Ep #98: Behind the Scenes: My High Level Mastermind Program

You are listening to The Life Coach Business Podcast with Amanda Karlstad episode number 98.

Welcome to The Life Coach Business Podcast, a show for coaches who are ready to up-level their business and take their impact, leadership, and results to a whole new level. If you’re ready to start taking powerful action and become the leader your business needs in order to grow and thrive, this show is for you. I’m your host, Amanda Karlstad, certified life and business coach, and entrepreneurial leadership expert.  Now, let’s get down to business.

Hello and welcome everyone. So glad to have you with me today. I hope you’re doing well. We are doing fantastic. We are winding down the summer here and counting down the days until school starts. I don’t know about you, but I feel like the summer just started. Here we are already moving back into school.

I heard this the other day, and I think there is some truth in this. Someone said fall is like the new New Year. It’s like the second New Year. I have to admit. I kind of feel that way. That actually really resonated with me. I thought about that, and I think the reason why is because as we start transitioning into fall, as we’re literally now over halfway through the year and we’re moving into the backside of the year. Personally I’m already thinking about the new year. I’m already thinking about next year. I’m thinking about 2022 both from a business perspective and also from a personal perspective.

I want to give you some examples. One of the things that I do on a consistent basis, and I’m talking on a weekly, monthly, quarterly basis, is assessing my goals. Assessing my business. Assessing the projects that I’m working on, the performance of my business. My own performance as the leader of my business. So various things that are all needle movers in my business and in my life. One of the things that has been extremely useful to me in my own business journey is to set and work from 90 day quarterly goals.

So because we’re coming up on this fourth quarter of the year, I’ve been thinking a lot, just naturally given the time of year that it is, about the fourth quarter and about the importance of the fourth quarter to the business. Both from a revenue perspective but also from an emotional perspective as well. So I was thinking about this over the last couple of days and thinking about the year, thinking about the first three quarters of 2021. Assessing the year so far and now turning the page to the fourth quarter.  

As I’m thinking about the fact that 2021 is going to be wrapping up in just a few months, it got me thinking about my goals in 2022 and what it is that I really want to accomplish. Recently I was coaching one of my mastermind clients on his goals. He was feeling a bit overwhelmed where to fit everything in. So I shared with him my strategy. I shared with him my strategy of calendaring and getting everything on a calendar.

So what I mean by this is putting everything that’s important to you, so everything first in your personal life that’s important to you. So even down to things like the school, the kid’s calendar, right. So their breaks, their holidays, vacations, any activities sports that they’re involved in, right. So anything significant as it relates to the family. Anything significant first personally I want to invite you all to get that on the calendars first.

I’ll give you an example. So for my daughter I already know that next spring, next early summer that this is the year for her dance. I’ve mentioned before that my daughter is in competitive dance. We’re going to be doing some travelling for her dance. So she’s actually going to be competing in nationals for dance. So this happens to be a year for nationals for her company. So here I am already planning in August of 2021. It actually started in July. We got word where we were tentatively going. I already have those tentative dates on my calendar, right?

So the power is that as I create my business calendar for next year, as I really look ahead over the next several months. Again, as a business owner, you need to be looking at these things, right? You need to be looking at all of the various things, right? So for me, I’m looking at things like the different launches, right, of my programs. I’m looking at the different cohorts that I’ll be starting. I look at the start dates. All of those things are going to be scheduled around those significant personal things first.

So for me, this has been a practice that I have used from very early on in my business, and it’s been very, very important. It’s made a huge difference in my business and really in my life.

I do believe it’s one of the reasons that I’m able to run a multi-figure business in about 30 hours a week. Where I have certain days where I am coaching clients. Those are my heavier coaching days. I have other days where I am working in my business. So I’m doing things like meeting with my team. I have other days where I’m kept more open, right? So I have that open white space, that open space to do the bigger more visionary things that I need to be doing as the CEO of my business.

So as I was coaching this client to get his calendar in order and to really get things laid out from really now through next year starting first with his personal commitments. Starting first with those things that are most important to him personally and then build around that. It was so great because a couple of days later I was in a coaching call with him. He is great about taking action.

So he took the coaching, he went out, and he calendared his enter year. He calendared actually the entire rest of not only this year but also 2022. He was able to build around his family. He was able to build around the significant things that he already knows that will be happening throughout the year.

So for him work/life balance is extremely important. So he was able to not only build that in, but what also was really powerful was that he could visually see the volume of days, the volume of time that he’s already planned in that is going to allow him to be a very present dad. To allow him to be very present for the activities he wants to be involved in, and to see exactly how many clients he really has the potential to serve.

It was just such a relief for him and so motivating for him to see exactly how he was going to be able to not only be as present as he wanted to be for his kids, for his family, and to maintain the sports, the activities that are important to him. And important to his business because part of his coaching is focused on helping small business owners with their health and fitness. He was able to see how many clients he would be able to serve and still keep up with the responsibilities that he has for his other business that he’s also currently running.

So my advice to you is this. If you want to grow and you want to experience success in your business next year. So we’re already talking 2022 my friends. I know all of you listening are ready to experience growth and success in your business right now. That’s great. I’m all for that.

If you want to experience success in your business next year, then I have to tell you that planning begins now. That does not begin on January 1, 2022. That planning must begin now. It begins with getting full clarity on your goals and getting full clarity on what it is that you want to build, what it is that you want your business to look like, what it is that you want your personal life to look like. These are questions that I really want to offer to all of you to be asking yourselves right now and be starting to plan for right now.

Because the truth is that your 2022 and where your business does go next year, the level of success, the level of results that you create, that begins now my friends. Whether you like it or not, your business thrives when there is structure. When there is thoughtful planning when it is very clear what you are building. The other thing that I know is that so many of you listening right now are lacking that level of clarity in your business. So I do want to help you with that.

If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, and you understand what I just shared with you and the value in what I just shared, I want to really encourage you to apply to my upcoming cohort of The Mastermind. This is my six month business accelerator program. It’s designed to help you make or get on track to your first six figures and beyond in your business.

I want you to really understand that with this program, I only offer this just a couple of times per year. I also keep this program limited in the number of spaces that I offer. The reason I do that is because there’s an extremely high level of support that’s offered in this program. So I do want to encourage you. If you’re not where you want to be in your business, if you don’t have clarity, if you are sick of what I call throwing spaghetti at the wall. You don’t have a real strategy.

At the same time you understand that building a highly successful coaching business does require that you have a solid strategy in place. If you’re in it for the long game meaning you really are ready to take things to the next level and you’ve tried other things. You don’t want to await any longer. You’re sick of wasting time. Then I want to invite you to apply at amandakarlstadcoaching.com/the-mastermind. I am currently accepting applications. When you go there, you’re going to see the link to apply as well as a link to set up a time on my calendar.

So with this process, I do have a conversation with you. We’re going to have a conversation about your goals, where you’re at, where your business is at, and we will determine if it’s a fit. I’ll also help put a strategy and a plan in place for you over the next six to 12 months and talk about what’s possible for you. So, again, go to amandakarlstadcoaching.com/the-mastermind. I can’t wait to talk to you and show you what’s possible for you in the next six to 12 months.

So on that note, I want to take things deeper today on this topic as I’ve been getting so many questions from so many of you in regard to how you can work with me. In terms of the programs that I offer, how I work with clients. I thought it would be useful to just walk you through all of that and walk you through how I do work with clients, how I do work in my programs, the types of clients that my programs are for. Also the types of results that each of these programs deliver. Because at the end of the day, that’s what’s most important.

So I want to start out with my High Level Mastermind Program. So this is my 12 month group coaching program. It’s a mastermind program that is designed for coaches who are ready to scale. So this is a combination of group coaching. There is one-on -one coaching as well in this program. There’s also the mastermind component in this program.

So this is a program for coaches who are more established, who have built their business to a point where they are likely full or getting to a place where they are almost full with one on one clients. They might be considering a waitlist at this point. They’re also probably considering how they now start thinking about and launching a more leveraged program. Like perhaps a group program.

So to give you an idea, in this program we have coaches that are currently averaging multi-figures in their business. So these are coaches who have come into the program who were averaging around $8,000 to $10,000 per month generally. Right, so around that six figure mark. They’ve now moved into generating multiple six figures and in some cases very high multiple six figures. This obviously varies by client and by business, but we have coaches who are averaging on a monthly basis anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 a month all the way up to about $75,000 per month, okay.

So these are coaches who are averaging on a monthly basis, again it could be anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 all the way up to $75,000 a month. We’ve got others that are averaging 100K quarters. Others who are still kind of working towards those levels. Who, again, are working more towards those more consistent 15K plus kind of months. So there definitely is a range here. It does depend on where the clients are coming into the program, how long they’ve been in the program, and also just where things are at in their business.

This program, this is my high level 12 month program that’s designed to help establish coaches who have either hit six figures in their business or they’re right around getting to that level. Where they’re averaging consistently that $7,000/$8,000 up to 10K per month in their business. So they already have a proven program, right? They already are working with clients. This is, in most cases, on a one on one basis.

What’s happening is they’re not at a point where they’re at a point where they need to now start leveraging their time. Where they need to start to be able to help more clients at a time because their one on one practice is either full or getting to that point. So they’re starting to realize that they need to start thinking about those next steps in their business, right?

So a lot of them this is where they are thinking about launching that group program. Or in other cases, it might be a different type of program. The point is that they understand that they need to now put things in place that allows them to scale and leverage their time.

So this is a really great place to be in business, right? It’s a program that I really love, and it’s a program that I designed to help coaches who have experienced success in their business, who have already created consistency in their business, who are working with clients, and who do have that consistent revenue in their business that really helps them scale.

So in this program, we are really looking at scaling their revenue and scaling their programs, leveraging their time. Really helping them reach that multiple six and eventually really setting the stage for their million dollar business, right? One of the pieces that’s really important to this process is to also step into and grow into that next level of leader their business needs.

Like I mentioned, I love this program for so many reasons. I love that it combines really high level strategy, really smart strategy, and that it’s a high level mindset. That it’s truly the program that helps coaches become million dollar coaches, become examples of what is possible.

So within this program not only do clients have access to all of my high level trainings, all of my high level master classes. I have so many different types of swipe files. A full comprehensive paid ads training specifics to coaches that honestly, I’ve not seen anywhere else. It’s a full library of resources that includes everything that they need in order to scale.

The other thing is that I’m also continually updating the curriculum. I’m also continually delivering and creating new resources, new master classes, new trainings that are really relevant and really up to date with what is happening in the industry. Because here’s the thing. There is one thing that is certain in this industry, and that is change. Change is constant. What’s really important to understand is that if you’re growing and scaling an online business no matter what type of business it is, it’s really important to understand how to navigate online business. How to really have a strong business acumen.

So part of this process is helping my clients to develop a very strong business acumen when it comes to their business. That’s really important to me, and something that I take really seriously when it comes to my clients. I really ensure that not only am I keeping them up to date, but that they also have the tools. They also have the resources to really scale to the level that they want. That they learn how to think at a different level that allows them to successfully navigate the things that will inevitably come up for them.

Here’s what I want you to really understand about this. One of the things that’s really important to know and understand is that as your business grows. So whatever got you to your first $100,000 will likely not get you to your first $250,000, will likely not get you to your first $500,000, and definitely will not get you to your first million.

Because what happens is that once you hit a consistent place in your business, whether it’s kind of that 7 to 8K a month place or that first six figures. What happens is that there comes a point where in order to get to that next level financially, to get to that next level of work/life balance, you have to start thinking differently. You have to start installing and operating differently in your business. You have to start installing certain systems, for instance, in your business. You have to have certain things in place that allow you to leverage your time, that allow you to leverage your expertise and allow you to ultimately help more clients at scale.

So what happens in this phase is that you’re also likely at a point where you also need a team. Where you need to hire more support in your business so that you can focus on those higher leverage activities versus being so in it in the day to day. This also means that you probably need to launch a more leveraged type of program. So for coaches, it’s very common to launch a group program. It might even be a higher level offer for clients that go through one of your initial programs, or it even might be a highly leveraged program like a membership. Or even, of course, I’ve had clients that have launched all of these different types of programs.

So these are the types of things that are happening inside of my High Level Mastermind. So clients are launching leverage programs. They are building out. They are optimizing their marketing to support their business, to support the leveraged programs that they are launching and offering. In most cases, they’re also starting to hire their team. They’re starting to install some of these bigger pieces of their overall strategy in their business. They’re establishing their thought leadership. They are positioning themselves as real experts. They are starting to be seen as real experts in their perspective fields.

So we have coaches that are in all different types of niches that coach all different types of clients that are doing amazing things and are making a big impact already. The exciting thing is that in so many cases we are just getting started. So we are definitely taking things to whole and new different levels here. It’s a really exciting place to be in your business. It’s a program for coaches that have their foundation in place who, again, are working with clients who are confident in what they offer, who are generating consistent revenue and income in their business.

Even if it’s not quite yet at the level they want, the fact is that they do have a level of consistency there that provides some level of stability in their business. They do want to go higher. They want to go bigger. They know they’re capable of so much more.

For so many of them, they also know that in order for their business to go to that next level that they do need even more of that solid strategy. They recognize that they need to think about things differently in their business from those higher perspectives, from those higher levels. They understand the value of installing certain things in their business like systems, solid marketing strategies, creating those next level of consistent revenue streams for them and for their clients.

So if this sounds like you, I really want to encourage you to check out this program. Because we’re not only focused on the actual strategy, but we’re also focused on becoming that next level CEO. We’re also extremely focused on becoming the leader that your business needs at this level, and to ultimately grow it to that high six figure. For most of my clients, their ultimate goal is to build a million dollar business. The truth is that in order to do that, it requires a very big shift in you are the leader of your business, in who you are being, in how you are thinking, in how you are approaching your business. Those are all of the types of things that we do.

This is probably when I look at my clients and I observe their growth through the program. While yes, the results that they create in their business are extraordinary, what’s really amazing is the personal growth that happens for them in the process, in really who they become. That’s something that I’m really proud of them for. It’s something that I’m really proud of them for. It’s something that I’m really proud to be able to facilitate in this program. Because of this growth personally that they go through, the results in their business, what they’re able to create in their business, it truly follows this level of growth.

So let’s talk about some of the strategies that are involved when you are scaling your business to that high six or that seven figure level. So as I mentioned, one of the things that’s typically happening if you are at that point and for my clients that are at that point is that after you’ve hit that first six figures. Once you’ve built that foundation, once you’re consistently working with clients, you have to start thinking about things differently in your business. Meaning the strategies that you might have used to gain that initial success, it’s going to be different from what is going to take you to that next level.

So I want to give you an example of that. So typically what happens is a lot of coaches when they are starting out, they tend to find initial success through things like networking, through word of mouth, through maybe their existing networks. Maybe even social media, etcetera. That is all great and that is fine. That is where I started when I was first starting out in my own business. So that’s where a lot of my clients tend to start out, and it’s how they’re able to build some of that initial success.

What tends to happen, and this tends to happen very quickly, is that there is a certain point where that approach, where once you’ve kind of gone out and you’ve done that. Once you are now working with clients and you are taking clients through your program and you are connecting with your network, you’re doing network types of things. More of those organic approaches. What happens is that in most cases this will tap out. You might be listening to this right now, and you might even be feeling like this yourself. I know I definitely have clients that have come to me that have felt this way.

You might be in a place right now where you also might be hustling. Where you might be doing a lot of these more organic strategies in your business right? You’re at a point where now you’re kind of up against a wall because you don’t have the time or you don’t have the energy to be doing as much of that manual marketing, right? So marketing that isn’t automated, marketing that doesn’t allow you to reach a high volume of audience.

So if you’re feeling like this right now, I really want to encourage you that it’s time probably for a shift to occur in your business. This is where it becomes really important for you that you start to think about the systems in your business that are going to help you reach many people on a consistent basis. So this is just one example of why having clarity, why having high level strategy, why being in a container where you’re provided training, tools, resources, coaching that really helps you install these types of things in your business is really important.

So one of the things that I’m continually working on with my clients in my High Level Mastermind specifically is being able to optimize these things in their business. Being able to help them optimize the ways that they can serve many clients at a time at scale that doesn’t require them to be present and to do things like manual marketing.

So this is really important to understand if you have a desire to grow a highly successful—and I’m talking high multiple six figures and essentially a million dollar business. You must have things like your marketing dialed in. You must have things like your systems and your automations built into your business. You must be working from an operating a business model that doesn’t require you to be coaching for eight hours per day. This is really, really important.

In many cases, it’s incorporating things like paid advertising and establishing what I call our marketing ecosystem. Ensuring you have a marketing ecosystem, a holistic growth strategy in place. Which I have very in-depth trainings about that I take all of my clients through that really allows you to build a business that’s sustainable in the long term.

So my high level program, again it’s perfect for you if you are that more established coach and you’re looking to scale. Where you’ve built that initial foundation, but now you’re in a place where you recognize, and you know that in order to go to this next level that you have to offer a more leveraged type of program. Or maybe you’ve realized that maybe you don’t want to work with clients at a one on one basis anymore. Maybe you just want to launch that group program or that membership or maybe even it’s a course.

So one of the things that we’ll do right off the bat is do what I call an initial deep dive into your business where we look at your business in detail from a very high level. We’ll determine the strategy, the business model, the structure, and the marketing that is really going to support you in creating that vision.

So, again, this program is a combination of group coaching, one on one coaching. There’s a high level of personalization and customization in the one on one coaching and even in the weekly group calls by me.  In this program, there’s also that high level mastermind component that includes retreats which are amazing where we go so deep on various strategies, on personal growth, on the leadership side of things. It’s full of driven ambitious successful coaches who are really playing at a big level, who are becoming the examples of what is possible in this industry.

So I want to encourage you. If your goal is to become an example of what is possible, if your goal is to build a highly successful practice at that multi figure level and eventually seven figure level, you’ve built some success in your business. I invite you to apply to this program.

It is an application only program as the level of work that we do in this program and the level of support in the program that’s offered are both at a very high level. Because what I teach and how I coach clients in this program is at a more advanced level, it’s important that you’ve already created at least an initial success so that you’re in a place where you can implement fully the strategies. You can implement fully the shifts, fully the foundational things that are going to create your million dollar business.

So if that sounds like you, if you are in a place in your business where you are ready to scale, if you are in a place where you are ready to set the foundation for your million dollar business then I really encourage you to apply. We’ve got some exciting things coming up in this program over the next few months. Now really is the time, as I mentioned earlier in the episode. If you want great results in 2022, that starts now.  So head over to the show notes. We’ll link up the application for the program there. We’ll also have the chance to set up a call with me and go over all of the details.

I do want to say for those of you who are listening right now who are saying, “That sounds great Amanda, but I’m not there yet.” So you may be at a place where you’re maybe more starting out in your business, who you’re working to build that initial success, that initial consistency, that foundation. I want you to not worry. I’ve got you. This is where my mastermind program comes in.

So this is my small group coaching program that I offer just a couple of times a year that is designed to help you build towards and get to that first six figures in the most accelerated way. So I’ve really designed this program to be the most comprehensive program for coaches who do need to build that foundation, who are building towards that first six figures in their business. They know they need a higher level of support and strategy, right? So they may have tried courses in the past. They maybe have tried other programs even. They really understand the need for personalization, for high level support, and for really more of that strategy side of things.

So this program has four distinct phases that I take all of my clients through with each phase of the process really building on one another and supporting one another. It really takes into account the holistic growth strategy that I mention. So the first phase of this process is what I call the identity phase or the clarity phase, which is so important for all of you if you’re currently not generating the revenue you want in your business.

One of the reasons that I have to tell you all that I see so many of you not being able to generate consistent revenue in your business is because you are lacking clarity. Sometimes this might be because from a mindset perspective, you may need to be better managing your mind, okay. So I don’t want to discount that at all because that is always, at some level, at play.

It also comes down to what I’ve observed for so many of you just not knowing how to do some of these things. Not really understanding and having clarity on the foundational things that your business and your clients really need from you. So that is the first step is to ensure that you have full clarity in every area of your business, including how to build the business. Including how you’re going to take your business to that next level. That’s really, really important.

The next phase in this process, in this program, is what I call the build phase. This is where once you have the clarity, once you are clear on all the things then we move into the build phase where we start to actually build the foundation. Obviously, there are a lot of things that go into this. It’s something, again, that I work very closely with my clients with. So it’s something that I can ensure as we move into the next phase, which is the implementation phase where we actually launch and put the work out there, put the program, put the business out there that we are really doing it in a way that really serves the business.

Once we do that, then we can work on that next phase which is the optimization, the scaling phase which is that last phase. That’s the final phase where we really work to take everything that’s been built, everything that’s been implemented. Now we’re optimizing it, and we’re really preparing it for scale.

So, again, there’s a lot of steps involved in this process. There’s a lot of things happening within each of these phases. I do want to be clear that this is a highly intense program. It’s an implementation program. It’s really about taking massive action in this program. But it’s also doing it in a way how I’ve designed it so that we’re taking very smart intelligent action versus doing what I call throwing spaghetti at the wall and not having any real thoughtful strategy behind it.

So, again, that’s something that I see happen over and over gain in the industry. If you feel like that is your current strategy, I encourage you to check out this program. Actually the next cohort we have starting in just a few weeks, in September. So I do want to encourage you if it’s something you’ve been thinking about. If you are ready to build momentum in your business, if you are wanting to move into 2022 with momentum, I want to encourage you to apply.  Spots are limited, and this is really your opportunity to work with me in this capacity as we move into the fourth quarter of the year.

So, again, this program as I mentioned is only offered a couple of times a year. So if you know you need the level of clarity that I just talked about, you know you need solid strategy, if you know that you need high level mindset support, then this is the program for you. So just like my High Level Mastermind, I’ve really designed this program to give you full support, holistic support both from a mindset and from a strategy perspective so that you can make those quantum leaps in your business.

So I hope today’s conversation was helpful. I know I’ve been getting a ton of questions about my programs and what is the difference and what they’re all about. So I really wanted to take some time today and go through those differences. The great news is that no matter if you’re starting out in your business or if you’re at the point where you’re scaling, I want you to know that I’ve developed these two programs with you in mind to support you in each of those phases.

So I want to end with this. One of my goals, one of my ‘why’s in the work that I do is all about potential. Because when I started my coaching practice just a few short years ago, I knew that I really wanted to make an impact, right. Just like all of you. I really wanted to make an impact in this industry. I wanted to build programs that delivered real results with my clients, and really help them become the most successful coaches and the most successful entrepreneurs in the industry. I have to tell you that’s exactly what I’ve created. That’s exactly what is happening.

I’ve talked about this in previous episodes, but part of my work, part of my gift, part of the value that I really bring to clients and to those who work with me is that I have the ability to really help support my clients at a high level. Both from a coaching standpoint that really helps them calibrate to a much higher level. It’s hard to describe sometimes, but it’s really almost an activation that occurs naturally as we work through the process that I’ve developed as we coach that I truly do believe is one of the reasons why my clients create such extraordinary results in such an accelerated amount of time.

So what’s really powerful is the fact that I am really a business alchemist in the way that I look at this in that I really am able to help my clients put all of these pieces together. Really see the bigger picture with their businesses. Really help instill the belief, really help them step into those higher versions of themselves. So being able to do that and power that with the solid business strategies that support the foundation, that actually support the business.

I’m not talking about the latest social media tactics here, but it’s actually based on sound proven business principles that are at the core of any successful business. These are really powerful containers. I’m really proud to be able to deliver them, and that I’ve created them. So I’m so honored to work with the clients that I work with. I would love to help you. If you’re listening to this right now and this is calling to you, to help you too become the next example of what is possible. I want you to remember that you can build the business and the life of your dreams. You can start that today.

So I want to encourage you to not allow any other excuse to get in the way of your dreams. Your time is now. You have the opportunity right now in this moment to build the business you most want to build. The results that you will have next year in 2022, it will be determined by the decisions that you’re making today and the actions that you’re taking. All right my friends. Have an amazing week. I’ll talk to you all again very soon. Take care. Bye, bye.

Thank you for listening to this episode of The Life Coach Business Podcast. If you want to learn more about how to build, grow, and scale your business and accelerate your results visit amandakarlstadcoaching.com.