Ep #34: The One Thing You Can’t Grow a Successful Business Without

You are listening to The Life Coach Business Podcast, Episode number 34.

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. Welcome to the show today. I hope you’re all doing well. We are doing great. We had a huge milestone this past week. My daughter, who some of you may know, she is six and she graduated from kindergarten this week. And we’re so, so proud of her.

And I have to say that, even though her school, we weren’t able to do the graduation ceremony that they normally do or they’ve done in the years past, I want to just talk for a minute about the fact that it was so special. And so, because it wasn’t the normal ceremony, which I’m sure would have been in the gym at her school, what they did is they decided to create a socially distanced ceremony. And it was outside.

And so, all of the kindergarteners and their families, everyone had the option to attend. And what they did was that they had all of the students take turns. And if they wanted to, they had it set up where they could walk down the sidewalk outside of the school. They had it set up almost like a red-carpet type of thing where they had all of the teachers, the principal, the president of the school. Everybody was lined up.

And I just want to note, they were all lined up with safe distances from one another. And the kids, they could walk down what they had set up, which was like this VIP red carpet, essentially. And everyone cheered and clapped and really just celebrated each student.

And at the end then, they had a special memory book laid out for each kindergartener and a place for them to take pictures in front of their big rock which they had painted, “Class of 2032” on it, which side note, is crazy to think about her graduating from high school, but given how quick this school year went, I know that this whole thing is going to feel like a blink of an eye.

So, what was so special is that as I was reflecting on this is that our family, we were able to essentially walk with her and walk with her down this red carpet. And it was so neat because I got the whole thing on video. And her smile, her excitement, she was just really proud. And the cool thing was that I was able to get it all on video. And I was thinking about that.

I’m not sure that had they had done the graduation ceremony as they had originally planned, if I would have been able to capture such a cool moment. And the reason is because we wouldn’t have been there. We wouldn’t have been, at that moment, walking down essentially the red carpet like we were.

Had we been in the gym and doing the ceremony, as I’m sure it’s always been done, I just don’t think it would have been as special of a moment. So, I’ve been thinking a lot about that the past couple of days. And what I think is so important to be looking at – and I know we’ve all got situations like this in our own families, in our own lives, you know, all of our lives, our normal ways of life has been disrupted.

But I just was thinking about this and I’m also looking at what a beautiful and fun moment that was for her and for us. And I just think that it’s really, really special. So, I encourage all of you, if you’re feeling down or feeling disappointed that perhaps a certain milestone or event or anything else that might be important to you or someone you love, I really encourage you to choose to find the specialness of whatever it is, about the fact that it probably isn’t happening the way you’d planned, or maybe you had envisioned it.

But in so many ways, I think it’s really important right now to think about how much more memorable it might actually be. So, I know for me, having these milestones and just living these past few months, I’ve noticed how much more present I really am, how much more present this has really made me, and really enjoying the moment. And so, I am wishing the same for all of you.

Alright, so, I’m looking forward to today’s conversation. I decided I wanted to talk to you all about something that I think is extremely important. And I believe that it’s important for anyone who is building a business.

And it’s something that I’m extremely passionate about in my practice. And it’s something that I think has to be there in order for you to grow a successful business. And so, it’s something that I also coach, quite frankly, all of my clients through. And it’s something that we get to work on immediately. We work to get clarity on immediately because, honestly, I see a lot of people struggle with it.

And so, typically, when I start working with clients, this is absolutely what we go to work on right away. And that is alignment. So, I want to spend some time today talking with you all about the importance of having alignment in your business.

And when I say this. I’m referring to this in all areas in your life, because I do think that’s important. But for today, I really want to speak to this through the lens of your business and the importance of this as you’re growing and scaling your business.

And I will share with you all, this has been something I have done a ton of deep work on over the last couple of years in my own business and as my business has grown. And so, I believe that no matter what stage of business you’re in, it’s a really important consideration for you.

And I think definitely, as you’re starting out, this is absolutely something I think you need to consider and something you need to work towards. And what has been interesting is that the more and more my business has grown and as I look at other businesses that have grown to a high level, this really has become one of the most important things as a business owner, as the CEO of your business, and in most cases, the face of your brand, your business.

And I would argue that this becomes even more and more important as your business grows. And I’ll be talking a little bit more about this later and why that is. But I want to start out by defining what I mean by alignment, or by being in alignment with your business.

And so, I started, as I was preparing my notes for today’s show, I looked up the definition of alignment. And honestly, I didn’t find any definitions that I felt spoke to what I believe being in alignment with your business actually means.

So, I decided to just share with you what being in alignment means to me and what I believe being in alignment means for my clients as you’re building a business, as an entrepreneur.

So, to me, being in alignment in your business means focusing your work, focusing your energy, creating your business in a way where you are essentially able to fulfill your highest purpose, meaning you’re able to use and exercise your greatest strengths, that you have the ability to operate as the highest version of yourself through your work.

And when you look at the core needs we have as humans, three of those are growth, significance, and contribution. Those are all core needs that we all have. And I think all three of these tie into alignment. In fact, all of them do. But these three in particular.

Because the truth is, to be able to fully grow your business to the level that you’re capable of and to really create that significance and contribution, it requires you to be in alignment. It means choosing to work with a certain type of client. It means choosing to focus on solving a particular problem where you can utilize your greatest strengths, where you have the most passion, that you have real expertise with, that you can develop a certain level of mastery with.

And this one is important; where you can speak with deep conviction, where your greatest level of confidence lives. Because I want you to think about this for a moment. Being in alignment helps you to live out your greatest purpose.

It allows you to live out and bring your greatest gifts here into the world. And I’m a firm believer that we are all on this planet for a very specific reason. And that reason is specific for each and every one of us. So, just like there could never be anyone exactly like you, in the same way there could never be anyone that was put here to do exactly what itis that you’re here to do.

So yes, there are similarities between us. There might be similarities between the types of businesses that we run. There are similarities in personalities, interests, things like that. But there will never be anyone exactly like you. There will never be anyone exactly like me.

So, even though we might share things in common or have common interests or even similar personality types, every one of us still has our own unique way of serving the world, our own unique impact that we’re capable of making. And I think uncovering what that is for you is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and for the success of your business.

Because here’s what I see happen when you’re not in alignment. When you’re not in alignment with your business, when you’re not in alignment with what your true work is in the world, things tend to get very challenging very quickly. And what happen is, it can very quickly start to feel as if you’re up against a wall and you just can’t break through and things just tend to feel so much more of a struggle.

And usually, the result of this is that everything starts to require so much more energy from you. But when you’re in alignment, when you’re aligned with that which is your own unique work in the world, things tend to flow. Things get less and less complicated. Things are easier. There’s less struggle.

And the reason for this is because you’re aligned with your higher purpose. You’re aligned with your unique contribution to the world. And you have such a greater sense of passion and excitement about what you’re doing.

And I see that it allows you to be so much more creative and confident in what you’re creating and what you’re doing and make such a deeper impact. And the reality is, you’re so much more in the vibration of that which you most want in your life.

And so, this is why I believe getting into alignment with your deeper purpose, when you’re operating from this highest version of yourself, this is why it’s so important. It’s also why this is where I start with almost every single client of mine. Because literally, if you’re trying to build a business around something you’re not passionate about or something you feel a lot of resistance towards, I’m here to tell you, it’s not going to work.

And if it does, it’s going to be a very steep uphill battle if you’re trying to build your business on something that isn’t aligned with your unique mission in this life, that isn’t aligned with your greatest strengths. So, this is why I’m bringing this topic to you today.

And I want for all of you to really take a moment and consider this for yourself. And I will also say that I’ve learned, this tends to be a process. This isn’t just sitting down once and thinking about it once and we know what this is. This is a real process.

And so, if we’re truly getting at the deepest levels with this, there is some deep personal inquiry that has to be done. There is some significant time and deep consideration that we need to invest in this process. And I really believe that building a business, choosing to be an entrepreneur, it is a spiritual journey.

And it’s a spiritual journey because I believe it forces you to expand and to consider some of these deeper questions that, quite frankly, you wouldn’t have done otherwise. And it challenges you in ways that you would never have had the opportunity to experience by staying in a traditional, let’s just say, nine to five.

So, it forces you to grow in ways that you wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do otherwise and it does require that you step into this next and highest version of yourself and develop the skills and the capabilities that you wouldn’t have developed before.

So, for that, I do believe that for all of us, on some level, this really is and does become a spiritual journey. And what I think is so awesome about all of this is that there is such beauty in the journey with all of this. and what I mean by that is the growth and the expansion and the stepping into your higher purpose, all of that.

All of that happens when you’re growing a business. None of that happens when you don’t make the choice to enter into entrepreneurship. These things don’t happen unless you’re making the choice to create something that doesn’t exist currently.

And the reality is that most people will choose to what our society, and quite frankly, most of our belief systems are programmed to believe as safe, which is usually a traditional nine to five. And that is, I think, one of the biggest lessons we can learn right now is looking at and questioning what we’ve been believing about safety and security.

And it’s all pretty much in question. At least, that’s my opinion. I just talked about this in my podcast series on how to navigate this crisis just a few episodes ago, about how I believe that pretty much every system in our society, whether it’s the education system, or the healthcare system. Any system you look at, there are some major questions that I think we need to be asking ourselves right now if what we’ve been doing is going to work in the future, if what we’ve perceived and believed to be the right way really is the right way, really is the right approach.

And so, it’s my hope that we can all learn from this time and really question this for ourselves, which is partly why I’m bringing this topic to you today. It has been my experience and the experience of others I know personally that have grown successful businesses in this industry that alignment is one of the most important things you can cultivate in your business.

Because the truth is, in order to grow your business to a six, a multiple six, or seven-figure level, it’s going to require a tremendous amount of focus, a tremendous amount of commitment, a tremendous amount of dedication to your work. And it’s going to require an immense connection to your work, to how you’re actually serving your clients and the clients you’re working with, where you’re spending the majority of your time on a daily basis.

And I will say, it takes tremendous conviction. And I want to be honest with you, as a business owner, one if the great things is that you don’t have anyone to report to. There’s no boss. There’s no higher authority to keep you accountable.

But this is also why you must create this accountability for yourself, whether that’s leveling up your accountability to yourself, to your clients, or frankly, to your own coach, there has to be accountability somewhere as you’re growing a business. And my experience is that it really does need to be all three layers of the accountability I mentioned.

It has to be yourself, your clients, which I believe also includes your business itself, and also to someone else. And I think having a coach that helps keep you accountable, that in and of itself is one of the most important aspects to that relationship.

Because here’s what can happen when you’re not in alignment, when you don’t have the things that I just described. What ends up happening is that as you’re trying to grow your business, everything that must go into that, everything that is required starts to become a huge chore.

And oftentimes, I see business owners start to even resent their business, start to even resent the fact that they are in this game, that they chose to get in this game in the first place. So, when you’re not in alignment, things that you need to do behind the scenes or even client-facing activities, you’re just not at a place where you can show up as the highest version of yourself.

So, when you step back from this and we can take a look at this, it’s actually doing a disservice to your clients and also to yourself. So, if you’re working with clients or focusing on problems that aren’t alignment with your highest version, you’re not actually serving to your highest potential and you’re probably feeling very forced.

So, I hope this conversation resonates because I believe this, especially early on, is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves; the gift of being in alignment with our true work in the world, knowing that what we’re focusing on, what we’re building, what we’re essentially choosing to devote a good portion of our lives to is something that we can say absolutely without a doubt is what we’re meant to be doing.

So, I hope you’re all able to do this, to walk through this journey and start to ask yourself some of these questions and to start doing some of this deep inquiry to expand your awareness as it relates to what you’re here to do. And the great thing is once you start doing this, once you start to really ask yourself these deeper-level questions, you’re going to create such momentum in your business.

I see this with every single client I work with. Once we’ve worked through what is blocking them and get them into alignment, things just start to open up and they open up very quickly. So, this is why I believe so deeply that you literally have the ability to change the trajectory of your business in a very, very short amount of time.

Because what happen is, when you’re in alignment and doing the things and in the space of what we’ve talked about, you can literally create results instantaneously. It’s literally universal law. And so, the reason things can change so quickly is because when you’re in alignment, you become so much more convicted to your message.

You become so much more convicted to your work, to your clients, to what you’re doing every single day. And you become so much more confident through this process. And it’s because you’re giving yourself the opportunity to use your greatest strengths, to position yourself as an expert, as a thought leader in this industry.

So, this, my friends, is where you can really start to shine and start to enjoy the process so much more. So, I would challenge all of you, if you haven’t thought about this, if you haven’t started to question what it is you’re here to do on a very deep level, let this be your starting point. Let this be the entrance into that conversation for you.

Because once you get closer to what this is for you, I promise you, your work, what you focus your energy on, will then become so much more impactful and it will become more impactful because you’re approaching it form this new level of energy, this whole new sense of passion and commitment, from a whole new vibration. It’s a whole new level of yourself.

Alright, everyone, I’ll talk to you all next week. Take care, bye-bye.

Hey, before you go, I have something amazing I want to share with you. To celebrate the launch of the show, I’m going to be giving away three free VIP Strategy Sessions where I’ll be diving deep into your business and helping you put a strategy in place for the next 90 days, so you have a real game plan on how to create results in your business, and finally gain momentum.

I’m going to be giving away one free VIP Strategy Session, the same VIP Strategy Session I offer to all of my highest-level clients, to three lucky listeners who subscribe, rate, and review this show on Apple Podcasts. Visit amandakarlstadcoaching.com/podcastlaunch to learn more about the contest and how to enter. I’ll be announcing the winners on the show in an upcoming episode. Thanks so much.

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.