If you can’t tell by now, I’m a people person. And because of that, I’ve been a successful coach for a long time. It’s something I’m rather proud of—few things make me happier than helping someone else get back on their feet.
Take Ron, a personal trainer at my gym. He’d seen me working out and offered to help improve my routine. As we got to talking, he eventually told me that being a personal trainer wasn’t actually his dream—he wasn’t as fulfilled as he could’ve been.
I wanted to help him, just as he had helped me. So, I offered him some strategic advice—Ron was an extremely charismatic guy, and I told him how he might carve out a successful career as a salesman.
It turned out that no one had given him this advice before. Apparently, everyone else in his life had only ever seen him as a fitness enthusiast. But I’d been able to appreciate his talents and show him how he might apply them elsewhere and become more fulfilled as a result.
I still see Ron at the gym from time to time. I’m proud to say that he’s now leading a sales team and has found the happiness that he’d thought was impossible to achieve.
How can you make the most of coaches, therapists, and strategic advisors? How can you tell if they’re actually empowering you, or if you need to seek out a better one?
A good coach will ask you open-ended questions, help you focus on your personal strengths, and foster those qualities that (can) make you a successful leader.
Therapists, on the other hand, help you come to terms with your own psychology. They’ll help you untangle any mental knots you may have accumulated over the years, leaving you in prime condition to pursue your goals.
Finally, think of strategic advisors as consultants—they’ll assess your situation, answer your questions, and tell you what to do next in order to resolve the issue at hand.
I can’t tell you which—coach, therapist, or advisor—you need. That all depends on you. I can tell you that, if you choose them with care, you stand to benefit enormously. No entrepreneur is an island.