Maximize your Membership with the 1-3-5 GPS Business Plan

A few weeks ago at my chapter meeting in Naples, Florida we covered the 1-3-5 GPS business plan. The concept is pretty simple; you write out a plan that will fit on one page. Now, of course this doesn't have space for every little detail, but it is structured to map out your #1 Goal followed by 3 Priorities that will impact the goal as well as 5 steps for each priority.

Here’s a clip from the actual Master Networks Training Tidbit:

The number 1 represents the primary Goal of the plan.  This is the single measurable outcome that would indicate things had worked as desired.  The key is that this number is easy to track and that its achievement means the venture has succeeded.

The number 3 represents the Priorities that will most impact and determine the achievement of the goal.  They are the three key strategies that will focus all the businesses’ energies, resources and creativity toward the goal.

The number 5 represents the key STEPS for each priority.  These are the actions that will be taken, the execution of the plan, the things that will get done in order to accomplish each of the three Priorities that will lead to the Goal.

So, use the magic of the one-page business plan formula, the 1-3-5 GPS in all your ventures. It’s simple, it’s clear, it WORKS!!!

As a brand  new business owner, this was both pragmatic and helpful. My partner and I had general ideas and goals, but we’d never had the time to really map out an overall business plan and had been somewhat faltering in our focus. I think we, like most, thought a business plan was supposed to be this huge thesis-like document with many complicated pages!

My chapter president Lee Blackston challenged our group to take the 1-3-5 GPS home and come back with it personalized to our individual businesses the following week. A couple of members groaned...oh no HOMEWORK but all in good spirits.

On Monday Lee called me to talk about a golf tournament and casually asked if I remembered to do my business plan. Of course, I hadn’t. So I took lunch break to map things out thinking it would take me an hour. I was pleased to see how quickly and easily this plan honed my focus. I was truly amazed at the clarity this simple plan brought to my business. I knew that I wanted to grow in a particular way but it was all ambiguous until I mapped things out with the 1-3-5 GPS.

Each day I look at this and work on the steps and priorities.

Here’s my plan for my new start up:

My Goal is to grow our yearly business income to $250,000 by June of 2014.

Priority 1: Take my products National by building relationships in five urban areas

5 Steps:

A.. Portland, OR

B. Napa Valley, CA

C. NYC

D. Raleigh, NC

E. Chicago

I chose five cities in which my partner and I have connections and contacts.

Priority 2: Leverage our reach by Co-Branding

5 Steps

A. Start a Lean In Circle for women in Business

B. Co-Brand with local shared work space Venture X

C. Build and duplicate brand within brand platforms for key direct selling markets

D. Packaging our services with other brands

E. White labeling our services for other companies

I chose 1 brand that is recognizable nationally; 1 that is recognized locally and three smaller website companies.

Priority 3:  Build Residual Income

5 Steps

A. Generate 4 new monthly billing clients per week

B. Build my Master Networks Regional Partnership

C. Create ongoing webinar series that can be recorded and duplicated

D. Build a social media reputation management package

E. Package and sell monthly services with a few key partners

I have put a focus on creating things that are easy to duplicate and can roll year round with residual income once the upfront work is done.

And that’s it! Now of course, there’s much more that goes into each of these steps, but the true beauty is in the simplicity and clarity of this plan. I have it printed on one sheet of paper and each day work on growing my business with the 1-3-5 GPS.

For more information on how you can be a member of Master Networks to be a part of our weekly meetings and training please visit Master Networks.

Eat Your Wheaties! AKA Tracking is the Breakfast of Champions!

Tracking and reports. Boring! Right?

They will change your business. Exciting? Right!

For most of us tracking and reporting are things we often procrastinate about. Why do you think that is? We know it’s important; yet we avoid this task. Well, it’s simple...there’s nothing glamorous or fun about tracking. Who in their right mind wants to sit down and get excited about a report? Sigh...Groan...

We’d like to encourage you to change that way of thinking. It can truly be invigorating when you realize that tracking will get you where you want to go.

Well, money talks doesn't it? What if you tracked three key areas in your business with the intention of creating more cash flow? What could you do with that extra money? Go to Disney? Hire a key employee? Purchase a new office space? Maybe you want to save the extra money for a rainy day. Whatever it is...use your “why” as the driving force that will make you sit down and track finances, marketing and sales.

Reports, statistics and metrics are the straightest and best path to our growth goals. So, let’s shift our thinking about this. First thing to do is to truly understand that tracking and targeting are crucial. The question is why?

It’s simple, what you measure and pay attention to improves. Great business leaders are trackers. They know what is working and what is not. This applies to everything from sales and finances to performance and marketing campaigns.

Imagine the power in tracking so well that you were able to eliminate everything that is not working. Think about how your business would look as a streamlined and lean machine that utilizes only systems that you have been tracked and proven effective?

This is where tracking becomes incredibly powerful. Now take it to the next step and consider applying tracking to your marketing efforts. A quick and easy way to start using tracking immediately and on a small scale is to utilize your social media insights. What messages resonate with your fans and followers? What do they share? What do they talk about? What age group and gender pay attention to what you’re saying and what do they do with that information?

Tools like Social Mention can tell you how often your brand shows up and is mentioned. Think about this: would you be happy to track and find that your brand is mentioned in an average of 20 tweets per day? Sure, who wouldn't? But what if your competitor is being mentioned 1,000 times per day. Hmmm...this tracking shows that something isn't quite working. Tracking social media is just one way to highlight the power within the tools.

At Master Networks we track and target referrals within each chapter. In this way we can share and know the exact monetary return each member gains from their participation in their Master Networks team. For more information you can go to Master Networks. Have a great week and please share with us what is working for you.

Step out of the Chaos

With the new economy it seems like the rules of business change from minute to minute. As entrepreneurs and business people we scramble to stay ahead of the pack. With ever changing technology and fiercer competition we sometimes lose sight of what matters most. What is our Mission? What is our passion?

We get jumbled up in social chatter about what might grow our business. Twitter? Pinterest? Reddit? LinkedIn? Facebook? Tumblr?  CRM's? Data management? Content creation? Balancing the books? Payroll is Friday? Is it Friday? Is it Monday?  Think about it all and pretty soon your head is spinning. One day blurs into the next. Monday. Thursday. Sunday. Start over. 

Run in place. 

Run a marathon. 

Try to breathe! 

Entrepreneurs and business leaders wear all of the hats. We juggle too many things. The beginning of the week can be mentally exhausting. One glance shows an inbox full of questions and a calendar way short of the hours needed to complete all of our tasks. It can be daunting. 

This is the path of a warrior. It requires epic endurance and consistent mental concentration.

And so the question becomes this:  "Who motivates the motivator?"

When do you get to refuel and recharge? 

Maybe it’s time to switch gears once a week. Step into our circle. Pull up a chair in any Master Networks Chapter around the Nation. Share a cup of coffee and words of wisdom and support from your colleagues and peers. Settle in to the best hour of the week as you fuel up on the training, development and motivational tools that will get you through the week. 

Join Vince Panipinto from Naples, Florida as he shares an uplifting training on how to master the skill of Missioning. He encourages you to "work ON your business, not just IN your business." He motivates you to set aside time each week to sit in a quiet space to truly explore and imagine new options and better ways of doing business. 

And as he gives this training tidbit you take a sip of warm coffee and relax into your chair. This is where it all begins; this moment of sharing and growth. Someone who truly cares about your business is up there motivating you to remember what it is that drives you. 

You look around the room and see that others just like you breathe a sigh of relief as they absorb the real and tangible thing that they can take from today's training to grow and improve their business.  

The trainer goes further and speaks to everyone in the room. “Imagine, invent and plan ways to expand and improve YOUR business.” He's not trying to sell you a thing. He's simply putting out a hand to say "join me as we dream and grow together". 

And so the meetings go from Minnesota to Colorado to Florida to Rhode Island. The trainer may be different in each chapter, but the message remains the same. Around the country, business leaders inspire and motivate one another. This one hour a week can change everything. 

If motivation and support are things you find missing in your business life please join us in one of our weekly Master Networks chapter meetings. We’d love to hear your story and help you grow both personally and professionally.

For more information you can go to Master Networks or find us on Facebook. 

Smart Thinking About Business Debt

By Ali Brown

One of the most daunting four-letter words for entrepreneurs—particularly women entrepreneurs—is the word D-E-B-T.

Most of us have had debt, or are in it right now and desperately trying to get out of it. We want to grow our businesses, but we cower under “tough love” financial advice from advisors like Suze Orman.

I love Suze’s advice on investing, and I’ve had the pleasure of speaking on stage with her a few months ago. But she got my goat when she recommended that aspiring entrepreneurs should build impeccable credit first, and save TWELVE months of operating expenses… BEFORE starting a business at all!

I surely didn’t wait to have all my ducks in a row before I started my business…

When I started my first little venture back in New York City in 1999, I was not only broke but in TONS of debt. My last job paid, but I realized it was a fixed income and I had no possibility of making more money until I went off on my own. I had no cash and no Plan B and my credit stunk. There surely was a bumpy period, and I was living day to day, but for me I knew I had to do this with my back against the wall. No other way out. Otherwise I’d still be right where I was!

And I’d still be right where I was if I focused all on my debt and saving.

What I did was create a plan to get myself out of debt, while focusing on growing my business. You need to do BOTH if you want to be successful, and the great news is, you don’t have to wait at all. Here’s how to get started today…

Key 1: Let go of guilt about your debt

If you want to take ownership of your debt, you have to come to terms with your current circumstance, and that means getting past the guilt and shame around it. Think of the time-tested weight loss advice that says to not beat yourself up if you fall off your workout or diet plan. This is because trying to make change from these low-energy places is usually a recipe for disaster. If you simply accept with no judgement that you are where you are, and you’re working to move yourself to a better place, it’s not only more motivating, but it’s more effective.

We can’t always control our circumstances. But we can very well control how we respond to them. Remember, you have a choice: YOU can stew in your mistakes and feel terrible, or you can take in the lesson that you’re being presented with, and honor it by responding in a productive way. Which sounds better to you?

Key 2: Get clear on the debt you have

This is usually the most difficult step, but getting clear on exactly how much debt you are in can be liberating! And, as crazy as it sounds, once this step is done, the fun begins. Because here’s where you step into a place of power.

Ignoring your bills won’t help you achieve wealth. When you take ownership, you stop blaming others, and you stop blaming yourself. So just face the numbers head on. The money is spent. You’re just getting clear on how MUCH was spent.

If you can’t manage the money you have, it’s unlikely the universe will bring you more. Your money management system doesn’t have to be complicated—a notebook, pen, and calculator can even get you started. I created a simple spreadsheet that listed my debts and used it to track paying them down.

Don’t be afraid to get help in this area if you need it. I used a credit counseling company in my 20s and early 30s, and it was a huge help in getting me back on my feet. If you need a good starting place, check out The National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

Key 3: Focus on your business while paying it down

What you focus on expands, so again I don’t want you to focus on your debt!

Set up and honor a plan to pay off your debts and bills, but put your focus on creating a positive and healthynet worth.

For starters, take yourself as a business owner seriously and pay yourself first. Write yourself a set paycheck every 2 weeks, as if you’re on the payroll. If extra sums of cash come your way—a tax return, affiliate commission check, some windfall—then use that to pay off your debt, or reinvest it in your business, like buying a course, or coaching program.

When you shift your focus to growing your business, and paying yourself first, magic starts to happen…

Remember money is simply energy that you give and receive. So don’t forget to allow yourself to RECEIVE the blessings of money that you’re earning for yourself. Receiving allows you to grow your business and grow your wealth.

Key 4: Use debt as a smart tool

When you are growing a business, there are certain opportunities that are worth the investment, and often worth some debt. BUT, here is the #1 condition where this makes sense: A good debt is when you invest in something that will give a return on your investment.

Remember, I was pretty much broke when I started my first business, and I was also in debt. After reviewing my options though, it still made sense to put my initial expenses on a credit card I did have some room on. It got me what I needed to start making money—business  cards, a basic website, a printer/fax, and one good suit and a pair of shoes. I used an old computer that my younger brother gave me—it  was a clunker, but got the job done for the time being. From there, I had to hustle.

Note: This isn’t about running around to 20 different seminars, buying a pair of $300 stilettos, and a new iMac and not implementing anything. You have to IMPLEMENT on your good investments.

If you sign up to work with a coach, be prepared to work. If you buy a new computer, use it to snag two new clients asap—make sure that what you invest in pays you back. That’s using debt as a smart tool to grow.

Question: how have you gotten out of debt while growing your business? And what do you use debt for in your business? I’d love to hear your comments below!

Entrepreneur mentor Ali Brown teaches women around the world how to start and grow profitable businesses that make a positive impact. Get her FREE CD “Top 10 Secrets for Entrepreneurial Women” at www.AliBrown.com“

CA, FL, MN Add New Chapters

The buzz is spreading nationwide!

Napa (CA), Naples (FL), and Blaine (MN) are three of the newest Master Networks chapters to launch as places where local business owners gather weekly to pass referrals and support each other, which in turn strengthens their local economies.

To see all of our chapters, view the map.

Partnering with Mentors International

We are proud to announce that we have partnered with Mentors International, a cause that provides business loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries who would otherwise not be able to start their businesses.  Watch the video to learn more!

Take Control of Your Day

What's the first thing you did this morning? I bet it was reading messages on your cellphone. The question is why?

 

by Mel Robbins

 

SUCCESS.COM If you looked for texts, realize that it’s rare to hear a ping in the middle of the night. What kind of text would likely be there, after all? Is there a joke from a drunk buddy partying in Vegas? Did your spouse who left the bed earlier text you something lovely to wake up to? Doubtful.

Next you open your inbox. Why? Is there something so important you must do it this instant? Is there an email you need to send before you wipe the sleep from your eyes? No, because you would have sent it last night. But you open your inbox anyway.

You aren’t alone. Recent studies suggest almost 80 percent of cellphone users sleep with their phones in their bedrooms. Among entrepreneurs, I bet that number is even higher. So why is reaching for the phone first thing such a problem? Because how you start the day sets the tone for the rest of your day.

If your first act is to check for texts or emails, then someone else sets your priorities before you’ve had breakfast. And those emails seek your time, attention, help and brain space. You start your day being reactive to other people rather than proactive about your goals. You have surrendered control—which is crucial to your well-being, success and happiness—to others.

Think a second: You’re lying in bed reading emails that arrived while you slept. Emails from marketers, colleagues, vendors and bosses flood your brain. Before you’re even vertical, someone else’s needs come before yours.

If your phone doesn’t receive emails, you aren’t off the hook. I guarantee you either fire up the computer as soon as you leave your bedroom or as soon as you arrive at work. That means you check your inbox before you even get organized.

Do not ever do that again.

Before you read about a 25 percent off sale, before a reminder alerts you that a PowerPoint is due, before a colleague turns you into her errand boy, take control of your day.

Instead, do a “brain dump” for five to 10 minutes without opening that inbox on your phone, laptop or other computer. This consists of dumping all your projects, to-dos, reminders and priorities onto a piece of paper. Then highlight the top three things on the list that you need to deal with today, things that matter most to you.

This starts your day by focusing on what’s important to you. I make my notes in a 3-by-5-inch notebook that I carry everywhere so I can continue brain-dumping all day.

Next—still without visiting that inbox—open your calendar and find a 30-minute block in your day when you can focus on your top three things uninterrupted. It doesn’t matter when that block happens. It can be the first 30 minutes at work, waiting in the car for your child’s soccer practice to end or after you watch a ball game tonight. Find the time and schedule it.

Winning Awards

We are proud to announce that we have been named one of Infusioncon 2012's Industry Innovators!  The winners of this award were chosen for the way they are "using Infusionsoft to blaze new trails in their industry."

We entered this contest by telling our company story and how our contact management software, Infusionsoft, has helped to revolutionize our business. Our unique need of integrated contact and affiliate management is organized masterfully by Infusionsoft's capabilities.

Infusioncon 2012 takes place in Phoenix, Arizona in April and we will be there to continue learning, to network with hundreds of other small business owners, and to receive our award and the $1000 cash prize.

Smart Talk for Fast Times: 5 Rules

In the business world, no one has time to listen to chit-chat. Use these tricks to get more out of less in conversations.

Adapted from Tom Searcy's article on inc.com

INC.COM Who has the time now for long conversations? I hope you make time for them with your family and friends–but in the workplace, we tend to avoid people with the reputation for being long-winded.

So when you get the ear of someone you admire and want to connect with, how do you make the most of the moment? Use these tips to be more effective when talking with that busy professional.

1. Think in 30-Second Increments

Half a minute is forever in a boring conversation. Studies indicate that on the phone, the listener is considering whether to exit or stick around every seven to 11 seconds. In face-to-face meetings, you get a little more grace–say, all the way to 30 seconds. If you are not constantly generating someone's interest, you are losing him.

Successful business people seem to have their own form of attention disorders.  They are constantly trying to come to a decision about any interaction: “Do I delegate this, avoid this, deny this or run away from this?” You are fighting that internal dialogue in small battles. Keep it interesting.

2. Watch for Signs of Boredom

We know the signs, right? Checking the watch, looking over your shoulder, fidgeting, glassy eyes. On the phone, it’s the prolonged pause, the “email launch” sound in the background, the vague “uh-huh, uh-huh ...” That's your "uh-oh" moment.

Really effective sales people respond to those moments. They interrupt the conversation with an honest interjection. It might be, “The bottom line is ...” or “The thing we need to decide right now is ...” The pattern interruption brings the conversation back to point and gets engagement.

3. Ask Permission for Stories

Stories are very important in conversations, to set points and ideas in context. Without context, it is hard for your listener to integrate your issues into all of their circumstances. However, when a person launches into a story, the instant reaction is resistance: No one wants to be trapped for who-knows-how-long in a pointless story.

If you need to tell a story, get the permission for extended attention. Just ask, “Can I tell a quick story to illustrate what I mean?” This shows respect to the listener and it prepares them for a sustained attention period.

4. Know What Your Point Is

Do you have a point? This is especially critical when talking with successful professionals, but the truth is that it should be a general rule for all business conversations. You are asking for action, input, a decision, or support. To honor someone's time and get to the next step, you need to know exactly what you want.

A compliment I hear from professionals and clients about their best suppliers is: “I really appreciate that they don’t waste my time. Whenever they need something, they come to me–and we take care of it and move on.”

5. What's in it for Someone Else?

Sales people have joked for a long time that everyone has the same radio station playing in their head: WIIFM (What’s In It For Me). By no means do I believe that every interaction has to be a selling conversation, or that there has to be something for your listener in every conversation. However, if you want to hold their attention, it’s good to keep it in mind. What is in it for the listener to be having this conversation with you?

Get to the point and everyone will benefit.  And let me know how it goes.  If you find these tips helpful, post your experience in the comments section.

Power Networking in Rochester, MN

Monday, February 27, 2012

Asian Kitchen, Barlow Plaza

Dinner                        7:30 - 8:00pm

Power Networking     8:00 - 9:00pm

Social                         9:00 - 9:30pm

Cost: $12 (includes tip)

Beer and wine reasonably priced!

Power Networking - How It Works

It's quite simple.  At 8:00pm, participants will pair off and spend 9 minutes conducting a one on one.  

A new pairing will occur every 10 minutes.  

By the end of the hour, you will have Power Networked with 6 new people.

RSVP now to reserve your spot!  Only 40 spots available.

This event is sponsored by the Master Networkers Chapter of Master Networks

Marketing 102 Expo in Rochester, MN

Yesterday we all cleared out of the office early to man a booth at the 1st annual Rochester "Marketing 102" Expo. It was an ideal atmosphere to meet and talk to a bunch of new people and connect with our members who attended. We are glad to have been involved!  Nothing can replace the value of meeting people and connecting face to face.

Our table is set up and ready to go

Co-Founders Chas and Ed

Found this magazine at the expo and voila! it applied to us!

One of our members, Patty Thompson, sets up a mini exhibit and talks about
how Master Networks has helped her business

Dr. Ed, Vice President and Co-Founder

How to Sell Yourself as an Expert

INC.COM  One of the best ways to drive business is to become an expert or thought leader in your field online. Of course, you need some expertise first. (That part is up to you.) But once you have it, you need to let the world know about it.

...Keep in mind that even a whiff of self-promotion can backfire terribly, so you need to strike a delicate balance between being helpful and blatantly selling your own services/products.

The best approach is to treat the person asking the question as you would a friend or acquaintance. Here are a few things to keep in mind, using the example of contributing to online forums:

• Be a clearinghouse for information. Put links in your answers that take readers to a great article or blog post. Most times, these links shouldn’t go back to ones you’ve written yourself. You’ll build trust with your audience if you act in a way that isn’t self-serving. If you do link back to your own material, be doubly sure the information is relevant to solving the problem.
• Give away free and useful advice. Offer specific and detailed answers as to how to solve the problem presented by the questioner. Give away some trade secrets that demonstrate your industry knowledge.
• Never give a partial answer or a “teaser” that requires the reader to get directly in touch with you. Writing something like, “We deal with that all the time—give us a call” doesn’t offer readers a compelling reason to trust you. If your answers are truly helpful, you won’t need to ask for business; it will come to you.

New Byron, MN Chapter Forms

Congratulations to our newest chapter: A.M. net-WORKS in Byron, MN!  President Gail Nelson is a banker at First Alliance Credit Union and brought Corey Kispert (Insurance Brokers of MN) and Gwen Maxson (Isagenix) onboard to help lead the new chapter.

They meet on Wednesdays at 7am at the First Alliance Credit Union at 1011 Tomkins Drive NE in Byron.

Leadership: When It's All About You

By Brian Evje

INC.COM  Unfortunately for leaders everywhere, “positive intent” is not enough.  Simply wanting to do something the right way, or even a certain way, becomes harder and harder the higher up the ladder you go, as you perceive yourself as more “central” to the organization. For entrepreneurs, this often means it becomes harder to lead appropriately as your company grows.

The psychology is clear, and well-established.  Starting in the 1940s, sociologist Ron Westrum studied the practices of pediatricians and noticed a pattern of behavior in doctors who failed to diagnose serious conditions, such as child abuse by parents.  He found that well-intentioned doctors were hampered by their own sense of “expertise” and overlooked clear signals that something was wrong. They convinced themselves that if parents were abusing their children, the doctors (as experts) “would surely know the phenomenon if it actually were taking place.”

Westrum called this “the fallacy of centrality” – the assumption that because one is in a central position, one automatically knows everything necessary to exercise effective leadership.

In practice, that means CEOs often think, “If something serious is happening in my organization, I know about it, because my role is central to the organization.” And who is more central to an organization than its founder, especially at the early stages? The fallacy of centrality can also apply in the negative sense: “Because I don’t know about an event, it must not be going on.”

Robert Sutton, a professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, notes that this problem causes leaders to narrow their focus on their own needs and wants, to the exclusion of others and the organization.  This is a fine insight into the all-too-common habit of leaders acting as if written and unwritten rules that others are expected to follow don’t apply to them.

So, how does a leader minimize the fallacy of centrality?

• Be aware of the dynamic.  Once you acknowledge the nuances of “centrality,” you can ask all kinds of questions about your personal patterns.  Awareness is the first action for change.

• Discuss with others.  Many leaders fail to grow simply because they do not reflect on and talk about elemental issues of leadership.  Reflection and discussion are essential steps for change.

• Decide how and what to refocus.  Ask yourself: How will I pay more attention to others in the organization?  How do I embrace situations and perspectives that differ from my own?  What do I do daily to discover organizational “bad news”?   And when I learn things in the organization that are not as I assumed, what will I do differently to address them?

Who is Talking About You?

We all know that word of mouth marketing is one of the most powerful tools we can use as small business owners.  Having a third party endorse your product or service is a surefire way to establish your brand's positive reputation.

The question is: who is talking about you to their friends?

Being a part of a Master Networks chapter means that you have all those professionals plugging you and your business each week.  They are like your own sales force.  Because they are taking the time to get to know you in the weekly meeting, it gives them an extra edge to promote you from a personal level, which speaks to people the loudest in this age where too many businesses are becoming large and faceless.

Ready for Relationship-based Business Growth?  Consider joining one of our chapters, check the map to get in touch with a chapter president in your area today!

Relationships are Key for Growing Businesses

By Nell Merlino

OPENFORUM.COM  Are you involved in your community outside of work? Are you the go-to person for your PTA, local farmer’s market or church? What kind of relationships have you built from those connections? I’ve built an organization from relationships I’ve developed through different circles that have been invaluable for my business and social life.
Professionally, people tend to confuse networking with relationships. Networking is the act of finding out who’s around. You go to a networking event to meet people with which to build relationships. And you build relationships by doing things with people. Talking on the phone does not constitute as a relationship if you never interact with that person face-to-face.


...Relationships are key. I can’t stress this enough. They are what organizations are built from. People tend to be unsure about how to expand their universe, but it’s something you will do for a lifetime.

The Dilemma of Coaching Yourself

THE99PERCENT.COM If we want to cultivate expertise, or "genius," or whatever you want to call it, we need to be able to step outside of ourselves, observe how we are operating, reflect on what could be better, theorize how we could change it, and then test out a solution. The problem is: This is very, very hard for most people.

Pretty much anyone can work hard and adapt their performance if they understand where they are going wrong. However, identifying what needs to be fixed can be difficult. This has little to do with intelligence or even talent, I would argue, and a lot more to do with being one person, in one body.

Or, as writer Atul Gawande puts it in an excellent piece on the habits of top performers, it can be difficult to be our own "outside eyes and ears":
Élite performers, researchers say, must engage in "deliberate practice" – sustained, mindful efforts to develop the full range of abilities that success requires. You have to work at what you're not good at. In theory, people can do this themselves. But most people do not know where to start or how to proceed. Expertise, as the formula goes, requires going from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence to conscious competence and finally to unconscious competence. The coach provides the outside eyes and ears, and makes you aware of where you're falling short. This is tricky. Human beings resist exposure and critique; our brains are well defended. So coaches use a variety of approaches – showing what other, respected colleagues do, for instance, or reviewing videos of the subject's performance. The most common, however, is just conversation.

Where are you getting your coaching from? A Master Networks chapter is a great place to develop your skills and receive feedback from other professionals.