#172 – The One Person Who Can Change the Course of Your Life or Business
#172 – The One Person Who Can Change the Course of Your Life or Business
This is Adventures in Storytelling your bi-weekly note with resources, insights, and actionable tools for better communication through storytelling. Enjoy.
“When the student is ready the teacher will appear.”
When I first heard this quote by ancient Chinese philosopher and mystic, Lao Tzu, I sort of shrugged my shoulders and thought, “sounds nice.” But wasn’t sure how it was significant for me.
Then right when I had decided to start a branding business for up-and-coming Canadian designers, I came across Marie Forleo by way of a mindfulness teacher I had been following. Marie was this upbeat woman offering useful advice for business owners in easily digestible YouTube episodes. I quickly subscribed and started a years long student-teacher relationship with a woman I’d never met in person and who changed the course of my life.
Teachers are a special kind of magic that can really create shifts in your stories in the best ways. If you let them.
I was a great strategic marketer by the time I’d come across Marie, I had a brain for frameworks and the deep thinking and then simplification required of marketing strategists. But I didn’t know how to run a business. After a few years of following Marie and getting so much out of her free videos, I decided to take the plunge and invest in this course she offered once a year. B-School. I was skeptical going in that the investment would be worth it for the fledgling online store slash branding agency concept I was trying to bring to life.
One day into the program and I was shocked by how good it was (and determined to create something even half as great at some point in my career). More importantly, by the end, I had my head wrapped around the growing a business part of things AMD became a better marketer in my day job. Marie’s the reason I build my strategies for clients almost exclusively around their audience. She’s also the reason I successfully launched and run a six-figure business as a solopreneur, thrived in the early days when most businesses fail, and do it with joy and ease. She’s the reason I believe in sharing your gifts and knowledge generously through vehicles like this newsletter. She’s the reason I’m willing to take action in order to learn and am okay when things don’t work out and happily take the lesson and pivot.
While that first business (Pont Neuf Boutique for those who are curious) no longer exists, the lessons I learned from launching it and from Marie in those early days stayed with me and allowed me to successfully launch and sustain my next business (also known as my storytelling led boutique marketing and communications consultancy).
The right teacher can make a huge difference in the course of a life. It was a teacher who gave an awkward little Black girl the confidence to be herself at a young age 🙋🏾♀️. It was a teacher who told me I was a good writer, and that I should consider it as a career. It was another teacher who suggested journalism and another who showed me how to build brands. Another sparked my love for long form non-fiction and then showed me how to do it well. I’ve been mostly lucky with the teachers in my life, and they have often shown up when I was ready for them without my even noticing.
I’m now a mentor in Marie’s B-School program and her Time Genius program. I’m on her dream team in her coaching community and continue to learn from her and improve my business every day. Like I said, I’ve been lucky in my teachers and they have shaped my life and story in important ways.
Who are the teachers who make your work and world better? Who are the ones who have contributed to your story? What would your life look like without them?
A Story Well Told – Free Training
If you’re curious about the energy and teaching style Marie has inspired me with over the years, she’s offering free on-demand training as part of the lead up to B-School. She’s also offering two live sessions at 2pm and 8pm today. The training is focused on profitability and getting there fast. If you’re an entrepreneur (established or starting out), I’d encourage you to sign up and take the free lessons, apply them to your business, and see what comes out of it. If you’re at a place where you’re ready for a new teacher as you grow your business, I’d encourage you to consider B-School (that link offers a quick tour of the program and what to expect). It is an investment but if you’re ready, it’s more than worth it. Reach out via email anytime if you have questions. And if you do sign up, send me a note and let me know—I’d love to do offer you a post program 1:1 storytelling consulting session to help you continue to build on what you’ve learned and build your story from it.
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P.P.S. Just a note that I am an affiliate partner of the B-School Program. So if you decide to invest in the program, I may earn a commission. It’s what makes it possible for me to offer a 1:1 session with you and the additional frameworks that are included with it. Marie’s are the only programs I promote through this newsletter because I have done them and seen the huge difference they can make. And I want you to benefit from them.