Welcome to the Masterful Coach podcast with Molly Claire, where coaches learn skill mastery, business mastery, and life mastery at a whole new level. If you’re ready to create a meaningful coaching business that makes a difference, you’re in the right place. And now your host, master coach instructor, Molly Claire. Hello, Coach, who’s ready to dive into some keys to making a really successful launch in your business. I’m really looking forward to sharing with you today some of the really big wins that we’ve had. Over the last few weeks, we have been in the midst of the launch of the Coaching Collective. And we’ve had such a great time. I feel like our team has really been connected and come together and learn so much from this launch. And I wanted to take this experience and share it with you. I want to do this for a couple of reasons from a couple of standpoints, really. First of all, I think no matter where you are in your business, it is always really important to look ahead at where you may be going and have that broader view so that you’re thinking about what’s next while you’re also where you are. Because as you do that, you will set things up in your business that can easily be scaled, that can easily be opened up as you move to that next level. So, I want to offer that to you here. Also, I believe that all of the things that we did in this last launch are absolutely applicable to even those of you that it’s just you, maybe you don’t even have an admin yet. Although I do highly recommend that you get an admin, that you get that support. It’s going to help you move forward so much more quickly. But even those of you that are just—you’re a one-woman show, this is going to be relevant for you. And I’m really excited to share these wins. We are so proud of the launch that we just had, not just from a numbers perspective, but just as we have seen, so many things in our business come together and come to fruition. And I think this is worth mentioning, because as you’re listening, I know every one of you experience, the highs and the lows in your business. And I know that when you’re not getting the traction that you would hope or that your business isn’t where you thought it should be, or your second thoughts of believing that you should be further along, or you’re too far behind, or this will never work. I think it is so important to acknowledge and appreciate and enjoy, when things come to fruition, when things come together. For me, again, this launch, and I think for Amy as well and our whole team, yes, we are very excited with the tangible outcomes. But really, just to see things coming to fruition and pulling together is a powerful thing. And I hope that all of you recognize those things when they happen in your business, as well. So, I’m going to talk about five key things that really have made this last launch for us such a huge success. And we’ve had very successful launches in the past. And we remember one in particular where the largest group at the time that we’d ever had was 20. And then we had a launch with 50 people come in, and it was such amazing growth for us. And yet, one thing that’s really different about this launch, and I’m going to talk about these things with you, is that it’s really been many different moving parts coming together. So, as I talk about this, I’m going to share these five keys that you can incorporate now, or if you’re already doing some of them, hopefully you can up level them, and you can just tweak them just enough to make it a little bit better. So, let’s talk first about preparing your audience. When you’re a brand-new coach, you want to think about preparing your potential clients. You give them a freebie, you send them some emails, you warm them up as you connect with them on a regular basis, giving value in emails or on Instagram or trainings. And so this is a key principle no matter what in your business. Prepare your audience, allow them to get to know you. And for our launch in particular, we’re always preparing our audience. We’re always delivering that value and hopefully, they know us by the time this launch comes up, anyway. But we also have this six weeks lead up time where we’re letting people know the state is coming. So as you’re listening, if you have a big thing you want to launch or a webinar you want to do, think about the scale to which you are growing at this point in time, how many people you want there, how many people are already in your audience, and consider for you how much lead up time there will be. So, for us, it’s a six week lead up time where we let people know the launch is coming. And we plan all the different pieces of how we’re going to prepare them. How are we going to help them to know what our program is about? How are we going to help them know what questions or problems it solves for them? And how are we going to ensure that the people who are exactly right for this program will be prepared when the time comes? And so all of you can think about that as well. Nnot only again, in that general stance of how am I preparing my clients to know what it’s like to work with me? How will I prepare my clients to know what to expect? And another thing I want you to think about is, how do you prepare your clients to feel safe to come with you? Safe to come on a consultation call with you? Safe to take that next step of applying? Because no matter what type of coach you are, or what kind of clients you work with, I promise you that your clients have some fear about taking that step two work with you, they lack confidence in themselves. They fear that they won’t get this result, they wonder possibly, if they’re just going to be fooled and buy into something that won’t really be effective. And part of your job as the coach, whether you are selling them on one-to-one services, or more of a group program, a bigger scale launch, is to make sure that in your emails, in your videos in your contact and sales with them, that you are giving them the assurance they need, that they are capable, that you will help them, you want to give them that sense of security, it is everything. And part of this honestly, is just being very authentic and upfront about what you’re going to do in the time that you have with them. Even on your consultations or mini sessions. This is what you can expect in this call. These are the reasons you might be hesitant. And it’s okay, because this is how we’re going to take care of you. So, key number one, prepare your audience. Think about the time frame that you want to build in to prepare your audience. What are the things you want your people to know ahead of time? How are you going to reassure them? And how can you ensure that by the time you are asking them to come with you as a client, that they know you well enough, and they feel comfortable enough with you that it is a no brainer. Okay, let’s shift gears just a little bit here and talk about leadership. If you are a one-woman show right now, you can also do what I’m suggesting. I’m going to be talking about roles and goals. And more specifically, very clear roles and goals with your team. So, if you’re a one-woman show, you can think about the different roles you play because as you build a coaching business, you play different roles. This is actually something that we work on in the Coaching Collective, is we help our coaches look at and identify the different roles that they play in their business. And we help our coaches to take a look at which of those roles they feel most comfortable in. And which of those roles need a little bit more attention. So, as I’m talking to each of you about your team, this may apply to your team if you have many people, and this may be on a smaller scale. So, in our last launch, each team member played a distinct role. And we got better and better at defining what those roles were. And the more clearly you can define those roles, the better. Now this was a little bit of a challenge for us in this last launch, because many roles that we had in the last launch prior to this had shifted. And we had new people brought in. And so part of the struggle of this launch actually was getting crystal clear on who did what and the compensation in relation to it. Amy and I spent a lot of time talking through and brainstorming because we knew that we were expanding the scale of the launch. And at the same time, we were bringing in new people. And some things that Amy and I are really— I kind of think this is something that we really excel at, because it’s so important to us, is maintaining the quality of the experience while we grow. We have work to do this in our community. And really, this was a chance for us to do this with our team. Because we knew that we were expanding, we knew that we were going to a new scale, and we knew we had new people in. And we wanted to maintain the quality of the experience to the extent that we could. So we spent a lot of time sifting through this. But it was so valuable to have the roles and goals of each person on our team to be so very clear that we were able to run the team more effectively. So, as I said, if you have a team, take the time to define roles as clearly as possible, really step into that CEO mindset and imagine that you want to have those roles so clearly defined, that you have a business manual with everything outlined and that someone could come in off the street, and know exactly what each person does. And if you don’t yet have a team, think about designating as if you have a team, think about the roles you play in your business, write down the job that each of your roles has. Now the more you do this, the better it will set you up for success long term as you grow. And by the way, assuming you don’t want to grow and have more of a team, there is still value. I remember one of our coaches in our group and the collective saying, “I really don’t want a team, I hear people talking about expanding their businesses. That’s not what I want. I just want me and my assistant.” And so if that’s you and you relate to that, I think that is amazing that you have that clarity, and you can still clearly define the roles you are covering, and get clear on the responsibilities and goals within each of those. One more thing I want to speak to in terms of leadership, as you are creating your launch process, bringing in new clients is how important it is to integrate the team goals. So, this would be more specifically to those of you that do you have more of a team that you’re building out. So, for this last launch, we had our Facebook group week, and we really wanted to find our people there. Because we knew that the people who would be perfect for our group would know it as we spent time together with them that week. So, the purpose was really for us to create a microcosm of what our community is really like, to give the experience to them, and help those who wanted and needed our program to have the support to move forward with that decision. Now, because of this, the goals we set with each person on our team worked toward that goal. We had our team all working together that week in harmony to accomplish the same thing. We wanted them to create an experience for the people with us that was authentic. We wanted to give people a taste of the many parts of what we offer. We wanted to introduce people to the Masters in our program, who will be guiding them so they could establish those relationships. And we wanted to help clarify the questions people had, so that they would be ready to join if this was the right step for them. So, with our entire team working toward that same goal, the energy was absolutely magical. And we made sure to coordinate bonuses and compensation and focus so that everyone was really working together to support each other for the overall goal. So amazing. All right, let’s talk about a little bit more leadership here: accountability and check-ins. This was something that we really up leveled this time around with our team; accountability and check-ins. And I want you to just notice for a minute as you’re listening, any emotions that come up for you around accountability and check ins, is this exciting? Is this empowering for you? Or does this seem kind of like “getting in trouble” kind of thing, right? Sometimes I think we can equate accountability with sort of this like getting chastised for not doing what we’re supposed to do. And I think that’s a big reason why people don’t do it. But I really believe for you, as you’re building your business, it is so important to set responsibilities, identify tasks, and set specific deadlines. And as you’re listening, make sure that you’re relating this to your stage of business and your type of business. Now, our last launch started out amazing. And when I say our last launch, I mean the one in the fall, prior to this one that we just closed up, we had deadlines set, and we were on fire. But then here’s what happened. Some deadlines were missed and some things shifted and changed in the process. And while we acknowledged this and kept moving forward, we didn’t really go back to step one, and recommit to new deadlines and require check-ins. And we didn’t take into account the things that had shifted and put them into that master plan. So, our leadership and follow through, it just wasn’t as tight. Now, this resulted in a crammed and chaotic last couple of weeks in the launch. And as the leader over this part of our team, it was really my responsibility to evaluate how we could tighten up our process. Not only so we stayed on track for the launch, but as a benefit to every person on our team. Our team is like family to us. We love everyone on our team like crazy. And we really want to set each person up for success, not just for our business, but for them personally. And part of this is people being in the right position. And part of it is also making sure that we have systems in place to help develop each person. So as each team member has had accountability within our team and follow up on deadlines, it has really required everyone to uplevel. And the same can be true for you. The more that you bring in some accountability and some deadlines and some follow through, it is going to allow you to uplevel, especially if done the right way. Now, I do think too often we’re afraid of deadlines and accountability, as I mentioned, because we’re afraid of the self-beat down that we anticipate. An unmet deadline or an unmet goal can potentially be an experience of spiraling down into negative self-talk. But I don’t believe that an unmet deadline or an unmet goal for you, has to be a negative experience. And in fact, as brilliant coaches, you are perfectly equipped to learn from that unmet goal with curiosity. Why didn’t I meet this goal exactly? What are all the things that seemed to get in the way? How can I solve for those? And as you, coach, can start to practice, going through this process of awareness and curiosity and solution for yourself, that will move you forward that will help you up level. And for those of you that have more of a team in your business, as you go through this as you— I should say, as you help your team, go through this process of awareness and curiosity and solution, you will be allowing your people to up level, you will be facilitating growth within your people, which serves them at a personal level, and obviously serves the overall big picture of your business. So, we’ve talked about some of this serious leadership stuff. And let’s move on to tip number four, which is all about the energy and the vibe you bring in as you launch your program, as you bring new people into your coaching business. In your business, even if it’s just you right now, you have a company culture, you personally have values and a mission, even if you haven’t yet articulated it. And I do recommend that you articulate it because it is so powerful. Now in the Coaching Collective, we have some core values in our company. Things like collaboration, connection, and individuality. And as my business partner, Amy and I set up the mission of our business with this at the core, those values have expanded into our community and within our team as well. And it’s really powerful and so fun to look back and see that as a mission with core values that was created by the two of us; we’re sisters, two sisters, sitting in a public library in a room that we reserved for two hours on that first day, and how that has impacted hundreds, and soon to be thousands, as we bring more people into our program. Now last month when our team was in Hawaii, it really hit me that this company culture has become something so special. We were with our team in-person. And obviously, Hawaii brings a nice vibe too, right? But it was the energy of these women that was so powerful. There’s a vibe and an energy that we’ve been able to create with intention. And at the same time, the vibe and energy that you create, needs to constantly be fueled and reset. As we spent time with our team prepping for the launch, we didn’t just talk about tasks, but we also did specific emotion work together, we made sure that everyone was in tune with their unique energy that would fuel the best version of them in the launch. I want to pause for a minute, do you do this? As an individual, as you’re going into selling, promoting, bringing people in, do you reconnect with your mission, your core values? And do you set the energy or vibe? Now, as we did this, we made sure everyone was in tune with their own energy. And we also made it a point to ensure that each team member had the support they needed to do their job well. And we checked in on that time and again, do you do this? Can you see how this really continues to impact the energy happening in any launch? So do you check in with your team? And if they have the support they need? If you are a one woman show, do you check in with yourself? Do you ensure that you have the support you need to meet those goals to move yourself forward? It is equally as important actually, I would say more important that you check in and ensure that you have the support you need, you are the leader of your business at the end of the day, right? Another thing that made a huge difference in the energy that we had as a team, is that we constantly noticed and appreciated the value in each person on our team. Now the truth is, the value is just there, right? Everyone was showing up and being so powerful. But it was really our job to notice it and recognize it. Not only because it feels so amazing to appreciate and recognize people, and the good things they do and the great things they bring that also, of course, that only builds as we share that with one another right as each person feels valued. So that was a huge part of our launch as well. And by the way, isn’t that so much fun, anyway? We created together, so much connection, gratitude, ease and flow, fun and excitement all throughout the launch. And we did all of that while challenging ourselves to uplevel as individuals and giving more to our people. How can you do more of this? If you’re a solopreneur right now, how can you create a similar experience? How can you emulate your best vibe, and maybe even think about this in terms of being in sync with your potential clients in the launch? I promise that as all of you think about the energy and vibe that you want to create and emulate and bring, it will make any launch or sales process not only more enjoyable, but much more powerful. All right, let’s talk about the last thing here, which is looking at the relationship you have with your number. For just a minute, think about your goal number, whether it’s clients, whether it is a number of people you want on your list, or at your webinar, or maybe it’s the amount of money you want to make. Think about that number. What is your relationship with that number? When you close your eyes and think about that number, what feelings come up for you? What thoughts, hopes, dreams, or fears come up for you? Sometimes that relationship you have with your number can be the most volatile relationship in your life. You can be excited one minute, feel pressured the next you can be nervous, intimidated, discouraged, excited over the moon on and on the list votes. So, as you set a goal and have a number it’s important to check in regularly with that number and the feelings and thoughts associated with it. Maintaining that relationship with your number in a launch, means really leaning into intentionality. How do you need to think about that number to stay in your best state? What emotions will you connect with that number? How will you clean up any ill feelings between you and that number on the regular? I genuinely believe that when we can constantly be checking in with that number and maintaining that relationship, that is the key. Because I think a mistake that coaches often make is, they look at a number and they look at their thoughts and their feelings. And they feel like, “Yes, I’m in alignment. I have good vibes about this number. My thoughts are on point with this number.” But what we forget is that inevitably, other thoughts and emotions creep in and things shift and change. So, the work is not done just like in any relationship in our life that we have. The work of relationships are never done. And with that number, when you can be best friends with that number, always checking in, maintaining that relationship, the good vibes will be there. And your mind will be open to the ways that that number is inevitable. I believe this truly allows you to have that power of constant recommitment to making your number happen. It’s been so fun to be here with you today and share a little about this launch. It was an amazing experience for our whole team. We feel so connected with each other. We feel more connected than ever to all of our clients, the coaches that we help, and it’s just an honor to be here with all of you. So, thanks for being here, and I will talk to you next week. Outro: Thanks for listening to the Masterful Coach podcast. You can check out www.thecoachingcollective.com, for info about the ultimate program for coaches building a business. To find out more about, Molly, you can visit www.mollyclaire.com.