"If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world
but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all."
Anna Quindlen

Have you fallen out of love with your career (or has it fallen out of love with you?) There is nothing scarier for a high-achiever than to hit the top of their profession and wonder what it's all for. 

If you're at this type of critical career crossroads - your thoughts might be overwhelmed with questions about, "What's next?" and "What's my purpose?"

You know you're ready for more - just not more of the same. You want to take charge of your career and time but how? Start your own business? Get another job?

In this blog post I take you through the 5 smart strategies that will help you figure out what's next and how to make it real.

Step 1: Make a Bugs List

Your career challenges aren't what they seem. On the surface they seem to be about the nutty way your company redefined your job (or took it away.) Or how the relentless...

Almost all the consultants and coaches that I mentor want to become an executive advisor. For some this means that they want to work with more senior leaders in larger companies. For others this means that they want all of their revenue to come from their ability to give expert advice to executives. For others they simply want to increase the value of their contracts and reduce labor intensity by offering more executive sounding board type services.

While these goals make sense - they are missing the heart of what it really means to be an executive advisor and what it takes to succeed in this sacred and noble role.

An executive advisor at its core is someone who speaks truth to power so that those in charge make decisions that benefit the realm.

The relationship between the Sovereign and his/her Advisors is an ancient one - one that is documented in both the Bible and in ancient myths. It's the story of Samuel and David, Merlin and King Arthur and Rafiki and Simba. ...

If you're a consulting or coaching business owner, you probably invest a ton of time, money and mental energy trying to find your perfect clients and convince them of your value. You might even stay up at night wondering what words you can use to establish instant credibility and how to market yourself so that what you offer comes across as irresistible.

And in the process, you're overlooking one key factor: A client/consultant or coach relationship is an equal partnership between two people. 

It can't just be about you working with anyone who will hire you. It also has to be about working with clients who are worthy of YOUR time and talents.

Two clients that pay you the same amount are not equal.

The clients that are the most valuable - the ones that make you feel like you make a difference are the ones that let you. They are teachable, open and will create the conditions for you to do fully show up and offer the range of support you are capable of. 

The clients who...

I’ll never forget the moment the Disney team turned around the performance of the Animal Kingdom theme park. This beautiful park opened in 1999, full of compelling backstories and adventure. However, it wasn’t resonating with the Disney guests as expected.

The breakthrough solution to this challenge came in the middle of a 2-day strategy session. The team was poring over the guest research when the most senior operations  and creative executives looked at each other across the table and said at the same time, “You know what – we need to be a DISNEY theme park.”

It’s not the original vision of making this park distinct from other theme park and Disney experiences was wrong. The inclusion of live animals and inspiring messages about conservation were solid ideas. It just forced the essence of what makes a Disney theme park special and what guests love and expect about the experience to the background.

What seems like a simple shift in strategy...

Interview with Rachelle Stone

Betsy Jordyn:    Welcome everybody, this is Betsy Jordyn.  I’m super excited to have an opportunity to interview Rachelle Stone, one of my favorite Consultant Institute members, almost graduate.  Rachelle, welcome.

Rachelle Stone: Thank you.  Good to be here, Betsy.

Betsy Jordyn:    So really what I want to understand from you cause there’s going to be a lot of people who are in the same boat that you were when we first met who are trying to grow your business.  So, why don’t we go back in time and tell me a little bit about you.  What made you decide to leave your corporate job and start your own consulting business? 

Rachelle Stone: Sure.  I’d been in the Hospitality, Meetings and Conventions industry for 28 years, and I helped several companies build and develop their corporate divisions, and then I did it for myself building my own company and then working for...

Interview with Jahaan Blake 

Betsy Jordyn:    Well hello everyone.  I am super excited to interview Jahaan Blake, our latest Consultant Institute grad who has launched an amazing website and has a fantastic business all ready to go to start attracting tons of leads and future clients, but before she moves on to this new phase I wanted to take a pause and learn more about her experience.  So, Jahaan, welcome.  Thank you so much for taking the time and sharing your experience.

Jahaan Blake:   Hi, thank you.  Thanks for having me.

Betsy Jordyn:    So, before I share more about your business, tell me about you, your background and what led up to you wanting to start your own consulting business.

Jahaan Blake:   Sure.  So, I’ve worked in sports my entire career.  Started my career with the Boston Red Socks.  I was there for two world championships, an amazing time.  Went to the Dodgers...

Are you at a point in your career where you're starting to ask life's big questions:

Who am I?

What do I want?

What is my purpose?

Then you're going to be relieved that I put together this video to help you start finding answers. 

Let me give you a few things to think about as you watch this video:

• Questioning your identity and wondering about your values isn't a sign that everything is falling apart (even though it feels that way.) It's actually an indicator that everything that is TRULY important to you is trying to come together.
• You're not alone with these questions (even thought it feels that way.) There are others who have hit the top of their profession and wonder why it doesn't feel as satisfying as expected.
• Finding your purpose is an inside out experience. You'll tap into your authentic self when you look inside yourself and are honest with what legitimately makes YOU happy (and not what everyone tells you should make you happy.)

Got big dreams for your career and business?

Chances are - you also got big fears.

Part of you is SO EXCITED about the vision! It can see the potential and cannot wait to make it real!

And another part of you is completely overwhelmed and terrified by the same idea.

Part of you is saying, "Let's do this!"

And another part says, "Who are you kidding?"

And all of internal conflict is keeping you stuck. 

If this sounds like you, you are going to love this video I created on how to transcend fear. You'll definitely want to pay close attention to all the steps on how to productively engage fear and make it your ally in your future success.

My hope for you after watching this video is to first accept and appreciate how normal fear is. Fear is actually a sign that you're on the right track and what you want really matters to you. That "sick to your stomach" feeling is the essence of vulnerability which means "the ability to be wounded" and is a necessary part of the growth...

Hiring a mentor is the most significant business development decision you'll make. 

It signifies three things:

1. You're done with trying to cobble together best practices from podcasts, webinars and books and are ready for real traction. You're wanting to grow your business right without wasting time and money on what won't work. 
2. You want your business to be the best. You're starting to see and believe that you can and will be a thought leader and want to position yourself in that way.
3. You're finally ready to fully commit to your business and be okay with not knowing what you don't know. You're coming to a place where you realize that learning the skills to run your business effectively is an integral part to your long-term success.

But how do you know that the mentor that you're considering is the right one?

This is what I'll show you in this video. I'll give you 10 ways to assess whether or not the mentor you're considering:

• Has the relevant expertise that you're...

The majority of us who take the leap from high-paying corporate jobs into full-time business ownership do so because we want control over our career, time and earning power. 

We are SO done with those 70-hour workweeks investing in someone else's bottom line!

So, it can be totally soul-sucking when after making this big move, we find ourselves in the chase for small-paying or labor-intensive gigs, working as many hours as we did before. Without the steady paycheck and benefits...

In this video, I share with you how to sidestep the avoidable mistakes that even the smartest new entrepreneurs make. I walk you through the 5 steps to follow if you want to ensure that your business is set up for stable and scalable profits.

When you're done watching this video - I'd love to hear from you on which of the common mistakes you have made and actions you'll be taking moving forward.