Whats the Rush (or When Faster Might Actually, um, Mean Better)

Whats the Rush (or When Faster Might Actually, um, Mean Better) Run Hard/Feel Good by Lars Love Letters As a coach, Ive been trained in The Process. When I was getting my certification, I worked with 12 clients under the same format: 12 weekly 45-min sessions. I built the foundation of my business around that, modifying it slightly to include group coaching as well as a week off after every 3rd session. I felt the breathing room was beneficial for the client, as they can get a taste of how it would be like when we stopped working together and we could address those challenges while we were still within the 12 sessions. I dont remember when I offered the Singular Sensation package 1 60-min session followed by a 45-min session within 2 months but it took some kicking and screaming on my end, I remember that. While I knew that there were people who could benefit from a one-off session those that had a more cut-and-dry challenge/goal and didnt need 3-4 months of clarity and support I couldnt leave it at that. The 45-min follow-up had to happen because, well, Im a life coach and life coaches believe in experimenting, fixing whats broken, and building on what works. How could we know what the outcome of the homework was unless we actually followed up on it? I sometimes still wanna say, So thats it?! to my Singular Sensation clients at the end of our follow-up session, but I know they walk away enthused, optimistic, clear-headed, decisive and action-oriented. I actually admit I was surprised it worked. My colleagues are proving this, too. Alexandra Franzens one and only single, solitary service? A full-day, $1500 Velocity session where she writes 8-to-10 copywriting pieces for your biz. Howd you like to catapult through a months worth of minty-fresh copywriting, promotional brainstorming, service re-packaging   digital story-shaping  in a single, voltaic day?, the page starts. While it seems to good to be true, I know she can double her prices and still be on a 6 month waitlist (thats right, baby Octobers the next open spot) because she not only delivers in spades, but she creates such goodness that she has her clients crying, taking their tops off and proposing to her (although not all at the same time, but its still early). Hot Brand Action  is a class that promised that you could find your brand copy, colors, fonts, stories, styles, the whole shebang in 4 short weeks. While I love me some Shenee Howard, I couldnt say that I wasnt skeptical. Thats something that needs time! And question-living! And knowing how to write and design already! And then I saw the before-and-after of my former client Abbies new About Me page, and I fell over. The story, the tone, the personal tie-in to why it makes her an amazeballs dog trainerwell, it improved because Abbie was a part of Hot Brand Action. Shenee knows wussup, is also delivering in spades, and is allowing you to create your whole damn brand in just a month. Being Alexandras first coach and seeing her big fat successes, along with seeing Abbies bio go from Blah to Rah made me ponder The Process and wonder if it was, well, bullhonkey. Could I still be true to my clients journey and not spend 12 sessions with them? Could The Process not exist if the results were, over all others, Quick (yet stellar)? The true life coach I am, I set out to experiment it, looking for guinea pigs to spend 3 hours of a 6-hr time block coaching with me. I saw it as giving a personal workshopwed coach until there was obvious homework, and then wed get off the call for the client to do said homework, and then shed ping when the homework was done wed get back on and coachrinse and repeat for our 6 hour block. I wasnt sure how it was gonna work, but I did know (a) that it would probably still be beneficial for the client and (b) that wed have that damn 45-min session within 2 months, because I am not ready to let go of that follow-up/check-in, thankyouverymuch. Th eres something to knowing youre gonna remain accountable that keeps you moving forward. Ive coached too many people to not truly believe it. This winter, I coached 2 guinea pigs for an Extensive Intensive, as described above. It was exhilarating. It was exhausting. It was fun. It led to multiple lightbulb moments and right-then-and-there action and immediate organization/system implementations and, well, this post. To say It Worked was an understatement, but stillThe Process is still in tact no matter what. I learned that the way I coach the questions I ask, the goals we set, the homework we assign is true whether Im working with someone for 45 minutes or five hours. Theres always forward movement to be had and clarity to be uncovered and discovery to be gained when the client is ready to make that commitment, safeguard that time, and Do The Work. Im not about to get rid of my Growin Up Goods and Operations!, two of the ways I work with people in the longer-term. I still think it would be tough to work with some who have Bigger Questions like What Do I Wanna Be When I Grow Up? to find those answers without living in those questions, and having time between days (not minutes) to research and explore and do for themselves. But Im now a believer that you can get A+, crystal-clear, over-the-moon results on a challenge youre facing if you hook up with the right person or program that can help. Who knew? - Yup. Thanks to my surgery being pushed back, I got 10 one-on-one coaching spots for May. Want one?