I signed up for a leadership course that was a yearlong process through The Coaches Training Institute. I was a young whippersnapper, but had been through other leadership training and felt like I was ahead of the curve. Hilarious, because a real leader doesn’t think that way.

There were many opportunities for us to speak ‘on stage’ and facilitate the group. I was so busy trying to do the exercise right and worrying about how I performed that I missed the queues to improve my leadership skills.

If I could do it over again, I’d be hungry for feedback to create learning for myself. I’d be eager to be present, do my best, and trust that it would work out. 

Instead, my fear was running the agenda, and I felt totally uncomfortable when I was standing in front of my peers. I wasn’t having fun, and my results proved it.

Every profitable decision I’ve ever made started out feeling uncomfortable.

Increasing my pricing.

Speaking on bigger stages.

Launching new programs.

Hiring help.

Asking someone to be my client.

None of them felt natural at first.

My bottom line increased because I stopped letting fear make my decisions.

These days, when I’m stretching out of my comfort zone, I ask for as much pertinent data — feedback, input, masterminding, and help — as I possibly can. I ask powerful questions about the things I’m wary of or need more expertise. I admit my ignorance or fears on the subject at hand so that I can transform it into knowledge and results.

You may find yourself sulking back into your comfort zone when instead you really want to stretch. Maybe you want to offer a new service but you don’t know how it would all come together. Maybe you want to expand your business by hiring a team member or mentor but your lack of money gets in the way of taking the next step.

Take on the fear. Untangle the old stories, reality and intent. Face what is so, and let that drive you into a passion for taking on the task or dream with excitement and vigor.

Become a masterful questioner of those who have gone before you. Pick your mentor’s brain about how they achieved success and stayed sane. 

Go to your leading edge and feel the thrill of the ride! Go big but prepare with facts, strategy, and intent. 

What are you avoiding that you know would shove you into a higher profit set point?

• Even if you failed at this very thing before, are you willing to be a detective and scout out solutions to make it work for your business?
• Who can you ask for help, mentoring or expertise?
• What if you laid your butt on the line and told others that you are going for the dream and backed it up with action?

The thrill of business is letting each setback or the feeling of procrastination inspire you to do something even better.

The experience of doing something you’ve dreamed of, even when it seems outrageous to your ego mind.

Your Inner Business Expert knows it’s possible otherwise you wouldn’t have been given the inspiration to articulate the desire.

I urge you to do something today to transform your fear into power. In turn, you’ll watch profits increase with your enthusiasm for the dream in progress. This is where the juice happens!

These are the moments when you wish a superhero would swoop in and rescue you.

The good news is… you already have one.

It’s your Inner Magician.

Even when you can’t see or hear your Inner Magician, they’re there. I say “they” because your Inner Magician is more like a team than a single being.

Your Inner Magician is made up of streams of energy vibrating at a very high level. You might think of them as angels by your side. Or choose whatever image evokes safety, love, magic, hope, beauty, wisdom, wonder, and fun.

When life feels sticky, the best way to work with your Inner Magician is to make a specific request.

Let’s say you need some extra moola… and you needed it yesterday.

Most people ask for more money.

“I need money right now or I can’t pay my rent!”

Can you feel the fear in that demand?

Fear usually tells you your belief in the outcome isn’t very strong.

Instead of demanding a specific result, ask for evidence that you’re moving in the right direction. This will soften your resistance and allow for positive movement.

Try this:

“Inner Magician, show me evidence that I’m becoming more aligned with what I say I want.”

Just like a magician performing on stage, your Inner Magician does its best work when you’re open to being surprised, delighted, and wowed.

After you’ve made your request, your job is simple:

1. 1. Believe that evidence will appear.
   2. Notice the evidence that shows you’re moving in the right direction.
   3. Appreciate every piece of evidence, no matter how small it may seem.

The two biggest mistakes people make are:

1. 1. Forgetting they have an Inner Magician and never asking for help.
   2. Judging, dismissing, or second-guessing the evidence they receive.

Every piece of evidence is worth celebrating.

Each one is a reminder that you’re moving closer to what you desire.

As your confidence grows, you’ll naturally feel ready to make more specific requests.

And that’s when your Inner Magician can really go to work.

Every time you launch a service, program, or product, it’s like the entire world lines up to give you their American Express.

No matter what you share, your ideal clients eat it up and then come back for more. 

Often the reality…

You have an idea, bumble around putting it together, bumble even harder to plan how you’ll share it with the world… then feel frazzled instead of dazzled by your results.

Truth…

You’ve probably got kickass ideas. If you were excited when you conceived it, and it solves a top-of-mind issue for your peeps, you’re probably headed in the right direction.

Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs spend 90 percent of their time creating and 10 percent of their time thinking about how they’ll attract buyers.

Then they wonder why nobody enrolls.

Creating something valuable is just half of it.

If people don’t know it exists or don’t understand why they need it…

They’ll keep scrolling.

So if you don’t want your thing to flop, make sure people want it before spending months building it.

But before you head into hibernation to create that puppy, here are five questions for ya:

1. How will your “thing” fit in with your other offerings? Does it support and expand upon the others?
2. Will you be thrilled to produce, be visible, and fulfill the service, program, or product?
3. Are you willing to spend as much time attracting buyers as you do creating the thing?
4. Are you willing to learn new skills to see your “thing” change lives?
5. Will you invest the time and resources to create a launch that reaches more people and is more intentional than anything you’ve done before?

If you answered 100% yes to these five questions and you feel excited (and maybe a lil’ nervous) about stepping up your game, then you’re ready to proceed.

And if you’ve never had a truly successful launch, get help from mentors and professionals who know how to do it. It’ll shorten the learning curve and help you avoid expensive mistakes.

Wouldn’t it be worth it to invest $5k, $10k, or even $20k if you knew there’d be a $50k, $100k, or even $150k payday shortly thereafter?

Yeah, I know that may feel like a bit of a stretch for you, but what’s the alternative?

You don’t want to create something that stays hidden in the shadows, right?

Market first, create later. 

I’ve followed that rule for the last 30 years.

I’d rather know people want something before I spend weeks or months creating it.

That’s how I’ve attracted buyers before I ever created or delivered a darn thing.

There are so many unique ways to do this without spending a lot of moola or time.  

Start by asking yourself what you want your potential clients to feel like when they interact with your company.

Several years ago, we went snow skiing in Park City, Utah at Deer Valley Resort. It was our first time visiting. Other than the resort just being for skiers (no snowboarding allowed) we expected the normal ski resort experience.

But it wasn’t normal.

We parked curbside to unload our gear (which was a bit chaotic with our 8- and 10-year-olds), and an employee approached our car asking if we needed help.

I excitedly accepted and was blown away when the woman helped us unload and stack our gear close to the chair lift. NOBODY HAS EVER DONE THAT AT ANY SKI RESORT.

Everything about the resort was designed to make it easy for skiers to park, hop on the shuttle, and then put their boots on in a warm and comfortable locker room where you can also store your street clothes and shoes.

It felt like the resort’s priority was our ease, not making moola. (Shocking in the ski resort world.)

Above and beyond all of this was the friendliness and helpfulness of every employee we encountered. If someone saw me looking at the trail map, they ran over to help. They asked us how we were doing every single time we got on a chairlift.

They looked us in the eyes and smiled when we got off the chairlift.

Every. Single. Time.

They truly cared about our experience.

We became insta-fans! 

That kind of experience creates loyalty, word-of-mouth referrals, repeat business, and clients who rave about you without being asked.

It didn’t hurt that they also store your skis overnight free of charge and serve the best food I’ve ever tasted on a mountain.

They want to be the best and it shows. Other resorts see how little they can get away with and make a profit… or at least that’s how it feels on this side of the coin.

That experience reminded me how powerful it is when a business genuinely thinks about the customer experience from beginning to end.

One of our core values at MasterPeace Coaching is to surprise and delight, even before a client ever invests.

We put a huge amount of time and effort into producing free training and resources all year long. Even if the person consuming our free stuff never buys, it’s our intention that they walk away uplifted and more clear about their next steps in business and life.

If a client makes a request about how we can make our material easier for them to implement, we do everything possible to make it happen.

I send our high-end clients goodies and personal cards.

We give our clients extra help on the side to ensure they keep moving forward.  My team does this too, without me having to say a word.

When customers and clients get that you truly care and are willing to go the distance, you’ll always reap the rewards in the end.

Get clear on the experience you want for your tribe and let your heart do the brainstorming to make it pleasure-filled for your 5-Star Clients before, during, and after they buy.

Sometimes the smallest touches create the biggest impact: a thoughtful follow-up email, a faster response time, remembering personal details, simplifying a process, or giving people unexpected support before they even ask.

Happy clients, happy heart, happy bank account. 😉

Or worse, they say you have to slash your pricing or give early bird discounts.  

While I LOVE giving gift packages, I just use this strategy for specific campaigns.

Twenty years ago, I used to give early bird pricing for my programs, but these days I just reserve it for special beta programs.

Discounting is usually a result of not believing people will say yes to your regular pricing.  

But let’s bring it back to giving bonuses. There’s a time and a place to give bonuses. And it’s a myth that more bonuses are better. (Although, I’ll show you an example of a huge stack of gifts I gave that was strategically thought out.)

Instead of stacking random bonuses… you want to choose one that makes the decision to say ‘yes’ feel obvious.

And before you say… 

“I don’t have anything to give.”

I’ll show you that you do.

These are my loose rules for giving bonuses to entice clients. (And rules can be broken.)

• • Only give when inspired to give.
  • Make sure your bonus is directly tied to the result of your offer.
  • Don’t give anything that’ll suck up your time and make you resent giving it.
  • 1:1 clients don’t need bonuses. Build perks into their package instead.
  • It’s not about quantity or monetary value. Focus on quality.
  • Create hot names and clearly describe the big benefit of your gift so potential clients understand the value.
  • Give bonuses soooo hot, clients might enroll just for the gift. 

And the most important rule I’ve learned from my mentors is that the best bonuses help your potential clients overcome objections to investing in your offer. 

Ask yourself:

• • What’s stopping my ideal client from saying yes?
  • What would instantly eliminate that obstacle or excuse?

That’s your bonus.

As an example, when I used to offer my Launch Your Money Maker mentoring program, one of the biggest objections to buying was that potential clients don’t have what should be their “money-making offer.” 

So those who enrolled before a specific date would receive a private session with me to nail down their offer before the program officially began! I also gave them a bonus course on how to create an online program. 

Weak bonus: Worksheets to figure out what you want to sell.

Hot bonus: Private Mentor Session ($2,000 value!) Clarify your irresistible offer so you don’t waste months guessing. 

That one addition will massively increase clarity for someone sitting on the fence.

Here’s an example of a huge bonus package I once gave to those who bought my friend Christian’s program. 

You do NOT need to give this many bonuses to entice clients. Just one irresistible bonus can motivate an ideal client to buy on the spot.

The bonus package below is for people who invested in Christian Mickelsen’s Big Money Business Coach Training and Certification Program through my link. 

As you read through the bonuses, notice how I give things that are of high value, help clients overcome objections to saying yes to what they want, and offer products that will be easy for me to deliver. (Everything but the live coaching has already been created, so it’s not extra work for me to deliver. And I love delivering the coaching.) 

—> Bonus #1: I’m coaching YOU for 90 days! ($5,000 value)

After 90 days with Christian as a Big Money Business Coach, I’ll be by your side for 3 more months! You’ll get monthly live group mentor sessions, plus a 24/7 on-demand coaching forum to 10x the power of your strategies and mindset to get kickass results for the rest of the year! BAM! 

—> Bonus #2: $10K in 10 Days Intensive ($2,000 value)

Make BIG money anytime you want! You’ll release your upper wealth limits to attract $10,000 in 10 days or less. Or make $100,000 in 5 days like others in this program have done to instantly attract clients. You’ll receive 10 super-charged videos, 4 live coaching calls with me, and a 24/7 on-demand coaching forum throughout this 30-day virtual event. 

—> Bonus #3: 6-Figure Program Swipe Files! ($10,000 value) 

Once you fill your biz with high-paying 1:1 clients, you’ll want to offer a program to serve many clients at once. To make that easy, here’s everything I used to create a $360,000 program launch with zero videos. You’ll get all of my email, opt-in, and sales copy plus my webinar scripts. The whole enchilada! 

—> Bonus #4: $360,000 Live Launch Debrief ($2,000 value)

I’m doing a special live VIP call to share how I attracted dozens of $10k clients using a free online challenge. I’ll share what worked and what I’d change the next time. Plus, live Q & A with me to leave no stone unturned! 

—> Bonus #5: Accountability Coaching ($1,000 value)

Guaranteed that you’ll implement what you learn in Big Money Business Coach with these 3 monthly live mentor sessions with my productivity coach to ensure you win! Move past any blocks that keep you from taking money-making actions.  

—> Bonus #6: Ecstatic Marketing Program ($1,000 value)

Release the headaches of marketing to get clients and tune in to your Inner Marketing Genius. Grow your list and make record-breaking sales with marketing that’s fun to create and feels good from beginning to end. Kaching-a-ling-a-ling! 

—> Bonus #7: My $75,000 free strategy session script! ($1,000 value)

This is the script that took me years to perfect… and you can tweak it to fit your personality and niche. I’ve used it to enroll my $75,000 private clients and high-end $25,000 masterminds! <- EASY! 

I had to put on my creativity hat and ask my Inner Business Expert to help me make it my best ever. But it’s fun to give a bonus package you know will rock your potential clients’ world.

Remember, bonuses aren’t about adding more. They’re there to make the decision a no-brainer for your future clients.

Many entrepreneurs slip into a temporary state of insanity regarding moola. They ignore their inner wisdom and think they have no control. 

A process begins in the mind that paints a picture of disaster and pain that has not yet occurred. Your body and emotions react as if the picture is real. Soon, you feel alone in the situation, not able to get a handle on yourself. The negative thoughts won’t stop. Argh! 

If you can talk to someone who’s not attached to the situation and who can think logically, do it as soon as you notice your state of temporary insanity. 

You might feel that sharing your situation with someone is too embarrassing. Trust me, I understand the courage it takes. But I know that I’ve never regretted asking for support. 

It helps to get out of your head and focus on a solution.

And someone else can offer a different perspective that may ease you back into your normal state of mind. 

The fastest way out of temporary insanity is to realize that you’re not in your right state of mind that minute. Acknowledge that your thoughts are not real. They are being produced by fear. 

Fear comes when you feel that you don’t have control over something, and the results aren’t going to be to your liking. Usually, when a fear-based thought comes up, it is a worst-case scenario… focusing on the past or the future. 

It helps to breathe and ask yourself to become present. Suspend all thinking of the situation for a moment. This will give you time to come back into your body.

Then ask yourself, “What are the true facts about this event?” 

Not your interpretations, just the facts. Then deal with just the facts. I know when you’re in the middle of something, it may be difficult to set emotions aside. It helps if you don’t talk about the “story” or your fears in length. The more you talk about it in detail, the more you’ll react to it. 

If you are a person who wants a lot out of life, you will tend to get more passionate about everything. Many of my coaches and mentors over the years have reminded me not to be hard on myself when I realize I’ve been in deep fear… so I’m reminding you to do the same. 

All that matters is that you find your center again. Remember who you are. You can create any darn thing you please. But you can’t get there if you stay a prisoner to your fear. 

Get assistance if you can’t coach yourself out of your fear. Support abounds!

I love imagining surprising my dad with a house overlooking the delta waterways with his boat parked out front. I also like thinking about taking over my mom’s house payments or paying for a cruise for my 100 favorite people.

It’s such a fab feeling to daydream about things that make your heart sing.

But do you want to keep adding things to your wish list…

… or do you want to move it over to the “I’m deciding to have this desire this year” side of the paper?

It’s exciting when you decide to make a wish real.

Most people fear the decision because they want to protect themselves from failure… before they even start.

The first time you share this decision with someone can feel empowering. It can also bring out that nasty voice saying, “Are you kidding?! That desire is way out of your range. That’s too big of a goal.”

Over the years, I’ve had many clients come to me with creative business ideas. Their vision was wealth coming their way while they lived their passion. 

Unless they’re used to living on the leading edge, there is a moment (or two or three) where they say, “Am I nuts for thinking I can do this? Is this too outrageous of a goal?”

My reply is always the same, “There is nothing that is too outrageous or impossible.”

Everything is a good idea. If it lights you up when you think about it, it’s a good path to follow. Passion drives all good ideas, whether they’re business focused or for personal pleasure and play.

Some years ago, I took a steam train from Felton, CA, to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. That day, I saw manifestations that came from someone’s inspired idea… and they made it a reality:

• • Steam train rides during the holiday season that are lit up with thousands of lights
  • A steam train that goes on a downtown historic street (which cars also drive and park on) in Santa Cruz several times a day
  • Amusement park at the beach
  • A blimp flying through the sky with passengers aboard
  • An automobile that zips down roads at 100 mph
  • Tunnels that are blasted straight through mountains
  • Deep-fried cheesecake and Twinkies
  • A Baby monitor that allows you to listen to your child from the other end of the house
  • Pier lined with restaurants and shops
  • Cotton candy
  • Chocolate-dipped ice cream cones (how does the ice cream not fall out of the cone when it’s been dipped upside down?!)
  • A Cash register that rings up the total of multiple items and automatically adds sales tax

Great ideas pop into your head a lot. Many of them you cast aside as fast as they appear to keep yourself safe

But I dare you to choose one and take a step to move it forward. 

A baby step means you’ve moved it from the bucket list side of the paper to the having it side.

When you follow the nudges of your inspired idea, the wind will be at your back. Your higher self knows how to lead you there. 

Just say yes to what your fearful mind says is outrageous.

Outrageous is a perspective.