Ep 159 Is it a strategy problem or a mindset problem?
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[00:00:00] One of the, uh, biggest problems that I see for people in business is being able to determine whether their business needs a mindset problem resolving or a strategy problem resolving. And so if you're feeling like there's something that you're stuck on and having trouble moving your business forward or that you're sort of going round in circles or patterns or something just isn't shifting, then this episode is going to be for you.
Now, after 10 years of coaching and, uh, if you've been listening to this for a while, you'll know that I had about 20 years, uh, background in banking and finance and accounting, uh, before I started my coaching business. And then I got really deep into human behavior and communication and understanding, you know, really what drives people and their motivations and what holds people back.
And so of course, this has become the unique mix that I bring in my [00:01:00] coaching, is really looking at the business and mindset side of it. And so I'm extremely good at really recognizing whether someone has a business strategy problem or a business mindset problem, and these two go hand in hand. But they can be very, uh, confusing or tricky sometimes to recognize which one is which, because even when there is a mindset problem, there will be things going on in your reality, there will be people that are doing things or not doing things, there will be, you know, challenges that you come up across that are external that makes it feel like it's an external problem.
But the thing we've gotta be really aware of is that you are the projection point of your whole reality. So you're the projection point of all the good stuff in your life, and you're also the projection point for all of the not so good stuff in your life, the challenges, the, um, the people that come in and present with these problems that you've gotta [00:02:00] solve and deal with and, and whatever's going on.
And of course, with business, business really goes deep, and especially if you're a service provider because there is so much of you that needs to be expressed for your business to succeed. And so th- having your full expression brings up a whole lot of stuff around, you know, visibility, uh, authority, power, money, um, you know, how you relate to other people, how you see yourself, how you perceive other people to see, to see you, what you believe you can and can't do.
Uh, all of those things come into it. So what I'm gonna do in this, uh, episode is really break down for you the five key areas that I look at in every single person's business, and then look at what is the strategy side of things and what is the mindset side of things, and, uh, and really what I look at and how I help you solve [00:03:00] those issues.
So this is gonna be deep work, and if you're ready for it, buckle in because you're n- I guarantee you're gonna get some aha moments out of this, uh, next, you know, 20 minutes or so, uh, of this episode. So- Business, right? When we look at business, this is, this is the really important thing we have to understand.
So you no doubt have some kind of vision for what it is you wanna bring to the world, right? There'll be some kind of vision that you had before you started your business around who you wanna help, what problems you wanna solve, you know, what's the impact that you wanna have on the world. And from that, you then decided that business would be the vehicle that you're going to use to support that idea, that vision, to bring it into reality.
When I say business is the vehicle, business isn't the only vehicle you could have chosen, right? You could have chosen to have a hobby. You could have [00:04:00] chosen to have a not-for-profit. You could have chosen to have a charity. You could have chosen to volunteer. You know, there's all kinds of ways that you could have done the work that you want to bring into the world.
But if you've chosen business, then business is that vehicle. And when we look at the highest intention of business, the highest intention of business is to make money, okay? If you're not interested in making money, and money doesn't, uh, mean anything to you, then there's no point you being in business because business is about money.
Now, people can say it's about all different things, but no business on the planet exists without it making money, right? That is the intention of business, is to make money and to be profitable. So that means when we look at these five key areas of the, of business, the first one that we have to look at, once you've got your vision of what it is that you wanna do in business, the first thing we're gonna look at is your numbers, and you have to be stabilized [00:05:00] around your numbers.
So stabilized around your numbers means you know your numbers. You have to know your numbers in business because your business relies on it, okay? So that means you need to know, uh, m- most importantly, what do you wanna get out of it, right? What do you wanna get paid out of your business? And that should be at least a wage, like a full-time wage, if you're replacing a full-time job, should be at least minimum a full-time wage that you should be getting out of your job.
Um, out of your business, I should say. Um, and ideally, if you're leveraging that business, you make more than that, right? So you have some kind of profits more than that. But minimum, you should be at least paying yourself a full-time wage. So you have to know how much money that is that you want to make.
Now, there might be people that are like, "Oh, I don't need a full-time wage. I just want part-time," whatever. Whatever it is that you need to get out of your business, that's what you've gotta start with. And then you've gotta understand what are [00:06:00] your expenses, right? What are your expenses? What does it cost for you to run your business?
Now, if you have some kind of a coaching business and you're predominantly online, your expenses are probably gonna be quite low. It doesn't cost a lot to run that kind of business. But if you've got some kind of a brick-and-mortar business and you've got equipment, then, you know, those, uh, costs are probably gonna go up, and insurance goes up, and rent and room hire, and whatever else, consumables, cost of goods, whatever it is that you deal in Um, is all part of your expenses.
So you need to know these numbers. And knowing these numbers is really important because you can't hit a goal if you can't measure it, right? Numbers measure reality, and numbers in money especially measure the reality of your business. So you need to know how much money you wanna get out of it, how much it costs you, um, to run that business and to deliver what you're gonna deliver.
You need to understand whether you're gonna be paying GST, which if you've got, like, a business that's [00:07:00] paying you a full-time kind of wage, it's gonna-- you're gonna have to because once, in Australia, you make over $75,000, you need to pay GST. Um, and there's gonna be some tax components and, you know, insurances and phones and internets and whatever else is involved in your business.
So you have to need to know-- you have to n-know those numbers. And then once you've got that number, whether that's you making 100 grand a year, 200 grand a year, um, you know, a million dollars a year, $100 million a year, it doesn't matter, you've got to know what those numbers are because that's when you then can work out from there, "Okay, so how do I need to make those numbers?
What do I sell, and how many of them do I need to sell? And how long does it take me to-- What's my capacity t-for delivering those things that I sell? And, uh, how much do I need to charge for those things?" So if you, uh, have some kind of coaching or, or service business, there's gonna be a capacity on, if-- especially if you're doing [00:08:00] one-on-one, how many hours you're available and how many hours are gonna be deliverable in that.
And so that you can work out, "Okay, if this is how many hours I'm available to deliver, then I need to be able to work out how much money I need to make as a total, and then work out how many hours in a year I'm gonna, I'm gonna deliver as a total," and then calculate what you need to be charging as a minimum per hour for that to add up Okay?
And then you can look at what it is that you're selling. If you're selling a program and, uh, say you're, are gonna be available for 20 hours a week, coaching hours, and you've got a program and it takes 10 hours to deliver that program, then essentially you've got capacity to sell two programs per year, uh, per week.
Okay? And so then you've gotta look at how much are you charging. If you wanna be making five grand per year, then that means you need to sell two programs, [00:09:00] five grand per week, you need to sell two programs that are two and a half grand each. That's what you've got capacity for. That's what it adds up to.
Right? That's very basic numbers. So you have to know those numbers. Now, if you've got a strategy problem around numbers, it'll be as simple as not knowing your numbers. Okay? So you don't know your numbers, you're not keeping track of your numbers, um, and you can solve that really quickly. Right? There's nothing complicated about that.
It's just tracking what it is that you spend money on, knowing how much you wanna make, um, and adding those things up. Working out what it is that you're selling and how many you need to sell, and how much capacity you've got to sell those things. That's just a numbers thing, right? That strategy is very simple and the, and the thing that you'll find as I talk through this, is that the strategy side of things generally is simple.
It's the mindset things that make it complicated. So if it's a mindset [00:10:00] problem around numbers, the types of mindset problems that I see around numbers is that people avoid their numbers. Right? They've got some kind of emotional connection or emotional avoidance for numbers that they either, um... You might feel like you don't understand numbers or that it's hard for you to track numbers or that, you know, you get some kind of negative feeling around looking at numbers, that you don't like looking in your bank account, um, or that you even got some kind of negative association around how much money you can actually make.
Um, all of those kinds of things will be a mindset problem. So if you're not having your numbers sorted out in a really simple way, I can guarantee there's a mindset problem related to money and numbers. And that needs to be resolved so that you decide you're good at numbers and you're a money person.
Uh, and so the interesting thing about money and numbers is it's directly related to how [00:11:00] powerful we feel like we can be. Now, I talk about power in a way, I'm talking about power over your own reality. A lot of people have negative associations with the word power because they think it means having power over other people, and that can creep into making it hard for you to sell and do all kinds of things.
So as soon as you think you're having power over somebody else, then you're, uh, y- you're misaligned Being powerful purely means that you've got the power to create what it is that you want to create. So that means you've got the power to sell what you wanna sell, that you've got the power to, uh, influence the right people to be part of your business.
It means you've got the power to be able to receive the amount of money that you have and, uh, or that you want, and feel okay with that. Okay? So that can be a big thing around power, and even authority, actually. How much you feel like you're allowed to make money, or how much you're allowed to receive.
Because, [00:12:00] especially if you've come out of a job, money in business is very different than money in a job. Because, um, money in a job is just a business using some of their money to pay you. Uh, when you've got a business, your clients are paying your business to provide a service, and just part of that is what actually goes to you.
So that is the first area, is you've gotta be stabilized around your money and numbers. Because if you're not, it's going to have a really negative effect on your nervous system, and that's gonna have a flow on effect that affects the rest of your business. So that's number one. That's why it's number one.
It's the most important part Then the second area that we need to look at is that you are secure in your who, and this follows straight on from your numbers, 'cause once you've worked out your numbers and what it is that you're gonna sell and how much you're selling it for and what it is that you solve, you have to be really secure in the who that you're selling this to.[00:13:00]
And your who has to be people that you actually care about, you wanna work with, who actually want some kind of change, and that you can charge them for that service, for that product that you're providing. And so they need to be people that have that money available and are willing to spend that money on your service.
And so that's really important. That's a strategy thing, right? Being really clear on who you're selling to, people that want your help, who see the value in it and willing to pay for it. That is a strategy problem. The second part of that is that you've also gotta be secure in knowing that because of your, uh, background, experience, knowledge, all of those kinds of things, that it's a no-brainer that you are the exact right person for your ideal clients.
Now, from a strategy perspective, that is simply looking at, do you have the [00:14:00] experience and the skills and the knowledge and the know-how to help those people get a result? If you do, that's very simple. Okay? That's all strategy stuff. However, if there's a mindset problem in this area, what that can look like is feeling like you never, ever have enough qualifications.
It can feel like, um, that the people, um, that you wanna help don't have enough money, but you don't just easily change your who. You just keep stuck in this trap of people don't wanna pay me, and you keep chasing the same whos, probably because they feel the most comfortable to you or that it's less threatening.
Um, and if you don't feel like you're an authority in that space, then you're not gonna feel like it's a no-brainer for the right people to come and work with you. So being really in that place of backing yourself, of like, "Yes, I know how to help these specific people, and that it's a no-brainer [00:15:00] that I'm the ideal person for them," um, that is what you need to have in that space.
So if there's any kind of wobble in there around doubting your ability or that people want to pay you or that people think you've got enough authority or any of that kind of stuff that you can freely talk about that is a mindset problem. You need to be able to resolve that Okay, so then we move on to the third area, and this is really important, and that is you need to have structure in your business.
Now, when we think about business, business is, is a structure, okay? And having good structure in place is strategy. So that means you've got real clear structure around your offers, your IP, your process, how-- what it is that you do and help people and how they come in, how they pay you, how you onboard them, how you take them through your program, your service, how you off-board them.
[00:16:00] Um, you've got structure around your calendar, where you're available, how much time you're available, and that you have also, you know, really got all of the things in place, the automations like booking systems, um, you know, reminders, uh, that you have got all of your terms and conditions and everything in place that creates a structure that when people come into your business, it's not relying on you to be doing every single thing and saying every single thing, right?
There is a structure there that supports you to do the work that you're there for. And this also is around when we think about structure, uh, structure is very masculine energy, right? Structure is masculine energy. Structure is what supports us to feel safe to receive. So if, uh-- So a str-a strategy thing is having those structures in place.
It's a [00:17:00] mindset problem if you're resisting structure. Now, a lot of people that I work with resist having structure because it feels like it's going to, um, g- you know, confine them or tie them down or be, um, like restrict them in some way. But the problem with that is it's a mindset problem because when you fully integrated structure into your neurology, you understand that you're the person who creates that structure, and so it can't be any more restrictive than what you make it.
You get to create that structure based on how you want to be supported And so that also becomes you integrating that level of structure and authority in yourself that says, "Yes, this is the structure that will support me with what I want, and I back myself in it." And when that's done really well, you will feel that you have a whole lot more [00:18:00] freedom rather than restriction.
So if structure feels to you like it's some kind-- something that's kind of restrictive or that it's really hard for you to get in place, that will be a mindset problem. So the types of mindset problems that I see really prevent people from having good structure is, um, you know, being too addicted to chaos.
If you're too addicted to chaos and always having something going on, then having clean structure won't feel appealing to you because it'll take away the chaos. And you might think, "Well, but why would I want more chaos in my life?" Well, chaos has a, a chemical response in our b- in our, uh, in our bodies that can feel like, uh, adrenaline.
It can feel like dopamine. It can feel like busyness. It can feel like I'm doing all the time. It can feel like I'm working hard to try to justify getting paid Uh, and that's all a mindset problem. [00:19:00] And the other thing, what's really important about structure for our internal structure is that you need to be the leader.
You need to be the leader and the guide in your business. If you are too caught up in the identity of being the helper and the supporter, it's one of the quickest ways to burn yourself out and, uh, and to get too emotionally connected to the results that your clients get. So good structure says that I know a pathway, and if you do these things step by step, you will get an outcome.
Now, that also means that y- that's communicated to your clients, and if they don't follow those steps and they don't get an outcome, then it is on them for not following those steps, right? When we don't have that clearly in place, people can feel like, oh, it's my responsibility to get these results for somebody, and I have to keep giving and giving and giving to make sure that they get a result, and [00:20:00] you take too much responsibility.
You be the helper and you be the supporter. Now, the other problem is when you're the helper and the supporter, you'll attract people who don't wanna pay very much and are going to want more and more and more support, and that's what gets really, really draining. So when you're the guide and the leader, then you're putting the responsibility for the clients to take their own actions and take responsibility for themselves and get their own results, and that's a very different energy.
And people that are attracted to that expect to invest, and they value the, uh, guidance that you provide, and they take action, and they get results. So one of my favorite sayings is, "Be the lighthouse, not the lifeboat." Okay? So the lifeboat is the supporter and the helper. You're always there trying to, like, answering everything and, you know, saving people from their lack of action.
Whereas when you're the lighthouse, [00:21:00] that's when you're like, "Here, I'm shining the way. This is the pathway. Follow these steps, and you will get your outcome. Uh, if you don't, well, you probably crash into the rocks, and, you know, that will be because you haven't followed the light. You haven't followed the pathway."
So we've gotta be really clear around that structure. Now, the fourth thing that, um, is really important, once we've got those three things in place, so you're really clear on your numbers, you're really clear on your who, you really-- you've got great structure supporting you, um, and structure that supports you to succeed, then you're ready for the fourth area, and that is signaling.
Now, I call this signaling and not marketing because you can be marketing without having a clear signal, and a clear signal is one that really, uh, emits a frequency of congruence and alignment that you are very [00:22:00] clear about what it is that you do, who that you help, how much that is, how people come into that pathway, how they act in your business, and what that whole pathway is, right?
And when you have that, you've got the structure that's holding it. It makes a very safe container that draws people in because they feel like, "Do you know what? If I step into this place, there is emotional security here. There's emotional consistency. It feels like I get to just step in and move through a pathway that is well set up for what it is that I want."
And that's when what you say you're doing and what you're talking about you're doing matches the experience that people have when they come into your business. Uh, and so the, the strategy part of that is that you've got all the first three areas sorted out, and then you're really clear about your positioning and what you stand for and who you help and what you solve, and you're communicating that really well, [00:23:00] and that you've got clear pathways for that.
That's all strategy If there's a mindset problem, then you might find you're being inconsistent or not clear about what it is that you're messaging, what it is that you're communicating. What people might see on social media, on your website probably doesn't match what they'll experience when they're with you.
And it might even be that you're almost repelling people if you don't feel secure in your business. So if you haven't got those other three areas out, it won't feel like it's a safe space to bring people in because you might have fears about, well, um, you know, what if people start complaining? Or what if they take up all my time?
Or what if the-- I get burnt out working too much? And all those kinds of things. That becomes a very unclear signal, and that's what repels people. So when you have all of your structure and everything else in place, you feel clear and aligned and energized in [00:24:00] your business, and that attracts people in.
Okay, so that's the important thing. And then, of course, the fifth area is around scaling. And scaling, the, the biggest problem I see around scaling is that people try to scale before they have got the first four things sorted out. So if you're not clear on your numbers, if you're not clear on your who, if you don't have structure in your business, if you're not signaling out something, if you're not converting all of that effectively, uh, already, then scaling is not gonna fix your problem.
So scaling as a strategy is leveraging what you've already got working in a way that you can make more money, make a bigger impact without it costing you more time and energy. So scaling might mean that you're running ads. It might mean that you're running a group program. It might mean that you're hiring staff.
Um, you know, all of those things that can essentially increase the capacity of your business [00:25:00] without it taking more time and energy from you. That is a strategy, um, issue, right? That's a strategy. You can have a strategy there for scaling When it's a mindset problem, a mindset problem shows up around scaling when you haven't got those things sorted out, you've got an uneasy, uh, s- uh, strategy, something that's not converting, your business doesn't feel secure.
You might be, you know, really struggling to generate leads or, or, or convert sales and, you know, thinking that just putting some ads to something is gonna magically change it, and it just won't. Um, it's-- as well if you try to scale too fast and you don't have the structure in place. That will also lead to burnout and, you know, likely reduce the, um, effectiveness of what it is that you're selling.
So it's really important that, um, we have to be congruent and aligned with scaling as looking at scaling as [00:26:00] something that is leveraging something that already works in a way that does not create more work for you. There is no point in scaling for the sake of scaling. You have to be really clear about what you actually want out of your business and really look at creating that and not just scaling your revenue.
Because if you scale to, say, you think, "Yeah, I wanna create fifty grand revenue," but then you've got forty-five grand of expenses, then you're probably better off at staying at 10K and having 2K a month of expenses, right? It's gonna end up better for you. So we gotta be really clear about scaling and not just scaling as thinking that that's somehow gonna solve a problem without having everything else in place first, including a really clear outcome from that So they're the five key areas and where I look at strategy and mindset.
And then you might say, "Well, okay, I can [00:27:00] recognize some of those mindset problems. How do I resolve them?" And that's exactly what the Turning Point has been created for. And the Turning Point is the process that I created after, you know, s- becoming a master trainer of NLP and working with people on communication and behavior, uh, and really looking at motivation and, and seeing where the gaps were, and I really wanted to create something that was accessible and easy for people to use, and that's what the Turning Point is.
It's once we identify what are those mindset blocks that you're having, then we look at, okay, what are the emotional drivers underneath them? And we resolve those really quickly. And that always goes back to stuff from childhood where you had experiences either with money or visibility or communication or how you relate to other people or authority, your own power.
All of those things, uh, that we're supposed to learn in a healthy way in childhood doesn't always happen [00:28:00] the way that we want them to, and so we have to know how to then access those resources for ourselves as adults, and that's what the Turning Point process is about. And when I see people go through these shifts, things change really fast.
You know, what becomes, uh, what was a visibility problem, you know, stems back to being publicly humiliated at school. When we resolve that, suddenly the person feels like they have got emotional safety to be able to be visible and to not be worried about what other people think or their judgments. Like they don't need to let those things in anymore.
It's the same with money. When we resolve issues around money, and money can go back to, you know, your parents' stories around money or your experiences in childhood with money and power and what is that perception. And when we resolve that, suddenly clients start coming in because it feels safe in your nervous system to be receiving that kind of money.
So these are all the things we need to [00:29:00] look at. This is the work that I do So, you know, really think about this for your own business. If there's things in there that you recognize are keeping you stuck, then don't sit with them. They won't get better on their own. You need to reach out and really have this deep conversation around what's really going on in your business.
And if that sounds like you and something that you need and you're sick of staying where you are, and you're ready to do something about it and face the mindset side of your business, then reach out. You can go to the show notes. You'll find my contact details there, and we can set up a call and really work out what is happening for you and what does that look like moving forward.
So I hope this episode has given you some really deep insights into your business and whether it is a strategy problem or whether it is a mindset problem, uh, and, uh, that is gonna be one of the biggest shifts that is gonna happen in your business. Until next [00:30:00] week, bye-bye.
