Even though I try to be present and mindful each day in my life – with my children, with my husband, with my clients – I often find it’s really hard to be present with myself.
As a business owner, who is responsible for all aspects of my business, there is no room for me to be forgetful or let things slip. If I do, then it directly impacts the quality of support I provide my clients, and directly impacts my bottom line – yes, the dollars of course, but more importantly, my ability to help you make a positive impact on the world.
And with my children and home responsibilities, it’s the same. My two boys, my husband, even my dog – they need to eat and they need my attention and love. There is no time, other when they are sleeping, that I am not acutely aware of what they need from me.
For all the rewards and freedoms of having my own business, sometimes it can be exhausting. And yet, when a sad event – like the loss of a long-time family friend – occurs, it forces me to stop everything and be fully present to myself. It puts things in perspective.
This weekend, I was back home in Iowa, for a visitation and memorial service. The woman who passed away is inextricably linked with most of my experiences and memories of childhood. She was the mom of the family of 5 children who lived next door.
Where I grew up, the back yards were open to one another. There were frequent spontaneous multi-family gatherings after-work and on weekends. The families were connected child-to-child, parent-to-parent, and child-to-parent, within and between families. It was my own experience of being raised by a village.
I’m just now realizing the significance of being raised in such a tight-knit community, and appreciating the positive influence this other mom (Pat) had on me in childhood and adolescence. And – even with a regular mindful yoga practice and time built into my schedule to just “be” – I’m also realizing how infrequently I pause to check-in with my emotional state.
It’s critically important to be in tune with yourself, because how you feel affects how you think and the choices you make – in your business and in your life. In yoga, we talk about aligning thoughts words and actions. Really, this is bigger – it’s about feelings, affecting thoughts, words and actions.
And here’s what this has to do with YOU and the work I’m here to do in the world. You need support. Not just to design business systems and ways to build your pipeline for new customers and clients. Not just to manage cash flow and be consistent in implementing your latest great idea.
You need support as a whole person. Because, as someone who is responsible for your own bottom line, you are the engine of your business. If you lose your passion (your spark), if you lose your focus, it shows up in each conversation, each email, each decision. For better and for worse.
When I work with my clients – whether individually or in a group – I work with the whole person, not just the business owner. We address your state of mind and your physical well-being. We look at your personal organization and time management practices. We even look at your relationships and your spiritual practice. And because it is quite common that the way my clients are feeling impacts business results, we talk about that quite openly.
Like when I supported my client through the last stages of divorce so he could keep his engineering practice going.
Or how I’ve supported a number of clients through and beyond the empty nest stage as they re-direct their attention and energy to themselves and realizing their visions.
Or with my women clients who struggle with keeping their businesses running strong when their hearts are more closely tied with their growing children.
Most coaches and consultants don’t acknowledge the whole human being that is you – the engine behind your business. Some don’t have the capacity or experience or interest to do so. And some simply don’t feel comfortable “crossing that line” with supporting clients in this way. But, I do.
If you’re ready to receive the full support of someone who gets it from personal experience – and from working with hundreds of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and private individuals – then I invite you to take the first step and meet with me by phone for an initial coaching session.
Find out more about my approach here.
Schedule an initial coaching session here.