I was chatting with an amazing businesswoman and friend the other day who was going through a particular challenge in her business and who had (humblingly) come to me for some advice.
She has a business coach and also seeks out the advice of others that she trusts – and in delving into her current situation it struck me that she saw getting this advice, both formally and informally, as a sign of weakness.
“All the best coaches have coaches,” I told her. I go to people when I need help, I bet your coach has someone, or a whole suite of people they go to when they need help. This simple statement was like a revelation to her. “Really?” she said, dumfounded.
She’d always looked at going to people for help as something only people having trouble did. Now, ultimately, it’s an obvious choice to go to someone for coaching or advice when you’re having a tough time – but the most successful people (in my experience) have a coach, a mentor, a peer that they will constantly bounce ideas, goals, struggles and issues off.
When was the last time you reached out to someone and shared what you were going through?
Kirsty Dunphey is the youngest ever Australian Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year, author of two books (her latest release is Retired at 27: If I Can do it Anyone Can) and a passionate entrepreneur who started her first business at age 15 and opened her own real estate agency at 21.
Now Kirsty does lots of fun things which you can read about here. Her favourite current projects are Elephant Property, a boutique property management agency, Baby Teresa, a baby clothing line that donates an outfit to a baby in need for each one they sell and ReallySold, which helps real estate agents stop writing boring, uninteresting ads.