Wish You Had Better Clients? Start With The Woman (or Man) In The Mirror
“If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams.” ~Les Brown
It's no secret for many of us that eating healthy, drinking more water and exercising lead to a healthier more vibrant body. With the right nutrition, you can gain muscle, build a stronger immune system and have more energy to do the things you love. The truth is, health starts from the inside out. I heard someone say (probably one of those Beachbody coaches), "You can't exercise away a bad diet."
Well, the same is true for your business. Though this article is not about health per se, it kind of is. Because being healthy is not just a physical thing, it's a matter of who we are. Healthy is a way of being, a way of living, and a way of thinking. What's going on in the inside of you will always show up in your business. Yikes!
What a tough one to learn. Honestly, the "Work In Progress" sign is still hanging over my forehead when it comes to this lesson, but if you’ll allow me, I’ll share what I've learned on my journey, which has led to working with MUCH better clients, and yes, making more money…
Woman In The Mirror Lesson 1: You Are Your Highest Paying Client
This lesson came straight out of the mouth of our leader and mentor, Sandi Krakowski. I've learned it's important to keep your own business up to par in order to give the best service to your clients. It pays to invest the same – if not more – time, energy and money into your own business as you expect clients to invest with you. Practicing this also helps you to be authentic because your service to others comes from your own experience.
Woman In The Mirror Lesson 2: A Healthier You = A Healthier Business
In my business it's so easy to get stuck at my desk and forget all about eating, let alone eating healthy! I would make all kinds of excuses for not having time for meals, and you couldn't pay me to work out! The funny thing is I used to be so athletic, running track, playing basketball – I was such a tomboy. So I don't know where this sedentary girl came from, but I realized she had to go when I started feeling a loss in energy and it became hard to focus. I can't serve clients if I can't focus. So in came my essential oils and 30-minute blocks in my schedule for exercise and stretch breaks. To keep my energy up, I started buying snack-size fruits, quick salads and raw veggies to keep at my desk. I also started drinking more water. Not only has my focus come back, but so has my energy. Who knew?
Woman In The Mirror Lesson 3: What You Think About Money Can Make Or Break Your Business
I almost didn't go here, because money is such a "touchy" subject. But the truth is when we make amends with money we will stop being a slave to it and start using it to serve us.
Here's my experience with this: When I started in business, I would assume people wouldn't pay a certain price for my services. I wasn't sure where this was coming from especially since I never tested it and had no "real" proof for my assumptions. After a few coaching sessions with Sandi along with listening to Rabbi Lapin's book Thou Shalt Prosper, God turned the light on in that area.
What he revealed is how I didn’t consider myself "worthy" of getting paid "so much.” I had internalized something that had nothing to do with me personally. Ouch!
Realizing how valuable my services are in the marketplace, I stopped projecting my doubts onto other people and overcame those fears – and outright lies – about myself. I also learned that though my business is a part of me, my pricing has to do with my services and the value of those services, and neither of these things affect who I am, which means they don't affect my personal worth, which truly is priceless. 🙂
The most important takeaway is learning to take care of my business and myself from the inside out, which helped me develop the right habits for a healthier, more sustainable and more profitable business.
I hope these lessons blessed you as much as they have me. Until next time!
PS: Raise your hand if Michael Jackson's classic hit, "Man In The Mirror" is stuck in your head now! Sorry about that. 😉
Lane Jones is WordPress Designer and social media branding specialist at FreshtakeOnContent.com.
