Is E-Coaching A Good Match For You?

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At the end of 2012 I beta-tested a 12-week, personalized, one-on-one coaching program with me by e-mail.  Why did I set up a coaching program by e-mail?

1. Personal experiences with coaches.  I’ve been coached by many top-of-the-line, famous coaches you’ve heard of.  Most of the time I had to work my schedule around to meet them on a scheduled call.  Time zones got in the way – I like to work early, and they were on the West Coast.  Personal preferences got in the way – I liked to work on Monday, and they coached only on Wednesday.  Life intervened – We’d set up a coaching schedule for the next six months and sure enough on the day of our call my dog got sick, or their kid got sick, etc.  Making those hard and fast scheduled calls was a big hassle to me.  Life just doesn’t work that way!
2. Personal experiences with coaching by e-mail for myself, for all of 2012.  I’ve always admired Paul B. Evans and at the beginning of 2012 he offered a select few people the chance to e-coach with him for all of 2012.  I jumped on it.  I could ask him a question every day Monday through Thursday if I wanted to.  Or, I could skip a day or a week if I was on vacation.  But basically, I had him in the palm of my hand all year, and all I had to do was e-mail him and tell him what was on my mind.  He answered and by noon the next day I had his thoughts and expertise.  But I could open that e-mail from him any time I wanted.  PLUS I had a written (or spoken) record of what he said.  At the end of 2012 I had pages and pages of his advice, personal to me, about my life and my business, that I could search and read though at my convenience.  I LOVED THIS.  Super-helpful and super-convenient for us both.  And what if I needed to talk to him in person?  He held an open Q&A call for his e-coaching clients once a month, and we all got on and brainstormed, laughed, got to know each other, and got even more help from him.  Again, I LOVED THIS.  Only ONE call – and if I didn’t want to attend it, I didn’t have to. 

I’ve adapted Paul’s coaching by e-mail program, because I know that sometimes life seems to get in the way of what you’re trying to do.  That sometimes you just need to vent, and sometimes you need to learn a new skill.  Sometimes you need to take a deep breath and start over.  Sometimes you need to laugh it off, and sometimes you need to stand firm for yourself and your business.  It’s hard to be in business by yourself.  Sometimes, you need to know what you don’t know.  You need someone to have your back with the questions that wake you up now and then.  And because I know nothing takes the place of hearing your voice live, I’m also following through with a monthly open Q&A call for my e-coaching clients.  

I’m making one change, though – I’m offering my coaching for either 3 or 6 months rather than making it a year long commitment.  It’s just my sense of things that many business owners don’t want to commit for a full 12 months.  If you do, you can always renew, though.  ;-)

Coaching by e-mail gives you much more frequent access to me than a once-a-week or twice-a-month live call.  And it’s cost effective.  To read more about exactly how my e-coaching program works, click here.  I have space for about 4 more people, and it might just be exactly what you need for the next 3 to 6 months.