to work with me now, since I did this, ask me to bill them and send them money. Are you kidding?!
Money is completely off the table. So offering anything for free is sorta silly… ?
Not that the people I met and had the pleasure of working/are working with are silly.
But to offer it for free… yeah, no. I’m pretty sure I’ve crossed more fully over into a new space about how I value my self and how that’s connected to me doing business.
What I’m Still Learning
I still think there is space in here for me to clarify how people translate value in the offer itself. We all want a good deal. Or a bargain. Maybe its part of creating a sense of urgency, I’m not sure.
I personally don’t always feel supported by urgency. I like to take at least 24 hours to make important decisions. False urgency is gross. And we’ve felt it when we’ve read it on certain sales pages. The lousy scare tactic. Blegh!
But something did happen when I said out loud, this is the offer. It’s free. It’s for a limited time (and named a few other red velvet rope criteria). Something is happening in there. I’m wondering if there is any value in me trying to understand that further.
I’ll let you know what else bubbles up. If it does. Or maybe go re-read Charlie’s posts on pricing perception and see what sticks this time.
I guess the only other remaining obvious question is Will I do it again?
I’m not sure. I’m not having the urge to do it again. Which doesn’t necessarily mean I shouldn’t or won’t.
Some of the facts… 2 of the 4 people I coached converted to paying clients. Not that that was my sole intention. I was curious. Yes! But I actually just missed coaching and wanted to turn up the coaching side of my life/biz because I missed it.
So I set an intention early on in the process of deciding to do the free coaching gig. I wanted to be coaching my ass off in the month of May. That was my bottom line. Joy is my focus these days. It’s the thing that keeps me going. Coaching is one of the things that brings me a lot of joy. Supporting people to work with fear in a brand new way in their lives inspires me.
Having that intention up front made it easier to remember along the way. And when the trash talk appeared, I found myself more prepared for it. And remembering, “I want to be coaching my ass off in May” had a potent effect on choosing to take another step.
My internal conversation shifted into “Just try it and see what happens.” And I became curious instead of fearing what hasn’t or isn’t happening yet.
Have you thought about offering your thing for free (longer than a free call or session?)
I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Or if you any other specific questions for me…
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve offered free coaching for the LGBT community for 8-weeks (for a limited time that’s now over), and have been flirting with the idea of doing something similar to what you did back there in April.
I feel like I need to get right in my head what my purpose in doing it is, and then get off the ol’ ass and do it. I think part of it is marketing, sure, but what you said about missing coaching is really resonating with me. June/July has slowed the biz down a bit for me, and I just miss my right people…maybe this is a way of letting them know I’m available.
Thanks for sharing your learning and insights, my dear!
Dian Reid´s last blog ..Awareness Before Mindfulness
5 months ago, I started New Baby, New Paltz. 2 hours EVERY Tuesday for new moms and their babies. 2 hours of love, conversation, support, information, and breastfeeding help.
I wanted moms in my community to have a resource, close to home–not 1/2 hour away.
They might take one of my classes someday, or refer a client for lactation consulting, in a few years, they might have a bad marriage. Right now, all they need is a place to land for a couple of hours every week where they can share, vent, and ask questions. And, yes, I worry that no one will show up. So far, that only happened once.
It feels good and it’s working for me.
Love,
Donna
Thanks for sharing your insights. I was wondering how it turned out for you. Except I just lurked instead of asking ;-) Doing a lot of thinking about value myself these days and I appreciate hearing your process around that as well.
Mynde,
My own experience of offering my services for free is that I usually do a better job, and I usually find it more fulfilling. Is that just my perception of it? Is it something about the money not being on the table that releases me from some of the stress or performance anxiety?
I often wish that I could just do my thing for people and trust the universe to take care of my bills for me! Or that I could ask people to value my services and pay me what they think I’m worth. Would trust be enough to make it work?
Well done to you for doing this and getting us thinking about it though.
Bright Blessings.
Sam Brightwell´s last blog ..Balance Is Another Name For Mediocrity
@Dian Reid, Having a clear purpose saves me every time! There’s more clarity coming forward about it all… I realized after I posted this I didn’t cover the basics: What I’d do the same? Everything. What I’d do different… I might not offer a full month of free but I’m not positive about that either.
All in all, I think it was a success for me, simply because I did it. I pressed publish and then went through the steps and coached my ass off.
@donna, that sounds wonderful. I would have totally gone and hung out with you for the support & encouragement when my daughter was newborn. i had the same attitude toward those clients who chose not to continue… i was grateful for the opportunity to connect and coach and willing to trust the process… theirs & mine.
@desiree, it’s the same stuff. valuing self. it just reappears with different faces. thanks for lurking. and chiming in today. :)
@sam, everything is an experiment. so i do think, trust is enough. i controlled how many people i would experiment with and the duration. there was no long term commitments, lol. so trust was a big part of what helped me “experiment” like this. trusting myself to set the program up so I would be supported, enjoy myself and be focused on doing what i love.
This highlight of this post for me, Mynde, was that “your” people WANT to coach with you. This is a major woo-hoo-ism! You are brilliant at the “just do it” too. This is definitely on my radar for the fall. My free Clutter Busting Virtual Retreats have been a blast and is serving me and the women that come very well. For me, there’s something wonderful about giving, experiencing the joy in the moment and leaving the outcome to God. Thanks for your juicy–always helpful–posts. Blessing–keep sharing you with the world, Mynde.
Lee Miller´s last blog ..Life On The Ledge
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