All Up In Your Business

Over the years, I’ve done a lot of teaching.  Of course, much of it has been tarot and yoga.  But I’ve also been working as consultant and mentor  for metaphysical business owners as well.  

I’ve had a long career and two sustainable businesses (tarot and the yoga studio) so my teaching comes from direct experience.  I’ve been in the trenches and I’ve seen many businesses in my industry come and go.  I’ve paid attention to their mistakes as well as what they did right – and I’ve  made my own mistakes along the way (errors are the best teachers, believe me).  I’ve also listened carefully to the frustrations and fears that my fellow mystics struggle with on a daily basis.  

I get it.  I know what’s up.  I’ve been there.  And I find solutions.

I like to think of myself as a surgeon – I go in deep, find the disease, cut it out and then send the client off for healing work.  Of course, that means that I need to work with people who are hard core serious (nothing worse than working with a person who is looking for a magic wand and doesn’t want to actually do the work required to make their business succeed.)  

I’ve been honored to work with some amazing people over the years but my favorite experience by far has been working with Hilary Parry, winner of my Tarot Apprentice contest.  As a result of our work together, I’ve watched Hilary grow from scared witless to confident business woman to public speaker (she’ll be teaching a class at the Reader’s Studio this year!).  As a business mentor, there is nothing more gratifying than watching someone reach goals and succeed.  

I sat down with Hilary recently to discuss what it’s like working with a metaphysical business coach/mentor.  If you have ever wondered what the experience is like, listen up:

1.  If you could describe your year long mentoring experience with me in one word, what would it be?

Hilary: Empowering!

2.  What was the biggest thing you gained from our work together?

Hilary: Confidence and business savvy.

3.  What was your biggest career hurdle – and how did the mentoring help you to overcome it?

Hilary: Undervaluing myself. I thought that I was giving so/so readings, and that really hurt me marketing myself. Now that I know what value I bring to the (reading) table, it allows me the freedom and ability to toot my own horn… and mean it! I also tend to procrastinate and drag my feet… that’s where homework kicked in and it had to be done by the next mentoring session. It also was very specific and time-sensitive, so that procrastination simply wasn’t an option!

4.  For people who are thinking of working with a coach or mentor, what advice would you give them?

Hilary: Know what you need and where your problem areas are. If you go with a coach or mentor, don’t expect them to magically do the work for you… it’s a two-way street. There’s usually homework involved, and your way of thinking will definitely shift. It isn’t easy street or a quick solution. Real mentoring takes time, finesse, and is a skill set all its own. A simplified definition of a mentor is someone who’s been in your position and is passing the knowledge onto you for you to learn from them instead of in a potentially sticky situation. They are an outside person forcing you to do what you should be holding yourself accountable for.

5.  If someone asked you to coach them, what would you want them to bring to the table?

Hilary: (Not yet!) I would want them to bring a strong work ethic and their passion. If they’re not sure or wishy-washy that they’re in the right field, that’s a no-go for me. Low self-esteem I can work with, to a point. People in need of hand-holding need not apply. I want someone who will take their ideas and run with them. I want them to be willing to try!

6.  What makes a great mentoring/coaching client? What made you succeed in your opinion?

Hilary: Oh gosh. I guess what made me a good mentoring client was I didn’t try to weasel my way out of homework or expect that the work would be done for me. I was lucky enough to win my year-long apprenticeship/mentoring, but I didn’t take the fact that I wasn’t paying for it for granted. I didn’t act entitled. I ran towards the things I was afraid of doing instead of running away, and those were the most rewarding experiences and results.

7.  Now that our work has come to an end, how will you apply what you learned?  Where do you go from here?

Hilary: I apply what I learned every day. The biggest thing I take away from this experience is to treat my business like a business and not a hobby. That has made a HUGE difference in my confidence levels and, quite honestly, in the way I think my clients perceive me. I equate myself to a scared little church mouse when it came to being a pro tarot reader before the Tarot Apprentice… and after I feel like I have a lot to say, share, and contribute to both the tarot community and to my clients. I didn’t even see myself teaching tarot before, and now I’ve taught a class, scheduled to teach at Readers Studio, and have been told I have a natural talent for teaching. So more teaching, more learning, a book, more tutorial videos, a few online courses… the question really should be, “where CAN’T I go from here?” 😉

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A big thank you to Hilary for sharing her experience with my readers.  

If you are interested in taking your metaphysical business from lost to Boss, consider working with a mentor.  It may just be the game changer you need.

“Not a businessman.  A business, man.”  ~ Jay Z

Blessings!

Theresa

© Theresa Reed | The Tarot Lady 2013

Contest Time!   Do you have a metaphysical business (tarot, astrology, Reiki, massage, yoga, etc) or are you thinking of starting one?  Would you like me to get all up in your business?  How would you like to WIN two free hours of my metaphysical business coaching?  It’s easy!  In the comment section below,  answer these two questions:

1.  What is your biggest business dream? Describe your ultimate business fantasy to me.

2.  What is your biggest business frustration?  Share your drama with me.

I will put every entry into a hat and randomly pull a winner – which I will announce here tomorrow!  But here’s the catch: I must have your comment submitted no later than 11PM CST TODAY (Jan. 13, 2013).  After that, the comment section will be closed.