Welcome to another ‘Be My Guest’ Interview. This week I’m really excited to be talking with someone from overseas, Laura Simms of Create As Folk. I’ve been stalking following Laura’s work for some time now, she is so inspirational and makes you view things from a different perspective. Let’s see what wonderful things she has to share with us.
Laura Simms is a coach, writer, and speaker who helps people craft purpose-driven careers. Learn more with the “get paid for being you” free video series at createasfolk.com.
Describe yourself in 3 short, fab and fun sentences
- I help craft purpose-driven careers
- I love a mod-rustic Pinterest board
- I’m fascinated by where contribution and self-expression converge in work
What motivated you to pursue the field of Coaching?
I was an actor for many years, but eventually fell out of love with that business. I knew I wanted to do something more service-oriented, and coaching seemed like a good fit. I also love to teach, but I really liked the idea of having something of my own to create and working in a collaborative way. Coaching gives me that.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
I am daily inspired by so many people: friends, peers, clients. But one person who has really shaped the way I think about art and life is an actor and teacher named Daniel Stein. I’m not really even in touch with him anymore, but I did a summer workshop with him several years ago, and it left me with a powerful ownership of my work.
What’s the best business advice you’ve ever been given?
“If it doesn’t feel right, you don’t have to do it.”
What three tips would you give to new Coaches?
- Don’t wait until you have a niche, tagline, or website before you start working with clients.
- Start a mailing list and love on those people.
- Keep some business-savvy people you trust on speed-dial.
What are the three biggest mistakes that new Coaches make?
- Vague language on their website. We all want to change the world and make people’s lives better. Tell me how and why you do it. Be specific.
- Trying to emulate a coach they admire. You have to do the coaching work to find your own voice and style.
- Working with anyone who will hand over cash. Instead, only work with people you love spending time with; this means getting good at knowing who those people are, and saying no to everyone else.
What strategies do you know work when it comes to finding new clients?
I have two favorites:
This will sound elementary, but sending an email to your list with an offer is an easy way to get people working with you. These people are already hanging around, but they may not hire you without a specific offer on the table.
Offer a sample of what you do for free. The free training series on my website gives people a taste of what it’s like to work with me. Many people mention the free training in their consults; it’s a great way to start the client/coach relationship.
What’s your favourite Coaching tool/strategy?
Right now, it’s a system for career change that I’ve developed called Your Career Homecoming. I took work I had been doing with clients for over a year and turned it into a water-tight system. Having an established process to walk people through makes my job more fun and easy, and my clients love how directive the experience is.
What’s your favourite Coaching question?
In coaching training programs, there’s often a big emphasis on asking “powerful questions,” and sometimes they even provide a list of pre-baked questions. For my taste, that’s a little heady and contrived. The best questions keep conversation moving towards a new arena. They don’t have to be profound to be effective.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
When I first started coaching, one day I’d feel the best in the world at what I did, destined for awards. And the next I’d feel like a total failure, certain that my future included dying broke in a basement as a cat ate the right side of my face. And I didn’t have a cat or a basement. FYI: that is a totally normal and common experience. Hang in there and take pointers from people who you trust and carefully vet.
If I wanted to connect and/or work with you where would I find you..
Come visit my online home, createasfolk.com. It’s a quiet little nook for purpose-driven people to escape to.
Thank you Laura for sharing some of your tips with us.
Click here to get your copy of Your Hidden Value.
Over to you… We’d love to know what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given. Let’s get a conversation going in the comments section below.
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