Whether you’re a coach, a therapist, a lawyer, an OBM, accountant, designer, or in another service-driven industry, this is for you, because it’s normal for clients to come to you with their challenges.
Something I support my clients with so they can come to their clients and work “clean” of their own stress and weight is normalizing and neutralizing what it means when one of your clients isn’t happy or is bringing you their -ish.
Because I see through my clients how quickly your brain can make this mean YOU are doing something wrong and tell you, if YOU were really good at what you did, then everyone in your container would be doing amazing and would have no challenges, and that people who are “better than you”, further along than you, or making more money than you don't have these experiences with their clients.
What I can tell you after over seven years supporting business owners at every stage, from brand new or early stages to running $2 million companies and teams and everywhere in between, is the only difference between someone further along and you is simply what they make clients with challenges mean and how much of this they’re willing to take on personally.
The example I give clients, that I’ll share with you, is what happens as an actor when you’ve booked a job and go to set: every production, whether that’s a commercial, tv show, or a film, has a “problem” they need to solve: filming and completing each scene, so it can be edited into a cohesive, final product.
This means, producers and directors can sometimes be short or seem like a-holes because they’re juggling many people and every minute costs the production money. They can tell wardrobe they don’t like what you’re wearing or to change your makeup and look, ask you to do your scene multiple times - and forget to sugar coat it, seem frustrated, distracted, like they’re not paying attention as they’re looking at the monitor, or completely change up your lines on the spot.
It’s easy as an actor to make all of this mean you’re doing things wrong. Because, the brain logics, if you were ‘nailing it’, if you were ‘good enough’, they wouldn’t change things up or seem annoyed, right?!
Nope, nope, and nope.
They do all of this because that’s literally their role and how they get the job done, and because they hired you trusting you could show up to do *your* job, not take any of this personally, see it as a part of the gig, and be there in your role to help solve the problem of completing filming the scene you’re in successfully.
What isn’t your job as an actor, and what would possibly cost you your part, would be to take on the director’s stress, try to do their job for them, try to micromanage, or to get super-sensitive and shut down because you think it’s all about you.
When you know this, you can get out of your head, show up, and do what’s required of you as an actor, and let it go after knowing it’s all part of a good day’s work.
The same is true for you in business: it’s normal for your clients to come to you with their challenges and for them to even seem frustrated or not sugarcoat what they want support with, that’s why they hired you after all. It’s their role to share this with you and your job to help them with those problems without taking them on as your own.
As soon as you can see this neutrally, and not make it mean anything for you other than your client trusts you to do your job, the easier it is to get out of your own way, avoid sabotage, and show up to help your people with the very things they hired you for.
So, the next time your brain wants to give you a hard time when a client is frustrated or bringing you all their challenges, instead of spinning out and looping around the story that this means you’re not good enough, I invite you to play with the narrative of, “Oh yeah, of course, this is normal. This is what I’m here for. That’s why I have a job and get paid. This is all part of a good day’s work.”
Wishing you your version of success.
P.S. Craving the kind of 1:1 support that knows how to hold you as a CEO in your challenges without taking them on so you can stay out of your own way and strategically problem solve to keep your business running like a well-oiled machine?
That’s one of my coaching superpowers and one of the reasons so many of my clients have gone from early stages in business to six, multi-six, and million dollar+ years and work with me long-term - I see it as my job, and I’m good at my job.
Interested in learning more about what it would look like to partner together to help you get booked out, fill waitlists, sell out programs, and set yourself up with sustainable and recurring revenue?
I’m currently meeting with potential clients to discuss fit and how I can best support you in upcoming 1:1 opportunities opening up.
If you’re all-in and committed to your business success, are here to play the long game, and most importantly, you’re coachable, you’re my people and who I do the best work with! I’d love to connect with you!
Book a free coaching consultation here.
