Are you communicating what you want within your business?
There is no perfect scenario, no perfect starting point, when you launch your own business.
Especially your business as a Team Beachbody Coach.
The hours are non-traditional – this is not your typical 9-5 job – so there will always be give and take.
When I began coaching in 2011, I lacked time management skills and communicated poorly with Matt. I was over there, doing my own thing, while Matt had no clue how the business worked or what goals I had set for myself. This lead to chaos, stress, and strain within our home. He didn’t understand what the heck I was doing on the computer and my phone all the time. But I also didn’t explain to him how coaching worked and how you communicate with your potential customers through social media.
This was Matt’s attitude regarding the situation in my first 6-9 months of the business:
“If it wasn’t important to Mel, it wasn’t getting done,” Matt explains. The rest of the world stopped, and the things that mattered to him took a backseat. When I gave Matt a word, he described as follows,
house – disaster
dishes – everywhere
laundry – in piles
me (Melanie) – on the computer or her phone… not present
It got to the point where I was feeling guilty for working my business. That’s why I knew my priorities were off.
How did we figure it out and fix it?
The unknown was the most difficult thing for Matt. Who was I talking to? Why was I making a post? To Matt, it just looked like I was always on my phone. I wasn’t following a schedule, therefore I was working constantly. Plus, my income didn’t match my effort initially, which was hard for him to understand. I know that every business owner can relate to this. When you start a new business you work a lot for a little. You build that trust, credibility and eventually you begin to work more efficiently for more money.
During that first year, tension really built up, Friction increased and we exchanged a lot of dirty looks. Finally, at about the 9-10 month mark, Matt gave me the ultimatum him or the business. Thankfully, he didn’t make me choose, but this was my lightbulb moment where I knew I needed to work on time management.
We took action steps
- upgraded my phone from a flip phone to an iPhone so I could work more efficiently.
- hired a cleaning once we could financially justify it.
- Matt began doing more around the house from making meals to doing laundry.
- developed a plan and schedule to juggle kids, meetings, calls, trips, etc.
- set a timeline to measure progress and re-evaluate.
These action steps ensured that I was focused on positive behaviors that would grow my business. Each and every single day I worked from a calendar, and I made sure I communicated to Matt what I was doing. I shared my goals and acknowledged the sacrifices that would need to be made to achieve them.
Most importantly, I scheduled shut-off time so I was present with my family. I based this quiet time around my business so I could have a bit of the of best of both worlds. For example, our business is usually a little more quiet Thursday evening through Sunday morning. Scheduling shut-off time during these hours didn’t leave me feeling like I was missing out on important things within my business. Whereas scheduling shut-off time on a Wednesday evening would simply not mesh with my business! I still did my power hour in the business to make sure my customers were getting supported but I didn’t just sit on the phone or computer to be on it. I got off and spent time with my family. WITH THE PHONE IN THE OTHER ROOM!
Family will always come first.
Matt’s biggest piece of advice for spouses: don’t turn into a bobblehead! Ask questions to get to know more about your partner’s why, goals, and commitments. Learn the business model and understand how these goals can impact financial targets. Be willing to work together. If your spouse is passionate about this business give it a shot.
My biggest piece of advice: if you want this to be a real business, you have to treat it like one. Learn to make sacrifices around your family. For example, I wake up early daily so I get solid business hours in before the boys are up and ready. This way, I don’t have to sacrifice my time with them. Also, stop scrolling and know the difference between mindless scrolling and truly working your business. Create that boundary. Kill the newsfeed on Facebook. Never open your computer unless you have an actual plan of action.
Ultimately, Coaching is a business but it’s an abstract business because it’s social media driven and not brick and mortar. This means you must communicate your goals:
- what are your goals?
- what will your goals do for you and your family?
- What sacrifices will I need to make in order to reach my goals?
- How will reaching these goals will impact your lives.
Put yourself in your spouse’s shoes. What will this look like for them? My challenge for you is to sit down with your spouse and go over these four “musts.” Put it on your weekend to-do list!
Treat your spouse how you’d like to be treated. Mutual respect is very important.
See the full recording, here!
Be sure to join us next week as Matt talks about going from a hesitant husband to a supportive spouse. We will be live at 10am EST on Melanie Mitro