That Quiet Voice in Your Ear

As an entrepreneur I have come to recognize how insidious fear can be at times. It approaches you quietly, subtly and faintly whispers in your ear – and you find yourself holding back without even realizing it.

I experienced this myself last week. I was having lunch with a business associate and she mentioned the fear she had experienced prior to doing a pitch for a big project and how she allowed it to let her believe her competition were a better fit for the account that her. (The client didn’t agree – they hired her.) We laughed about it and toasted her success.

A few hours later I was thinking about a big project that I have in front of me which I have been wrestling with. I had put my foot-dragging down to having too much other work and other priorities that came first. But in a moment of clarity, I realized it was fear that was holding me back from jumping on this. Once I realized this, I wrote out a quick plan of action for the project, did those action items immediately and got the contract!

That’s the funny thing about fear – once you acknowledge that it is there and take action anyway – it loses its power to affect you. My challenge to you today: look at what you are procrastinating on in your life and take one action step to get it going. That is the best way to get fear out of your life.

Should I get a Business Coach?

I get approached by a lot of people asking when is the right time to get a business coach. Some of our Ghost CEO clients come to us in the startup phase; others start after several successful years in business. The common factor for all of them is that they realize there is a better way to build business. My partner and founder of the Ghost CEO Coaching Program, Chris Flett came up with this checklist:

Are you ready for a Ghost CEO?

• You wish you had someone objective and knowledgeable to talk professionally with
• You want a sober second thought when making professional decisions
• You want to move ahead quicker than you feel you are doing right now
• You want to start planning your professional future with quantitative results
• You are looking for an edge in business
• You are accountable, keep your word and want to work smart
• You are honest, open and interested in learning and trying new things.

If you find yourself doing the same things over and over in your business and getting lackluster results, that is a good indicator that you might consider working with a business coach. They will give you a fresh perspective and challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and do things differently.