Leah Neaderthal

I think it was the extra-long pause that threw me off.

I had hired my first business coach, Dave, and we were on our first call. And he asked me a simple question: “How much money do you want to make in your business each year?”

I replied, “Um, I don’t know…. $200,000?”

Then the pause came. It was just a second too long.

He said, “Really? I mean, first year law students make that when they get out of law school. Don’t you want to make, say, a million dollars in your business?”

I said, “Um, well yeah! I guess so!”

In that moment I realized, it wasn’t that I didn’t WANT to make a million dollars. It’s that up until that point, I wouldn’t ADMIT to myself that that’s what I wanted.

I had just gotten my first big lesson about “non-starters”.

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I think that word, non-starters, first came into my world when I was dating.

Non-starters were things where, it wasn’t even worth thinking about because it just. wasn’t. going to happen. Smoking, for example, was a non-starter when it came to dating.

Now, as a business owner, non-starters have a different meaning: the goals you won’t even ALLOW YOURSELF to dream because they seem unattainable.

And I see them every single day when I talk to women running their own businesses. I hear the goals that they will barely admit to themselves. The ones that scare them. Because they don’t see a path to get there.

For some women, it might be, “I want to make $500k per year.”

For others, it could be admitting, “I want to make a great living while only working 3 days a week.”

Or like Ehi, who posted, “My goal that scares the living crap out of me is doing a TED talk.”

But I’ll tell you – when you make these goals non-starters, you subsconsciously hold back from even TRYING to achieve them. If you can’t even admit you want it, how can you possibly wholeheartedly work towards it?

To make these goals a reality, instead of a non-starter, here’s what to do instead:

1) Name your goal – start to say it out loud (yes, really!)
2) Find a step-by-step process to achieve them (it’s all about a plan)
3) Find someone who HAS achieved them, who can cheer you on

When you do that, here’s what happens:

Now I want to hear from you: What are the goals in your business that you had previously thought were non-starters?

Join the conversation here

Have you ever shared something personal about yourself to, like, thousands of your potential clients?

I think most women would shy away from that, right?

But a few years ago I did, and it was the best decision I ever made.

About two years ago, just after I married my wife Emily, I wrote a newsletter and included a photo from our wedding.

 

When I showed it to Emily before I sent it out, she asked, “Are you sure you want to tell everyone that you’re gay?”

Inside, I knew it was the right decision. After all, I work very closely with my clients and students, and if they don’t like who I really am, then we probably shouldn’t be working together in the first place.

Since then, I’ve been really open about who I am. And for all this time, I thought I was doing it for me. But I didn’t realize that it might touch other people too.

 

Then I got this email from a woman in my SIGNED program.

I wanted to share why I picked you 🙂  When we first met I was explaining that I’d gotten lots of messages on LinkedIn from people pitching their sales training. I read through and yours really resonated with me.

The reason is, because of my daughter. She is 22 and hates the word “gay,” she hates the word “bi,” and describes herself as being more open on the sexuality spectrum than others.  She and I are very close and I love being part of her journey as she figures out who she is, who she loves, who she prefers.

I was drawn to you because I love the way you put the word “lesbian” out there, you are open about your wife. It’s so authentic, so real … and I have such respect for the self reflection I know you have been through to put all that out there.  It’s real, it’s gritty and it’s wonderful. Thank you!

Being along side my daughter as she has had to dig deeper than many others to find the courage to be real, has made me so appreciative of women (and men) who are brave enough to be authentic and who pave the way for others to do the same.

 

Being myself was why she chose me.

 

I don’t want to say something as uninspired as, “being yourself is a good business decision,” because it goes way beyond that.

When you run a business where YOU are the product, being able to be who you truly are extends well beyond dollars.

 

YOU will show up better for your clients.

If I had to hide the fact that I have a wife, then I’d essentially be going back in the closet. And ask anyone who’s been there: when you hide parts of yourself, you hold back in other ways. In the type of business you’re running, it requires YOU, and when you can bring all of yourself, you will get better results for your clients.

 

You will ATTRACT the people you want to work with, and REPEL the ones you don’t.

Not surprisingly, I don’t get a lot of inquiries from women who think being gay is a sin. (And I am 100% OK with that!) I DO, however, attract clients who are open-minded, progressive, warm, intellectually curious, big thinkers, and lifelong learners – which is exactly who I want to work with. Why? Because that’s what I put out there. When you show up as who you are, you attract your people.

 

You invite TRUST.

When you can show up as your full self, you inspire the confidence that you’re comfortable with who you are, and you know what you’re doing. And that confidence and capability? Those are the ingredients of trust. And people want to work with people they can trust.

 

—

 

I realize that if you’re reading this, you might not have this Big Life Thing to announce. But you don’t have to – you can show who you are in a hundred small ways.

So HOW do you start being fully yourself in your business?

You do it with your words. Talk about life beyond your work, or your credentials. Let people see the real you.

And let go of the marketing speak – say things like YOU would really say them. In your marketing, on your site, in your emails… just be yourself.

I promise you that every day in your business will feel better. And you will start to attract the people you really want.

 

To your success,

 

Leah

I have a story for you:

 

This week, one of my students wrote to me and said, “Years ago, I was terrified when I sent a $10K invoice. In year 2, I made it a goal to do minimum $25K per project.”

 

And then, fast forward, guess what she closed earlier this week…

 

A contract for $155k. For a single project.

 

And honestly, the scope isn’t that different than she was doing before.

So what did it take to make this shift?

Well, first it took confidence. The confidence that comes from knowing that you bring tremendous value to your clients, and that value has a price.

Second, it took knowing the clients are who need what she does, and who can afford her.

And third, it took creating a new package that solves the exact problem her clients are facing, and messaging the package around solving that problem, rather than a set of tactics.

Now, this shift didn’t come overnight. She’s been in business for a few years, and the confidence and right clients piece took a little time to develop.

But that new package? We created that a few weeks ago, and she already closed one.

—

If, as you read her story, you said to yourself, “I could never do that. I could never charge that much.” or “My clients would never pay that,” then I want to tell you:

 

You can.

 

You may not be able to do it with the clients you’re working with now. Or the way you’re pricing yourself now.

But you CAN charge, and get paid, dramatically more than you are right at this moment. And without making you any busier than you are before.

I mean, think about it. My client is getting paid $155k for one project. And she’s no different than you.

I talk to women who are making half that amount in a full year, while working themselves to the bone. And they don’t have to.

 

It starts with believing that you can. Then, when you pair that belief with a strategy that works, then you can start to do it.

—

So here are my challenges to you:

1. Give some time today to thinking about how you’re different than you were when you first started your business. Don’t gloss over achievements. Notice them and examine how you got to them. Think about how your confidence, expertise, and attitude has shifted.
2. Look at what you’re offering to your customers. Is it based around tactics, or around value? How could you package it to better serve them?
3. Are you ready to step it up and get paid dramatically more for every client contract? Hit reply to this email with “MORE” in the subject line – we can jump on a 15 minute laser coaching call and see if we can get you moving in the right direction.

Cheers to stepping up to MORE.

 

Leah

When she said, “It keeps happening again and again,” I knew it was a sign of a bigger problem.

Carissa continued: “I keep accidentally taking on too many projects and having to work weekends and evenings and burning out because I’m afraid to turn down jobs.”

And she’s not alone. I hear from a lot of women in this situation. They’re too busy, but even though they’re in “feast” mode, the fear of “famine” mode later compels them to take on more work.

It’s a vicious cycle. And it’s important to look at the causes of this cycle, if we’re going to look at the solutions.

So where does it come from? Why would a woman who rationally knows that she’s at capacity, and she shouldn’t take on more work if she’s going to have time in other parts of her business…

… make the irrational decision to take on more work, even though she knows she’s going to be super busy and overwhelmed?

 

When I see this, I know it’s a sign of deeper problems. Not just for Carissa, but for every woman who finds herself in this situation.

 

First, it’s a pipeline problem. When you don’t have enough in your sales pipeline, and you don’t know how to fill your pipeline with new clients, you feel like you have to nab any client who comes your way now, because you won’t know how to get other clients later.

Second, it’s a pricing problem. If every client is saying yes, your prices are too low. If clients are saying yes too quickly, your prices are too low. Your price communicates your value, and your clients need to know you’re worth it.

Third, it’s a mindset problem. When you’re taking every client that comes your way, and making yourself overworked, you’re in a service provider mindset, not a business owner mindset.

 

Service providers make decisions in response to their clients. Business owners make decisions through the lens of what will make their business more profitable, more sustainable, and designed to create the life that they want. When you’re overworked, taking any client that comes your way… that’s not sustainable, it’s not profitable, and I’m willing to bet it’s not the lifestyle you had in mind when you started your business.

But there’s good news, because there are key things you can do to get out of this cycle.

 

First, learn how to build your client pipeline. It sounds counterintuitive, since you’re already busy, but knowing HOW to build your pipeline will allow you to be PROACTIVE about your clients, instead of REACTIVE to the clients who come your way. When you know how to land the clients you want, when you want them, you will be able to take control of your workload and your revenue.

Second, raise your prices. And not just by a little. By a lot. And have the confidence to name your price upfront, say it without justification or explanation, and stand by it. When you can make the same amount of money or more, with fewer clients, it will immediately free up your time and your life.

Third, adopt a business owner mindset. Remember that you are in control of your business. You set your prices and dictate your terms, you decide who you get to work with, you can create the business that creates the life that you want. You are in charge. Not your clients.

 

But I’m not going to sugar-coat it: all of this takes work, and it’s hard to do on your own. If you’ve never done it before, filling your client pipeline or coming up with more profitable pricing can feel like you’re making it up as you go along. And that means it’s harder to stick with it.

So if you want a proven, step-by-step system to get out of the feast or famine cycle for good, apply for SIGNED today. Spend 10 weeks with me and other awesome women who are learning how to implement this system in their consulting or service-based business.

 

It’s the system that prompted SIGNED grad and branding strategist Maria Ross to say:

“If you’re ready to get serious about running your business, ease your anxiety over where the next deal is coming from, and just change your mindset and save your sanity, DO IT! Like, now. / I now have systems and templates that are already saving me time and getting me results.”

There are a few spots left for the next session starting on March 6th. Apply today – I’ll see over there!

To your success,

Leah

“Don’t toot your own horn”

Who was the first person who ever said that… or something that amounts to that… to you?

Was it your well-meaning Aunt Sally? A well-meaning neighbor? A well-meaning teacher? A colleague? (Actually, they were all probably well-meaning, and yet…)

Even if we haven’t heard that specific phrase, as women, that message is communicated to us all throughout our lives in hundreds of ways.

As girls, we’re told not to brag (even if what we’re doing isn’t bragging at all). In the working world, we’re conditioned to minimize our accomplishments and give credit to others.

Even as adults, and as business owners, the message persists.

Case in point:

I recently came across an article from career growth site The Muse: “3 Ways to Toot Your Own Horn (Without Being Obnoxious)”.

The underlying message? Sharing your accomplishments is, by definition, obnoxious, so here are ways to avoid that.

Or this message that my SIGNED student Joanna received from a national PR group a few weeks ago, all about Advice from Top Women in PR. These were the top 2:

You’ll go far in business if you don’t care who gets the credit.

Make others around you look good.

—

After years of hearing this message, it’s so woven into our psyche that it becomes a part of us.

As change management consultant Glendalynn D puts it, “That voice has never completely disappeared, somedays its a whisper, other days it’s impossible to drown out.”

And as a result, it can keep us from getting new clients. Why? Because it prevents us from making ourselves SEEN to potential clients.

We don’t put ourselves out there.

We don’t share the successes our clients achieve.

We don’t talk about how our business is going (especially if it’s going freaking great).

We don’t toot our own horns. We are, as copywriter Betsy T put it, “quietly awesome”.

But you can’t be quietly awesome and expect clients to find you.

AND if clients do find you, WHY would they be excited to hire you if you aren’t willing to share your confidence in what you do?

UX consultant Heather O agrees: “I spent a long time believing that if I just do good work people, will magically notice. Time and time again this has not been true.”

So what to do? How can you overcome years of, “don’t toot your own horn”? It starts with permission. Give yourself permission to share your awesome.

And then, start small. Share a win your clients achieved with your help. Talk about what’s going on in your business. Celebrate your own business wins.

Toot that horn, because if you don’t toot it, no one else will do it for you.

Now I want to hear from you: What’s one win you can share right now? Write back and let me know!

To your success,

Leah

So, let’s talk about something.

These days there are a good amount of coaches out there who want to convince you that the answer to filling your client pipeline is a sales funnel.

You know sales funnels, right? It’s a simplified series of steps that goes something like this: you offer a free download, then you hop on a call, and then: poof! new client!

 

I’m telling you… I get SO many students in my SIGNED program who have heard this sales funnel message, and then one of two things happened:

 

Some of them tried it out, then can’t figure out why it didn’t result in the clients they were hoping for.

Others feel a sneaking suspicion that it just sounds WAY too simple to actually work…

 

Here’s the tough love: sales funnels are probably not going to work for your consulting business.

 

Here’s a simple test to quickly figure out if they will:

Think back to your days working in the corporate world….

Could YOU have hired a new provider based on those few steps: a download and a call?

Without selling it in to your VP or CEO?

Without going to legal or procurement?

Probably not.

 

And that’s your indication that a sales funnels, as popular as they are right now, don’t work for B2B. That’s because sales funnels don’t work the way your consulting clients actually buy.

 

When you’re selling to a business that has more than 1-2 employees…

Where there are levels of management and approvals…

The “download —> call —> new client pulls out her credit card” system simply doesn’t apply.

 

The way it REALLY works in real life, is something like this. You’ve probably seen this many times:

 

Download –> try to schedule a call –> call –> probably multiple calls and meetings –> navigate the prospects’ decision-making process and approvals –> approval –> navigate the legal/procurement/billing process –> contract signed.

 

In the real world of your clients, a simplified funnel just does not work.

What does work? Actual selling. You have to learn HOW your clients buy and then work within that system. There’s no trendy substitute.

 

Does this sound harsh? I don’t mean it that way. I don’t want to kill your dreams; rather, I want to free you up from wasting time and resources on a funnel that isn’t going to get you closer to landing those clients you want.

But if you want to know my exact step-by-step methodology of taking your leads through the sales process to become a client, I’ve got a free training for you right here.

 

To your success,

Leah