My Story 

A real turning point for me was when I found I had to go back and get another day job after I had been unemployed for over a year. I was loving my life and freedom, but I was running out of money. And, I had to face the painful fact that the business that I was trying to build was going nowhere. My family depended on my income so I knew I had to go back to work.

The problem was working in those jobs was killing my health. The constant aggression and stress was taking its toll on me. I saw my life draining away. I dreaded the fact that I was soon going to be stuck sitting in a desk chair for endless hours, day after day, with the only ties to my beloved husband and horses being a few pictures on my gray cubicle wall. I know I should have been grateful for my career. I was often making good money in difficult times when others were struggling. But, I was so bored out of my mind and scared to death of dying with the music still in me. I found myself falling apart in tears thinking about it. I had to do something.

I Didn't Want to Die With the Music Still in Me

You see…both my mother and my father died well before they should have. My father died when he was 51. My mother died when she was 64 years, 364 days and counting. She had her retirement all planned out and was so excited to be finally free to enjoy her life. Cancer took her in months. I heard the clock ticking loudly for me. I did not want to end up keeling over in my desk chair without ever living my life dreams like they didn't get a chance to.

The problem was I had been trying to find a way to work for myself for over four years and getting nowhere. I tried everything, but kept finding myself at dead ends. I first tried to make a living with my favorite craft, quilting. I found I was barely making minimum wage creating these masterpieces, all while still working full time. This was not going to replace my six figure IT management job that our lifestyle depended on. And when I continued to try to make quilting work, I found I no longer loved doing something that once gave me so much pleasure. I was exhausted to say the least, and had no clue as to what I could do now to make money working for myself, if quilting did not work for me.

I did happen to notice on the Internet that there were all these women, like Ali Brown, Carrie Wilkerson, and Lisa Sasevitch, making millions out there with their programs. I was smart. I was an Engineer. Maybe I could figure it out on my own and copy them.  So, I spent tens of thousands of dollars on self help programs with some of the top people out there to learn Internet marketing. I would pour over the training, diligently do the work, model their actions; even spend thousands buying all the right marketing tools out there.

OK Time for Me to Give it a Try

Using those skills I tried to do some coaching around an area that I had a lot of knowledge about: shyness. I had done a lot of research in that area for myself, because I was a shy person and I have always had an interest in human behavior. I knew I had to get over that problem myself if I was to ever market myself effectively. So, I put together a program of information and techniques that really helped me and tried to sell it. I had top marketers look at it and tell me it was brilliant. But, I couldn’t even sell it as a $49 product, even though it represented a Master’s thesis of work on my part, and would unblock anyone instantly who was struggling with the fear of face to face networking.

And it was not like I didn’t try. I spent hours on building my client base, following all of those self study programs I had bought. I worked long hours into the night trying to make it work. I would spend every waking hour I had in Social media, networking, writing ezine after ezine…you name it, I did it. I even went out with a tiara to prove to my potential customers that I could help them get confidence themselves if they just used my program.

Yes, I got noticed, but I found that people had no clue about what I was trying to say. That is because I was trying to help them with a struggle they didn’t even know they had. Certainly if they didn’t know they had the struggle, they were not worrying about it. And if they were not particularly worried about it, they were not going to have the desire to spend money getting over it. I thought I was doing all of the right things but nothing was working. Don’t get me wrong. The stuff I used was good. I just had no clue how to bring out what was authentically me in a way that would resonate with my customers. I just figured I would model the “big guys” and the money would come. Was I wrong!

I Spent So Much Money and Had Gotten Nowhere

It was only when I did my taxes the next year and I realized I had spent over $30,000 the year before, trying to create a business that was bringing in zero dollars and had no clients. I got really scared. Both my husband and I were driving around in 11 year old cars that were on their last legs. And because I was unemployed, I could not afford to replace them now that I had spent all that money. Certainly we could have bought some mighty fine cars for the cash I had just spent. My husband was so supportive and trusting of me. But, I was so mortified when I saw what I spent and certainly worried that maybe I was a crazy person. I knew I couldn’t do that to my husband again, let alone to myself.

I also saw that if I continued on this trajectory, I was going to have to face my worst fear of having to go back and get a job and continue working in it for the rest of my life…which might be only a few more years based on my family history. I was hoping for a miracle.

I Was at My Lowest Point

The funny thing was, just as I was at my lowest point, I got this email in my inbox from an Internet business coach whose ezine I had just signed up for just two days before. I did not know much about her but I could see she was a rising star on the Internet marketing scene out there.   She was offering something called a VIP day. And she was offering this just a drive away from where I lived. Wow, the chance to work with a real person instead of a book.  While it was not cheap and I was on unemployment at the time, I felt it was worth it if I could just get myself on a path to having a viable business. I jumped on it. Little did I know then, how much it would change my life.

What I went in to that VIP day was definitely not the same business I left with.  I was part of a group of three other women who were going through the same process I was going through…trying to figure out what they needed to do to have a viable business. In this meeting I learned the start of a formula for doing that from my coach. And because this was a Mastermind situation, we were all encouraged to comment on what we heard.

Well, the funny thing was, I was the one nailing all of the things that these people needed to do to make their business successful. The coach sat back and just let me fly. The ideas were coming consistently and powerfully, one after another, from my head. At one of the breaks she came up to me and said…”Wow…you really should be doing what I am doing. Have you thought about doing that?” I was totally flabbergasted that she said that to me. It was the furthest thing in my mind that I had the ability to something like that successfully.

But, having that immediate affirmation from her was really what made me decide to pursue it. And knowing that she is a recognized authority in her field, I couldn’t deny the authenticity and power of her observation. She was not just one of my friends “shining” me.

Go Figure...

So, I decided to pursue becoming a business coach then and there. I certainly loved doing it that day. And for me, I have always had a passion to help people succeed in achieving their wildest dreams. Now I knew how to do it and work for myself at the same time. Boy was I excited!! I asked her if she had a program that I could take where she would help me get to the point of creating that business vision that she just put in my head. As luck would have it she was just going to put one together and asked if I wanted to join.

But, it would cost me thousands of dollars to take the class. I was on unemployment at the time and was terrified to spend money again on another pig in a poke after the last year. But, I took the leap because her help that day made so much sense to me and because she offered a payment plan. I figured I was making enough in one unemployment check a month to pay for the course.

But, just as I started, I got called to a job. And, this time with over an hour commute one way from my home, and a 9½ hour plus work day. So even though I was facing what amounted to a just about a 12 hour work day, I was committed to this course though and decided to stick with it. I worked every minute of the day and night I could find to keep up with the course. I did every exercise. I tried every technique. I asked as many questions as I could. I wanted to make sure that the job i was in was the last job I ever had to take.

The Real Ah Hah Moment for Me

But the real ah hah moment for me was that I was able to work with her in one of the classes where I was able to get one on one coaching tailored to my specific problems, not just ask a few question at the end. Because she had the experience, she could see in the moment where I needed to make a change or do something that I needed to do right then and there to move my business forward. I also did not know what I didn’t know. She provided that access to the knowledge because she knew what worked where I didn’t. I would have never have known to seek it out because I did not even know it was there. Working with a live coach rather than just a self study course was what really unblocked my business potential.

I had taken teleseminars before and have gone to some big name conferences but there was usually little chance to ask questions live. Often the information was useful but it didn't quite fit your situation. You had to wait to the end of the lecture to ask your question, and by that time, the connection to your problem was long gone. With this business coach you could ask questions in the moment and get answers while the information was still fresh in your mind.

Yes, it was six long months. Yes, it was a struggle to pay for it at first. And later it was an absolute struggle to do the work around a extremely demanding day job. But, in the end, I found that when I was done with the course, I had a clear idea of what my core business was, who was my ideal client, where to find them, as well as the right words to use to attract them like a magnet. This is the information I was also excited to share with my future clients.

People Were Seeking Me Out and Handing Me Money

In fact, within only a few weeks of my finishing the course and having my new business in place, I went to my first networking meeting and sold one of my highest valued multiple four figure classes right there. This was in just six short months from when I could not even sell a $49 product. And within only a few more weeks, I added to the class even more paying clients. What was amazing to me was one of them was already a successful business person. I was so honored.

I am now moving into working with private clients who are finally paying me what I am worth. I couldn’t believe how effortless it was once I absolutely knew what it was I needed to do to attract customers. And I did all of this in one of the worst recessions ever… all while I was working in a demanding full time job.

I can’t imagine ever being without a live coach now. Having that support is what really helped me to move into a place where I truly was able to uncover what it is that makes me special and bring it out in a way that it would resonate with those people who needed and wanted my help. I am so fortunate now to be able to offer that same wisdom and knowledge to help my clients build their businesses so they can finally get out of corporate for good.

If you ready to finally take your business to the next level schedule a Complimentary Strategy Session with me to finally start seeing the life and business you thought you could only dream of.

Just click here to set up your appointment:  https://my.timedriver.com/BWGFN . I can't wait to see you succeed and I am honored to be the one to help you! 

To Your Success, Nancy J. Knettell, CEO  Success@NancyKnettell.com