Thom Rigsby brings more than 25 years of business experience in companies ranging from the Fortune 50 to mom-and-pop operations as well as more than a dozen businesses of his own. He has an active performance coaching practice, audio & video podcasts, and weekly radio program where he shares the key concepts and strategies he has learned on his business journey, helping business owners and leaders focus their efforts, create results, and replace undistinguished results and burnout with a clear plan for stable, sustainable success. A plan worthy of your best and highest potential!
Thom Rigsby brings more than 25 years of business experience in companies ranging from the Fortune 50 to mom-and-pop operations as well as more than a dozen businesses of his own. He has an active performance coaching practice, audio & video podcasts, and weekly radio program where he shares the key concepts and strategies he has learned on his business journey, helping business owners and leaders focus their efforts, create results, and replace undistinguished results and burnout with a clear plan for stable, sustainable success. A plan worthy of your best and highest potential!
Here’s an entertaining 30 minutes for ya! And in the last 2 minutes a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! (yes…even bigger than Tim’s billboard!)
Got together this week with my pal and fellow entrepreneur Thom Rigsby to talk about the debate debacle and how the current political environment might affect the future of small business … And the announcement for a new show coming soon called "4 Mics" …. Which might feature some of you….
(and why does the thumbnail generator always catch you are the worst time…?)
Hey, does your business feel more like a job than a fastlane to success? Would you like to hear how you can recapture the vision of what a Legacy Business looks like? Join me for an exclusive 27-minute zoom call this Thursday to find out more!
Thom Rigsby brings more than 25 years of business experience in companies ranging from the Fortune 50 to mom-and-pop operations as well as more than a dozen businesses of his own. He has an active performance coaching practice, audio & video podcasts, and weekly radio program where he shares the key concepts and strategies he has learned on his business journey, helping business owners and leaders focus their efforts, create results, and replace undistinguished results and burnout with a clear plan for stable, sustainable success. A plan worthy of your best and highest potential!
Jesse Mogle is a professional speaker, podcaster, and lifestyle architect (as well as being the nation’s #1 bee fan) – and is a recognized authority on the psychology of growth mindset, positive habit creation and the self-identity that comes from programming put in place when we were children. He has served as a friend, coach, consultant, and advisor to people around the world for over 20 years and I couldn’t be more excited to have him on my show! You can get connected with Jesse and find out more about the work he does at www.JesseMogle.com.
Thom Rigsby brings more than 25 years of business experience in companies ranging from the Fortune 50 to mom-and-pop operations as well as more than a dozen businesses of his own. He has an active performance coaching practice, audio & video podcasts, and weekly radio program where he shares the key concepts and strategies he has learned on his business journey, helping business owners and leaders focus their efforts, create results, and replace undistinguished results and burnout with a clear plan for stable, sustainable success. A plan worthy of your best and highest potential!
Jesse is a great friend and an amazing life coach visiting with us this week from LA (that’s Los Angeles not Lower Alabama!) He brings a level of excitement to everything he does that you don’t want to miss. The last time Jesse was with us during the Engineer to Entrepreneur event he, well, … you’ll just have to join us to hear the whole story! You can find out more about Jesse and his story on his website: www.JesseMogle.com
Thom Rigsby brings more than 25 years of business experience in companies ranging from the Fortune 50 to mom-and-pop operations as well as more than a dozen businesses of his own. He has an active performance coaching practice, audio & video podcasts, and weekly radio program where he shares the key concepts and strategies he has learned on his business journey, helping business owners and leaders focus their efforts, create results, and replace undistinguished results and burnout with a clear plan for stable, sustainable success. A plan worthy of your best and highest potential!
Many owners and founders find themselves in a position looking for help with their business, but are not sure how to select a small business coach or consultant. On top of all the stress associated with running the business, they often choose to put it off, wait for another day, and continue their day-to-day struggle.
Running a successful business can be difficult. After all, our job is solving problems…and sometimes you could just use a day without any problems…am I right? Well, the truth is that the one choice you’ve been delaying regarding finding the right business coach for your business doesn’t have to add more stress and anxiety. Here are six questions to ask of yourself and your potential coach or consultant before taking the dive!
What is the problem you are trying to solve.
Even if you hire the best plumber in town, they probably won’t do a great job of helping you figure out what you want from your business. That’s a question only you can answer. Once you have the answer to that question (even if it is incomplete or imperfect…I see that a lot), your business coach can apply their perspective to help you clarify the goal, their experience to help you create the roadmap to your outcome, and provide accountability to keep you moving through the tough parts.
A good coach will tell you about their experience and try to relate it to your problem. A GREAT business coach will tell you when there is a bad fit and work to connect you with a better resource!
What is their actual, real-world experience solving that problem.
Even the best plumber on the planet will do a less than stellar job painting your living room. They are leveraging decades of experience to fix a problem in your pipes. Now, can you fix that problem yourself after reading a book or watching a few YouTube videos? Maybe…but will it be as good or reliable as the solution you get from the planet’s best plumber? Probably not. Unfortunately the coaching industry has far too many people that hold themselves out to be “coaches” and “experts” when all their experience comes from a book, a course, or a video series. Ask your prospective coach about specific examples from their background where they tackled a problem or a desired outcome just like yours. How did they address it? What was the result? How can they apply that to your situation?
A good coach will not hesitate to answer. A GREAT business coach will volunteer the answers!
What do their current and past clients say about their work.
You know what they say…word of mouth sells. Almost every social media platform today has the capacity to allow you to ask for recommendations or to read reviews. Ask your prospective business coach to connect you with some past clients. Of course, you can expect most to give glowing reviews…that why the coach will connect you with them. But you will also have the chance to ask anything you want. Talk to several and compile their results. You may be surprised at the outcome.
A good coach will show you referrals from past clients. A GREAT business coach will connect you with past clients so you can ask them anything you want!
Do they “click” with you.
Clicking is another word for rapport building, and if you don’t feel like the relationship is clicking, then the business coach is doing a bad job of rapport building. While it is true that you’re not interviewing for a new best friend, you will be spending quite a bit of time with this person and you will be opening up your business and yourself to their insights. If the business coach cannot build rapport during the sales portion of the engagement, don’t expect it to get better after you start paying them.
A good coach will listen and help you feel comfortable, even in difficult conversations. A GREAT business coach will have you anticipating the difficult conversation and encourage you to lean-in to the problem solving…and you’ll feel safe and comfortable doing so!
Did you have an “a-ha” moment during your initial consultation.
From a business coach perspective, I try to make every engagement with a client, be that face to face, email, text, whatever…I want every engagement to produce at least one a-ha moment. If you are not getting a-ha or note-worthy input from your prospective coach during the evaluation phase, again…it’s not going to get better. Personally, I’m more than happy to give away some insights because it’s not the insights that are going to make the difference as much as your execution. If a prospective business coach is holding back and keeping the “framework” a secret, then the framework is all they have to offer. You should expect much more!
A good coach will give you insights into how they work and show you that they can create results. A GREAT business coach will strive to create a-ha moments in every exchange…and you won’t have to ask!
Are the fees proportional to the result?
Ah the fees…the REALLY challenging part. Here’s the deal: Your business coach’s fees should be proportional to the value of the result they create…and guess what…VALUE is in the eye of the buyer! There is no industry-standard for business coaching fees so ask you coach how they came up with the fee. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. If you want to add $100k to your revenue next year, a $25,000 fee would be disproportionate. (25% is WAY too much, somewhere between 5% and 10% is more like it). If your prospective coach cannot explain how their proposed fee relates DIRECTLY to the result they will help you achieve…run!
A good coach will be able to explain it clearly and succinctly. A GREAT business coach will have already explained it so you don’t have to ask!
Engaging with a business coach will be a significant investment time, emotion, and capital. You need to feel clearly and confidently that you are stepping out on the right path and that this person will help you achieve your goals. Your coach will challenge you, and the road may be filled with some self-discovery, but with the right small business coach the journey will help you grow as a person, a leader, and a business owner.
Hiring a great business coach can be a challenge so I hope these six questions will help you on your quest to find the right resource to help you achieve your desired outcomes.
If you still have questions, I know you will want to join me for my unique 27-minute webinar on How To Choose A Business Coach. Click the button below to register for the next live version of the webinar or to watch a replay of a past webinar. In either case you will get the unvarnished truth about what you need to do to find a great business coach for you and your business!
Thom Rigsby brings more than 25 years of business experience in companies ranging from the Fortune 50 to mom-and-pop operations as well as more than a dozen businesses of his own. He has an active performance coaching practice, audio & video podcasts, and weekly radio program where he shares the key concepts and strategies he has learned on his business journey, helping business owners and leaders focus their efforts, create results, and replace undistinguished results and burnout with a clear plan for stable, sustainable success. A plan worthy of your best and highest potential!
Have you ever known someone who, when you look at the work they do or how they live, makes you thing, “Man, they could do or be so much more if they would only… (fill in your favorite fix-it message here)!” Maybe it is a team member at the office, a friend, a child or niece or nephew…it’s frustrating isn’t it, to see their potential and how they are allowing it to wither and die. Or maybe it’s worse than that, they have the talent but they are misdirecting it into “less desirable” pursuits!
As a business coach I’ve had the great fortune to be around many business owners, leaders, founders and entrepreneurs with great ideas and potential that never made it. For one of many reasons their idea was not able to overpower the most limiting Critical Performance Attribute of their business.
See, in spite of the title of this post, the truth is that we…YOU…cannot change another person. You can ask, you can lead, you can influence, you can guilt, and you can pressure…but at the end of the day the decision to change is up to them, not your.
In 2018 my son passed away. He was a few weeks shy of his 30th birthday when his lifestyle choices finally took their toll. In spite of our consistent prodding and pleading to make a change, he refused. For the last few years of his life my greatest worry was not that he would die, I believe I’d already come to terms with that. My greatest fear is that something would happen, he would die alone, and no one would know. His life did not end that way, in fact it ended surrounded by those that loved him most, and for that I’m thankful.
In all my searching for some kind of rationale in the story of his life, I came across this quote from Ghandi, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Typically you see this quote applied in the macro sense…changing the world…and there is definitely an application there, especially in today’s environment of social discord. But it also applies in the micro.
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Mahatma Gandhi
We all live in our own little world, worlds that overlap with others. And it is at those intersections that we can make a difference. Hopefully, I can make a positive impact from time to time on the place where your world and mine intersect.
When you see that under-performing individual…the one with so much more potential than they are demonstrating… when you catch yourself wishing they would “step up,” instead ask yourself what YOU need to do to step up. Show them what it means to step up. Ask them to step up with you, and when they ask why, tell them it’s how you get ahead in life!
Whether they choose to step up with you or not isn’t up to you, but either way, you’ll be ahead…and that makes YOU a leader!
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Thom Rigsby brings more than 25 years of business experience in companies ranging from the Fortune 50 to mom-and-pop operations as well as more than a dozen businesses of his own. He has an active performance coaching practice, audio & video podcasts, and weekly radio program where he shares the key concepts and strategies he has learned on his business journey, helping business owners and leaders focus their efforts, create results, and replace undistinguished results and burnout with a clear plan for stable, sustainable success. A plan worthy of your best and highest potential!
In this kick-off installment of 5 Bullet Friday we will talk about what we have in store for the show, upcoming topics and guests, oh, and of course Thom’s Take on the Week! AND (the REAL reason to watch…) Thom will be joined by his Bride and fellow entrepreneur, Vickie Rigsby! Find out more about Vickie and the ways she can help you on her website: www.VickieRigsby.com
Likely topics:
Would you fly on an “adequate” airplane?
Being the spouse of an entrepreneur
Two entrepreneurs in the same family…how does THAT work?
Ups and downs…together
Much more!
5 Bullet Friday is a weekly video podcast recapping events of the weeks and sharing the perspective on Thom and his guest. This is NOT YOUR TYPICAL LIVESTREAM & PODCAST! Registration is required prior to the livestream and attendees are able to ask questions and interact LIVE with Thom and his guest!
Thom Rigsby brings more than 25 years of business experience in companies ranging from the Fortune 50 to mom-and-pop operations as well as more than a dozen businesses of his own. He has an active performance coaching practice, audio & video podcasts, and weekly radio program where he shares the key concepts and strategies he has learned on his business journey, helping business owners and leaders focus their efforts, create results, and replace undistinguished results and burnout with a clear plan for stable, sustainable success. A plan worthy of your best and highest potential!
A few years ago I made a comment in passing that later really got me thinking. I was just having a casual conversation with a friend and kind of proudly claimed how much of a night-owl I had become. As I ran through all the things that were going on in my life that contributed to my night-owl-dom, it occurred to me how much I was sacrificing for “My Dream” of owning a business. In fact, I was almost right back in the same position that prompted me to start the business in the first place!
Why Did You Start A Business?
In the course of my coaching career I’ve heard a million and one answers to this question. When the tables were turned and it was my turn to start a business, the rationale was simple for me…to have more time freedom!
See, at the time I was working for a consulting firm and we had a requirement to BILL 40 hours a week. Well, to bill 40 you have to work 50 or 60…so here I am, diligently working long hours and weekends to meet the expectation. Then one day it hit me like a ton of K-Cups…I was wasting what precious time I had with my kids working! I needed to make a change and be present in there life!
Fast forward a few years, I’ve started my own business and I’m right back to working crazy hours. What exactly did I accomplish?
Are We Winning or Losing?
By all external appearances, the business was going great. Heck, by INTERNAL numbers we were doing great…and I still didn’t have the freedom I was really looking for. While everybody thought I was winning the business game, I was really losing the game of life! Again…something had to change.
So I locked myself away for a couple of days a took a long, hard look at what we were doing. I also spent time examining other businesses…and their owners…for what they were doing differently. I read every book I could find on growing a business, having work-life balance (spoiler alert…it’s not possible! More on that later)…basically anything I could read, watch or listen to that could explain what I was doing wrong or what I could be doing better!
The 9 CPA’s
No, not the ones that do you taxes!
After all that reading and listening and studying I narrowed it down to something I call the 9 CPA’s or the Nine Critical Performance Areas of your business. When I was able to identify and FOCUS (sorry, I know that’s a scary word), I began to see results. The business began to run more smoothly, there was less “frenzy” in the day, and most importantly, I could finally feel comfortable taking time away for the things that drove me to start the business in the first place!
Every business is unique…I get it, trust me! As of this writing I’m currently running businesses 12 and 13 that I’ve started from scratch and supporting many more. And even though your business is unique, you are still subject to the same 9 CPA’s…they are universal.
Now nine critical areas may sound like a lot, but in the years since I incorporated the CPA’s into my business coaching practice, I’ve never had a single business owner disagree once they saw the list! So whether you are in retail or wholesale, food service or grocery, services or Internet, they are all still there, waiting on YOUR FOCUS! And once they get them, they will deliver on the promise and you can see your hard work paying off!
So What Are the 9 CPA’s
In all candor, I would be doing a disservice to you if I just told you what they are. They’re a powerful set of tools to go in your business leadership toolbox, but just like a sledge hammer or power drill, if you mis-use them you will do great damage.
To make sure you fully understand the power of the CPA’s I’ve put together a web class for you. During this class I will outline the 9 Critical Performance Areas every business MUST focus on and how to use them to identify the barriers that are holding you back. And as a special bonus, I’ll show you how I teach my business coaching clients to write and track 90-day plans that will break down these barriers and make their work matter.
I’m going to be perfectly honest with you, this is material I’ve charged clients for in the past. Because I’ve charged it has been a really difficult decision to release this info in a free web class. But I talked with many of my past and present clients to get their input and they unanimously agreed that learning and focusing on these 9 Critical Performance Areas was THE KEY to creating the business they needed to have the life, and lifestyle, they craved.
If you have ever looked in the mirror and asked, “Is this as good as it gets,” the answer is NO…and I can show you how to make it better. Use the button above to reserve your seat in this week’s web class!
Thom Rigsby brings more than 25 years of business experience in companies ranging from the Fortune 50 to mom-and-pop operations as well as more than a dozen businesses of his own. He has an active performance coaching practice, audio & video podcasts, and weekly radio program where he shares the key concepts and strategies he has learned on his business journey, helping business owners and leaders focus their efforts, create results, and replace undistinguished results and burnout with a clear plan for stable, sustainable success. A plan worthy of your best and highest potential!
Are you struggling to ‘have it all’, trying to figure out how to balance the demands of your work with the rest of your life? If you are, you’re doing it wrong…and today’s post will help you fix that! Read on…
I’ll be honest, I market A LOT to the phrase or pain point of ‘work life balance’ because, frankly, so many people are looking for THE answer…how? The problem is not how but why?
Why do you feel as though you need to separate your work from the rest of your life?
Your work should help you achieve your dreams. YOU are uniquely gifted and talented and placed to do work that matters and have an abundant life while you’re doing it. Just like a piece in a puzzle, you fit perfectly into that spot and you already have, or have access to, everything you need to do that ‘thing.’ And just like the empty spot in the puzzle craves the only piece in the box that will fill it…so to is your abundant life and work that matters calling to you!
So your work should constantly move you closer and closer to that abundant life…but you’ve compromised! Instead of doing work that matters, you’re doing work that pays the bills. You’re frustrated with some or all of it…but it’s a “good” job, so you keep showing up. Now you just want to find a way to segment it off and store it away from the rest of your ‘life’ so you can enjoy said life.
And herein lies the problem – you’re treating work and life like two separate things when in reality, work is just part of your life. Think about it, the only way you can balance two things is if they are, well, two different things!
Now for the scary part…how do you change? How do you find the work that feeds your abundant life…work that energizes you, activates your gifts and talents, and challenges you to be better every day?
The answer is simple but not easy.
First, you have to stop and listen. This is especially difficult during the holidays (but then again, maybe you have some time off coming!). Listen for what calls to you. What can you work on all day and still feel pumped up about when you finish? It may be a hobby, or volunteer work, or just a dream…but it’s there…listen.
Second, begin moving toward your abundant life. Maybe you need to start a side-hustle, maybe you need to sell off some excess crap, maybe you need to read a book or watch some videos (like mine?)…begin making baby steps in that direction. The first few steps are always the hardest because you’re changing momentum…but as you begin to take those steps, all of a sudden you will find momentum shifting into a new direction.
Finally, commit. Don’t say ‘someday’ or ‘next year.’ Do you realize that when the clock rolls over midnight at the end of this month that it is not only the end of the year but the end of the decade? Are you where you wanted to be by the end of the 2010’s?
If this message is resonating with you and you’re unsure where to go or what to do next, don’t worry. Many people have had the same question, including me. This has been a lifetime journey for me! And that thing that energizes me, that abundance that calls to me…is helping people find THEIR freedom and fulfillment!
So when you get stuck on where to go next, reach out. I’m more than happy to hop on the phone or video call, no-cost & no-obligation, to help you find the clarity and confidence you need to live the life and lifestyle you crave!
Thom Rigsby brings more than 25 years of business experience in companies ranging from the Fortune 50 to mom-and-pop operations as well as more than a dozen businesses of his own. He has an active performance coaching practice, audio & video podcasts, and weekly radio program where he shares the key concepts and strategies he has learned on his business journey, helping business owners and leaders focus their efforts, create results, and replace undistinguished results and burnout with a clear plan for stable, sustainable success. A plan worthy of your best and highest potential!
This is a question I’ve been working on for a while now, part of a bigger project to really examine the words we use a lot and maybe don’t “KNOW” what they mean. So I’ll ask again, what is faith…
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.”
Helen Keller
Today’s quote from Helen Keller takes a stab at answering the question and defines faith as optimism that leads to achievement. But I’ve come to understand it differently.
See, optimism still leaves room for it to not work out. I can be optimistic about an outcome that never happens. Faith, however, means it IS going to happen, just as certainly as something already written in history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVmDgdW74rM
So what does all this mean to the business owner? To the entrepreneur? As we are nearing the end of 2019 and finishing up our plans for 2020…are you optimistic or do you have faith?
If you haven’t started on a plan for 2020 or you’re unsure about any aspect of it, I’d love to help you get started with a no-cost, no-obligation phone call. Just go to www.ThomRigsby.com/discovery to find out more and schedule your one-on-one call.
Are you setting goals for 2020? Then I have a video for you! (If you're not setting goals…your video is coming!)https://t.co/HVLWOOd4R4
— Thom Rigsby, The Unashamed Non-Conformist (@ThomRigsby) December 17, 2019
Thom Rigsby brings more than 25 years of business experience in companies ranging from the Fortune 50 to mom-and-pop operations as well as more than a dozen businesses of his own. He has an active performance coaching practice, audio & video podcasts, and weekly radio program where he shares the key concepts and strategies he has learned on his business journey, helping business owners and leaders focus their efforts, create results, and replace undistinguished results and burnout with a clear plan for stable, sustainable success. A plan worthy of your best and highest potential!
