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Do You Need a Coach or a Cheerleader?

Do You Need a Coach or a Cheerleader?

As a business owner or entrepreneur, when asked the question do you need a coach or a cheerleader? How do you respond? It is football season so both coaches and cheerleaders are more visible than usual. Obviously successful teams need a coach and some a cheerleader. They seem so different, but each has a specific needed role. Let’s examine the two.

The first is a coach. Let’s stay with our football analogy. A football coach motivates from an internal source. It all begins in training camp a.k.a. “Two-a-Days or Three-a-Days” practices. They break you down and then build you back up. Whereas the cheerleader motivation for the young single football player motivates with, well you know, her smile. As a self-employed business owner, entrepreneur, do you need a coach or a cheerleader? I contend to be successful you need both.

When it is just you and you are your business, who is your coach and cheerleader? You can always hire a business coach and your spouse or children can be your cheerleaders, but is that really cost effective and compatible to your needs? I believe you need more. I truly believe we become the people we associate with most often. If you hang out with broke whinny people you are probably broke and bitter. If you hang out with wealthy, successful, positive people, you are probably successful and happy.

One of the best ways I have found to motivate myself is through networking with like-minded business owners like myself. It doesn’t have to be the same business or even the same industry. It does have to be a group of successful, positive, motivated business people that I aspire to be like. A group that meets on a regular basis to bring each other business referrals, new ideas and most of all that much needed motivation. You may be self-employed but you don’t have to be alone. There are scores of business owner’s right in your area trying to find exactly the same motivation. Does it take some work? Yes, but it is so worth it.

If you find the right networking group that fits your needs, your style and your personality, you will have found both your coach and your cheerleader. There are always people in your group to “kick your butt” like a football coach, because they know you need it. You know that person that tells you what you need to hear versus what you want to hear. There are also cheerleaders in the group, those folks that pick you up no matter how down you may be feeling. The secret to successfully finding the right group lies in your attitude about giving more to others than you take for yourself. Psychologically if you give business to me or help me in my business, the natural response is for me to want to repay you with help or referral business.

Start this week finding networking groups or mastermind groups and begin connecting. Remember both your coach and cheerleader is out there, you just need to find them. So when someone asks you do you need a coach or a cheerleader? Your answer is both.

“The difference between a successful person and others is not the lack of strength, not the lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will”.—Vince Lombardi

Image by Stuart Miles at www.freedigitalphotos.net

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Tim Wilhoit is owner/principal of Your Friend 4 Life Insurance Agency in Nashville, TN. He is a family man, father of 3, grandfather of 1, entrepreneur, insurance agent, life insurance broker, employee benefit specialist, salesman, sales trainer, recruiter, public speaker, blogger, author and team leader with over 29 years of experience in sales and marketing in the insurance and beverage industries.

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