One of the most powerful ideas I’ve ever heard was a quote from the brilliant speaker and trainer Brian Tracy. He said,  “Success leaves clues.”

That’s incredible! Do you see what that means? It means if you can learn and then model the techniques and strategies that someone else used to be successful, you can do the same thing!

I wish when I had first started as a coach that someone had laid out for me, in plain English, what I needed to do in order to have an awesome, thriving coaching practice. For so long I wasn’t only spinning my wheels, but I was trying to reinvent them at the same time!

As coaches and solo entrepreneurs, we all march to beat of a different drummer. We tend to be independent “self-starters” who are driven by our passion to make a difference in the world.

And that’s all great!

But in the past, I’ve put way too much emphasis on being creative and original, instead of following in the footsteps of successful people. Nothing could have been more detrimental to my business (and my bank account)!

It wasn’t until I hired an experienced mentor of my own who taught me exactly what to do and whom I was able to model, that my business really skyrocketed.

The most difficult way to build the practice you really want is to go it alone, without guidance or support. I have spent 10s of thousands of dollars being trained and mentored andI have recouped my investment 10 times over. Seriously!

I know this may sound self-serving, but I want to tell you from the bottom of my heart that investing in training and coaching has been the best business decision I’ve ever made. And I will never be without my own coach to help me with my business.

So here’s my advice: Whether it’s with me or someone else, you must train with a great mentor.

If you really want your coaching practice to be successful, so you can help more people, and make a good living as well – and you don’t want it to take 5 years and lots of dead-ends, you can’t do it alone.

Here are a few things to look for in a coach. They should be someone who…

… understands the particular struggles and pitfalls of your specific business.

… has measurably achieved what you want to achieve.

… has great mentoring skills and can clearly and effectively share their knowledge

… has success stories and testimonials from their happy clients

… truly cares about you and helping you achieve your dreams

… you feel a “gut” connection with, an intuition that this person is the right match for you right now

You want to choose someone who will teach you, coach you, and mentor you as well as support you, cheer you on, and hold you to the highest standards so you can step into your brilliance and power!