Episode #173: Jeff Altman | Why It Pays to Get a Coach

    Isn’t it a lot easier to ask for advice and support than to have to figure out everything by yourself? In this episode of Enlightened Entrepreneur Podcast, a renowned business and career coach, Jeff Altman shares key things every business owner must know about before getting started with or continuing to seek success.   According to him, “Your net worth comes from your network and the more people who know, like and trust you, the easier it becomes to build a business.”   Key Questions Asked: What triggered Jeff to venture into the coaching industry? What roadblocks did Jeff face earlier on and how did he overcome them? How did he get his initial client? What are the major myths and misconceptions business owners have about building a successful business? What qualities do business owners have to look out for if they’re going to choose a coach? What should be the mindset of somebody coming to have a session with a coach?   Highlights of Lessons Learned: Strategies and Techniques How to get your idea out in the market: Try to minimize risk. Branding became an issue for Jeff early on because he was being seen as a job search and executive recruiting professional instead of a coach. His marketing strategy involves making sure that everyone understands what he was looking for, and reaching out to people through podcast circuit and social media.   Misconceptions First misconception business owners have about building a successful business is that they think they have to figure things out by themselves. Second, if you just force things, if you push harder if you just try it much harder, it’s gonna be fine; when in fact, it’s not taking you anywhere.   Coaches & Clients What coaching really helps someone do is receive input from someone who has a different perspective, who can see things that the person being coached may be missing. The best way to find a coach is from a referral, ask someone you know who’s been coached what sort of things their coach helped them with. Another thing to remember when looking for a coach is to take a leap of faith in conducting an initial experiment. The golden moment that prompts people to seek coaching is when they feel they’re up against the wall to a point where they’re willing to contact someone to help them. What’s best for business owners to do is not wait until the point of crisis but to develop a relationship with a coach before they even face a huge challenge.