There is an old story where a father is talking to his young son. The father says, “Son, be careful where you walk.” The son looks deep into his father’s eyes and replies, “You be careful where you walk because I am following in your footsteps.”
When we think in terms of family relationships, it’s easy for us to realize that our children follow the examples we set for them. They follow in our footsteps.
But what about when you’re a business, personal, or financial coach like me? What about then?
Many coaches ultimately fail because they are great at telling people what they need to do – but they are telling them to do things that they may have read or heard but have never personally experienced. Even worse, many coaches are telling their clients to do things that they have not, and do not, do themselves.
As a coach, my commitment to my clients is that I will never give them advice that I have not tried out in the past. When you hire me as a coach, you are paying me for both my knowledge and experience. Part of that knowledge and experience is knowing what works and what doesn’t work. I read a lot, and I mean A LOT. I’ve read well over a thousand books on business and personal development; I’ve attended hundreds of training seminars; and I have a huge library of CDs and DVDs that I’ve listened to and watched – and I’ve tried most of the techniques and strategies they espouse. As a result, I know what works and what is nonsense (and believe me there is plenty of nonsense out there). I also know what works under certain circumstances and for different types of personalities.
My clients are following in my footsteps. They rely upon my advice for their business, personal, and financial success. It is, therefore, incumbent upon me to make sure they get the very best I have to offer – and I am committed to do that every single day.
