I Don't Go It Alone in Business... And Neither Should You

For the entire history of LMW Edits, I’ve been a one woman show.

I’m a smart person. I have the talent and skills for the service I provide, I have real world work experience, and I even have a couple of fancy degrees including an MBA. It would stand to reason that you’d assume I could start and run a business all by myself.

You would be wrong.

Of course, there are the intangibles that help, like having a supportive husband, family, and friends who will listen to me expound at length about my business and offer helpful suggestions. And I consume an awful lot of content on a regular basis about entrepreneurship and business strategy. But that, my friends, is not enough.

When you operate solo, you don’t have anyone to bounce ideas off in order to problem solve or grow. You don’t have anyone to prevent you from having to reinvent the wheel every. single. time. And you definitely don’t have anyone to tell it to you straight if you’re heading down the wrong path.

Planning exercise with Leo from January - pretty crazy to see how far I’ve come in less than a year!

Well, guys, I believe in practicing what I preach, and I’m always telling people that if they need help, they should have no shame in hiring it. So a few years ago, I hired a business coach.

First, I did a six month individual program with Debbie Hoffman. Debbie gave me the basic structure I needed to level up from an idea that was kinda working to a real business taking in actual revenue. One example: this MBA didn’t realize that she needed to implement a CRM (customer relationship management) system instead of trying to keep all her clients and their needs stored between her head and a simple to do list!

Then, I signed on for a more long term coaching relationship that could grow with my business. Leo Manzione was recommended to me by another entrepreneur, and he’s been making a concrete difference from our first meeting. Leo has helped me refine my business practices so that I can deliver my best work to each and every client. And most important for me, he continually helps me focus on what needs to get done now so that I can keep moving forward without getting overwhelmed by my larger vision for my business. I’m doing better work, for more clients, and earning more money in the process - so I’d say coaching works!

There are a lot of coaches out there, just like there are a lot of organizers, and you find them in pretty much the same way: asking friends and contacts, doing a little research online, and ultimately going with the person who fits best with your needs and personality. It can feel like a giant leap of faith to pay another person to help you with things you technically could do yourself - but it’s also a shortcut to the places you really want to go.

LMW