Spinach In Your Teeth: Get Perspective In Your Business

In this lively and engaging episode of Beyond Common Business Secrets Podcast, award-winning host Tracey Watts Cirino explores why every female entrepreneur needs a business coach. With a perfect blend of humor and valuable insights, Tracey dives into the real-life benefits of coaching, shares real-life success stories, and explains how a coach can transform your business journey. Whether you're ready to start working with a coach of your own, skeptical about the investment, or just curious, this episode is a must-listen for any business owner looking to take their business to the next level. Tune in for laughs, lessons, and a whole lot of inspiration!
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Deep Dive Strategy Session

Are you ready to say goodbye to fear, frustration, and overwhelm when it comes to growing and scaling your business? You’re in the right place. Welcome to  Beyond Common Business Secrets Podcast I’m your host, Tracey Watts Cirino

Chapters

• 0:00 Business Coaching Benefits and Strategies
• 8:21 Understanding the Role of a Business Coach
• 15:58 The Benefits of Working With a Business Coach
• 25:07 Coaching Benefits and Return on Investment
• 30:51 Living a Harmonious Life With Coaching
• 35:30 Authenticity and Integrity in Coaching
• 39:21 Seeking Help and Support for Business Success

Transcript

• Congratulations and welcome to Beyond Common Business Secrets.
• I am your host Tracey Watts Cirino, your dedicated business growth strategist, and today's topic is bound to get you fired up about your business journey. What we're diving into? Why, you need a business coach, so you don't get stuck with spinach in your teeth.
• No, no, seriously, though seriously. Oh, we've titled this episode. Spinach in your teeth, get perspective in your business.
• because that is one of the most amazing things that
• a business coach can help you with. So get ready for some laughs, some valuable insights, and a lot of Aha moments. Let's get started. So the thing is is that it's really funny, because
• I talk to
• so many business owners, business leaders, coaches, authors, people that are like authorities in their specific industry and one of the
• funniest things that we always talk about is
• that they wish they would have hired a coach or consultant much sooner like that's always the thing like, oh.
• I got so much help from from my 1st coach.
• and if I had it to do over again I would start sooner. So that is why we created this episode just for you, because it's so important that you know what resources support tools, all the things that are out there readily available for you right now in this moment.
• So
• I have a few jokes for you, though, to get started. So why did the business owner cross the road
• to save time by doing it all themselves.
• Haha! Right until they realized a business coach could help them build a bridge for half the cost and triple the profits you like that. I hope. I hope you enjoyed that one. I got a couple more for you, just, you know, just for fun today. So what do you call a business owner who tries to be their own accountant marketer and janitor?
• Yeah, what do you call them? No, I'm not teasing you specifically
• it. You call them exhausted, right exhausted. But after hiring a business coach they're just called
• successful. Woo! Woo right? Doesn't that sound awesome and then one of the other things is, and this is just kind of to tie everything together. Why
• like, why did the business owner like? What did they finally say after finally hiring a business coach?
• The most common thing I hear is, I used to juggle everything. I used to juggle everything and
• suffer from burnout exhaustion. And now I just juggle profits instead. So these are many, many, you know, humorous ways to look at this.
• but you know one of the things I can tell you as a personal antidote. Here the thing is, is that so funny is way back. When I was 1st getting started in business.
• I had no clue. It was even a thing that you could hire a business coach like. I didn't even know that was a thing. So what
• what we were struggling with was that we were like hiring people and trying to train them.
• But what was happening was, we were literally flooding them with so much information. It's like getting a brain transfusion would have been easier. We were literally scaring people because it was like wanting to get everything from your 20 years of experience like into their brain. Right? And that's like scary. It's overwhelming, like we were scaring the heck out of our new hires.
• and it wasn't until
• I hired a business coach who taught me how to break down the training into bite. Size chunks like bite size pieces that were easily digestible. You know, that was when our business really started taking off because we had to make our training program adaptable to.
• you know, to a wider range of people, not just like the top key performers or people that could figure it out themselves, you know, like it had to be done very strategically, and
• it was like, Oh, it was like the heavens opened up like Oh, you know! And there was that sign of relief and that big, amazing feeling of oh, I get this so in the end, trying to Diy, this cost us a lot of time, money, energy, pain, suffering. When once we hired a business coach.
• it saved us and actually grew our profit so much because of this. So that is kind of when I started, I think really observing like that role of you know what what a coach could really do for you in your business. And
• you know it really became something that
• I think on sort of like on a side note forever, like I was doing coaching. But
• I looked at it like, well, I'm just simply teaching people what I figured out like that. I've been doing that since I was like 18. People want to learn. So I just teach it. Well, that was that. So? That's kind of the simplicity of how I was coaching, but I hadn't really figured it out into applying it to the areas that I needed to hire
• a business coach into my own business, and then I have proceeded to do that and every business I've had since. So it's just a really interesting perspective that even when you're technically like the coach or the expert of your industry, you sometimes don't think you need a coach, or you don't see how it applies because I never really called myself a business coach, or considered myself that
• I
• just
• would be like. No, I'm more of like a loving kick in the pants like. That's just how I look at it. And I'm just teaching people
• what I figured out. And the way the reason I figured it out was because I made a ton of mistakes and fell on my face right like I was the person that went before you embarrassing, and had all the spinach in my teeth right? And had a stand on stage. I did that for you. So that's just kind of like one of those things from that perspective. So
• when you wanna think about like, what's the role of the business coach? So you know, there are many different things. But when you really think about what a business coach is.
• I like to say that they're like the person that's gonna help you get the broccoli, the spinach, or the lipstick like off your teeth right before you have to step on stage and have that embarrassing, monumental moment in front of everyone. And that's why I say, like I already did that for you. So that's the thing that
• it's not that a business coach or consultant is operating from a place of perfection. They've actually
• probably already made all these really expensive mistakes, and when I say expensive, I'm talking at a cost of time, money, energy, it's all the things they've already done, those. So you get to collapse time by paying them as that fee which actually catapults your growth and timeline, of how
• much faster you get to the land of success for yourself
• and for your business. So that is like the way that I really look at this
• you know, you don't really have to think about it that way, you know. It just makes it easier. And
• you get to collapse time, you know, like you don't have to wait it out. That is one of the other perks of having a business coach or consultant that works side by side with you.
• Another area is like a lot of questions we get is, what's the difference between a coach and other business advisors? So you know you, you'll have an accountant. You'll have your bookkeeper. You'll have your lawyer. Some people have a like a Cmo a Cfo, you have all these different experts helping you behind the scenes, and
• they like the best one for me to really explain. I always think of it like the accountant. So oftentimes
• an accountant really
• looks at their role as just getting you ready for what the Irs wants to see.
• and that
• doesn't always mean they are going to help you strategically grow your business and be profitable. They're going to help you with your taxes. So why, I'm sharing this with you is that these are roles that are very clear to what role they play.
• But when you have a business coach you get to decide. You know what's the area that you need help with so often. I'm hired and brought in for decision, making, strategically planning, really helping people overcome feelings of like lower self-esteem. You know, things that have come up. Now that you've hit one level.
• it's like, what got you here is not going to get you to the next level. So
• I'm brought in often to help with the strategic thinking, helping you overcome like mindset traps and things that knock you off your games, your game that like can like rattle and shake your confidence. So I'm brought in to help with that I'm brought in to help with marketing strategies and things of that
• sort that that need clarity, that need confidence, that need a strong brand message, you know. So the thing is is that
• it's really strategic, you know. So the difference is that when you bring in a coach they're sort of your ally to help all your business advisors really be working for you, not
• just for the Irs, right like. So that's the way you wanna look at this, where the business coach is your ally to really make sure you're communicating effectively with all of your other business advisors. Everybody has a role but your business coach works even closer with you
• to help you really step into your role as CEO, and really command the leadership seat so that you're in charge of all of these business advisors. Now
• we have hired them because they have an expertise in their area, and they are much smarter than we are at what they do.
• But you work side by side with your business coach and consultant to really have the strategy in place and the leadership skills to execute and make sure everybody on the team is working in harmony for your best interest, right? Not for anything else, but for your best interest, and for the greater good of your company.
• So that is the best way. I would explain. Sort of the difference then some of the benefits to having a business coach, besides all the humor that we've dove into about the spinach and your teeth, of course. Besides that
• besides that.
• the number one thing that I hear from clients on a daily basis is the accountability piece. So often it is so glamorous and so exciting to go start a business. But we forget that
• when we work for someone there's a boss telling us
• what time we have to be somewhere, when to do this, when that needs to be done. Wha what's the overall steps to getting somewhere?
• And once we shift gears. And sometimes this is really rapid and immediate. We don't realize what's going on. But without accountability. We're definitely not getting as much done. So the number one reason I hear from all of my business owner clients is that accountability piece that
• they. They needed that so much because
• everyone else is accountable to them as the boss right? And they can wiggle their way out of stuff, and they know that they need someone to help hold their feet to the fire so that they can follow through and execute on so much more.
• It's kind of like having a personal trainer, but for your business, right? So like. I always say it's like, I'm that loving kick in the pants. So they also give you like. One of the things that
• I really love about being a business coach and consultant is to really help
• give my clients awareness
• on something they didn't notice, or something they didn't see before. So giving people an objective and a different perspective. And that's why I was making the jokes earlier about.
• You know it's like having that friend who tells you if there's spinach on your teeth before you walk out on stage right like we don't want those embarrassing moments, or the lipstick on your teeth right before you are about to deliver your brand new product on the news. You know that that's the perspective. But in so many ways it's opening up this awareness and giving you a perspective.
• It's the perspective to celebrate in an area that you've been being really hard on yourself.
• and then other times. It's an area where you are. Just
• you're like, you're like about to throw in the towel right before it finally connected. And
• you could be like making excuses and coming up with reasons why you don't want to finish something, and we're able to work with you on bringing awareness to this to really help open up a different perspective. And that is the thing that is most rewarding when you know someone has your back and your best interests at heart, and
• they have like, if there's no gain any which way, right? It's just being on your team and supporting your vision, your values, your mission in that way. It's a really
• beautiful, deeply enlightening experience, and that's really why I do
• enjoy it and love it so much.
• Another. One of the benefits is the strategic planning piece. Now, since we've got nothing but jokes today, I I will say this often that
• strategic planning is super important. And it's 1 of the major benefits is because winging. It is only for chickens. I
• help so many people that are in creative industries, especially a lot in creative service industries. And because of this creativity, I get a lot of people that are like, Oh, you know, I'm an artist, or I like to wing it.
• But, friend, that is not the time doing it. The business side is where you need strategic planning in your creations, and how you serve that that's awesome. Get creative. Do your thing. But you must have strategic planning in your processes and systems and the way that you do things, so
• you cannot wiggle, you cannot wiggle your way out of that. And again, like I said, Winging, it's only for chickens or people doing the chicken dance.
• so I'm
• that
• it is like the highest level of benefits. There's lists and lists of benefits to working with a business coach, one of the one of the things I get
• in real life like the real life success of it all is that
• I have constantly getting feedback from clients who feel that not just their business has been transformed through coaching and working together, but their life they feel that they've had, like the cortisol levels in their body, have gone down. They're able to take a breath. And even though yes, they still have a to do list, it's not overwhelming them. They feel confident
• and secure in the way that they're executing their business mission. They feel good about the decisions they're making. They feel more confident in the way they've stepped into their role as leader, and they feel supported because of the systems and strategies we are putting in place around them to support them.
• So it goes far beyond of just saying, I want to be more profitable and make more money. Yes, that's a byproduct of what we do. But when we
• specifically lean in on the areas that you're really good at and build systems and strategies to support that. And then we also
• kind of dig into areas that are
• like our weak spots. We're able to hire effectively to make sure we have the right support in those areas instead of feeling like we have to be doing everything so like, that's why I was telling you like those funny jokes earlier. It's like the
• there's a million things that you can do. But where do you excel? Where is your core genius really happening? And let's do more of that, because I promise you those roles that
• are taking you 10 h to do, but paying an expert to do it in in 1 h is gonna save you so much money, time, money, energy, whether you hire those people to be on your team
• or you outsource it to experts that can get it done, you know, that's just like one of the ways that we are able to really bring
• more like space and freedom. It's like
• it gives you that sense of being time, you know. Time rich, too. Right? Like you get some more of your time back, you're able to make it to your kids. Sporting events, you know. You are not feeling like. Oh, sorry, Buddy. I was, you know, stuck at work because you got all this extra stuff
• thrown in your lap right as you're walking out the door. You know where you were still putting out fires, and nobody else could do it for you. So these are things that are the true breakthroughs. It's something as simple as telling your
• son or daughter. I will be there at 6 pm. Tonight, and actually being able to keep your word and be there. That's a giant breakthrough for some of our business owner friends, right? So that is like the number one area that when you're able to make a commitment to your loved ones and actually keep it, that
• shows that you've really been working on creating the right support around you, which is a lot of hiring the right people, which is a lot of having different systems and strategies that work with your core genius right? Instead of you spending all your time putting out fires and and and just being like a stress monster, right?
• So that
• those areas are really, really important.
• Some of the other things that
• people will always ask about. It's like, okay, well.
• I don't think I have the money when it comes to like the investment in a business coach or consultant, so the thing is is so often, if you are struggling in any area of your business.
• hiring an expert to help you notice where your blind spots are is always going to save you time and money, even if you hire the most expensive one
• period, the end. It is so true. So when you are starting out, I think it should be one of your investment
• areas of your business. So like, make sure you have money set aside to invest in getting coaches, experts, people that can help you in areas where you're gonna need it. And another thing to think about is that when we look at like the Roi and the return on our investment when it comes to investing in a coach, a consultant, or some type of expert, to help you
• versus the return of inaction. So so often, if if you have to figure out SEO. But every time you Google about it you get overwhelmed because you're stressed and you don't. And it goes to this whole fear about you. You're afraid that you're not even doing the computer right? And technology is freaking you out. And then your brain just goes down this rabbit hole of different things that cause you to be in fight or flight.
• Then you're not really getting anywhere. You're just spinning your wheels, but you maybe went down a rabbit hole and spent a whole day. And yeah, Google and Youtube is free.
• But you just wasted a whole day instead of getting strategic answers that you really need. So it's really important to look at it through that lens.
• And some of the most important returns on investment is the reduction in stress. So a fun fact is that Forbes Magazine cited that there were 57 of business owners experienced a significant reduction in stress levels. After working with a coach when you were able to talk strategy and really share
• why, you want something. What's on your heart and mind and your vision? That's when things really start happening for you, and this creates a sacred bond
• when you're working with a trusted person that has your back and has your best interests, and it's so so will help
• with
• stress levels coming down because you won't feel isolated and alone. Another area is
• that when you work with a coach that you get a really good return. Because here's your investment. Once you've invested money, you're gonna take action and they're gonna help you do it. You're not left there standing alone, and another. And so another return on your investment is
• higher employee satisfaction. So this is overall. So this study. So this is a fun fact. A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology found that coaching improved employee satisfaction by 34%. When the whole company, you know, was involved.
• But even by 23%, it's just leadership and management was involved in coaching. So I thought that was really an amazing fact to share that this is super important, that at every level it can affect your business or organization from the top down
• another area is, of course, the reason that almost everybody will hire a coach is increased profitability. So the fact is is that a study cited by Forbes found that businesses that invest in coaching experience an average return on investment of 7 times the initial cost. So if you are, you know, if you're spending 10,000 a month on coaching. That
• is saying that you would get 7 times that initial cost. So you would be getting 7 70,000 plus per month. So this can be on a smaller scale if you're just getting started. This could be on a bigger scale as you grow. But this study really pulled businesses of all sizes, new startup just getting started, things that have grown huge over time.
• and every business that had
• coaching like where they invested was able to average a return on their investment of 7 times the initial cost. So that is like where it's like, Oh, well, how can I afford not to do this? So that I thought was a really good one. The other thing that I that we wanna dive into is personal growth and leadership development.
• So this is where, like we were saying before coaching improves. Not just the business, but your own personal growth, your own mental health wellbeing, your overall ability to make sure you're not just stuck in the hustle of fight or flight, and actually caring for yourself.
• taking care of your commitments to your family that are outside of the business. So this is really important. And this is also one of the areas that when we really looked at the roi of this and did some deeper like we know it works, but don't just trust us like here. Here are some facts, right? So
• enhanced leadership skills. So the fact is is that, according to entrepreneurial magazine, 70% of business owners who have used a coach
• report that it significantly, significantly improved their leadership skills. So this was a study done in entrepreneur magazine, and this was done where they asked they? I don't have the exact number of people that they ask, but 70% of business owners
• who have used a coach reported that it significantly improved their leadership skills. So if you are needing to double down on making some decisions and really get clear on your leadership skills or leadership style.
• This is an area that it's so great to work with a business coach, because this is an area that you really can't ask people on your team. You need someone to come alongside of you to help
• Ke to help you keep elevating that skill set and keep growing and evolving, so that you can then be that leader for your team, and come alongside them and and help grow them up. So that is
• one of the things that's most important to my heart is really helping female business owners get that support that they need to truly step into your leadership skills to step into your power and truly understand how worthy you are of being a true leader.
• So another thing that falls under, like the personal growth and leadership development is being able to balance work and personal life.
• This is an area. That is why a lot of coaches,
• coaches, business owners. All people have hired me is because that's out of balance. One of the programs that we have is called the CEO Power code. And this is all about how to get back 10 h or more every week.
• and it's all about working in harmony with, you know that work life just giving it harmony. So what one of the studies done on enhanced work life balance? This was the fact that, according to the Harvard Business Review, 67% of business owners who received coaching reported better work-life balance.
• And this the source was the Harvard Business Review. So the thing is is that when you look at it as
• we need to be living our life in harmony, like we need to be clarifying what's most important to us, what our goals look like on both the personal and professional side, because we are one, right? Like we don't go
• like we don't leave work and then go home. And all of a sudden, okay. Well, I was a vegetable all day while I was at work, and now I'm a grape. No, like you are your own self. You take your whole self with you. Everywhere you go. We need to integrate so that you can have that harmony in both your work
• and your home life, so that everything
• is adding value instead of making you feel overwhelmed and sucked dry or stretched in a million different directions. So
• that's why it's so important. So then some other. Some other things are is
• we're able to give you customized strategies and solutions. So the benefit of working with a coach or consultant is that you get tailored advice. It's customized to you. It's not just generic online tips. And you know, you can Google away. But Google Youtube, they're never gonna replace the app
• actual relationship that you develop with a coach trusted advisor, consultant mentor. That's gonna work side by side with you to help you through those challenges.
• and that's the thing like when you, when we work with different business owners, we have a formula.
• and we have a list of things that we're diagnosing. It's like our checkpoint list. We're diagnosing everything under the hood of your business, your skill set. Who's on your team like all these things? But it's not cookie cutter. It is then customized to you so that the strategies are going to
• serve you in your business best. That's, I think, the thing that separates beyond common coaching and consulting group above everyone else is that, yeah, we have programs that you can do on your own. You know, Diy, for people that are not ready to take on a
• a coach of their own. But it those even have that deeper dive where you're asked a lot of questions on how it applies to you. So even in our programs, we take the approach of customizing it
• in in you, getting curious and bringing awareness to what your needs are, because that's what's really important is, I can give you a list of a hundred businesses that are the exact same business.
• and they can all be successful in different ways. So the goal is not for you to ever be like everybody else. The world doesn't need more of everybody else. The world needs more of you.
• So we take our tried and true framework and strategies, and we plug that into your business so that you shine. It's not about our system and strategy getting better. It's about you and your company getting everything that you want out of your life.
• So that's why I think that we stand out different, and and what we do, and and no matter what stage you're at in hiring a business coach or getting help.
• whoever you decide to work with. Make sure it's somebody that
• gets where you are and has your best interest at heart, instead of just trying to, you know. Give you some
• just cookie cutter manufactured homogenized version of
• of what everyone else is doing, because that's not what we're here to do. We're here to make an impact to make the world a better place. And that's the reason that it's exciting to open a business right? Because we can solve a problem in a new, unique way.
• So some other things that
• working, you know, with a business coach or consultant can do for you is networking and opportunities. Coaches can open doors to you, creating new opportunities and networks, you know, introduce you to people you know, bring you into the fold, even make a suggestion of networks that exist that you can be out there actively a part of. So
• i i i often think about this like, have you ever been to one of those networking groups or people just like, here's my card. Here's my card. Here's my card. And you're like, I'm never gonna remember that person like, yeah, bye. Then
• I don't want to go to a networking girl like this makes no sense. Sometimes I think, of social media being like that
• where you want to be. The person that
• connects with people in a real way that
• helps them with what their problem is, so that you are remembered. You know. That's how you really grow your business retention where people want to work with you. Again and again
• I have to say I've been blessed. I've changed industries multiple times, and I'm super blessed that I still have clients that will follow me from industry to industry just because of how I make them feel. It's important for them. It's not. It's never about me.
• So
• we wanna you know, avoid sort of that like networking stuff gone wrong like, you know, we wanna be there and show up for people
• so
• how to choose the right coach. So tips on finding the perfect coach for your for your business is you wanna seek out people that have done what you wanna do.
• or that you personally connect with somebody that you like their style like, I always say, like, I'm the the loving kick in the pants. I'm the no B's. If you are looking for someone to lie to you
• and sugar coat everything. I'm not the coach for you
• I will be respectful. I will be kind, but I am going to tell you the truth
• so that you can take a hundred percent responsibility of what decision needs to be made next, because our ego already lies to us. You don't need to employ someone else that's gonna give you fluff talk
• and get you like. Let you get off the hook. You need someone that keeps it real so that you can make the right decision so you can stretch outside your comfort zone and grow beyond where you are today, you know, beyond maybe, what you thought was possible before you started working with your coach.
• So you want to find somebody that is authentic, that comes from a place of integrity and is going to help hold you accountable and able to do the same.
• and some right flags to watch out is like some of the biggest red flags I see is when people tell you, oh, yeah, I can help you do that? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, like that kind of stuff feels just too salesy. So just watch out for that. Make sure that you are
• getting the opportunity works. Could someone that you really connect with, even if it's that you just feel like, oh.
• that person is making me not able to lie to myself, that's a good sign that that's the right coach for you. Yeah, like, Oh, that's waking up something in me that's stirring up something, and you might even be like, I don't know if I like that.
• That's actually a good sign that it's the right person for you. So just pay attention to that and we could go on with more of the humor. Actually, I invite you, share it in the comments, share it with us on our in our Facebook group share with us some of the humorous examples of.
• you know, coaches to watch out for things things that haven't gone. Well, that that'll be fun. We we can have more fun with that and
• to wrap things up. I would say that
• when you really think of this entire list that we've given you. The idea is to not leave you alone and isolated where you feel like you're caught with spinach in your teeth, and you have to be on stage in front of a million people you're like, Oh, my God! Right like, that's the whole point. So I encourage you. If you are in this place that you need support, that you need help in your business.
• If you cannot afford a coach, yet all good stay with us, grab some of our free. We have lots of free content. We have this, podcast we have
• lots of different opportunities for you to work with us. So stay close when you are ready. When you are ready to take that leap and hire a coach, I invite you to book a strategy session, because the knowledge that you will gain will give you such a great perspective on the next steps for you to grow your business.
• that, regardless if we work together or not in the future that strategy session will be of such use to you moving forward. So I will make sure that the invitation for you to book a strategy session is in the show notes of this episode as well as some of our
• areas to just get started like we have our guide. That's a checklist for 5 5 ways to save, you know, 5 time saving strategies. Checklist. We have our self Love and care guide. We have a content, prompt guide. We have lots of time saving strategies that are areas for you to just get started. So I will make sure that our team includes some of those in the show notes as well and as always.
• congratulations for being here with us on beyond common business secrets. Podcast remember every single, successful entrepreneur that you're following now that you admire.
• All of them have had guidance along the way. Nobody does anything alone, so don't wait to get the help and support you need until you're drowning. Plan for it.
• Go ahead, reach out, and if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends. Subscribe and leave us a review.
• and don't forget to book, your strategy session with me, so we can take your business and upgrade your life to the next level. So until next time keep thriving and stay beyond amazing, and I will see you on the next one.