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View this issue online at www.todayscoach.com/Feb2004/022304.html
Monday, February 23,
2004
In this edition of Today’s Coach, I’m excited to bring
you an interview I did with America’s Dream Coach®,
Marcia Wieder. Marcia
is the author of 3 books, the founder of Dream CoachTM
University, and a motivational speaker.
We are thrilled to have her as one of the
presenters at the 3rd Annual CoachVille
Conference “The Coaching Business:
Create Your Own Magic”.
For more information on Marcia’s presentation
at the conference, visit www.coachvilleannualconference.com.
Also in this issue, Tom Stone, Dean of the School of
Personal Development, unveils three brand new
teleclasses and a mentoring program “Mastering Core
Dynamics of Common Problems”.
You won’t want to miss next week’s Today’s Coach!
We’ll be talking with Rhonda Britten--coach,
author, and star of the tv show “Starting Over”. Until then..
Keep Playing,
Kim
Kim
George
Director of Communications and
Collaboration
CoachVille/Schools of Coaching
kim@coachville.com
Contact
us at letters@coachville.com.
"Be Your Own Oprah"
An Interview with America's Dream Coach®, Marcia Wieder
 Marcia, you've been on Oprah twice. What was that experience like?
Well, I asked Oprah what her dream was and she said her dream was to create a company where people could have fun. This is the richest self-made woman in America, and she has a value on having a good time! Then she said her visionary dream was that people would come together, make a contribution to her organization, and then give back to the world. The audience went wild, this sort of high-fevered cheering and Oprah took the microphone, stuck it in my face and said, 'What's your dream?'
And you know, my dream is to transform the conversation around dreaming in the world--away from fear and doubt and fantasy, into hope, possibility, action, and results--which of course, is what coaching is all about. That was really wonderful!
The funny part is, when the Oprah people called, I was leading Dream CoachTM University in Maui at the time. I was lucky I had a suit with me because they called on a Friday and needed me on a Monday.
Luckily, I had just finished my program and could get there. They interviewed 20 different authors, and were looking for a passion expert. I finally said, 'What made you choose me?' They said, 'My passion really just exuded.' They could really get, in a short interview, that I was someone who was really fiery and could talk with passion.
What does passion mean to you?
When we're in touch with our passion, we have more energy and more enthusiasm. People with dreams actually live longer lives. But as coaches, if we don't love what we're doing, how can we help other people find what they love? I'm really an advocate that ideally our professional dreams should be to be paid well for doing what we love. I'm frustrated that more coaches aren't more financially viable in their businesses. Coaching is essential--it's a total transformation, especially when you talk about people living the life of their dreams and getting what they want. We need to keep coaches financially viable and successful so the industry sustains.
Let's talk a little more about being on the Oprah Winfrey Show. A lot of coaches dream of having that opportunity.
It was an amazing experience! I've been on twice and it's a delight and exciting, but I also have to say that people think it's like winning the lottery, you know? People ask me all the time, 'How can I get on Oprah?' and what I say is, 'Be your own Oprah!' It was definitely an honor and a privilege, but it's what she represents that we're so inspired by.
And what does that mean for you?
She exhibits such strength through her vulnerability, and she does it in front of 30 million people day in and day out. She's truly a visionary and someone who's transforming the world.
You've been hired by some of the top companies. How do you engage an
audience?
I travel all around the world; I've spoken to audiences from 50 to 5,000 and I'm really thrilled that I'm going to be able to speak at the CoachVille conference. There's something about addressing your peers and being in a room of fellow big dreamers - there's nothing like it. There are a few ways that I engage an audience. First, I'm a professional. I've been doing this for over 10 years, and I'm continually developing my content, skill and message. When I step out, I give the best that I possibly can. But mostly, I've found a message that truly is my message. The number one thing I say to people when they want to become a speaker is find a message that you love that really calls to you.
I'm America's Dream Coach® and have been doing this for over 12 years, when nobody knew what a coach was. There's part of me that can't believe I'm still talking about this, but this is who I am. It's all about authenticity and integrity. It's all about walking your talk, being in alignment with what you believe. Say what you mean and mean what you say.
You clearly have a passion for speaking.
I feel like my purpose in life is to inspire; I feel like I'm doing the right work!
What advice would you offer to someone new to coaching who may not have their own program?
There are a lot of great programs out there. Until they've got their own message developed, I don't see any problem with someone presenting other people's work, as long as they're really clear that's what they're doing. Just make sure that it's something you really feel passionate about--that it resonates with you. It's a message that you can own, even if it's somebody else's. you can get that far behind it.
Oprah's called you 'the Passion Expert'. In your book,
Making Your Dream Come True, you talk about the 'Passion Pyramid'. Can you describe what that involves?
The passion pyramid basically has 4 levels. First, we have to know what our purpose is. Some people can spend their whole lifetime searching and seeking and making it this elusive, esoteric project. The purpose really talks about who are you passionate about being? Are you passionate about learning, teaching, risk-taking, helping others, having fun, or beauty? Once we know what our purpose is, we know the essence of who we are, and then we can ask what are our dreams, and we want our life to be. What I found is that when people move too quickly into the dream process without first looking at what their purpose is, often they'll climb to the top of the mountain, only to find that it's the wrong mountain.
Then, the next level is your dreams. How do you want your life to be? Then, from dreams we move into projects, which are like goals. And then from projects, we move up to the top of the pyramid, which is scheduling. Scheduling is about taking the dream and breaking it down into steps and identifying the tasks and scheduling them into our life. The problem is, most of our lives are so full of all the things we've said yes to that there's not a lot of room in our life for dreams.
One of the important first steps in the dreaming process is to consider using passion as the barometer to say 'no thank you' when you have a choice. So, when you're under deadline or your kid needs you, you don't have a choice, but when someone asks you to do something, if you don't have to do it, and you don't want to do it, you can say 'no thank you'. Clear away some clutter, make some room in your life for some new dream, or even to go on a PassionQuest. A PassionQuest is where you take a period of time, like a day, a weekend, or a week - you don't have to put the rest of your life on hold - and follow your heart and see what you're passionate about, which is one of the ways people can begin to find their purpose.
One of the other things you talk a lot about is the relationship between passion and profit.
Yes! Again, I really advocate being paid well for doing what you love, and I think another way to say it is passion and productivity go hand-in-hand. Happy people make happy employees, and happy employees produce better results. Well, it's the same thing with us as business owners, managers, or coaches. When we're in touch with our passion, everything works better. It sells more people on what we're doing; we're modeling integrity because we're showing that you can really be successful doing what you want. I want to make sure that in the coaching world we don't have that starving actor or starving artist mentality. The work that we're doing has tremendous value, and I think that we do deserve to be well compensated for it.
I know a lot of people don't like to, or aren't comfortable with, going out and getting clients. I teach a whole segment at Dream
CoachTM
University on building the successful practice, and specifically on enrollment skills. Enrolling somebody and wanting them to hire you as a coach, you have to show them value.
That's a lot of what the whole conversation around passion and profit is all about - can you really own that what you're bringing to your clients has worth and value and charge a fee for it? Then, be a good enough coach that you can coach somebody over their financial obstacles so that they really could see that it will cost them more not to work with you than work with you.
What would you suggest for the coach who's struggling with making the transition from pro bono coaching to a fee-paying client?
In my opinion, there are two reasons to do pro bono work: one is to develop your skill set, and the second is to get clients. I think that first having the intention that you're doing a free session to show a client there's so much value that they should hire you is really important. Sometimes we forget why we're doing the free sessions. I would offer a simple 4-step enrollment process for getting new clients.
One is to create a rapport--really develop a relationship. Show them that you're listening to them and what they have to say and that you could potentially work well together. Number two, build value, and the only way to build value is to really understand what it is that the potential client needs. Ask great questions, and let them tell you what their need is. Number three is to overcome obstacles. We know the not-enough-time and not-enough-money are the apparent big obstacles, but I tell you, Kim, when someone says to me, 'I'd pursue my dream if I only had enough money'. I ask them, 'How much do you need?' and the most common answer is 'I don't know, but I know I don't have enough.' The biggest obstacles are fear and doubt; that's what keeps us from sitting down with a pen and paper and figuring out how we're going to make this happen. So, when somebody says, 'I can't afford you', my question is, 'What's the value to you of your dream? Let's figure out how we can make this work for you'.
The fourth enrollment step is obtain commitment. That's another place where I think people really fall short. Make specific requests and make it easy for people to say 'yes'. If you and I were having a conversation at a trade meeting or a Chamber of Commerce event and we're building a rapport, we're connecting, and then I start saying to you, 'Have you ever thought about hiring a coach and why might you hire a coach?' Then you're telling me all your needs, and then I'm telling you what I can do for you as a coach. Then, when your obstacles come up; my theory is that wherever there's an obstacle, design a way to manage it, even if the obstacle is fear. Then, when you've build enough rapport and overcome the obstacles, then attaining a commitment sometimes is just about asking for it.
That's an important point because so many people don't ask for the business, and they could easily get the client if they just asked.
There are so many missed opportunities because we're just not taking that last step, making that specific request. 'Would you like to work with me?' I wouldn't even be giving away free sessions unless I knew that it was a qualified prospect. I would say, 'This is how much I charge per month....' I would let them know my philosophy and say, 'If this is something that appeals to you, I'd be happy to give you a free introductory session, and my intention is that at the end of that, if you like what I've offered you, I'm going to ask that if you'll hire me. Is that okay with you?' These are really, really important and essential skills. If you've never been in a position where you've been out there selling, you wouldn't necessarily have the skill set to do that, so we have to learn.
The point is, you don't have to do it alone. That's what so wonderful about CoachVille; you are such a wealth of information, resources, and skills! One of the things that makes people successful is that we're continually developing ourselves; it's not a one-time thing.
You've just touched on success. In your opinion, what makes a coach marketable?
First, successful coaches really have the skill set. Second, they believe in themselves. Third, successful coaches have integrity. The other thing I think that makes a coach marketable from my point of view are different areas of specialization. I like to see coaches who say, 'I focus on working with CEOs' or 'I focus on working with people who want to lose weight' or single parents. When I went looking for my own coach, I looked for somebody who had the specific skill set, expertise, and experience in what I needed.
You founded Dream CoachTM
University. How did that all come about?
I started certifying coaches in my work, and there are a couple of things that are very different about the program. First, it's small group - it's only 30 people - and I only do it twice a year and I lead it. It's a very intensive personal work around integrity, life purpose, clarifying your dreams, overcoming any fears and doubts, and really setting up a great Dream Team for accountability and success. The other thing I love about it is that the people who come to it are people who want to bring more heart and soul to their coaching practice; they want to bring the dream component in. They're coaches who've already gone through formal skill training program.
What I love is the focused piece around marketing and getting clients, which is so important. People who graduate from my program have been through a formal
coach skill-training program before they become part of my Dream
CoachTM Referral Network. This means that they're up on my website and I refer clients to them.
And when is the next Dream CoachTM training taking place?
May 19-25th in San Francisco. There are literally just a few spots left, and if your readers say they saw it in Today's Coach, they will receive a 10 percent savings - $300 off! They can register at
www.dreamcoachu.com.
The other thing we've done is create a 'Dream CoachTM inner circle', called
www.mydreamcoach.com.
It's where people get training, ongoing support on the phone and in person from me - books and CDs and so on. It's just been launched and already people from all over the world are joining. We even have a non-profit that is helping to finance dreams! Successful people know not to do it alone, and to partner with other Big Dreamers.
We were talking about people's dreams of being on Oprah, and another dream that many coaches have is being able to package and license their own programs. What advice would you offer to coaches based on your success?
I would say to people that it's a wonderful thing to do, especially if you have a well developed process and body of work. I had been teaching and writing for over 10 years, and had something that I knew other people could use. I definitely think it's worth taking a look at it.
You'll be speaking at the 3rd Annual CoachVille conference. Can you give us a preview of what you'll be sharing?
I'll be talking about making great money doing what you love! It's really about a coach who's living his or her dreams. I'm going to take people through my process - it'll be kind of a mini-workshop. In it, I will help people connect to their purpose, clarify a stated dream, and overcome an obstacle. Every person who attends my session will leave in action on a dream that they're passionate about. It's so important because dreams without a plan are fantasy. I often say that the difference between a dream and a fantasy is that in a dream, you can design a strategy for getting there. In a fantasy - like winning a lottery - there's nothing you can do to make it happen.
I'm very much bottom-line results; the whole thing about Dream
CoachTM is helping people get clear, take action, and produce results.
What would you say to someone who is looking at 3 or 4 different programs? How should they pick one?
Do your homework. I would have them first go to CoachVille and the International Coach Federation and check out all the different resources that are out there. Go talk to people who you respect, not just the people who work for the company, but people who are out there and are being successful. The bottom line is you have to follow your heart. I'm a real advocate of the 'trust your gut' approach, after you've done your homework and have enough information to really make a sound decision. Just start, and start with what you can. The world needs good coaches!
Do you have any thoughts, looking out 5 - 10 years from now as to emerging coaching trends?
I think we're going to see better coaches with really good solid credentials and I think a lot of people who aren't serious about it - who are doing it as a part-time hobby - I think that's going to fall away.
The industry will self-select?
Yes, and I want the best possible coaches - people who have a passion, people who are willing to invest in themselves and demonstrate their commitment - those are the people I really want to see successful and who I am eager to partner and play with. It's so important for people to use their resources. We want to learn from the people who are successful and model what they're doing. It's important that we share our resources and we share our shortcuts; we share our mistakes so we can learn from each other, and we also share our successes so we can celebrate with each other!
And you'll certainly be doing that in June in Orlando with us!
I certainly will, and it's magical any time I'm in a room full of coaches. I want to create a new conversation about dreaming, and in this context, let's create a new conversation around what does it mean to be a successful coach. A successful coach is great at what they do and is well paid for it. I often say that a big dreamer or a visionary has a vision, articulates it with clarity so that people understand what it is, expresses it with passion so that people are excited and want to be part of it, and a visionary invites and inspires people to join them. I think that as coaches we have a responsibility and a privilege of being stewards of people's dreams, but also modeling what it means to live with integrity. That includes making a living at coaching.
Marcia has written 3 books, Making Your Dreams Come
True®, Life Is But A Dream and Doing Less and Having More, and she is near completion of her first novel. She leads Dream
CoachTM University in San Francisco, a week-long curriculum where she teaches and certifies Dream Coaches to lead her work, which you are invited to attend.
Marcia is a member of the National Speakers Association, the Direct Selling Association and as past president of the National Association of Women Business Owner, she met three U.S. Presidents. She lives in her "dream" city of San Francisco where she is pursuing her dream of living at the water, balancing work and play, with much more emphasis on play.
 New Programs from Tom Stone and the School of
Personal Development
The Next Step in Your Coaching Skills
In his dynamic opportunity model Thomas J. Leonard, founder of CoachVille, stated that the key to successful coaching is to recognize and identify the underlying dynamic of a problem, so it can be released and finally eliminated from the individual's life. The man Thomas hired as his own personal coach, Tom Stone, took this one step further: he identified 12 Core Dynamics of Common Problems, the 12 elements that hold us back when we are trying to create the life we want.
Tom Stone is Dean of the School of Personal Development for Coachville and is one of CoachVille's most popular and respected teachers. His teleclasses for the School of Personal Development on the Core Dynamics have consistently filled up, "standing room only," with a waiting list to get in. His "Absence of You" seminars have helped hundreds of CoachVille members transform their lives and their coaching by showing them how to break free of the core conditioning that traps people in limitation, unresourcefulness, unhappiness, and lack of success. Now, beginning in March, 2004, Tom Stone will offer three new series of extended teleclasses and a special one-year mentoring program called the Total Presence Programs. These programs will cover specific issues faced by you and your clients, and will show you how to step beyond the patterns of the past and into a bright new future of freedom.
The Total Presence Programs are as follows (click the course title for more
information or to register):
1. Making the Jump to Light Speed - Erase the Core Dynamic of Limiting Self Expression from Your Projects, Your Business and Your Life. Designed for anyone who is ready to break free of the internal "log jam" that's limiting true self-expression, and let the life force of creativity and passion flow freely again.
2. Mastering the Skills of Manifestation - Removing the Barriers to Having Your Dreams Come True. Go beyond the core conditioning that causes you to unconsciously sabotage your own efforts and discover how easily you can make dreams a reality.
3. Mastering Your Inner Selling Process - Overcoming Your Own Inner Objections. Remove any of your own inner discomfort with the selling process and become the master of sales you've always wanted to be.
4. Mastering the Core Dynamics of Common Problems - A Special One Year Personal Mentoring Program with Tom Stone. Thoroughly eliminate the Core Dynamics from every part of your life.
The Power of Core Dynamics to Shape Our Lives
Even though it can seem that our outer circumstances are holding us back, or that life just doesn't seem to be bringing us the fulfillment of our desires, in truth we are often sabotaging ourselves with conflicting intentions. The basis of conflicting intentions can be found in our core conditioning, patterns that keep us locked into limited self-expression and lack of enjoyment of our lives.
The problem is, we can't see how to get beyond the conditioning because we see the world through it. It's like someone who's colorblind trying to describe the difference between red and green when they can't tell which is which! And even when we recognize these patterns we may feel we can't change them - that these habits are just "who we are." The knowledge of how to go beyond this deep-seated conditioning has not been available... until now.
The courses based on the 12 Core Dynamics of Common Problems will show you techniques for liberating yourself from the illusions that this conditioning creates. With the help of these insights and skills you will be able to break out of the grip of those old habits and step into a freer and more abundant life.
Those who have been using The 12 Core Dynamics of Common Problems Personal Development Techniques and cultivating a life that is free of the presence of the Core Dynamics are finding to their amazement and delight how quickly and easily they are now able to come out of the illusions caused by their conditioning. For example:
"I'm very excited by all that I'm learning from Tom Stone. The content and focus of the training resonates 100% with what I believe. It has greatly helped me personally and I believe it will help me be more laser focused in how I can assist my clients."
"I feel I have walked through a doorway into a larger world of understanding about myself and the world around me. This course has helped me take a giant step forward in my own personal development, and I will be sharing the experience and tools acquired with clients and friends. Thank you so much for your continued evolution of the coaching experience."
Programs Designed to Help You Create the Life You Always Wanted
Each of the teleclasses created by Tom Stone takes one of two approaches.
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Identify one aspect of your life and completely purge it of the insidious self-sabotaging effects of the Core Dynamics or
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Identify one Core Dynamic and systematically eliminate it from every area of your life.
Both approaches are guaranteed to help you understand and utilize the powerful techniques of Core Dynamics in your own life, so you can then use them with your clients. Finally, you'll be able to get to the bottom of some of the most difficult and insidious issues that human beings face and to eliminate these old patterns once and for all. You'll be amazed at the sense of freedom and possibility that will occur with each teleclass. And you, like many before you, will love Tom Stone's caring and insightful approach to profound transformation.
Those who know Tom's work consistently flock to his seminars and snap up his teleclasses because they know how effective the work is. Tom has been thrilled with the response to his courses and he's eager to share these breakthroughs and insights with as many individuals as possible. However, because the 12 Core Dynamics Personal Development work is very intense, Tom is limiting the size of each teleclass to 50 people. This ensures you will have the opportunity for give-and-take and personal interaction with Tom and the other students in your class.
All teleclasses programs are 12 one hour calls over a three month period. These teleclasses may only be available as live events once! So if you wish to take advantage of the opportunity for personal interaction with Tom and your fellow students, you need to register right away.
The classes will be digitally recorded and the recordings will be available for unlimited review at our web site by those who are registered participants. If you miss a class or just want to hear it again you will be able to do that. The recorded teleclass programs will also be made available for purchase by those who are not able to participate in the live teleclass events. (Future participants will be able to take these classes via RealAudio and/or MP3 files.)
As a bonus, Tom has agreed to include for each teleclass series a special email discussion list for ongoing questions and continued conversation about the topics of the program. The discussion list will also become available to those who join the program via the RealAudio/MP3 version of the class.
The investment for Tom Stone's Total Presence Program teleclasses is $249 per teleclass.
The Special One Year Mentoring Program - Mastering the Core Dynamics of Common Problems will have two 90 minute group coaching calls per month plus access to Tom's LaserCoaching Program - personal laser coaching several times per month with Tom. The Mentoring Program is an exclusive program that is limited to only 30 participants so if you want to be included, register now. The cost of the Mentoring Program is $399 per month for 12 months. Only join this program if you are prepared to go the distance and participate for the full 12 months.
Thomas Leonard said, "Tom Stone is nothing short of a genius. He knows his stuff - and I believe his approach may well influence the future of coaching. Within a week after meeting Tom I asked if he would coach me. Tom has the cleanest energy of ANYONE I've ever met - bar
none." CoachVille is delighted to offer you the opportunity to learn from Tom Stone how to create an exceptional life for you and your clients!
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