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In almost every interchange I have with new clients there is a moment of reckoning about money.
“I’d like to earn more.”
“They’re not paying me enough.”
“I owe a lot.”
All vague.
One of my basic questions is “How much would you like to earn?” I want to hear the number. I want them to say the word. It begins a process of getting real about money. Then we break it down into what that translates to in terms of monthly, weekly, daily and hourly income. It’s a starting point and let’s the client know exactly where she is at the moment and what it will take to get to where she wants to go.
What invariably happens when a dollar amount is mentioned is that there is a sigh of relief. There it is in black and white. $50,000 or $5 million. The number doesn’t matter as much as its having been stated. In that moment there is clarity. You know where you’re going. The map has been drawn, the destination clear. The job then is to pack the bags with the necessary gear and move into action–figuring out how many client hours to accrue, how many warm letters need to be sent, how many prospects to market to.
This is all very basic, but so is eating less and exercising more to lose weight. You know what’s required, but who actually does it and allows themselves to be held accountable? That’s the beauty and value of coaching whether it’s business success, life balance or weight loss. There’s a live human being who cares, asks good questions and to whom you will report back.
Start noticing your own language when it comes to money. The more specific and aware you are, the more likely that you’re in the plus column in your own business ledger.
I had the good fortune yesterday to see a preview performance of this extraordinary woman’s new show Let Me Down Easy. Anna Deavere Smith embodies over 20 different characters and
…explores the power of the body, the price of health, and the resilience of the spirit. (from the 2nd Stage Theatre website)
I found myself falling in love not only with each of the characters she portrayed, but also the performer who had memorized verbatim the taped conversation of her subjects. The Playbill and set design stress this fact so the audience understands that the um’s, stammers and tics are authentic to the real person being represented–the likes of Lance Armstrong, Lauren Hutton, Ann Richards as well as medical and spiritual professionals and others.
What enriched this opportunity tenfold was a New York Times Magazine article about Smith and this show in yesterday’s paper. It articulated to me what I had so appreciated. The interviewer questions Ms. Smith on her “excruciating attention to detail” and asked if it was necessary and for whose benefit.
“It matters a lot that I get every ‘I mean,’” she answered. “That’s the crux of my project. What my work is, is my approach to it. It’s the practice. And my work is about the effort that I make to get there. And I think if there’s anything artistic, it’s in that middle space.”
Oh, how I loved reading that! It’s how I see myself–that all of my practices: meditation, spiritual work, journaling, attention to a macrobiotic diet, prayer, daily readings, yoga, punctuality–are the foundation for my coaching and speaking. That is the ‘effort’ I make to be successful.
(Illustration by Maggie Swanson)
Today is the opening of the Artsy Girls exhibit at the Pierce Ball Gallery in Stamford. The Hour, my local newspaper, gave us an incredible write-up with illustrations in yesterday’s paper.
I’ll be at the gallery today from 1 – 5 pm. As I clicked through the images on the Pierce Ball Gallery website, my heart filled up. Each image brought to mind my relationship with the artist:
- Meeting Maggie Swanson the first time almost 30 years ago when I wheeled 2 year old Robert to her home a mile from mine to talk about quilts.
- Cookie (Marisabina) Russo and I met at Camp Chinqueka in the 50′s, re-united as studio art majors at Mount Holyoke College in the 60′s and have been close friends forever. BTW, the Artsy Girls covers more than CT. Cookie is from NY.
- Mary Ellroy, Gamebird, was brought into my Mastermind Group about 15 years ago by another member. I was mesmerized by her creativity and imagination. Her most recent game Pickles to Penguins produced by Imagination Games will be on display.
- I wrote to Terry Capuana in the 80′s while she was the Crafts Director for Woman’s Day Magazine. We re-connected years later and have remained friends since. Terry’s work isn’t on display, but her influence in the group is palpable.
- Dawn Hutchins heard me speak in Central Connecticut years ago and contacted me about coaching. She’s been in several of my Mastermind Groups and spoke at an Artsy Girls event blowing us away with the delicacy and beauty of her stitched masterpieces.
I hope I’ve whetted your appetite with these images and tidbits. I could go on for a couple dozen more, but really want you to come to Stamford and see for yourself.
I am so proud to know these women. So grateful to Liz Ball for making this a reality. I’m clear that wealth is NOT measured by dollars. No one is richer than I am today. I own the world!
