Betsy Jordyn (00:17.199)
All right. So without further ado, welcome community to the podcast. I'm so excited to have you all here for the largest group podcast I have ever done. So thank you so much for being here.
Sara Guttman (00:17.387)
You
Pamela Johnson (00:17.484)
You're welcome.
Brad Johnson (00:18.549)
Yes you do, JB.
Leslie Faircloth (00:22.244)
Pamela Johnson (00:37.645)
Thank you.
Sara Guttman (00:37.708)
Great to be here.
Leslie Faircloth (00:38.902)
Exciting to be here.
Brad Johnson (00:39.479)
Pleasure to be here.
Cori, Florida (00:40.761)
Thanks for organizing us.
Betsy Jordyn (00:43.267)
So before we jump into the conversation around why community is so awesome and powerful and why it's better than growing our businesses alone, let's start off with just a quick real going around the room of everybody introducing yourselves and a little bit of what you do very briefly, not the full what I do script and how long have you had your own business?
Leslie Faircloth (01:08.388)
Starting at...
Sara Guttman (01:09.984)
You
Brad Johnson (01:13.702)
I'm next to Betsy on my screen, I was like, maybe it's my turn. I don't know, maybe I'm supposed to be speaking. So I will go. My name is Brad Johnson. I'm based in Charleston, South Carolina. I've had my own business, not necessarily this one, since I was 30, so almost 20 years. Been basically working for myself as my own boss since I was 24. What I do,
Pamela Johnson (01:16.71)
Ha
Brad Johnson (01:40.631)
I'm an executive performance coach working primarily with science-driven entrepreneurs. you know, what did we create? Why did, that was the last question, right? Why did I join? Okay, all right. All right, there we go.
Betsy Jordyn (01:54.362)
You did perfect. You did awesome. You don't need to go. So JB, you to go next.
JB, you.
J.B. Adams (02:02.651)
Hey everybody, my name is JB Adams. Can you hear me? Yes, okay. My name is JB Adams and I'm an executive development strategist and coach. I have had my own business here in Orlando, Florida for the last 24 years. And what I do is I help growing organizations scale up to the next level by transforming their strong managers into trusted executives.
Pamela Johnson (02:07.276)
Maybe.
Betsy Jordyn (02:32.601)
So good. Proud mama over here listening to everybody with their clear value propositions. Sarah.
Pamela Johnson (02:34.904)
Thank
Leslie Faircloth (02:35.492)
you
Sara Guttman (02:42.126)
Hi, I'm Sarah. I'm in Boulder, Colorado, and I am the baby of the group in terms of having my own business because my business is going to launch in the next two months. And I am going to advise and consult nonprofits that have their own business and have underutilized, underperforming rental spaces that could be a source of strategic additional revenue for them.
Betsy Jordyn (03:09.391)
Perfect. Can we put a pause real quick? Somebody's got some background noise. Who's got the... Do we all hear the background noise?
Leslie Faircloth (03:19.949)
Yes.
Pamela Johnson (03:20.024)
I'm here, it's getting bigger. It's a whoosh.
Leslie Faircloth (03:23.384)
Yeah. that helped.
Brad Johnson (03:25.058)
Okay.
Betsy Jordyn (03:25.359)
Pamela. It was Pamela.
Sara Guttman (03:31.523)
hahaha
Pamela Johnson (03:31.64)
Okay. There's nothing happening here, so I don't know. Okay.
Betsy Jordyn (03:35.379)
now it's better.
Sara Guttman (03:36.716)
It could be a fan on someone's computer.
Pamela Johnson (03:39.809)
Hmm.
Leslie Faircloth (03:41.706)
yeah, maybe.
Betsy Jordyn (03:41.977)
Wait, hold on. I'm muting Sarah.
J.B. Adams (03:44.805)
kind of in the background.
Betsy Jordyn (03:47.235)
Sarah, it's a little bit in your background.
Sara Guttman (03:51.242)
it's me too, huh? I can just, can I stay muted unless I'm speaking? that help? Because it might take time for me to find a new spot. Like I'll just, I'll make sure I'm muted when I'm not speaking.
J.B. Adams (03:53.691)
I still hear it.
Betsy Jordyn (03:58.177)
Yes.
Betsy Jordyn (04:03.599)
Can you, you sound better now. Can you reintroduce yourself and then we'll continue on.
Sara Guttman (04:08.63)
Sure. Yeah, everyone sounds better now too. Because that's funny, I was hearing it through my speakers, the background noise. So, anyway. Should I go?
Pamela Johnson (04:10.2)
I think I'm fine.
Betsy Jordyn (04:18.371)
Yeah, you try again, yeah.
Sara Guttman (04:21.841)
Hi, I'm Sarah from Boulder, Colorado, and I am the baby in the group in terms of owning my own business. And my business will be launching in next months, and I'll be consulting and advising with nonprofits that own their own buildings and helping them generate additional revenue by maximizing their unused rental space in their buildings.
Pamela Johnson (04:31.8)
you
Pamela Johnson (04:41.496)
Yeah, we'll see.
Betsy Jordyn (04:46.575)
Awesome. Getting really clear. Awesome. Cory, you next.
Sara Guttman (04:48.834)
you
Cori, Florida (04:52.921)
Well, thanks. I'm Cori Crawford-Vanos. I live in central Florida, Cocoa, Florida. I'm a trusted advisor to mission leaders. I help mission leaders grow from the inside out for their next phase of leadership and make sure they don't lose themselves or their people as they do their work.
Betsy Jordyn (05:11.779)
Awesome. I just heard myself.
Pamela Johnson (05:12.344)
Awesome.
word myself.
Betsy Jordyn (05:19.939)
All right, we might have to be muted while we're not talking. Sorry, sorry, I feel bad. I feel really bad, Nathan, for all of this editing you're gonna have to go through. So, Pamela, you go next.
Pamela Johnson (05:34.519)
Hi, I'm Pamela Johnson. I'm in Richmond, Virginia, and I work with high achieving really smart women that want to create their own thriving coaching business and get stuck when it comes to marketing and sales. So we get through that and create marketing and sales that aligns with them.
Betsy Jordyn (05:58.032)
Awesome. Leslie.
Leslie Faircloth (06:04.228)
everybody, my name is Leslie Faircloth and I am a trusted advisor to small businesses who are looking to develop strategies to help them break into the Department of Defense market. And I started my consulting business just a little over seven months ago, so brand new.
Betsy Jordyn (06:29.295)
So it's interesting with our group is we have a lot of variety of what we do and we have a lot of variety in terms of our longevity, but we all came together for a common reason as it relates to working together through the impact and income accelerator and working through learning how to maximize how we leverage our relationship skills to maximize the value of the consulting or coaching that we're doing.
Before we get into what we learned on the program, like what was going on in your business or your business development that made you decide like, yes, Betsy, I would love to join you in the Impact and Income Accelerator.
Betsy Jordyn (07:05.859)
and we can all just talk.
Sara Guttman (07:05.934)
I'm happy to go first and say that I felt excited about my ideas and starting my business, but I also felt lost and overwhelmed and wanted some clarity and confidence added to my process that I was going through and am going through with launching my own business.
Betsy Jordyn (07:29.689)
So was it clarity and confidence specifically in your business overall, or was there something specific around like, I wanna have clarity and confidence around like how I'm gonna land work and how I'm actually gonna monetize this thing.
Sara Guttman (07:41.71)
Yeah, I mean, very specifically, felt I had this Google Doc. It was a brain dump with, you know, 14, 15 pages of ideas and thoughts. And it was all such a mishmash. I was like, how do I create comprehensive services and offerings out of this? And how do I market myself? And should I DIY my website? Should I not? Should I just?
Pamela Johnson (07:45.496)
Yes.
Sara Guttman (08:08.119)
questions about all of it. felt very confident about my content expertise and my ability to do the work, but I felt not so confident around how do you start a consulting business.
Betsy Jordyn (08:20.729)
So that's really interesting because it's like as I put the program together, it was like, I'm going to really feel this one part of the process as it relates to how do you land work in a more strategic way. But it seems like that wasn't necessarily the big pressing need. Like I know Leslie, you had signed up and you hadn't really done the brand positioning with me quite yet. Was that a draw for you around like learning how to land work or was it still like, I just want to learn how to grow my business?
Pamela Johnson (08:26.251)
Thank
Pamela Johnson (08:47.132)
like
Leslie Faircloth (08:50.146)
Yeah, for me, it was really more about, so I had clients and I was already getting work, which is great. But when I launched the business, I launched it with a beginner's mindset. And I knew right away that I would learn things and I would need to adjust my, my offers, my processes. And I was struggling, I think with finding the right kind of clients, although I had a lot of clients coming my way, they weren't all great.
Pamela Johnson (09:18.495)
my way.
Leslie Faircloth (09:20.164)
fits for me and I wanted to shift from being that pair of hands to a more strategic advisor position.
Betsy Jordyn (09:31.119)
So it still was a little mix of the combo. Some of it is, it's like, really want to grow my business in a more professional way. And at the same time, the language around getting out of that service provider trap into the strategic partner was appealing to you, that you didn't want to be in that place. You wanted to be more strategic.
Pamela Johnson (09:48.695)
in that place.
Leslie Faircloth (09:50.808)
Big time, big time, because others that are consultants in my industry, you know, I've got, you know, lots of folks in that network and they all seem to be following a really similar model of being that pair of hands. And that did not really appeal to me because I want to do more than that. Yeah.
Betsy Jordyn (10:14.031)
So for the rest of you, you all were in my brand positioning program before you decided to join us in the group. Would you say your situation was similar or was it different from what Sarah and Leslie had shared?
Cori, Florida (10:30.382)
I find some similarities to Leslie in that, and I didn't say this earlier, but I've been on my own doing this work for about three years. And I will say the way I started this, trying to develop my coaching and consulting and spiritual directing practice was really through networking. And I have a fairly broad network, but I will also say I was experiencing the limitations of my network.
Pamela Johnson (10:50.52)
Thank
Cori, Florida (11:00.684)
both in platforming myself to people who've known me for what I can do, and also in just getting to the end of my network. And I think in fact, I knew I was not sharp enough in what I was offering people to do. So the brand messaging really helped with that.
Betsy Jordyn (11:21.165)
And then it seems like with the community, there was an extra part is like, well, how like, it's almost like that was the action item that you want to come out of this program is that you want to be able to find clients, not just through your network, but other ways. But it seems like there's a core of like, well, what do I offer? And how do I offer it in a way that maximizes the value? Like that seems like there is that common theme, but it seems like we all had other things that we were struggling with at the same time that we brought into the group as well.
Betsy Jordyn (11:53.945)
Pamela, JB or Brad, anything you would add to this conversation.
Pamela Johnson (11:58.425)
I'll go. So I've been coaching business people and also coaches in their own businesses for 10 years, but I was doing it and I call it the therapy style, right? your fees have to do with the time and you're going to have a meeting every week and so on. And it seems to go on and on. And I wanted more of an impact.
and I wanted to up-level all of my processes to attract the right clients and to work with coaches specifically. that, it feels like there's a lot of parts everywhere like you were talking about, Sarah, and then having to put it together, I needed the help to do it in a great way. And also the messaging and especially Betsy's wordsmithing was exactly what I needed.
Betsy Jordyn (12:58.393)
J.B. or Brad, anything you would want to add?
J.B. Adams (13:03.78)
Yes, I can add. before I do, can edit this part out, Betsy. There's kind of a delay in the audio, so it's a little hard to gauge when to jump in. But I would say this, echoing what has already been expressed. My old way of thinking was that I know best, and I've developed websites, and I know how to design things, and I know how to write marketing copy, and I'll figure it out for myself.
Pamela Johnson (13:24.056)
That's the end.
J.B. Adams (13:31.536)
And it's kind of a relief to arrive at the point where you admit, you know what, maybe I'm not as great as I thought I was. And I really would benefit from having, you know, another perspective, helping me see with a little more clarity on what I can do and how I can do it better.
Betsy Jordyn (13:52.452)
I love that, because I think that we all have that I should know how to do this myth, especially as consultants and coaches who help other businesses. We're thinking like, well, we help other leaders, we help other businesses. Like, I should already know how to do this. Why can't I figure this out for myself? And it's like, it's not the same. The clients that we're helping with their businesses isn't the same as our own. And I think that's a really important point that you're bringing up.
Brad, anything you wanna add and then we'll move on to our next question.
Brad Johnson (14:20.435)
I just, the thought that, I have two thoughts in my head. One, when these types of conversations come up, I'm reminded by what my wife used to tell me. I mentioned I've been an entrepreneur on my own for a long time, and she's like, it's a miracle. You are so terrible at talking about yourself and marketing yourself or selling. You won't ask for money and all these things. so, looking at that, wasn't quite that bad when I met Betsy, but it used to be me and making this.
Pamela Johnson (14:25.538)
Thank you.
Brad Johnson (14:49.845)
this progress and coming out of the, the work we were doing in the initial program was giving me motivation, right? Which from a performance psychology perspective, motivation is the complex set of processes that guide the intensity and the direction of your actions. So if you have no direction, you have no motivation. And so I was experiencing this direction and it was increasing the intensity that I wanted to put in. I just wanted to keep going.
I just wanted, okay, we're making all this progress and now the idea that we're gonna put it into a structured, strategic kind of package to accelerate from there, that was just exciting to think about.
Betsy Jordyn (15:35.182)
think strategic packaging is a big part of what the point of the program really is actually about. So it seems like we're all coming to this place where it's like, okay, I need more clarity and confidence in general about what I do and how I talk about it and how do I improve that? I also wanna look at how do I package up what I do in a more strategic way so that it allows me to make a bigger difference and make more money.
Sara Guttman (15:35.618)
Right.
Betsy Jordyn (15:57.648)
but also it's like big picture, like how does that all fit into this process of building this thriving business? Like it all kind of comes together. Before, I really want to get into the conversation about the power of the community, because I feel like that that's the biggest part of what we got out of the accelerator. But I really just want to also just kind of give you a chance to speak into like based on what you learned about strategic positioning and partnerships out of like, what was the most
meaningful part of what you learned and how do you expect that what you learn from the content is going to impact like, you know, how you land work or your your earning potential? Like how what is it that you learned and how do you imagine it's going to benefit your businesses moving forward?
Leslie Faircloth (16:45.06)
Well, I'll jump in. The biggest takeaway was really about setting up a partnership agreement and not just sending over, okay, well, here's a statement of work and here's how much I'm gonna charge per hour. But really coming at it from that and framing from that different perspective of, no, this is a partnership between you and your client and you're gonna walk through this process together.
Sara Guttman (16:45.262)
Okay.
Leslie Faircloth (17:10.156)
And that creates more synergies and more value and buy-in from, you know, either side. So, you know, that, that was really my big aha, my big takeaway.
Betsy Jordyn (17:23.691)
And we could already see, because you've already shown some new ways of how you're doing your proposal that definitely shows you not in the trading time for money anymore, increasing your fees and you've already done that. So that was a really powerful outcome that I was able to observe as well.
Leslie Faircloth (17:32.932)
Yeah.
Leslie Faircloth (17:39.714)
Yeah, yeah, I'm excited, you know, to do more of that, you lean into it and just apply what I've learned. It's so valuable.
Betsy Jordyn (17:49.86)
awesome.
Sara Guttman (17:51.438)
Before I forget, Brad, what you were just saying, made me think of a quote I haven't thought of in a while, but I like a lot. If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there.
Pamela Johnson (18:00.537)
Thank
Betsy Jordyn (18:01.764)
Mm. Mm, that's good.
Brad Johnson (18:04.298)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Betsy Jordyn (18:07.375)
So Sarah, tell us what you learned in the program that was meaningful for you and how you imagine applying it to your businesses moving forward as a new business owner. Like how do you imagine it's gonna set you up for success in a different trajectory than if you didn't go through this program?
Sara Guttman (18:24.062)
where to start so much. Definitely that mindset shift and presenting myself and setting the stage shift of instead of being a service provider, being a trusted partner. Specifically, you taught us about the joint accountability statement and I...
will definitely be utilizing that. just in general, it's of shifting my mind from thinking about I'm coming into a situation, an engagement where I'm the expert and I'm going to point out the weaknesses in this organization. Rather, I'm going to partner with them, look about how to maximize their current capacities and strengths, and then how can I be in a position to be trusted to affect change?
and really be looked at as an insider and a partner. And it's all about relationships.
Betsy Jordyn (19:23.149)
love that. use the word partner over and over again. It's like, you know, music to my ears because that is the essence, I think, of what we do as consultants and coaches is we partner with our clients. We don't help them. We don't do stuff for them. We partner with them.
Betsy Jordyn (19:40.003)
Pamela, looked like you were about to jump in.
Pamela Johnson (19:42.883)
Well, I absolutely agree with the partnership set up and introducing that. We have been partnering with our clients, but to make it formal, to use the language and to include that in the proposal. And the proposal for me as a whole is probably the biggest thing for me.
because it really sets you up for success, not only for your client, for yourself, to really get in and define exactly what they want, what their goals are, who they are, all of that, and then create something, customize it enough so it works specifically for them. that would be, that was huge, is huge.
Betsy Jordyn (20:38.859)
And it's interesting, Pamela, because we were working on that. Let me say that again.
It's interesting, Pamela, because we were working on that one-on-one in a lot of our individual work, but doing it in the group setting, like what was different for you versus when we were working on it one-on-one together?
Pamela Johnson (20:59.0)
Well, we have such different types of clients and types of businesses, but this came together so well, even though we were talking in different languages in a way. we were sharing with each other, having a one-on-ones with each other, having groups. That was, it just accelerated my learning and...
and gave me ideas and that was really important to kind of solidify everything. so with you and I, that's great, but it just was exponential. It's effect with everybody.
Betsy Jordyn (21:49.008)
So that's a perfect segue for us to get into the community element. I wanna check in with Corey, JB and Brad if there's anything else that you wanna add about what you learned in the program and how you imagined you're going to apply it. And then we'll get all into what Pamela just said. We're gonna build on that one.
Cori, Florida (22:07.639)
Well, I'll be happy to jump in. You know, the way Betsy probably interacted with all of us in her own discovery process with us was the series of where is it you want to go and why is that important? And I really loved having the guidance for a discovery call when I'm first meeting with a potential client.
to understand where are you going? Now as a coach, in a lot of ways, I've had many of those kind of conversations. In the 15 years I've been a coach. But there's something added that I think Betsy helps us in terms of really nailing down, so you want this and why is that important and what will be the difference for your company or for your life as you move into that? Like what's the outcome that we're aiming for? And I really like that because it set me up to go, okay, so,
Here are your key steps in order to get there. And I don't know that with many of my clients, I've been able to be that clear. You have to do this and this and this if you want this outcome. So I really appreciate that kind of guidance. the people I've already worked with who've already said, yes, they want to keep working with me, also appreciate that. I really enjoyed the group aspect because the words we say, for me, the things that come out of my mouth.
Sometimes I don't quite know what I've just said or where they land, you know? And when we're able to have this many responses, there's a whole lot of sharpening and there's a lot more enthusiasm and just realizing that even though we're doing very different things, we're all taking these steps. I mean, you've got just that group synergy.
Betsy Jordyn (23:52.696)
Mm-hmm.
Betsy Jordyn (23:56.666)
JB or Brad, do you have anything to add before we jump into the community element?
J.B. Adams (24:04.164)
Yes, I'll add. I would summarize it in this way. When you start out, it's very easy to take a transactional approach. The client comes to you, they have a problem, you provide the solution to the problem, and then they give you money. But what you learn by going through this process is it's much deeper than that. And you can truly build that strategic partnership by
asking beyond just what are the goals that you want to achieve and focusing on if you achieve these goals, what are the intangible benefits that you're going to derive from it? So it could be confidence, it could be peace of mind, it could be relief, it could be anything so that you're really understanding it on a personal level that's going to help you connect with that client and sort of differentiate you from everyone else in the field.
Betsy Jordyn (24:56.377)
which sounds like it resonates very well with your doctorate on trust and building that trusting relationship. feels like you have an approach to lay in in clients that really mirrors a lot of the research that you did in your doctoral program.
J.B. Adams (25:02.886)
does.
J.B. Adams (25:16.281)
And trust building is a critical part of building client relationships. And it's the thing that sustains those relationships into long-term.
Betsy Jordyn (25:26.219)
Yeah. Brad, is there anything you want to add?
Brad Johnson (25:28.915)
I guess just a few seconds I would add that being a part of the program taught me that hey I am actually doing a few things well. Like there were parts in the beginning and the end that lined up.
but to not be too harsh on myself. The middle was a bit of a disaster. Right, so it was just like, hey, take this one and then put this here and then it's like, now it's like a complete process and that's a game changer, right? So to go from the, how do you get from the discovery call to the proposal, right? Like those pieces of the puzzle and then what does a proposal actually look like? I no longer hate proposals, or writing proposals, I should say.
Betsy Jordyn (26:09.391)
Yay!
Brad Johnson (26:11.249)
Right? So it's like, okay, yeah. And then that's what gets you to the other part that you're already pretty good at, which is like building the partnership and long-term client relationships. So yeah, it's huge.
Betsy Jordyn (26:22.351)
And you love the proposals now, right? You love them.
Brad Johnson (26:28.657)
Yes?
Betsy Jordyn (26:28.663)
Maybe close enough. Well, at least I'm getting you from like not hating him because when we started the program, you were like, I hate proposal writing. And then if you're saying I don't hate him anymore, it's like, yay, we have an ROI, yay. So.
Brad Johnson (26:36.601)
You
I'm moving in that direction. Let's just put it that way. I don't know where I am.
Betsy Jordyn (26:47.351)
So, so it really sounds like we are, you guys are really mirroring back what I hoped you would get out of the program is really the power of strategic partnership and building the trust and aligning yourself to what, not just what a client asked for, but what they really need so that you can create the real value for them. And so that makes me happy. But also what makes me even more happy is seeing all of us together on this call. There's some of our members who are not able to be on this call.
And we really built a community and I give JB and his instructional design expertise a lot of credit because he, he really pushed me in the beginning to make sure that I'm doing things where I'm creating the connection. And I was trying to figure out like as the, part of the program, like I, you know, like should I do breakout groups? I'm like, I don't want to do breakout groups because I want everybody on the call together. But I was really intentional about doing a lot of relationship building outside. And now we have this amazing community and
So I want to talk about community because I feel like that there's something here, even in just your energy with one another. you know, before we talk about like our community, let's talk about like the challenges of what it's like to grow our businesses as a solopreneur. Like it feels like what we got out of the program on this other side of the community is maybe we didn't even realize like what it was like to not have those colleagues. And now we have them and it's like now we see that there was something that we were really missing.
So what were some of the challenges with trying to grow our business on our own and how did this group like fill that gap that even networking can't couldn't fill? And now we get into a discussion. you don't, don't have to do round robin, just talk back and forth.
Sara Guttman (28:29.966)
Well, if I know any small business trying to get a DOD contract, I know where I'm sending them.
Betsy Jordyn (28:34.743)
Yeah
Leslie Faircloth (28:37.838)
Yeah, it was great to learn about everybody's unique business and their, not just the business, and you also get to learn a little bit about the personal things that, I mean, it's all about people and it's about relationships. So it is nice to share the journey with others, even if we're not in the same industries. And also I really appreciate the diversity of thought. I think that's very helpful.
especially because I mentioned I've talked to other consultants in my industry and they're all kind of doing the same thing and I knew that there was another way. So I think that was another benefit that the group brought to the table was that just diversity of thought and really shining the light on new ways of thinking and kind of pushing yourself, especially to describe what you do.
to folks who really have no idea, right? I'm used to talking about what I do in my own community and they at least get it a little bit, but that messaging, you know, was a lot easier to sharpen within the group.
Brad Johnson (29:51.411)
you
Betsy Jordyn (29:52.858)
So I want to reflect on what you just said, because this feels really powerful to me. It's like when you go to a networking event, you like you might be with a bunch of OD people and we all think alike or L &D people or, you know, working with coaches. Like we're all the same, we all think alike and we all get in our little shorthand. But there's a benefit of this type of community where there's a diversity of thought and we don't all under, you know, we all have a different framework. And so that's where a group like this could spill a gap that networking events could.
Leslie Faircloth (29:54.967)
Mm-hmm.
Pamela Johnson (30:17.696)
That's for.
Betsy Jordyn (30:21.709)
I know JB, you're big, you're really involved in an OD network. Corey and JB, I'm reconnected with you at a coaching event. know, so like talk a little bit more, add more to this.
Brad Johnson (30:21.809)
Okay.
Betsy Jordyn (30:41.091)
JB, Corey, I just asked you. Add more. I specifically asked you guys. Wait.
J.B. Adams (30:46.46)
Go ahead. Go ahead, Cory.
Cori, Florida (30:49.266)
Yeah, I'm sorry Betsy, because I thought I saw JB's eyes moving towards speaking and I'm like, I'll let him go. But you know, in a networking environment, know, people are going to say, yes. And you know, sometimes they're just being polite and they have no idea what you're saying that you're doing. And I have struggled for a lot of years to explain to people what I do.
Betsy Jordyn (30:58.434)
I did too.
Brad Johnson (31:14.684)
Thank you.
Cori, Florida (31:16.726)
And so I think part of the value here is we've had more of the kind of questions that help us realize what we're communicating. So, and I think working with Betsy, you know, I've been coaching for 15 years. I've also been unaware of the change in perception toward coaches that has happened over the last few years where what I'm bringing to the table isn't what people think of when I say I coach mission leaders.
Brad Johnson (31:41.362)
Thank
Cori, Florida (31:44.715)
And so to really nail that down and be like, I am a trusted advisor to help you with inside out growth. Like not every coach necessarily is going to deal with that. So it was like, it's like I was hiding behind a label, you know, and just the interaction back and forth. just kept being able to bring what it is we're about more clearly into the package. I hope that addresses what you're asking. And I want to hear from JB cause he's always a delight to listen to too.
Brad Johnson (32:05.252)
early.
Betsy Jordyn (32:08.452)
What would you?
Betsy Jordyn (32:14.553)
I want to hear from JB, I want you to put a little bit more words because I think that there's going to be people who are listening to this wondering what do mean, Corey, that the perception of coaching has changed over the last few years since you've been a coach? What does that mean?
Cori, Florida (32:28.092)
Yeah, I probably only know in part, but when I became a coach, first of all, most of the coaches were professionally trained through ICF and it was understood that a coach is going to help you achieve your goals, right? And so, you know, you're setting up for that therapeutic kind of interaction perhaps, but still it's about what are your goals and how are you going to move forward with them? I think one of the things that's happened over the last however long
Brad Johnson (32:38.276)
Thank
Cori, Florida (32:57.436)
is that people just grab that and they will say, I'm a coach and they're downloading. Here's my ideas. I'm going to tell you what to do rather than like it as a coach. I was trained to really get a person to unearth what they need, what their motivations were and help them solve their own problems and not tell them what to do. Whereas, you know, I was in a situation earlier this year where literally a client said, I know what a coach is supposed to do and you're supposed to tell me what to do. And I was like, really?
Brad Johnson (32:59.676)
Thank
Brad Johnson (33:14.866)
Thank
Pamela Johnson (33:22.188)
Thank
Pamela Johnson (33:27.486)
you
Brad Johnson (33:28.304)
Hmm, that's interesting.
Betsy Jordyn (33:28.735)
Well, so you're really addressing is like there's the function of the coach, like the profession itself and the business type. Cause like I teach a lot about that is that there's like a B2B consulting business or a B2C coaching business. Doesn't mean that you're doing coaching. Like I have a B2C business and I make it very clear, I'm not a coach. I'm a strategist, I'm gonna be a wordsmith.
Cori, Florida (33:40.126)
Yes.
Betsy Jordyn (33:56.782)
You know, I'm going to be a pusher of like getting you to to be achieve your high potential. I'm not going to necessarily be a coach, but I think what you're bringing up is that we have words for what we do and that other people don't really know. And so we think it means one thing and they mean it's something else. And as part of this community, because of all the diversity, you were in a situation where you could refine what you're doing with your clients without the jargon that might confuse people.
Brad Johnson (34:16.422)
Thank
Cori, Florida (34:25.672)
Yes.
Betsy Jordyn (34:25.679)
because they have too many thoughts on it. That was real. Does that sound accurate?
Cori, Florida (34:30.398)
think you summed it up well.
Betsy Jordyn (34:32.303)
Perfect. JB, I know it's time for you to jump in.
J.B. Adams (34:40.576)
Yeah, I, until you reminded me, I had forgotten Betsy that before this experience started, I got your invitation and I recall that I said to you, my expectation is that we will not only be learning in the class, but you will give us assignments to do outside of class and that we will be interacting. had an expectation of interacting, in breakouts or whatever it was.
And so what unfolded over time was at the beginning, we didn't know each other very well, but we would come back week after week and we would sort of open up in our check-ins and talk about what our challenges were. And then my favorite part really was we spent as much time outside of the coursework doing assignments and meeting in little breakouts and one-on-ones getting our assignments done. Sometimes we were in groups of three groups of four.
And that's when I felt like I really got to know every single person in this cohort and understand what they were going through. And that really alleviated that sense of I'm trying to figure this out on my own. No, I'm not alone. There's a whole community of people here. We're all trying to figure it out together. And we became really trusted resources for each other to figure out how to make our own dreams come true in this arena.
Betsy Jordyn (36:04.175)
And I really did appreciate you giving that expectation is that I want to get to know everybody because I've led groups before and I was always really hesitant about the homework assignments because it's like, okay, well, you're going to spend 90 minutes with me, and it's like, I have to be really cautious about how much time I give you an assignment afterwards.
But really the assignments afterwards is where all the magic happened. And then I saw in the group, you know, it really come together. And I wonder like for people like us who are creating group programs that we shy away from making the interactive expectation and the interactive element a core value of the program. Like if I were gonna talk about this program again, I just call it a mastermind and the goal is I'll teach you some things.
Brad Johnson (36:37.906)
Great.
Betsy Jordyn (36:52.825)
But the real value is, gonna be how you work it out with your peers and really get to know other people. You know, rather than like how I did, if you look at my sales page now on the accelerator, it was really heavy on what you're gonna learn and what, it's gonna apply to your business. It was light on the part that really matters is we're all growing our businesses alone, you know? And we lost these colleagues. Back in the day, you know, we were able to be working on something.
Brad Johnson (37:13.83)
You may.
Betsy Jordyn (37:20.097)
You know, go down the hall, talk to three other colleagues, get their input. And we didn't have them. We lost them. You know, and now we get them. Like, what's it like? Like, I think that we are, I was blindsided until I get these types of communities together of how much we miss that. So I don't know. You all reflect on it. Agree, disagree.
Brad Johnson (37:30.578)
Thank you.
Brad Johnson (37:34.254)
Thank
Pamela Johnson (37:39.426)
Bye.
Brad Johnson (37:40.594)
Thank you.
Pamela Johnson (37:42.825)
So can I want to add this? Not only do we are we solo and alone a lot, but we are in one way conversations, meaning our what we talk about is for them. And that's the way it should be. Absolutely. Their goals are first. They have no idea of our goals. Right. So when you are in a group that have that
Brad Johnson (38:00.324)
Thanks.
Pamela Johnson (38:11.884)
We all have that same situation. It feels like fresh air, frankly, and being acknowledged and sharing information and it just accelerates everything.
Brad Johnson (38:18.225)
Yeah. The combination of, you the diversity of what we're all doing, but that central, like, shared experience among all of our projects. And that was pretty cool. I'm also just distracted by the fact that all of our homework was JB's fault. So I don't know.
Betsy Jordyn (38:43.821)
Hahaha!
Brad Johnson (38:46.891)
if I'm gonna get over that, but I'll try.
Betsy Jordyn (38:52.303)
Well, you would have gotten the homework. You just would have had to suffer through it alone. So the homework assignment would have been the same. So thankfully, you didn't have to be suffering through your homework on your own. You had somebody else to do work on it with you. So you could think JB does it. Do you feel better now about JB?
Brad Johnson (38:54.449)
Thanks.
Okay, so...
Brad Johnson (39:01.423)
hot.
Brad Johnson (39:06.385)
And now, yes, okay. So that clarifies it all for me. Thank you, JB. Because I agree that the time outside of class was, I won't say more or less valuable, was just all valuable. And I really enjoyed that time in conversation, one-on-one or whatever it was in a small group. That was awesome. That was really cool.
Cori, Florida (39:32.585)
I just want to acknowledge, I actually was pretty resistant to all the group assignments at first. I didn't happen to see that part. I saw all that I was going to learn in the business accelerator. I just, why not go ahead and say, like, I didn't come into this to get a group of friends or a group of colleagues. And it is what we've said about the group is actually very real. do feel like the added perspectives and
Betsy Jordyn (39:32.825)
So how many of, sorry, go ahead.
Pamela Johnson (39:48.216)
Okay.
Cori, Florida (40:02.314)
the offside, the offline conversations have just been deeply, deeply valuable. But maybe there's somebody else that's gonna be like, I don't know if I need a group of people. Well, we do.
Leslie Faircloth (40:17.272)
Yeah, it helped with the accountability factor too. Because I think, you know, trying to learn things on your own, you know, it's easy to shove it aside. If you don't have that accountability of, I've got to work with another person and so I want to be prepared and be ready, it's just easy to go, I'll do it later. Or maybe I won't get it done at all.
Betsy Jordyn (40:44.815)
I love what you're saying about the accountability, but I do want to go back real quick on what Corey said about like not necessarily wanting that. Because I do feel like when I was shopping the idea around with other people around the program, they're like, you need to like put to the top that they get personal access to me. And, you know, and de-emphasize, because it's like, I don't know if I want community to like, well, why would we not realize that? Like there is something that the community
Like you get something in the community that you couldn't get from me. I could provide the accountability, you know, but as a mentor, but it's different than getting accountability from a peer. let's like, so Corey, what is it about it? Like, why is it that we think that we don't want colleagues? So like, cause we all go to networking events, but it's different than what we get here. Like there's more openness, more vulnerability. We're all trying to push ourselves to increase our impact in income. And my experience in networking events,
is not everybody wants that. Like not everybody's like really pushing themselves. Like I find like networking events are great to connect with friends, but not everybody's really pushing themselves to that next level. And is there something about that? Is that what makes you not, you know, like hesitant around being a community? Like, like let's talk about we want community or we don't want community. Like where's the push pull on that one? And what's the difference with.
Community accountability versus Betsy accountability.
Cori, Florida (42:10.474)
Well, I think I have been around some communities previously where part of the community was you'd get offline and you'd have a virtual coffee so you get to know people. And I think, you know, the person who organized that was happy for us to get to know one another. But I will say I do think this community for me is impacted by Betsy's approach because we're
listening and we're like, where is it you're actually going? What outcome do you actually need? I can't think of the countless networking conversations I've had that have just been dead end and people are, they're fine people, but they're not necessarily interested in me or helping me, right? Whereas somehow the way this has happened here, I sense that people are interested, understand my pursuit and understand my wellbeing and are in that with me. So I just think, I actually think that the
Betsy, I would attribute that back to your manner of engaging with clients, really understanding, getting one-on-one with the direction so that the interaction can be true help. That's what I might say.
Betsy Jordyn (43:20.449)
to think about that. That's an interesting piece of feedback for me to process. I appreciate that. That I played a role in forging this community rather than like, thank you, JB, for giving me these ideas. And you you guys did that. I didn't really think about that. Thank you. I'll have to process that one. I know, JB, you're involved in a couple of different networking events or groups. Like, what is it about
Pamela Johnson (43:22.363)
Thank you so much.
Betsy Jordyn (43:45.188)
Can you resonate with what I'm saying around like there's something about being in a group where it's like, okay, we're pushing ourselves. We're in the impact and income accelerator. You know, we're trying to achieve something, you know, like that outside of our comfort zone that's different than maybe networking events where it doesn't seem like we're pushing each other outside of our comfort zones. Feels like networking events, we're trying to support each other in our comfort zones.
J.B. Adams (44:10.108)
Yes, there was very much an emphasis in this experience to move outside of your comfort zone. That's what each one of the assignments was designed to do. But the fact that you got to share that with a classmate lent itself to accountability. And I want to point out what I think is the intriguing sense of irony that you just mentioned a moment ago, Betsy. And that is you didn't include this on the webpage to say, here's what you'll get from this course.
The irony would be that if you did start including it, like you'll be a part of a community. Somebody might read that who doesn't know what we did here. And they would think, well, is, this promise genuine or is it fake? And I might be skeptical coming in in this instance, I can tell you 100%. This promise was genuine, even though you didn't make the promise, it was fulfilled as a exceeding expectations kind of thing. And,
And that's sort of just an added benefit. I don't know if you could fulfill that promise every single time. And I would be intrigued in how you might word it to let people know that this is a shared experience and you're going to stay in touch with these people after the experience is over.
Betsy Jordyn (45:25.101)
Like I do know in other programs I have, like there's little groups that still meet, you know, from different things, you know, and it's like, okay, we created that, but I think that there was something about the acceleration of this, that that might've happened over a longer period of time versus this. And I do, feel like, like I want to pick your brain more, Debbie, on all of your little instructional design techniques too, that...
you like I forgot about because I haven't done it in so long. Like just, you know, asking the other person to instead of me calling on everybody, asking somebody and, really forcing some of that. But I think by you stating my expectation is this, it raised the game for me. You know, I think it helps that I worked with everybody individually. So it's like, I know how to connect the dots between what you all are doing and what that looks like. But it really did kind of raise the level. Like, yes, I want that.
Pamela Johnson (45:55.362)
Sorry.
Betsy Jordyn (46:16.687)
And to me, this has been the most meaningful part. Like I love groups. I wanna work on this workbook and expand my capacity because I want more groups and I want more cross-functional groups. I love the cross-functional element of what we have here. But Sarah and Leslie, you guys are brand new to consulting in your journeys, less than a year. What...
What would you say to other consultants and coaches who might be trying to grow their business on their own where you don't have to be in that place anymore? Like you never have to be there because you already have a group of people that you can connect to. What would you say to someone who's starting out to say, oh, you can just figure it out on your own. Just go out there and get clients. Just go out and do it. You do the thing, you do you. You don't need people, you don't need a mentor, you don't need this.
Leslie Faircloth (47:04.292)
That's basically the message that I was receiving from the other consultants in my industry was just start, just do it. You'll have clients lined up. And I mean, they weren't wrong, but were they the right clients that were lined up and how I was interacting with them was certainly not optimal. So to me, the benefit of getting into a program like this is you don't have to
Pamela Johnson (47:15.554)
Thanks
Leslie Faircloth (47:34.04)
take so many wrong turns. You can accelerate the ability to fine tune your messaging, to really find the right clients, and to really form those kind of partnerships that are gonna be very fulfilling and probably drive more revenue. So you're really just shortening that whole time span. You get out of the spin cycle, so to speak.
Betsy Jordyn (48:01.851)
And the spin cycle, like how many of you ever felt like you were in the spin cycle trying to figure out what your business is doing, you know, and how many hours like I've been really obsessed with ROI over all of 2025. Like I had Jack Phillips on my podcast who introduced me to the ROI method back in 1999. And I just went through the certification on ROI. And so I've been thinking about the ROI my programs. And so I'm thinking like an easy low hanging fruit is spin.
How many hours do we spend in spin trying to figure this stuff on our own? Going back to what JB had said earlier is like, hey, I don't have to figure this out on my own. So how many hours do you think? Like if you were gonna put the numbers, like how many hours attributed to what you think your value is per hour, multiply that out. And it's like, how many hours did you save? How much money did you save? Because you're no longer in the spin cycle.
Pamela Johnson (48:53.932)
you
Leslie Faircloth (48:54.892)
Oooo, hours wise? Yeah, I don't know hours wise, but you know, I don't know that I ever would have gotten there on my own, period. So that's immeasurable. I could have gone on as a pair of hands with the wrong kind of clients for years. So I'm happy to catch it early and correct the course.
Betsy Jordyn (48:55.075)
I'm sure you can't do the math that fast, but yeah. But how many hours?
Betsy Jordyn (49:19.851)
and how you were charging your peers. It's crazy for what your peers are charging given the value of getting multimillion dollar contracts and your peers are charging by the hour for a low hourly rate.
Leslie Faircloth (49:31.728)
Yeah, yeah, it's crazy. Yeah, and even if I wanted to raise my fees on that hourly basis, know, clients are going to look at that and go, well, I can get the same kind of, you know, consulting somewhere else for cheaper. And what's the incentive for you to deliver on your promises? Because the more hours that I give you, the more money you make. you know, that, that doesn't, that, that won't resonate with clients.
Betsy Jordyn (49:33.261)
Like your earning trajectory is different.
Betsy Jordyn (49:58.544)
So I know Sarah, you had your first photo shoot that you just went through. What was that like for you going through that process with all of this support, with the community behind you, rather than if you just were working with a marketing agency who said, all right, you gotta go out and get some photos and you went and went to a photographer. What was it knowing that you had this tribe behind you who had given you, who knew what it was like for going through the photo shoot process?
Sara Guttman (50:29.208)
Definitely saved me some money. Even though I spent money, I think there's a high likelihood I would have chosen a photographer who wasn't the right fit, maybe chosen a location that wasn't the right fit, maybe would not have even invested in hair and makeup and have just said, I can do it myself, know, which some people can, but honestly, who I hired and paid did a much better job, you know, money well spent. And...
Yeah, and the actual experience going through it was comfortable because you were there and the photographer was there and there was just direction. know, when you, there's the question of, what do you want for your shot list? I don't know. So I could say, Betsy, what do you recommend for the shot list? And the photographer who was specifically a branding photographer and not portraiture or other types of photographer.
she also knew, you know, and so that direction and that guidance, that's, I don't need to be an expert in everything. So let me have my own sort of personal board of directors here, you know, who are contributing to the success of my business. And so the photo shoot, which was definitely out of my comfort zone, was, I mean, I'm waiting. I will hopefully get the pictures here in the next few days.
Pamela Johnson (51:40.76)
you
Sara Guttman (51:46.05)
But the initial response from some of the photos has been really positive. And so we will see.
Betsy Jordyn (51:53.968)
Was it helpful though to have like this group of people that you know on WhatsApp were you or like they're like, oh you, yay you versus you know not having that. Did that mean anything to you to have like, yay you, I've been there, I got it, go for it.
Pamela Johnson (52:00.63)
Thank
Sara Guttman (52:09.802)
certainly, I mean there's no, I don't have like a maximum level of positivity I can handle in my life, like bring it on, you know. The more, the better and so, you know, in addition to friends and family, to have colleagues who understand the process, be supportive, of course felt great.
Betsy Jordyn (52:15.855)
Yeah.
Betsy Jordyn (52:34.063)
So I know we've talked about the value of the accelerator. I appreciate some of the feedback you've given about me and my program. But is there anything else that you want to tell me about your experience in the accelerator or the power of community? And I'm just not asking you the right questions.
Sara Guttman (52:56.29)
I mean, I'll confess that I started in a place similar to Corey. It feels a little like a confession that I wasn't signing up for the group aspect, although I was because of it being a financial saver, right? That groups tend to be more cost efficient than one-on-one and privates in the world.
private sessions and private guidance. So that was, was like, great, if it's a group, it's a little more affordable, but I still have access to all this expert guidance. And then it was a complete surprise and bonus to have all these really positive relationships develop. And I actually have had negative group experiences where you get in, let's say you're on a one day, three hour webinar and
immediately the person leading it is, you know, okay, we're all best friends now, be vulnerable. And it's like, no, no, that's not what's going to happen here. So the fact that this was over a period of eight weeks, I think really helped. If it had been four weeks, you know, our relationships would be different, you know, because it just takes time to organically feel comfortable with other people for me.
Brad Johnson (54:10.446)
Yeah, that difference between like just because I sign up for a group doesn't mean a community is going to form, right? And it can't be forced. So, you know, it takes leadership. I think we've covered that, Betsy. But it also takes getting the right group of people together, right? Who may not realize they want that, but we all need it. We need to be together. We need community. So, yeah.
I'm always like, I'm 50 introvert, 50 extrovert, right? So like the introvert with me whenever someone proposes a group is like, no, run away. So, but yeah, it's, I just want to kind of, I don't know, say every one of you in this group, I think also made the experience at least for me.
be what it was.
Betsy Jordyn (55:18.735)
others.
Betsy Jordyn (55:24.217)
JB, any wrap up thoughts?
J.B. Adams (55:29.699)
Unlike Brad, I am 100 % introvert. So I just would like to say, that could be an impediment to participating in a group, but this group felt very safe, very welcoming. I felt comfortable the entire time. One of the earliest bonding moments that I ever had with Betsy Jordan was when we admitted that we were introverts together.
And that opened up a whole world of commonalities and possibilities. So I agree, some groups don't work out because the dynamic isn't right, but this group worked out great. And that's largely due to your leadership, Betsy.
Betsy Jordyn (56:16.527)
Well, thank you for saying that. And I know listeners are probably like clutching their pearls like, Betsy's an introvert? No way. She seems so extroverted. I'm totally an introvert. I was just raised by the most extroverted parents in the world and you did not survive in my family. You know, I used to get in trouble for not wanting to go to birthday parties when I was little. you know, I used to get like, are you a mute on my report card? So I learned, but I love people. But I think what I...
When I'm hearing you all talk about like the group, like is it my leadership or is it my messaging got really tight after I went on sabbatical and I was really clear that I wanted to attract purpose-driven consultants and coaches and I deliberately named this the Impacted Income Accelerator. You know, I didn't name it the business make a million dollar accelerator. I called it Impacted Income and I said, you want to make it money, make a difference. And I wonder if there's some of that value and this is maybe some of the sneaky value of messaging.
Pamela Johnson (57:11.594)
for the first week.
Betsy Jordyn (57:13.807)
is if you do attract more like-minded people, there's more things that you could do with them because they're all on the same page, you know, that they all want the same thing. And, you know, if we all probably have some degrees of introversion, I'm not sure about Sarah. I don't know if you're an introvert. I know Corey's an introvert. Pamela, think, is an introvert, right? Leslie, I think, is an introvert. Introvert and Sarah, I'm just not sure about you. You seem to be a little bit of both.
Sara Guttman (57:37.582)
I need my me time. I don't know if officially an extroverted introvert, but I need some time alone.
Betsy Jordyn (57:41.102)
Yeah.
Betsy Jordyn (57:47.492)
You know, and I think the things that we have in common, the other things I use in my messaging is like step by step and you're intentional. You want to grow your business the right way. You want sustainable success. So maybe the sneaky benefit of like is also we attracted, you know, like attracts like. And so I wanted it, I'm lucky I attract good people and everybody's super fun and nice, you know? So if I like you, then the logic principles, you're going to like each other.
Leslie, Pamela, Corey, anything you all wanna add is like your wrap up thoughts for our time together.
Pamela Johnson (58:21.432)
I want to add that I was already in your world doing our messaging and then this came up and you asked if I would be interested and yes, definitely. I didn't really know anything about it except for the title and it was so much more than I thought it was going to be and I was already in. So I think this is, it's very comprehensive.
it gets down to the nitty gritty and you feel like, whew, now I know what I'm doing. That's my last comment.
Leslie Faircloth (59:02.371)
appreciated being challenged. And obviously, you know, apparently I want to be challenged some more because now I want to work with you one on one. But I don't know that I would have ever gotten that kind of a challenge without, you know, joining this group and being introduced to some of these concepts and sharing, you know, the work with the community.
Betsy Jordyn (59:33.295)
Bring us home, Cory.
Cori, Florida (59:33.446)
And I think, think, you know, it's called income accelerator thinking about our businesses and our impact and our income being accelerated. I just realized just in this little space of a couple of minutes, you know, right before we started, I had had some personal things going on in my life that really took my foot off the gas pedal, right? And so even if I had just met one-on-one with Betsy doing these things, like it accelerated me to accelerate my business.
So I really appreciate that, you we kept a good pace, meeting once a week, going through the material, have to do something to practice it every week. Like that, that was super powerful. Anyway, that reflection just came as I was sitting here.
Pamela Johnson (01:00:16.152)
Thanks.
Betsy Jordyn (01:00:20.353)
And it's like, hear all of you too, from my perspective, there's stuff that you could have never gotten just from working with me. Like your ability to describe what you do is at completely different levels. You know, like even like Leslie, just her proposal quality level, like some of the big decisions that JB's making. Brad's like totally on track. Sarah is, we haven't even completely finished, like, we just put the bow on her brand positioning and she's got that nailed. You know, Pamela is just.
You know, like every time she does it, she's more on the zone. you know, Corey even talking about like this inside out for missions, like that's a huge part of who Corey is and the trusted advisor of the wisdom. I was just talking to a mutual friend about Corey today. And it's like in that pivotal point of like really her pinpointing wisdom is her primary gift, like being able to have the right word of wisdom for a complex situation and how that really opened up. But the, was an insight that she got one-on-one, but she like,
embodied it through being able to talk about it week after week with our group. I am I just like I just love you guys. I want to keep this conversation going. But I know we all have to close off and this podcast could go on way too long. So thank you so much for being on the show. Thank you so much for being in the community. I am so grateful for you. And I'm so grateful for the opportunity to come alongside you guys and help accelerate your impact and income. So thanks so much.
Cori, Florida (01:01:47.547)
grateful.
Pamela Johnson (01:01:47.618)
Thank you.
Leslie Faircloth (01:01:48.888)
Thank you, Betsy and everyone.
Sara Guttman (01:01:49.208)
Thank you.
J.B. Adams (01:01:49.841)
Thank you.
