Why Less Talented Coaches Are Succeeding Faster Than You (And How To Change That)

If I could turn back the clock on my coaching business, there’s one thing I would do differently…

I wouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel so much.

For some reason I’m always tempted to innovate right off the bat when I’m new to something...

And then I look around at people who are less talented than me and wonder why they they are going faster.

Well, the reason is because they did what they were told!

Do You Make This Mistake?

When you see someone doing something successfully one way, do you immediately want to be “unique” and try it another way?

Because I’m going to tell you right now…that’s a big mistake if you want to build a successful coaching business.

Here’s why: there’s usually a reason why things are done a certain way. Other people have already tried lots of different strategies, failed, and eventually they've settled on what works. You don’t have to go through the same process.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been given advice, ignored it, and then a year or two later realized I should have just put my ego aside and done it that way from the beginning.

When It's Okay To Innovate

Of course, sometimes there really is a better way. But the problem with trying to innovate as a beginner is that you haven’t developed enough discernment to know when to innovate and when to stick to the script.

For example, Emma and I watch this show called “Chef’s Table” on Netflix. Each episode profiles a world-renowned chef who is known for being innovative. But when you listen to their stories, you’ll realize that they all went through a period of apprenticing under other people, doing exactly what they were told for 5-10 years, before they created their own unique approach.

Same thing with your business. The time to innovate is after you’ve imitated what works.

Imitate, then innovate.

The Bottom Line

Obviously when I talk about imitating I'm not saying you should copy people's exact language or approaches. That's plagiarism. But you should definitely imitate their overall approach.

Don’t try to be too smart for the programs you invest in. Don’t overthink your marketing or try to be clever. Just find a proven strategy that’s working for multiple people, take action on it, and then see what happens.

So, for instance, if someone more successful than you says that you should choose a group of people to specialize in when you start out…

...do that! Don’t assume that you are allowed to market to everyone.

Remember: you can start breaking the rules later once you know which ones to break.