Hello, joyful community!
Last week, I had one of the most powerful experiences in my career: I was coached by my coaching hero, Rich Litvin.
I’ve been following Rich and his Prosperous Coach framework since I started my coach training in 2019. Rich is a coach for elite high-performers and one of the best in the industry. The idea of hiring Rich as my coach both excited and scared me.
When the opportunity to work with Rich in a group setting came up last week, I knew it was time. No more watching on the sidelines:
To be the best coach, I knew it was time to work with the best coach.
I agonized for days, wondering if investing so much money in his program would be worth it: What if I was disappointed? What if I didn’t learn anything new?
Then, I remembered my Summer of Bravery philosophy: if something scares me, I should do it.
One hour before the first workshop, with shaking hands and a rapid heartbeat, I typed in my credit card number on the sign-up form. I closed my eyes, and hit “submit”.
Then, this happened: I decided.
I decided that no matter what happened, I would get my return on my investment (ROI).
Which investments are you thinking of making in your own personal growth?
Decide that no matter what, getting your ROI is up to you.
I invested a lot of money to learn from someone else and I’m the one that’s responsible for my ROI, not Rich.
Don’t get me wrong. I fully expected Rich to deliver on his promises, just like my clients expect me to deliver on mine.
But getting the return on my investment is fully in my hands. My ROI is up to me, not up to Rich.
Here’s how I’m making sure to get a return on my large investment:
I’m showing up as “coachable”. This means that I’m deciding to have an open and flexible mindset that can consider seeing the world through Rich’s perspectives, even if I don’t end up agreeing with them.
I honor myself. This means that I show up on time and do everything in my power to be present, without distractions during my training.
I choose to trust my teacher. This means that when Rich tells me to go do something that scares me in service of my clients and my business, instead of questioning it, I go for it.
I don’t judge what doesn’t serve me. This means that when Rich says something I don’t agree with, I don’t see it as a sign of “wasted money”. Instead, I decide that it’s as valuable to learn what I don’t agree with as it is to acquire new knowledge that I do agree with.
I raise my hand, always.
On the first call, Rich asked us to raise our hands if we wanted to be coached. My palms were sweaty as I timidly (and slowly) raised my hand.
“Karla Parra.”
Of course, I would be the first one (and also the only one) to be called on!
“You were the sixth person to raise your hand. What’s holding you back?”, Rich asked me.
Our coaching took off from there, as he coached me in front of 30+ fellow coaches, turning into one of the most powerful experiences I’ve ever had being coached.
What made it so powerful?
It wasn’t the coaching itself (it was good coaching, sure). What made it really powerful was that I decided it would be powerful and I would grow from it, no matter what.
Choose to make your own investment a powerful one, no matter what.
Maybe you’re thinking of signing up for a gym or investing in expensive training for your business, or maybe hiring a coach. Maybe you’ve signed up for surfing or cooking lessons. Whatever your investment is, don’t leave the ROI up to anyone else.
How will YOU need to show up to get the most out of your experience?
How will YOU honor yourself and your commitment?
How will YOU make sure to go all in, especially when something scares you?
Decide that it’s up to you to get a return on your investment. No matter the experience, the ROI is in your hands.
In next week’s edition, I’ll share a little bit more with you about what Rich coached me on. It might just be the reminder you need to hear, as it was for me.
P.S. Check out the latest episode of Successful: The Podcast with NYT Bestselling author, Allison Pataki.
This episode was a DREAM COME TRUE!
Last summer, as I closed the third book I’d read by Allison (The Accidental Empress), I thought, “There’s no way Allison would be on the podcast given her celebrity and caliber as an author…but, what if she said ‘yes’?”
On a courageous whim, I sent a note to Allison’s publicist and a few days later, Allison, herself, responded with a “yes”.
Interviewing one of my favorite authors was a highlight and a real lesson in “you won’t know unless you ask.”
Meet Allison and learn more about her work and story by checking out Episode #40: Stories of Courageous Women with Allison Pataki.