Signature Coaching by Gia

A Consumer’s Guide To The Nation’s Drinking Water

Office of Water (4601)
EPA 816-K-03-007
www.epa.gov/safewater
October 2003

Have you asked the question? Is my water safe to drink?

We can no longer take our drinking water for granted, threats to drinking water are increasing. This booklet provides the answers to these and other
frequently asked questions.

No matter how we use time it passes by and then it’s gone, and in the end the only thing that matters is how we used the time.

As we get older and hopefully become wiser we start to question ourself “Why…? Why…? Why…?” you fill in the blank! By then life has already taken its toll on us mortgage payments, car payments and making a living, did I say “making a living”? Let me rephase that to working, yes a 9 to 5 job, the list can go on….and we may not know where to turn or who to turn to for answers.

The answers are not always outside of ourself, the truth is we live such busy lives that we don’t take time out to hear the subtle responses that come from within, stop and let them surface. Think about what you are doing, all that you have done, and all that you hope to do.

Inner wisdom comes when we listen to our own voice and our intuition, only then can we tap into our inner resources skills, talents and creativity for which we were individually designed. With that being said then and only then will we truly reap the rewards of a life fullfilled with joy, and as a direct result of it earn a paycheck! (making a living).

If we keep on going the way that we are going 5 to 10 years from now, ask yourself? Would you be satisfied?

It takes time, balance, and perseverance to find the life and work of your dreams.

Signature Coaching by Gia believe that people are naturally resourceful and creative and therefore provide support to enhance the skills, talents, and creativity that the client already has.

Let’s face it, most solopreneurs put marketing on the back burner, something they get to only once they’ve put out all the fires that need to be put out, once they answer each and every e-mail in their inbox, once they’ve sent every client what they promised to send. Yes, it’s really important to do all of these things; however, you’ve got to realize that if you don’t MAKE the time for your Client Attraction (i.e., Marketing), then you’re simply not going to attract all the clients you need. Make sense?

The good news is, it doesn’t have to be difficult. Over the years of coaching thousands of self-employed professionals to attract more clients, I’ve created a few systems to keep you on track and make Client Attraction a priority. What we’ve got to do is have you clear the decks and get rid of the “leaks” in your day.

How much time per day should you really allocate for marketing? I recommend my clients spend up to 4 hours of marketing PER DAY the first 6 months to a year in business, or whenever they need a new boost of clients. Many people gasp at that number when I first share it with them, because they usually spend no more than 4 hours per MONTH, if that. No wonder they’re having trouble attracting new clients!

First-time clients tell me they just don’t have the time to devote that many hours to marketing. Well, since I’m always trying to find solutions to problems, we have to look at what’s taking up your time now and there are usually several non-essential things that are eating up your time. I call these the “leaks” in your day. Here’s what I mean: if you’re spending your valuable time working on non-business items during the day, then you may want to consider putting a “pause” button on these for the first 6 months of working on this Client Attraction System™.

It might mean stepping down from that Board of Directors position that doesn’t really serve you, taking a leave of absence from that time-consuming project that isn’t giving you a return on your time investment, not going to the grocery store during the day, and just deciding you will go to the gym before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. every day, instead of smack in the middle of your workday.

Remember, it’s much more difficult to attract new clients when you’re not out there sharing with people what you do; networking, writing newsletters, articles, sending mailings, following up with potential clients, asking current clients for referrals, or working on presentations or seminars.

OK, then, so let’s get really clear on what your day should look like. During the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (or whatever you consider your regular work hours, I’m not picky about that), there are only 2 things you should be working on:

1. Client work (the stuff that actually makes you money)
2. Client Attraction and marketing (the stuff that gets you clients)

Everything else has to go (for now) or can wait until after 5 p.m. I know, this is drastic to some, but it just has to be something you strive for, at least for the short term.

After 6 months or a year, when you start seeing consistent results in your Client Attraction, you’ll be able to decrease the number of hours you spend on marketing each day and reinstate some of the things you enjoyed doing beforehand, but had to put on pause for awhile. However, you might just be so happy to focus only on Client Attraction and client work during the day that, as for many of my private clients, you’ll decide never to go back to the old way of doing things.

Your Assignment:

Clear the decks. If you know you need 4 hours of marketing per day (that’s what I scheduled per day to fill both of my private practices to capacity in less than 8 months each), then you’ve simply got to make room for it. Your business—and livelihood—depends on it.

Take a pad of paper and write down all of the different things that take up your time every day. Include every curricular and extracurricular activity. Be a hard grader! This is not the time to be forgiving. We’re looking for change, not excuses.

Once you’ve done that, underline or check off the things that can go for at least the next 6 months, to give you the time and space to make your practice what you want it to be: FULL.

Then do it. Make a commitment to eliminate the things (for the short-term) that eat up major amounts of time each day and week. Now, don’t get depressed. Remember, this is not forever; it’s just for right now, a few months, until you get all the clients you need. Then you can slowly start adding things back in. I did. This mantra kept me going for the first 6 months: “A strong focus now creates a different future later.”

Now, you may be wondering what you SHOULD be doing with all that time you’ve allocated for Client Attraction. In fact, that’s one of the biggest questions I get. The answer is laid out step-by-step in the Client Attraction Home Study System™. Not only do you get clear on what clients you should be targeting, how to create the marketing message that will have them WANT to work with you and seek you out, but exactly WHAT to do with your marketing time and HOW. It includes everything you need to know to fill your practice quickly; no matter how long you’ve been in business. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. So, you do step one of the system, and when you’re done with that, you move on to step two, and so on. So easy. That’s why my customers have gotten such great results from it. You can get yours at www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System TM , the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your income, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.

Gill Corkindale
Avoid the Coaching Niche
2:07 PM Thursday August 16, 2007

One of the first questions I was asked when I started out as a coach was “What’s your niche?” The “correct” answer, it seems, was “top team,” “high potentials,” “leaders,” “women,” or “board members.” But with little experience of coaching any of these clients, I was unable honestly to answer that question.

Seven years on, I am still unable to answer this question. In fact, I think it’s a pretty redundant one. It’s like being asked which people you associate with or the criteria for selecting your friends. People are who they are and where they are. In fact, at the risk of alienating many of my fellow coaches, I’d dare to say I’m a better coach because I’ve consciously avoided a coaching niche. What’s more, I think it’s pretty redundant to refuse to work with certain people because of their role or situation. We can learn something from everyone we meet.

The huge growth in the coaching sector and the lack of regulation have led to individual coaches redefining themselves as specialist “leadership,” “development,” or “transition” coaches, which are essentially meaningless labels. HR directors have colluded in this in order, they believe, to match the right coach with the right client. But this is misguided. Coaches cannot be classified in simple niches: the real work and development emerges from the relationship between coach and client rather than industry experience or qualifications.

The most significant attribute of coaches is their “signature presence,” a phrase coined by author Mary Beth O’Neill in Executive Coaching with Backbone and Heart. She defines it as ”bringing your self when you coach — your values, passion, creativity, emotion, and discerning judgment — to any given moment with a client.” If managers is presented with coaches who simply mirror their experiences or backgrounds, how can they look at their issues from a different angle or move out of their comfort zone?

Read full article…

The Wheel of Life

There are eight sections in the Wheel of Life that represents balance.

1. Fun and Recreation
2. Significant Other Romance
3. Physical Environment
4. Money
5. Career
6. Family and Friends
7. Personal Growth and Development
8. Health and Well Being

Within these eight sections in the wheel are the satisfaction ratings represented as notches 0-10 reflecting the level of fulfillment in that area.
The center of the wheel is 0 (total unfulfilled) and the outer edge of the wheel 10 (total fulfillment) with 1-9 evenly distributed in between
Take a look at each area of your life and Rate your level of satisfaction (0-10) by drawing a line within that section.

How balanced does your wheel look?

Imagine if this were a real wheel how bumpy would the ride be? What are you going to do to start balancing those areas of your life?

Reserve a free complimentary sample coaching session today!

Diagram of Life Wheel
NOTE: Notches are not seen in this diagram.