The key was that you focus on a skill set that you know you can rely on, and that is just, you know, part of your superpowers.
And then you you follow that.
And and that is what I think would serve other people well too is just really understand where your superpowers are and then and then find out if how you how to mono monetize that.
You know? So I um, everyone, to this week's episode of the Enough Already podcast.
This is the show for consultants and coaches who wanna forge their own past success in their careers and their lives.
I'm your host, Betsy Jordan, and I am a business mentor and a brand messaging strategist.
And today, we're gonna be talking about how do you craft your own path to success as a consulting or coaching business owner, especially when you have a lot of different things that are related, but a lot of things that you're interested in, and you just don't wanna be pigeonholed.
And they're like, how do you create that type of experience for yourself? And how do you craft it your So to talk about this, I'm gonna bring on the show my former Disney colleague and a consultant, a coach, and somebody with ton of experience as an HR executive before he went out and started doing his own thing.
His name is Reiner Janetsky, and we've known each other.
I don't even know how many years ago, but I am so excited to have him on the show.
So welcome to the show, Reiner.
See, I am so excited to be part of it.
Thanks again for the invitation.
I'm really looking forward to it.
So, um, let's talk a little bit about, like, this belief that you have around how you don't have to, like, put all your eggs in one basket as a coaching business owner.
And, like, what what does that look like to you, and why is that so important that you don't have all your eggs in one basket for you? For me.
Right.
And and it's, you know, different things for different people.
I think for me, because I was in the latter part of my career as an HR executive I just, at one point, woke up and said, you know, I just don't wanna do this anymore and and do the whole corporate thing.
And so I explored different ideas of what I could do.
I actually tried my hand at a small business owner.
Dispensing healthy vending snacks out of vending machines.
I did that for about 4 or 5 years as a side hustle and the, you know, COVID wasn't too nice for that, but it really help me say, you know what? I can do this.
I can go out on my own and be successful just because I have that kind of drive.
Then I decided, you know, with all the experiences of a that I had in HR, the one that I really, really always, um, relied on is my ability to make other people successful and to help them get from point a to point b.
And that led me to coaching because as an HR exec and in many professions and leadership positions in general, That's one of your main roles is is to go ahead and help other, you know, help other leaders be successful.
And so, I kind of, uh, identified what the core skills were in there.
I was aware of a company here in the Seattle area where I had relocated to, by the way, in 2007, and, um, and they needed, uh, they needed career coaches.
And so I signed up with them on a part time basis because I was also looking to unlock other areas of interest within my career.
Or I should say within my expertise.
Um, and so I started with them.
I was winding down the the vending business, and then I was also doing just some ad hoc coaching on the side.
Uh, not anything formal in the website.
Nothing.
Just helping friends and family out.
And we've got a lot of good feedback.
And I said, you know, I should probably really start to, um, scale this.
And at that time, the company I was working with, which I still work with, uh, spun off a small startup of a coaching organization.
And I joined that startup and, uh, still with them right now to go ahead and provide coaching to mid level to senior level leaders.
Um, who wanna get from point a to point b.
And what gives me the most excitement, Betsy, is is just when the light bulbs go off in your clients and they see this, um, path forward based on their own ideas and action plans.
Because that's what coaching is.
Right? It's about really unlocking that potential in others.
And so I'm able to do that.
I've, um, formalized my my company, my website.
So, um, you know, I have some coaching clients from that perspective also.
And then the other things I do just like because I consider myself in a portfolio career, which is cobbling different things together that keep you, uh, interested.
You know, I also do LinkedIn makeovers for folks Um, I do career coaching still, uh, helping people that may have been laid off and from corporate to, you know, help dust them off and get them ready for the next role.
And then, uh, just my personal pursuits, you know, I've I've got 2 kids still in college and one that's launched, and two dogs, a wife, a horse, uh, you know, hiking, golf, everything like that.
I wanna I wanna have time for all of that.
So it seems like though everything is organized around this one theme, though, of helping other people succeed.
So empowering other people's success.
Like, out of out of the different type of people that you wanna help succeed, do you see, like, there's a through line? Like, I know the kind of work you did as HR leader at Disney, you know, so you worked a lot with, you know, obviously high achieving executives was a big part I think we met when you were in resorts.
So there was the operational side.
I don't know if you stayed in resorts.
So if you moved elsewhere, you know, but if you stayed with, like, corationally kind of minded people.
Is there is that still thematic for you, or is it really all kinds of different people in helping them succeed at this point in time? I've really branched out beyond travel and hospitality to, um, many different industries.
Right now, manufacturing and aerospace is a a sweet spot for me.
Um, professional services, engineering, hospital and health care.
All these are areas that I've coached and have really, you know, enjoyed getting to know people in the in the kind of the challenges that they face, um, in those different arenas.
As far as the demographics are concerned, you know, I I was looking at this before our call.
Believe it, believe it or not, about 60% of my clients are will.
Most of the clients are in mid to senior level position.
So senior manager, director, vice president, And, um, and, you know, they they all have the same problems just at a different level.
So I appreciate you doing that.
I don't know if you know it's because, you know, what I do with my branding work that you knew at some point, I was gonna ask you about your ideal client.
You know, and if there's a theme there, um, I I wanna get I I wanna dive more into the whole importance for you or on the portfolio career.
I just wanna clarify one thing before I delve there is as you were describing your journey from being an HR executive into doing your own thing, It sounds like there was, like, uh, you know, you started your side hustle as the, um, the snack vending machine company while you were still working.
And it sounds like while you were doing the vending company, you did the side hustle around coaching.
Is that accurate that there was, like, a little bit of a side hustle before you went into the full time? So, um, actually, it was vending first and then coaching because I wanted to kinda just wanted to just do something completely different.
I wanted to run my own P and L and run a business.
So I I, you know, wasn't really thinking about coaching.
Immediately.
It was only after about a year that I said, you know what? Um, the and and to be perfectly transparent, the vending business, even though I was dispensing healthier snacks, what once I got into these locations, schools, and and, warehouses and office buildings.
The people wanted less healthy snacks, and that's not the way I envisioned the business.
So I decided not I decided not to scale.
And so, therefore, I said, I need to keep myself busy.
What is to else that I I can do? And and so, you know, reflecting back, it's it's the coaching that really did that.
And so that's why I then signed up to go ahead and be a career coach.
So you did but did you sign up to be a career coach while the other business? Because I'm wondering if that's part of, like, a stepping stone for you.
Because I think a lot of people feel like I have to just, like, make this big leap, and it feels like in both cases, you kinda stair stepped your way in You know, one is I'm gonna go this way straight into entrepreneurship and then from entrepreneurship into coaching, but you didn't jump for you, like, make that.
You didn't make, like, a full, like, I'm here.
No.
I'm here.
You kinda stair stepped up for yourself.
That is absolutely correct.
So, um, it was, Because I wanted to investigate this whole portfolio career and and for your listeners that don't know portfolio careers when you work in several different arenas to either get yourself whole or close to whole, depending on what you wanna do.
And in my case, where I'm, you know, probably considered semi retired.
Um, I wanted to do different types of things.
And so As I was sunsetting the vending business during COVID, um, that's where I was really ramping up the coaching side because that's where I the during during COVID too, um, there were a lot of layoffs and especially here in Seattle.
The tech sector just got really hit initially, but then they got really strong.
So helping them get ready for interviews and and things like that was was, uh, something that I was involved with.
And then that transitioned into into leadership coaching.
Um, so that is something that, you know, at Disney and other companies that I've always done.
I feel like that speaking of Disney, it feels like that you really live in that Disney philosophy is, like, have one foot in today and one foot into tomorrow.
You know, like, your your pit, like, wherever you're at, like, if you're kinda yearning that there's something else that's there, you don't have to you can you can start planning for that future, while you're in where you're at.
And that makes that transition.
Sounds like even though that it seems like, wow, that seems like a big change, you know, going from corporate environment to the vending business now to the coaching and all the different coaching things.
It seems like it's pretty drastic, but it's not really if you are in your place and you're in your current state and that you start dreaming about the next step while you're still in the current state.
And that makes it like it just sounds like it It sounds like you've kinda had, like, a seamless sort of journey as you were going along.
Yeah.
In in this accurate, it it transition well, but the key was that you focus on a skill set that you know you can rely on and that is just, you know, part of your superpowers.
And then you you follow that.
And and that is what I think would serve other people well too is just really understand where your superpowers are and then and then find out if how you had to mono monetize that.
You know? So how did you discover what your superpowers were? Like, there's a lot of different HR, you know, like, you know, HR people made to have the same function, but not everybody has the same skill set.
So there must be something that you identify like, hey.
This what's makes me unique as an HR executive that you are going to then carry forward and monetize.
I would say, um, the ability to listen and to offer a neutral perspective is a superpower that I've always had.
And one that has served me well.
Um, and then it's just, you know, I had to go through coach training to really formalize that.
Um, because I thought I knew it all, but when when I went through coaching school, I was like, oh my gosh.
Yeah.
It's different.
Yeah.
It's different.
And so and so that's kind of the things that that came to mind.
Also, just being politically savvy where Disney really came in handy, not that Disney was highly political, but just working in such a big matrix environment.
What's a highly political work? Let's see.
Not if Wait.
Let's clarify.
It wasn't a dysfunctionally political organization.
Like, I didn't have, like, mean politics.
Like, there wasn't that wasn't the power struggle, but we had a ton of stakeholders that we had to satisfy and align in the roles that we had, especially when you were you're start up in resorts, I was the OD Consult 1 year in HR, and there was a lot of stakeholders and just the resorts team just to get online So or clarify.
Go on.
That's a superpower that you developed.
So so that and just being intuitive, Right? I mean, just being street smart on on kind of how to navigate different things, I think, is has served me well, and I find that I draw on my Disney experience a lot when I'm, you know, um, helping clients out as far as think through their complexities and things like that.
Not that they say, well, if Disney, I did this, that's not what you do, but it's just like Oh, I had that experience, and here's kinda how that played out.
So that has really been quite rewarding for me.
It's almost like you validated that, like, this is the skill sets that I'm bringing, and I'm looking at my skill sets more from the transferable standpoint, which I'm sure you help people with as career coach as well, but seeing it more from a transferable.
I will tell you, like, I just remember, you know, because I work at a ton of the HR team, you know, in my role, Um, one thing I think that always stood out to me about you is, like, you always seem to have a calming presence.
Like, whenever we were in meetings and people are, like, discussing and going back and forth, you're always like this calming presence.
And I wonder if that plays a key role in how you coach and how you show up and how you are that, you know, right hand to power because you create that calm in the storm.
Well, thank you.
One of the attributes of a coach is to be calm, not to amp up too high, not to, you know, amp up too or amp down.
Um, and so that's one one of the things that, yeah, I I do feel I have is kind of that cool as a cucumber that doesn't mean inside that sometimes I don't freak it out.
But, externally, you got your game face on and you're, you know, you're there, you're present with the person.
And I think that's the key, Betsy, is just being present, listening, being mindful is is really where we're exact if if you wanna be a successful coach.
So how do you keep yourself now, like, being present? Like, talk like, I think that that's an interesting way to segue back into what you're talking about with portfolio because it seems like if you're like, the impression or maybe this is a misconception that I and others might have is if you have a portfolio career, like, you're all over the place.
Like, you're just, you know, um, constantly you know, multitasking and, like, you know, switching your attention all the time.
You know, do you feel that way, like, because you got so many different things that you're got going on the same time? Not usually, but I could see where that could happen.
Um, if you stay kind of tight in your portfolio career to what your either your superpowers are or what's core to you, then it's pretty easy to flip the switch, you know, because just like you would have a meeting in you know, back to back meetings, they may be completely different topics, but you can toggle so easily between those 2.
And so an example for me is if I'm uh, helping an executive, you know, do a LinkedIn makeover, but then the next meeting right after that is is gonna be uh, leadership coaching, you know, I have to take a couple of minutes just to go ahead and gather myself, review notes, do some deep breathing and then make sure I'm completely present for that person in their leadership coaching journey.
So it's like you create, like, breaks to keep yourself grounded.
Like, it just seems like then staying present, staying grounded is a key part, and that helps you So it sounds like to put together a portfolio on business or a career, you know, through doing your own thing.
It sounds like step 1 is really getting clear on your transferable superpowers, you know, and and understand that there still is, like, some sort of through line of the kind of person that you really like to help and then allowing the way that you help them to manifest in different types of, like, what I would call, like, maybe different offers or products and services.
That you can do.
And if you're kinda switching back and forth between something that seems very different between, like, going from career coaching to leadership, leadership coaching that you might just need to kinda, like, make sure that, you know, as you go between meetings, like, maybe just not do back to back, but it's, like, as you're doing it, you're staying present with where you're going.
Is that accurate? Yep.
You need you need for for leadership or executive coaching, especially, you need a little bit of space in between just to be gather your thoughts, be present, and then refocus.
Whereas, if I'm career coaching, And when I was doing a lot more of of that, um, through the company, you can go back to back because you're doing more consult tative coaching.
So you're being a little more prescriptive, and it's a little bit more of a plug and play.
Right? It's like, okay.
Let's identify your brand.
Let's go ahead and and see where you are as far as, um, your networking is concerned and your resume, your LinkedIn, interview prep, you know, your target companies.
I'm kinda going a little bit out of order, but you you you know kind of the milestones you gotta hit.
Whereas with coaching, I'm on the phone with somebody, I should say, zoom.
And I don't know what's gonna hit me that day.
Right? You're like, Reiner, I'm gonna talk to you about this.
And you're like, okay.
And you've just gotta be, like, in the game.
I think that you're just bringing a really important distinction between you know, maybe like a mentoring kind of role versus like a coaching kind of role.
Like, I have a a client who constantly would because he's an ICF um, trained coach like you are.
And he would say he does not like it when I say I do coaching sessions.
I'm like, but are you fine if I say I do mentoring? Because I don't I'm not really a coach.
Like, I don't I don't like, I have an agenda.
You know, I guide people through a process.
And so I'm like, well, I'm not gonna I'm not pretending I'm a coach.
Um, but I think you're kinda bringing out the differences is, like, you know, with doing career stuff, like, when maybe we're doing coaching sessions, but we're not doing coaching you know, where it's like the other person really sets the agenda and you have to be really present with where they're going.
It draws on more of like that emotional intelligence which, you know, mentoring in in that kind of guidance does in the same way, but it's just it's different.
And it draws on different aspects of yourself.
It does.
And mentoring typically, you're picking people in your same vertical industry that really have more experience and expertise than you in their imparting their wisdom.
They may use a coaching approach of asking thoughtful questions and things like that, but they They, a lot of times, they know the answer.
Right? Right.
But they're also creating a safe space just like coaches.
Um, but they're they may go ahead and spent their advice whereas as leadership and executive coaches, you know, we're trained really not to do that.
Yeah.
Not that not that it's easy.
And you almost have to protect your energy in a different way.
You know, like, if you are dealing with a lot, which it kinda makes sense is if you have a coaching practice, if you spend all day long, you know, in that kind of, like, deep listening, a deep present state, and you don't have a portfolio of a different things it could get draining.
I mean, I the therapy profession has the highest rate of burnout.
I know that coaching is not the same as therapy.
So all the coaches are listening.
Please don't send me anything.
That tells me I don't understand the difference, but the emotional, you know, the emotional presence that a therapist provides is similar to what the presence that a coach provides So that does make sense.
You'd need a little bit of a break and do different things and tap into different things.
Otherwise, you know, emotionally could get very difficult.
Right.
And those different things don't necessarily have to be work related.
It could be, you know, I'll take the dogs for a walk, or, you know, I'll go ahead and Just look at news feeds or something like that.
Something that'll just kind of recalibrate your brain so that you can disengage from 1 and then get ready to reengage, uh, uh, on something else.
So do you see yourself staying in this portfolio type of thing, or do you think like at some point, things are gonna call us into, like, the Reiner brand and say, alright.
Kind of like, here's my favorite stuff.
And this is really what I'm gonna be all about, or do you just kinda see, like, I'm gonna be I I'm I'm multi passionate.
I have multiple different ways of how I wanna show up.
And so, therefore, I imagine that this is gonna be the way it is for me.
Yeah.
I think it's gonna be the latter only because I've done a corporate for so long and you, you know, it's, uh, you know, the saying, uh, same stuff different day.
And, you know, this this is different stuff, different day, and it's just really exciting, and I enjoy it.
I enjoy the diversity of it.
And, uh, for some, it may not be for everybody, but, you know, as as you're in, maybe your later part of your career, Um, it could be something that could be quite interesting.
But this is one of the reasons why I always encourage people to brand themselves with their own There's a thousand other reasons why people get annoyed.
I have, like, wrestling matches with people.
Like, just name your business your own name because it, you know, for a 1000 other reasons, uh, CEO reasons, thought leadership reasons on all of that.
But the biggest is what you're talking about is having that fly uh, you know, groups, so I started the Consultants Institute.
So I got Consultants Institute, but then I started supporting coaches.
And I started doing branding, and I wasn't doing predominantly training at all around resulting.
And so it's like, okay.
Now none of those match to what I'm doing, but if I just say I'm Betsy Jordan or Betsy Jordan International, it can grow with me.
But one thing I did notice, I I want I wanna talk to you about this portfolio career, and I'm gonna give you my certain circumstances and maybe I didn't do the portfolio career properly.
But, um, last year, I tried out a couple different things.
You know, so I was new to Denver, and I wanted to make some friends.
So I decided to rent an office where there was a bunch of therapists that were there, like, therapist healing shows.
I'm like, cool.
I can make some friends and maybe I can get some new clients, you know, because they all need help with branding.
But when I started working um, and talking to those individuals when I started some initial work, I felt like I was just really duplicating.
I had to, like, almost start my process all over again because the therapist had very, very different needs than a consultant or coach in terms of, like, branding and starting a business because they're, you know, they're in that hourly model.
You know, coming to packages and they have all kinds of other legal things and ethical things.
So it didn't really it was not it was not efficient I wasn't landing the same kind of work as I was.
It wasn't helpful.
I couldn't bring them into my community because they didn't have enough, like, in common.
And then I decided to take a consulting gig on the side and, like, train a bunch of HR people on, you know, HR influence you know, strategic partner skills and OT skills and all that kind of stuff.
And then it's like, okay, it's almost like I was doing 3 different jobs at the same time.
And it wasn't it wasn't effective.
It wasn't efficient for me.
Did I do it wrong, like, you know, or maybe it's not a right or wrong? But, you know, trying to build that portfolio of different interests, you know, did I was that not the right way to do portfolio, or is there another way that I should have thought about it? You know, somebody's thinking about, like, well, I could do, you know, b to b and I could do b to c and I could do all these different things.
Yeah.
I think I think it's taking time to create some white space to think about, you know, again, leveraging your superpowers where you might have the biggest bang for your buck, um, both from a personal satisfaction standpoint and then also kind of the the audience impact you'll have.
So I don't know.
Maybe maybe rewind it, and, of course, I'm I'm now taking my coaching hat off and putting on my consulting hat is Well, just to give advice because other people might have made the same mistakes I did.
Yeah.
Because I it was not critical or enjoy for me.
Yeah.
It's it sounded like you went a hundred miles an hour in in a redirection in each direction simultaneously.
Versus building on 1, test testing it out and saying, okay, this is good, but is this really everything I wanna do.
Let me what other skills am I leveraging, uh, in this business that I can also then transfer to this other audience, sort of, from B2B2B2C, right, and what makes sense.
And let me think about how I how I build that.
And and what my vision for success is there.
Well, I did do that.
It's just I didn't realize that it was recreating my processes.
Like, let's say I was gonna add another consultant or coach to my branding, the work I do around branding, It's this, you know, re I I'm using similar stuff because I've already developed it for consultants and coaches.
I had to recreate it for therapists because their starting point was so different.
So it's like, you know, so I was bringing that expertise.
And then, you know, with the HR thing, I'm like, well, they asked me to do an org design.
I'm like, well, I don't do org design anymore, but I I do mentoring, so I could mentor your people.
And, like, those HR people were completely different.
Like, giving like, giving feedback.
I got brought in to do, like, uh, you know, help them with their persuasive pitches.
I take train this all the time with my community.
So I'm giving feedback to the HR group.
This is an intake a intact HR group on, you know, their presentations in the same as I would do with my community.
My community is really just much more open to the feedback.
The HR team, like, lost their mind when I gave them, like, any constructive feedback.
Like, they were I was like, I st you know, and I did the sandwich thing, you know, like, positive, positive, positive, but the any bit of feedback, I'm like, oh, I forgot politics.
I forgot about I forgot about their all in front of their peers and his politics and everybody's posturing.
I've met I forgot about so many different things.
So it kinda did some of that, but I wonder if it's just, you know, or maybe I'm just not the person who's gonna do the portfolio career.
Well, I think you're doing pretty good what you're doing right now, Betsy.
And if you think about it, the diff just the different services you offer You're you're kind of, you know, flirting a little bit with a portfolio because it's it's not all one, you know, single swim lane.
To to a degree.
Right? So, um, I think it's just when you p mentally pivot to do your master, um, mastermind class and things like that.
It's like, okay.
I'm wearing a different hat, different skill set I'm still Betsy Jordan, you know, the Yeah.
The org, but this is this is who's showing up for this.
It it is different.
It is different.
So for me, showing up as a career coach versus showing up as a as a, um, leadership coach versus showing up as maybe a a LinkedIn advisor to the C suite.
Yeah.
Uh, I'm mentally going through, uh, a different wearing a different hat.
Alright.
I get what was I I got it now.
Okay.
So now here's the answer to the question around the portfolio career.
So what I what you're calling a portfolio career, I would simply say is have a flexible business with multiple products and services, but serve the same audience.
So if I'm serving consultants and coaches, I do a ton of things.
I do the brand messaging.
I do visual branding, website copy, website design.
Like, I have a whole portfolio of products and services that I offer my client all within this one banner where it was not working is trying to serve multiple audiences all at the same time that are very, very different you know, for you, you're still working with c level executive types, whether the problem is is around career coaching, LinkedIn, makeover, or leadership coaching, It's still kind of like thematic.
So if you're gonna build a a portfolio career thematically use similar strengths for a similar audience, but then just offer multiple different products and services, if you will.
If if you wanna monetize each one of those, yes.
If you don't wanna uh, ties it, then it's not as important.
So for instance, if you wanna join a nonprofit board, right, in the creative arts and your total left brain person, but they, you know, may maybe they they need that.
They need that left brain person in in their org so that might be a good fit.
Or if you are a consultant, but you also then wanna teach, um, college, let's say a college level course, uh, via adjunct faculty and stuff like that.
So you are using different skill sets, but it's probably in the industry that you've worked in before.
Yeah.
Right.
And and there's probably some passion you have about imparting wisdom and teaching to to other people.
So, yeah, you're always gonna kind of follow the the the skill sets that you're really, really good at.
I mean, in order to in my point of view, anyway.
The skill sets and the, you know, people, the industry, like, there's a keep it somewhat tight and then just be creative with the different things that you might be able to do.
And have it from that standpoint.
I think that, like, that makes a lot of sense because that's, like, one of the things that people tell me all the time, like, when they come about you know, like, I I think it's a misconception about what Anish is.
And I think people think Anish is is like, well, I can just cut out this one skill set And and I just see whoever whoever wants that one skill set.
I'm like, well, that's not accurate.
You shouldn't cut off any part of yourself.
You know, you're you're a multi dimensioned human being with lots of different gifts.
So there's some of it is you have gifts of teaching, you might have gifts of of coaching, you might have gifts, you know, in branding.
Like, I might have, you know, you have, like, these different gifts, use them all, Mhmm.
And don't let any of them kind of go follow.
And I think that that's what you're it seems like ultimately what you're saying is if you're gonna leave corporate and start your own thing, you know, have all, you know, have a complete life, have a have a life that expresses everything.
And I think this is what you were saying earlier you know, you got kids, you've got golf, you've got, you know, you've got all these other things.
They all reflect different parts of you.
So piece together your whole life, through your work and don't let any part of you just kinda hang out and be exiled somewhere.
Well said.
Great recap.
Yay.
I did it good.
Thank you.
Um, that was that was brilliant, because I I think that that is brilliant.
Because at this stage of our career, why would we leave any part of ourselves out? Exactly.
Exactly.
You're gonna you're gonna find that um, if you do, it it's gonna be depleted, whether it's, you know oh, gosh.
Emotional or wellness or spiritual or anything.
You know, you gotta tap into all of those things that that that in a way that makes sense for you.
Right? And so just taking stock of that, doing an inventory and then thinking about, you know, what have I always been told that I'm really, really good at? Even even if I don't think it's a a superpower, people just say, gosh.
I'm just marvelous.
How you do that? Well, guess what? That's a superpower, and then might be something that you can, um, leverage moving forward.
If not for just for fun, then maybe for monetization.
You know, but I do feel like that there is something that what people will comment.
Like, the fact that I don't know if if other people come in and on the same thing, but, like, like, the comment that I made about you is, like, one thing I always noticed about you, everything I remember from all those years ago is, like, he was always calm.
He was always calm.
Like, so when you say, like, oh, I I my super powered listening, I'm like, well, that makes sense to me.
You know, energetically, I sensed it you know, back of what, 1999, 2000, you know, when we worked, you know, 1st, we're working together when we were really young, you know, in our careers.
But that's, like, that's still seems true, and you still have that same that same presence about you.
So you when I saw on LinkedIn, like, which is why we're here, is, like, I saw LinkedIn.
It's like, oh, we start coaching practice, that makes sense.
You know, that wasn't like, um, head scratcher.
You know, how did he go there? You know, like, that makes perfect sense.
It's an alignment.
With who you've been, but I love the I love what we're getting to with this is build a life that's it and a container that's big enough.
Takes for all of you to show up and all of the different parts of you to have expression.
Otherwise, you won't be happy.
And what's the point of leaving your corporate career if all of that is not going to be able to be present.
Exactly.
And you could just stay in corporate, make money.
You might not hit self actualization, but you can make money.
Very true.
And have confidence and, you know, status.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So, um, be, like, I before we I before we wrap up, though, I I do have, um, I would love to talk a little bit about your journey, though, from Okay.
You know, uh, being, uh, an executive, having all of the park that go along with it, the status being an fortune 100 company and the journey into entrepreneurship, there's gonna be a lot of people who are listening in who are kind of at the Cusp with can I can I really leave this this safety security and do my own thing? You know, so from your perspective as both a career coach as somebody who has you know, who is that executive coach in that that guide from that standpoint and from your own personal journey, You know, can you please speak to that? The fear, all the concerns that people might have, who really wanna go make this leap, but they have all of these fears, all of these How would you coach them through that? So one of the things that I would ask them to consider, first of all, is do they have the support of their family in in making this leap? Right.
That's number 1.
Number 2, can they Be before you jump off of that, what does the support of the family look like? Like, are you talking about like, a a significant other saying, yes.
We can do this.
I I believe in you, or what's the support you're talking about? It's yes.
I believe in you.
The part 2 to that is and we've we've financially can weather some valleys.
That might be because if you're ramping up a business as you know, you you just unless you're buying a business with a P and L, you're not making money day 1.
Right? And so you you have to think about that.
So do you have the support of your family, your spouse, um, the kids? You may be working more than you've worked in the past but you're doing something you really like.
Um, and then and then just really identifying kind of Is there a, um, is there a market for what it is that you wanna sell or what you wanna service? And so it requires some research.
Right? There's companies out there that do it.
There's consultants like you that can obviously help people identify what those niche markets are.
And they should absolutely take advantage of that.
But it's doing your homework before you just make the leap.
And and then doing some introspection like Can I weather some of the storms that are gonna be coming? Talking to other people that have actually done it.
If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently? You know, getting data.
And and I always tell people even when they're going for a new job before you just start posting for a job.
Gather intel on that company.
Find out what it's like to work there.
Find out if it's gonna really fill your bucket.
You know, and and it's the same thing if if you're gonna go into a some kind of an entrepreneurial or a different direction.
It's just spend a little time doing research, but don't go into analysis paralysis.
At some point, you know, if you're an executive, you're taught to just pull the trigger and make a decision based on what you have.
But what if somebody says, but, um, you know, but there's so many coaches out there, you know, like, okay.
I wanna follow in your footsteps.
I wanna help wanna become an executive coach.
Like, I feel that there's so many of them or I wanna be a consultant.
It's like, how in the world would I get into the C suite? Nobody's gonna listen to me.
I've got, you know, like, just speak to, like, some of that, like, imposter syndrome and that fear of, like, okay, there's so many of why does the world need me? Right.
First thing is you have to have that self advocacy mindset You have to be able to be your own best self promoter.
That's 1st and foremost.
If you can't do that, then it's gonna it is gonna be a tough road.
Right? Secondly, it's, again, talking to people that are successful, finding out what their journey was, where did they get their training? Is that something that I'm able and willing to do.
And, you know, what happens when I when I leave? What what am I walking away with? Besides the credential, do I have the business sense to go ahead and, you know, kick this thing off? So, um, people that are looking to make a transition, I think they would benefit from a coach or a consultant to help guide them to be their thought partner in a safe space.
Because they may say, you know what? Appreciate it after the 3rd meeting, but I don't think I can do this.
At least you know what? At least they know now.
I've talked to many people that said, I think I want entrepreneurship.
And after you talk to me, you're like, nope.
That's not me.
Don't like the risk.
Right, or as an example.
And and they say they go back into an FTE type role.
I think it's in first thing, you know, I've been in business for myself.
I think it's like I'm going on 15 years, maybe longer.
Um, if I count for, like, that in between time where I was free financing before I, like, fully launch my business.
And what I find interesting because I observe, like, all of our colleagues, you know, at Disney and different companies, And it's like, well, I've stayed in my same role.
You know, like, I've had a business.
You know, I've been able to make money.
You know, sure there's some years were better than others.
And, you know, there were some up and down, but I never got laid off.
You know, when COVID happened, I just continued business as usual.
COVID had from a business standpoint, you know, COVID had no impact except for, actually, my went up because lots of people wanted to start businesses.
So, you know, I mean, feel bad for it.
I'm not like, I don't wanna be insensitive to the world.
But, like, I think it's interesting is what is perceived as risky.
I would find it more risky now to go back to a company and put all my eggs in one basket.
Versus what we were talking about with a portfolio is it my eggs are in a lot of baskets.
Just like your eggs are in 1, a lot of baskets.
So if your career coaching goes down and, you know, that you shut that down.
It's like, well, I got a couple other baskets going.
You know, like and I think that that's where, you know, like, Like, I think that there's a misconception around what is actually risky and what's not.
I would totally agree with that.
Um, but but remember Betsy too that some people are just tied to a paycheck and they need that they need that steady income and to break away from that at any given moment.
And it's not to be judgy or anything like that.
People have financial commitments, you know, they're they're taking care of their parents or their gut putting kids through college and stuff like that.
I totally get it.
I was there.
Right? Yeah.
But, um, it's it's just a at some point, you're you're you're gonna have enough information.
Maybe talk to your financial planner and say, okay.
We can make this thing work.
Yeah.
And and I and I would say also just like to have a plan for how you're going to make the money.
You know, like, that's where I think having a a there's, like, I think that that would be great to have, like, a coach, like, a career coach or a mindset coach, like, someone like you can help kinda, like, work through the the the mindset and the fears and all of those kinds of things and then talk to someone, you know, like a business mentor or someone like me or others.
There's a million business mentors out there who can help them figure out a plan.
Like, how are you going to replace your salary? You know, you have to have a strategy.
You know, like, Disney would just, like, open something without doing a pro form a to figure out, like, well, how are we gonna make our money? You know, like, how are we gonna do this? You have to kinda do the same thing.
It's like, well, how am I gonna you know, how am I gonna do that? And once you have a plan, then maybe, like, some of those fears will quell you because you have a plan.
Exactly.
Right.
The plan is the key.
Mhmm.
And having somebody to give you that validation.
Like, I think having support is if you don't have, like, when I started my business, I was single, and I was a single parent.
So I didn't have, like, a partner I had to get buy in.
But I'd so I did have to have other people around me who would say who would at least give the confidence.
Like, I didn't have the expectation, you know, from somebody else, like, oh, okay.
You have x and number of mon how much money you're supposed to bring in.
I mean, I set my own I knew how much money I had to bring in.
But I did have to surround myself with other people, you know, who would say, yeah, you can do this.
This is doable.
You know? Right.
I I I, you know, that other kind of cheerleader.
Right.
Right.
Yeah.
And I think having your own personal board of directors, kind of what I think you're referring to is critical, especially if you're launching a business.
Yes.
So, um, so we talked a lot of different things about, like, building a portfolio career, portfolio life, really, what we're saying in this is that it's creating a life where all of you can show up.
And and really just finding that through a line of your strengths and all of that kind of stuff.
And the through a line of who you care about helping and, you know, and just kinda being in that space.
We talked about, you know, just the journey of starting a business for you.
There was a little bit of a stair stepper kind of thing of, like, build it while you're still there, build it while you're still there.
Um, you know, is there anything else that you wanna tell me that you think would benefit my audience about, you know, just starting a business portfolio businesses and living your passion and your dream life, and I'm just not asking you the right questions.
I know.
Not really.
I would just say If they're thinking about it, they just need to take the first step and and do something.
And and do something might be as simple as talking to you.
Or talking to people that have already went ahead and and, you know, taken that leap and just get smarter about versus it just spinning in your head in the middle of the night where you wake up and you're cold sweat and you're thinking about it.
Just take a step.
And then and then create a plan to just get more information and then give yourself a deadline.
I will make a go, no go decision by this state.
Oh, that's good.
That it forces you to to go ahead and, um, uh, get all the information you need.
That's a great idea is, like, get the information, but it's like, I will decide.
I give myself, like, 1 month to be an analysis paralysis and then done.
You know, I'm not going to be an analysis paralysis after that.
Right.
Right.
So if people wanna learn more about your coaching, your coaching services, LinkedIn makeovers.
Um, I assume you do LinkedIn makeovers for consultants and coaches and business owners as well.
Is that Yep.
Yep.
So you can you can reach me on, uh, elevate your path coaching dotcom.
Or Elevate your path.
Coaching.
Elevate your elevate your path coaching dot com.
Or, um, I don't know if you'll have my LinkedIn address in your show notes, but you can I will? For sure now.
Okay.
So elevate your path coaching dot com is your website, and then they can find you also on LinkedIn.
So if say LinkedIn from you and say, hey.
I'm interested in your coaching and or your your LinkedIn makeover services.
They could also access that through there.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Um, just real quick, because I'm doing a social media challenge right now for my community on, How to maximize social media? Any LinkedIn tips that you have that you just wanna pass on? Um, well, everybody should that has a consulting company um, should have a consulting page.
Right? They're they're they're linked in, uh, consulting page.
Sorry.
A business page.
A business page? And the key is to get to a 150 followers.
Oh.
Because that will help you, um, I'm told in in SEO searches too.
A 150 follows.
I thought that the oh, that's interesting.
So was told that the business page is predominantly, you know, just to kinda get the logo and have a link, but you should really be building your brand on your personal side.
Personal side, but try to get try to get a 150 followers on your business page.
Oh, because that will help with the algorithm.
Mhmm.
Exactly.
Any tips on how to get a 150 followers on your business page? Well, you just hit the little invite button when when you're on your company page and you you just just send it out.
I try not you you're limited to how many you can send out per month.
I think it's 200 or 2 or something like that.
Um, but that's that's, um, you just hit the little invite button and you send it out to your 1st degree network.
Interesting.
Okay.
We will try that tip.
Thank you for adding that in there.
Well, thank you so much for being on the show.
I've just been it's been wonderful to catch up with you.
And to see where your journey is.
I definitely definitely recommend Reiner for coaching.
Um, I've known him, like, I said it before.
I'd known him for a long time, and I remember, and that's, like, just this whole ability to listen, I believe, is is his superpower.
So I highly recommend him for that.
And if you are somebody who has a lot of different interests in your in your background, a lot of different things of how you wanna express your superpowers.
I think, you know, having this idea of, like, a portfolio career is brilliant.
A great way for you to start thinking about, you know, how do I build a business where all of me has a place to show up? So thank you so much for sharing that information to us.
And for all of you just, thank you so much for listening, and I will see you all next time
