Stepping into my power was painful
A little over a month ago I enrolled in a rigorous program to help me get better at selling higher ticket programs. Now before you get all judgy about that, hang on. The thought pattern rooted in lack of self-value is the number one problem I see with all of my clients, and I held the same thought pattern.
When I started my business after getting riffed from Marriott, I sold my services using the time-for-money model. I offered an hourly rate of $35 and discounted my first client 50% as an incentive. (Boy, have I come a long way)
My time-for-money way of doing business lasted well into my second decade of doing business. I just kept increasing my hourly rate and then turned around and discounted it to clients, especially those who had worked with me before. Looking back from where I am now in my business, I’m amazed I made a living in that model. I had the “freelancer” mindset and didn’t value the impact of the work I was doing for clients.
Fast forward to about five years ago when I changed my business model to selling packages, I still attached a deliverable to what I was doing, even though the highest value I was providing was strategic business coaching.
That is where I am today—I now offer a unique hybrid of business coaching and communications guidance to help my solopreneur clients and partners recognize their value, make more money and have a streamlined, simple way of doing business the way they want.
All that said, this is what started happening after I enrolled in this program…
I got sick. I had unexpected expenses. My cell phone crapped out for 24 hours. And boy, did I have resistance to doing things differently. I came down with a bladder infection, got on antibiotics and dealt with that for a week. The very next week I came down with an acute stomach virus that flattened me for four days. Couldn’t eat, work or even check email. And just this week, I woke up to find a screw embedded in my tire. $500 and a frenzy of a day getting the car dealt with later, it hit me: my persistent way of showing up, or “ego” (if you will) was fighting for survival and manifesting through all of these unwanted things.
It’s as if the “old me” was screaming, “What the hell are you doing? The way we’ve been operating has worked fine! Why are you trying to change things? This is risky! This is dangerous! This is scary!”
But here’s my take on it.
What I’m experiencing and learning in this program is helping me step into my power more intentionally and own my value, my potential, and what I’ve likely been scared to own since I was first laid off my role at Marriott.
Stepping more strongly into my power—what is that?
Learning new selling behaviors is one thing. It’s practical, logical and improving my ability to communicate clearly and create opportunities in my business. Showing up and being more powerful as I prospect and consult for new clients is another.
The “old me” was very timid on prospecting calls. My “stories” of bothering people and not valuing myself was running the show. I spent too much time free consulting and convincing prospects versus the skills I have now which allow me to stand in a powerful place of knowing and speaking into my prospect’s future with conviction.
What I’ve learned in this program is that whenever we challenge ourselves to grow, as I’m doing right now, our old way of being feels threatened. It’s all rooted in how our brains work and how we respond to our survival mechanisms. This is why change feels so uncomfortable. We don’t know. We don’t trust yet because we haven’t had the experience to prove that it will work.
And it’s okay. It’s all part of the process. And I’m sharing this with you so you can recognize it when it happens to you. So if you’re a lifelong learner like I am, if you want to improve the results you’re getting, if you really want to serve more and have a greater impact, you have to get uncomfortable. You have to risk losing your “current you” for a more powerful, valuable you. The future you.
I’m still in the early stages of this journey, but I’m sticking with it. The good news is once you see what’s possible when you step into a more powerful you, it becomes addictive. You’ll think, “My goodness. Where has THIS ME been all along?”
I know the “old me” will continue to punch at me as it struggles for survival. But now that I’ve seen how I really can show up for my clients, for myself and my future, there’s no going back. I’m holding faith that I can do it. Will you hold faith for yourself that you can too? 🍀
