The Biggest Mistake I Made

Your first $100k is all heart.

The next $150k-$200k can be achieved with good word of mouth and some sweat equity.

But this is where I messed up. I think it set me back 9 months in my coaching business.

I made one of the biggest mistakes.

Here’s a little context.

Imagine you’ve had a few successful launches. Clients are raving about their results. You've rightfully enjoyed the fruits of your labor, but then you notice your bank account is lower than expected. 

No big deal, you think. You’ll just do what you’ve always done.

So, you launch again. But this time … crickets. You're made of thick skin, so you try again … more crickets.

Now the fear really sets in. Sh*t. What now?

If I had my time machine,  here’s where I think I went wrong:

Mistake #1: I assumed my current audience would consistently produce sales. 

There are only so many people in your past life/career who need or want your product. Without constantly replenishing your audience, sales will dry up, no how good you are at what you do. 

Mistake #2: I thought what worked in my warm market would work universally. 

A warm market can lull you into false security. You think you’re hot sh*t. But those first couple of clients bought because of who you are not what you solve. A cold market won't give a crap if they don’t know what you solve for them.

Mistake #3: I underestimated the number of new leads needed to sustain and grow sales. 

Building an audience is a massive undertaking. Audience growth in 2024 isn't about posting daily; it's about strategically placing yourself in front of ideal clients, conveying you have a solution to their problem, and capturing their information.

Mistake #4: I underestimated the time needed to build trust with a new audience. 

Trust is built through consistently communicated value over an extended period. You need to be top of mind when someone is ready to buy. 

Mistake #5: I underestimated the cost of acquiring a new customer. 

If you’ve mostly grown an audience through organic or referrals, paid is a whole different beast. I used to think that when I was ready to make the jump that I’d already be successful and easily have the funds to invest. That’s unfortunately never the case. The times when you need paid media are when funds are lowest. It will challenge your relationship with debt and risk.

Final Thoughts …

I wish I could make you invest in these areas before they become necessities, but you probably won’t. I didn’t, despite warnings. Why?

Because the pain wasn't severe enough and I lacked a compelling reason to step out of what was easy.

The harsh reality of potentially losing my business and endangering my family's financial security was what finally drove me to abandon the easy path for the necessary one.

I don’t wish hardship on any of you. And maybe I’m just thick-headed. But when I look back at what I thought were some of my biggest misfortunes, they were the motivators I needed to confront what I was avoiding. 

We all want the lessons without the pain. And I hope you get some of those. 

But when the tough times come just know that you were made to do hard things. You have another gear. Slow down. Breath. You got this. 

I’m rooting for you.

PS - You can download my free guide on ‘How to Build an Audience Without Social’ here. 

PSS - Or if you want to check out my free training on ‘How to Build More Predictable $30k+ Months’ inside your coaching business. Check it out here.