What is the secret to success in business?

Is it perseverance? Is it attitude, creativity, action, or vision? Maybe it’s asking the right questions of the right people, burning the midnight oil, going the extra mile? Or having the right mindset, proper education, plenty of support, or discipline? Perhaps it’s a faculty of being in the right business at the right time, or a willingness to take risks and learn from your mistakes?

It is all of these things. 

I’m a huge fan of the “bottom line”, the “what it all boils down to”, the answer that fits neatly in that proverbial nutshell. But when you talk about the secret to success in business the bottom line seems to require several pages. This poses a problem for me; how can I attain success in business when there are so many things to remember to do? How does one keep all those balls in the air?

When you ask a question with clarity and persistence, sooner or later, the answer will appear. The answer to my question came in an unexpected way. It was delivered to me by a friend.

Laura is my “once in a blue moon” friend. Once in a blue moon we run into one another and have a great visit catching up with one another. When we bumped into one another in September of 2006, she was in the process of creating a business, and I was in the early days of Terra Cotta Pendants. Out of a conversation that day, an idea was born; we would become Coaches for one another.

What we wanted was someone before whom we could hold ourselves accountable to do the things we had set out to do. We wanted a witness, a listener, a dedicated-to-our-success supporter. We wanted someone who would champion our efforts and celebrate our successes with us. We decided we would offer it to each other in exchange for the same in return.

Our plan was to meet weekly for about an hour. At the meeting, we would share what we had accomplished the previous week and state what we intended for the coming week. The idea was this; awareness that we would be reporting to someone who was interested in what we do would galvanize us into daily, effective action. Co-Coaching would help us to meet one of the biggest challenges of being self-employed; how to keep the big picture in view while at the same time consistently tend to the day to day activities of being in business.

It’s working. I leave our meetings charged with fresh energy and resolve. Having my thoughts and plans listened to, taken seriously and reflected back to me has put me on top of my game like I’ve never been able to be before. By definition, a Coach has an investment in your success. Co-coaches honor the business interests of each other with an empowering gift; attention.

Where do you find a Co-Coach? Someone in your Upline can become your Coach, but you’re not likely to coach your Upline, so half of the equation will be missing. An Upline member is more likely to take the role of Mentor. It is not a good idea to choose someone with whom you are in daily contact, as this person may become more of a crutch than a coach. It’s important to find someone who has a business as well, though not necessarily a similar business. Laura’s business has nothing to do with the Internet, Aromatherapy or diffusers, but this Co-Coaching relationship is fostering immeasurable benefits for both of us.

Bottom line (yes! there is one!): Co-Coaching is helping me keep all those balls in the air! It is proving to be a highly motivating and affirming process. Try it for yourself and see what happens!

Photo credit: Vinni

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©2007 Terra Cotta Pendants About the Author: Lori Gosselin has worked in network marketing since 1997. In 2003 this passion led to the creation of www.Terra-Cotta-Pendants.com This is one in a series of Business-building Tips for marketing essential oils. See more helpful articles here!

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