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#9- Amy Schoen
9 Plays4 years ago
Amy Schoen, MBA, CPCC, PCC, a Relationship Life Coach and Dating Relationship Expert. She helped hundreds of marriage-minded singles find their ultimate soulmates.
The Motivated to Marry is a coaching program where Amy teaches her clients the needed relationship skills and the resolutions on how to overcome difficulties, to have the relationship on the road to marriage. Amy works thoroughly with her clients on their online dating strategy and assists them in representing themselves fully with their online profiles. Majority of her clients have met their life and marriage partners through online dating.
Amy Schoen has been quoted and featured in such publications as the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Washington Business Journal and the Gazette Newspapers and has been interviewed on numerous radio and TV stations such as CBS radio, WUSA TV, WASH FM, WMET AM, WBIG AM and Montgomery County’s cable Channel 16 and Channel New 8 “Let’s Talk Live”.
Website: https://jimboparis.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JimboParis
Youtube: Jimbo Paris Show #9- Amy Schoen - YouTube
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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Transcript
Introduction and Amy's Background
00:00:00
Speaker
Hello, everyone. This is the Jimbo Paris show, and currently a new guest will be coming in very soon. Okay. So Amy, can you begin by giving me a brief summary about who you are and what you're about?
00:00:17
Speaker
I'm a dating and relationship coach. My business is called Motivated to Marry and I've been helping what I call seriously searching singles to find their true love partner for over 15 years now. My own life story is I was married at 25 after grad school and divorced at 36.
00:00:37
Speaker
I didn't have children with my first marriage and I never even imagined that I would be in that place. My parents were married over 40 years. My grandparents married over 70 years. I was the first divorce in the family. And so it's things that you never anticipate. But I learned from that and I took classes and I even hired a coach when I turned 40.
00:01:03
Speaker
And then I met my husband at 41 and got remarried at 42. And then I decided my life work and my passion was to have other singles to find their true love partners.
The Path to Becoming a Coach
00:01:14
Speaker
So I went back and I got trained and certified as a professional life coach. And one continually needs to be trained and learn and study and stuff like that. So it's a continual process.
00:01:28
Speaker
So it's very fulfilling work. I love helping people kind of what I say, come from that struggle place into that like easy, like, wow, I can do this and I've got this. So can you kind of get into why you were motivated to get your life code certification and kind of go into the gist of how that worked?
00:01:51
Speaker
So I actually went to, I had another business that I closed and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. And I went to actually a career coach and they do some tests and things and they look at your skills and interests and aptitudes and things like that. And I already wanted to be writing the book on helping people
00:02:16
Speaker
And I did write a book called Are You Motivated to Marry? Now There's a Better Method to Dating and Relationship. It's a small book. It's an e-book. And then when I wanted to do the bigger, better book, I actually went into another title called Get a Right This Time.
00:02:31
Speaker
And I just felt like people were sending people to me because fortunately I'm extroverted. I don't have trouble meeting people. It was like meeting the right person who wanted the life that I wanted. I wanted marriage and a family. So when you're dating in your 40s, people had their families already. People didn't want any more children. People don't want to get married.
00:02:55
Speaker
So, you know, I started developing this concept about motivated to marry and actually it came to me when I was at a happy hour and I was talking to this guy and, you know, he was cute and he's told me he actually played an instrument for the band and that his man was going to Europe for six months and what popped up in my head was you're not motivated.
00:03:21
Speaker
And so, you know, to really kind of hone in on people who have the same goal and same vision that you do is kind of the work that I do with my clients. And so I decided to go and get certified with an accredited life coaching because I felt the skills would help me and it does.
Success Stories and Coaching Effectiveness
00:03:40
Speaker
It's wonderful because
00:03:42
Speaker
As a coach, I look at your whole life and then I look to see how dating does or not fit in with your whole life. What I notice is sometimes people put it at the bottom of their to-do list, you know, in terms of relationships, because if they think it's hard or they want to avoid it for some reason,
00:04:00
Speaker
There are people who are motivated and this is like a top priority. And those are the people who find me actually. And I really am able to help people find that true person fairly quickly. Actually, a lot of my clients within six months of doing my coaching program meet that special person. So you also have an MBA from Georgetown. Can you kind of get into your whole story about how you got that as well?
00:04:28
Speaker
Well, you know, I actually have an undergraduate degree in engineering and I'm no mechanical engineer. I mean, I didn't even pass the PE exam. I took that eight hours. And it really, when I did those evaluations, when I went to a career coach, I'm like, it came up marketing, sales, you know, things that were more people oriented.
00:04:53
Speaker
And I don't know why I was like, directed in that direction. My mother wanted me to be an accountant or an architect. I actually have a very good visual sense. So before I had the coaching business, I actually owned and operated a women's clothing store. And I did that for 13 years.
00:05:12
Speaker
So using my MBA and stuff like that. So I actually wanted to pivot and I decided that I like making business decisions rather than technical decisions. So when they made me sign a suit, I'm like, I'm done with this. I'm like, I can't handle this. Don't put me in an office, like a little office without windows and give me, you know, tell me to then, you know, this kid cam stuff and things like that.
00:05:39
Speaker
And I was miserable. So I didn't figure my way out of that. So actually, I actually pursued my desire for my retail clothing dream. And that was fun. It was a fun business.
Professional Growth and Transitioning Careers
00:05:54
Speaker
It was a great business. A very people-oriented business. I built it up. But retail's a very tough business, especially now with Amazon and the department store.
00:06:06
Speaker
Very hard and glad now that there was a pandemic, I was glad that I was not in retail because my coaching business last year was the best. Yeah, so people were stuck at home thinking about what their real goals were and they had time to coach because they weren't traveling and they weren't out and about so.
00:06:32
Speaker
Now, you also said that you worked on several other businesses. How were you an image wardrobe consultant?
00:06:39
Speaker
So when I closed the retail store, I had already gone through, I had you, I learned the process. I was doing the beautiful seasons, the comedy, beautiful stuff where I was helping people with their, you know, wardrobe and picking the right outfits for their, you know, their shape. And I had makeup and skincare and stuff like that. So I was already doing that and utilizing that in my store actually.
00:07:07
Speaker
So it was a very easy transition. My clients were very upset that they closed the store. I got married in 2002 and then they closed the store in 2003 when I decided that I needed to reduce my stress and we were trying to have a family. And so I was in my foot and so it was easy, you know.
00:07:29
Speaker
Wardrobe consulting was an easy way for me to start up. I called it Amy's Eye for Style. I was able to go into people's homes and do a wardrobe outfit and suggest, make suggestions, do personal shopping. It was something I could do from home and something I could do in the middle of everything else I was trying to accomplish.
00:07:49
Speaker
But then I decided I did pursue the life coaching and I actually enrolled in 2003 in the Coach Training Institute and got certified by 2005. So was the Coach Training Institute any different from the other thing you did for your coaching certification? Was that the same thing?
00:08:09
Speaker
That's, well, that's the same thing. I have two certifications. I have the training from my coach school, the certification, which is the CPCC. And then I also have the PCC, the professional coach certification from the ICF, the International Coach Federation, which is a big, it's an umbrella organization that promotes coaching.
00:08:32
Speaker
coaching ethics, coaching standards, and is trying to legitimize coaching in the eyes of the world. It's kind of like the bar association for coaches. It's not the only coach association, but it's one of the biggest and one of the most recognized. Yeah, and you're also on a professional speaker as well.
00:08:53
Speaker
Yeah, so I actually become a professional speaking. I knew speaking was an important part of my business in terms of getting the word out and what I do. And so I'm one of these people who I feel like they never have enough skills, like I need to improve.
00:09:11
Speaker
And so I actually found there's a speakers group, the NSA, National Speakers Association in Washington, D.C. I would start attending meetings and then I went to their speakers and training program. And that was fun. It was very, you know, to me to learn how the business was speaking. And I realized through that experience, I'm a coach that speaks. I'm not a speaker that coaches. And there is a difference.
00:09:40
Speaker
So there are speakers who are professional speakers who make the most money
Client Success Stories and Coaching Strategies
00:09:44
Speaker
from speaking and coaching is on the side in an added course. For me, the coaching is my main revenue source and I utilize speaking in order to promote my business. So I do workshops and those kinds of things. And I've been speaking, I've been doing classes on Zoom and
00:10:05
Speaker
There's some organizations that I speak for, like I'm a speaker for the single life today, which is a 50 plus community. And then there's another group in Washington, DC called Professionals in the City, and I do classes for them. And why do you enjoy what you do?
00:10:24
Speaker
Well, I think, you know, fulfillment is really what we're after and enjoying what I do. But I really enjoy helping my clients with that aha moment. Like, they come to me, and they're struggling, and they're losing hope. And I say, I take my clients from doubtful to hopeful. And, you know, like, is this going to work for me? Can I do this? You know, I work with people from 30 into their 70s. So imagine a six-year-old woman divorced.
00:10:52
Speaker
or widowed. And she hasn't dated in 30 years, 40 years. And so she's like, what is this? And then online dating wasn't even in the world. When I was dating the first time, you know, we had classified ads. And, you know, you met people organically. Well, today people are busy and online dating, actually 80% of my successfully coupled clients met through online dating. But after I put
00:11:20
Speaker
through my values-based process. So I go deep into people and really help people communicate what their life vision is. They'll help them communicate what their values, their relationship values are. And I help them put them in their profile so they're attracting the right person. I believe what you put out there is what you attract.
00:11:42
Speaker
And so actually, my clients have a very high success rate with online dating. What I call a comprehensive dating plan, what we look at face-to-face opportunities as well as online opportunities.
00:11:55
Speaker
But given the pandemic online was really mostly besides some speed dating, which is very superficial and you only have a couple of minutes to make a first impression. And I've only had one client who met someone through speed dating that's married. And I've only had one client in 16 years that met through a matchmaking service. So those services, they don't go deep enough.
00:12:21
Speaker
And they're
Importance of Personal Values in Coaching
00:12:22
Speaker
okay on the purpose level once people maybe attracted to someone, but then you find out things about that person that you just say, oh, I can't live with that, or we don't want the same things or, you know, it's just that I can't.
00:12:36
Speaker
So that's why I like the online dating because you get a little more, you get some information if they put the information down, but you can actually gleam certain things that you need to gleam like I'm working with a woman who wants to have a family. So, you know, like meet this guy and he put nothing about kids, he put nothing about family in his profile.
00:12:59
Speaker
And I said, well, he wanted to have that conversation sooner than later because, you know, I was in a situation where I met somebody and we would start it today. We really liked each other. You know, things go in the right direction. And then I said, well, my goal is to get married and have a family. And he said, babies, you want babies? He said, I'm done. You know, he had kids already. He raised his ex-wife's two kids. And so he was younger than me, but he was already
00:13:29
Speaker
God. And so I had a tough decision, you know, and I did to leave. But so when I met my husband, I had the conversation sooner than later about my goals, you know, so I help my clients communicate what they need to communicate.
00:13:44
Speaker
in the time that they need to communicate. Now you don't want anybody over the head when you just meet them. You first have to see if they like this person, there's a conversational flow and almost somewhat attracted to the person. So you know there's some vetting that has to be done before you would share your innermost desires and needs and things like that. So why are you most proud of this business compared to your other several businesses?
00:14:12
Speaker
Well, I'm part of different businesses for different reasons. I mean, I created, I took a space in the retail business, they call it a vanilla box, and created an environment. And I was really proud.
00:14:27
Speaker
I had clients that came year and year. I run into people who say, oh, I'm shocked at your store. I still have a dress at law. I mean, just recently, and it's been since 2003, so 20 years. So that is something that I'm proud of. What I do right now is I really work with
00:14:47
Speaker
I help people feel more confident in themselves. I help people feel more self-aware, and I help my clients give them a tool to make better decisions for their life. And that impacts everything. And I actually like to tech him with my clients. When it's their birthday, I text them, happy birthday. I might reach out to them. And I find out things about them. I found out that two clients got married in 2020 that I didn't know of.
00:15:16
Speaker
and you know that they've been working along with their lives and they're accomplishing their goals. I guess I have a value about a positive force, you know, how many people move from like putting them in a better place and you know just like lifelong connections and I am a connection.
Networking and Personal Influences
00:15:35
Speaker
That's really who I am downbeat. This kind of falls into a different thing. Why do you think
00:15:41
Speaker
You are who you are. You say, you know, you're a very extroverted person. I could tell you're a very, you're a person that likes to connect a lot. Why do you think you're like this? Do you think this had any connection with what you're doing now? Oh, definitely. I mean, I have to be in a people business. I have to be. I mean, the only way I survived the pandemic is the fact that I was in constant contact with people. I'm in networking groups and I'm in the women business owners in my local area. I'm in another business owner group.
00:16:09
Speaker
connection for me is everything and staying in touch with people. And so I think I sought a business that met my needs. I mean, when I had the store, I was around people all day and, you know, it just needed my need to meet people.
00:16:27
Speaker
Be around people. I have my moments where I've had enough and you have to shut down to balancing act. But I think, you know, the fact that, you know, through this was that I always knew I had people to talk to and meet up with and I was helping them and.
00:16:44
Speaker
You know, and I'm in touch with my colleagues and, you know, there's a lot of networking, online networking, I'm on summits, I'm on podcasts, you know, those kind of things I get to meet very interesting people and make lifelong connections. So it is a theme in my life. And I think my father was a connection person. He was one of my models, you know, my entrepreneurial model. And he had, unfortunately, he died because of an accident.
00:17:14
Speaker
And, you know, his funeral, he had a lot of people there because he helped a lot of people. He was an attorney and he helped a lot of families through really rough times. And, you know, it's just a day back to his community. And I think, you know, it's what's the legacy that we want to leave. And what I'm doing now is actually, because my coaching program has been very successful,
00:17:37
Speaker
I'm actually launching my coach training where I'm going to train other life coaches to be motivated to marry coaches. So other people could do the work I'm doing and I can support these coaches and help them build the businesses that I have built. And kind of to get more into this, what would you do if someone else was in your shoes? What type of advice would you give them?
00:18:03
Speaker
Well, as a business owner, you need to have a good support system. And there are many businesses that make any money. So I even had the IRS question my business.
00:18:14
Speaker
I've been through it audit. It's almost like there's a badge of honor, right? You know, you had to prove I was a viable business. I was spending a lot of money pregnant and the time to do certain things. So I took some extra risks and things like that. You do have to have tolerance. You have to have good mentors. I mean, I have a business coach. I have several good mentors in my corner.
00:18:39
Speaker
And it's true, you have to pay to play in a sense. You have to invest in yourself. And I've invested in myself, and it's paid a lot. So I have a bigger business, but that's because I've hired coaches who've created six-figure businesses and paved the path for me.
Marketing Strategies and Ideal Clients
00:19:01
Speaker
I didn't always like their path. You have to find the path that works for you. And I realized just like dating, you have to find what works for you in terms of promoting your business and what's comfortable for you. There's so many ways to put yourself out there and market as you know.
00:19:18
Speaker
And so what's going to work for you? What can you be consistent? So I had a podcast. I had the Motivated to Marry podcast. And unfortunately, the woman who was helping me put it together, she decided to go to a different career. And then I looked at what is this doing for me right now? And I analyzed it.
00:19:36
Speaker
I said, you know, it's really nice, the podcast. But A, I was promoting other people. And B, I wasn't getting the return on the. So I decided to go in different directions. And so, you know, for me, you have to do how you want to build your business. Having a good referral network is very important to me.
00:19:59
Speaker
And speaking has been very good. And to find opportunities to speak by teaching a class where they can experience me and how I teach. And so somebody says, this is what I want. She's exactly who I need to be with right now. So finding those opportunities, I think with the marketing, I'm going to be training, helping my coaches develop their businesses.
00:20:27
Speaker
and to help them really recognize what's going to work for them. I mean, I do consistently. I put out a newsletter. I have an email list, you know, building my email list is important. I have a Facebook group. I have the Motivated Mary single Facebook group. I actually started a meetup in the area called DMV, seriously searching singles and some trying.
00:20:51
Speaker
you know, to see what doesn't. But if it's too much time and energy, and I'm not getting the return on my energy, money investment, I'm gonna, you know, probably say, okay, I've done it, I had enough. So I noticed you've been interacting with, you know, a lot of different people. And in general, who is the ideal person to coach? Who is a good candidate to be coached? Because you've interviewed, you've coached a lot of people, and I kind of want to get your take off.
00:21:19
Speaker
Well, there's people who are open to coaching and they're open to the exploration. And there are some people who I call know it all and run into them and they're like, well, what is she going to do for me? They have like a little barrier. Like they're like, it's going to work. Am I going to get my money's worth? You know, not as open to the process. And they're very suspect.
00:21:44
Speaker
And I feel like move myself and then there are other people who really process and they're like, you know, the value have to offer have a coaching program. The motivated Mary's and I, you know, it's not like cousin comes to me like a therapist. Just talk.
00:22:01
Speaker
I have a process. I have a system that I take my clients through. I go very deep into people's values. We utilize our values to really understand which ones need to resonate and be in a relationship with somebody. So we then use them as a homeing device, in a sense.
00:22:22
Speaker
So that's, you know, my process and my system. So people come to me open to learning, open to experience, and they really, they really value coaching. They probably have had some like a career, some other coaching, maybe personal trainer, business professionals, something like that. And they're willing to invest in their, their personal growth.
00:22:53
Speaker
And they aren't putting on the bottom of their to-do list because I find people come to me and they're very busy. And as a life coach, I have to help them rebalance.
00:23:03
Speaker
So they have time for people to come into their life. If you're too busy, you know, as somebody who wants a relationship, they're going to get frustrated and they're going to move on to somebody else who does have time for them. So, again, having the time, energy, and the wherewithal. So, I mean, I have clients. I had a 30-year-old client, and he was so cute. He was very,
00:23:31
Speaker
what I call a, he's a nerd. And he just needed to know how to, to be in relationship. He had no clue. He really didn't have, you know, the parents are married and he had a sister. He wanted to learn and he was open to learning and he found my process very helpful. The pandemic hit and he had some, you know, I call external roadblocks.
00:23:54
Speaker
But then I had a 70-year-old, I've had 70-year-old clients who I was widowed and hadn't been with in a long time. And we had a great time. I got him online. He met a couple of women, and he eventually made his wife, and he's now married. So I did the gambit. I have people who have never been married, and there were 50s and 60s and 70s and beyond. And then I have people who have been divorced and widowed.
00:24:24
Speaker
There's always a new person with a whole new set of, you know, it's them. I have to learn about that person and help that person and get them on the right path. And so it's never done. So why do you value the process so much? Because I find it works. And well, let me give you an example. Through a lot of fertility and I gained a lot of weight.
00:24:54
Speaker
And then I got pregnant and I gained more weight. And so I had to lose 50 pounds and or I ended up losing actually 35. So I found a plan that I believed in a system.
00:25:07
Speaker
that I could find. I found a group of people who were supportive of me. And you have to check for accountability and support. And I've been on other programs, I've been on video watchers, I've been on other stuff. And see, I never had a weight problem until I had my mid 40s.
00:25:27
Speaker
And here I was in the 50s, you know, with this, and I didn't want to be a fat mom. And I'm in this, you got to look good, right? And coaches like half my age. And, and so, you know, just to feel good about myself, because I do have that value of being, you know, stylish, active, and, you know, healthy and slim. So that is a value of mine.
00:25:54
Speaker
And I like clothes, I like to wear nice clothes. So finding something that works, that you could stick with, that you believe in, and that you get the support and accountability has worked for me. And I do the same for my clients. I have my value-based approach that gives people the tools that they can hone in on the right people.
00:26:19
Speaker
And this is not something I've been doing this for over 15 years, 16 years. And I see it work time and time and time again. And so how can you not believe
Coaching vs. Consulting and Future Plans
00:26:30
Speaker
it? Right. And in general, what is the best piece of advice you could give to somebody who actually is a coach? Because you kind of went into, I want to start coaching coaches. So what's some good advice you would give to those coaches out there?
00:26:45
Speaker
Well, I wrote an article that's on LinkedIn about the top reasons why you should niche. And I resisted niching when I was an early coach, because I'm like, I can coach anyone. But today, you really need to have a focus. People need to know what they're coming to you for. And once they come to you, you can start coaching them on their whole life, because that's what I do.
00:27:07
Speaker
but they're coming for a relationship. Sometimes other things crop up and we have to deal with that first before they're really ready for a relationship. So to really kind of pick your lane and even though I'm a relationship coach, you know, I focus on people who are looking for serious committed relationships or are motivated to marry. So there are a lot of dating coaches out there
00:27:31
Speaker
And I really recommend, if anyone's listening and in that space, that they really look at what their training is and what their background is. Because there's a young woman looking around in my backyard who has no credentials at all and who's calling herself a dating coach.
00:27:50
Speaker
What I said is I've had new credentials that there are people out there calling themselves dating coaches who don't even have any training or credentials. And they just come out of writing a book or doing something that they had an experience and then they get the dating coach. So I really highly recommend that.
00:28:10
Speaker
do your due diligence. And that's what another thing is, I believe in getting training and having the skills to help people because then you'll know what to do, you know, that there's, there's a method again, a methodology. And there are some definite coaching skills that you need to have. And like today, you know, as a client,
00:28:31
Speaker
And I basically said, you know, I asked her, what do you want? What's important to you? I didn't tell her or she would ask me a question. And I said, what's important to you? Like, it's important as a coach not to answer a client's questions always. But sometimes you answer it with a question. They get more out of it in the long run. I mean, I wear two hats. I wear a coaching hat and I wear a consulting hat. So there's times I am consulting and there's times I'm coaching. Why do you separate the two?
00:29:00
Speaker
Oh, because that's the way we're trained. There's actually consulting, coaching, therapy, and there's a difference between each one. And as a coach, we learn more and more differences. So to be an ITF coach, you have to understand, you have to be understanding the difference between coaching and consulting. Consulting is advice giving. I'm telling you, coaching is asking the question so you get to the conclusion on your own.
00:29:29
Speaker
And actually, it's more meaningful when you come to the conclusion on your own than somebody telling you. I love the conversation between the men and women. And my coaching groups, I have both men and women. A lot of the coaches out there have just women or just men because the marketing is, but I like them together. And that's what makes me unique. What do you see the future of your goals as a coach and your business going ahead of time?
00:29:56
Speaker
Well, again, I hope to be training. I'm working on my first pilot and I had got it ICF certified. So it's been accredited. I want to train other coaches to do the Motivated to Marry coaching. And I see myself having about two or three dozen coaches under my belt.
00:30:16
Speaker
And for me to be still working with clients because I stayed in touch, but not at the level that I'm working now. I right now have two dozen clients. And so I have my meet your mate this year group and then I do have my private one-on-one clients.
00:30:36
Speaker
So that's kind of where I seem like a little more today, a little bit more flexibility. I work a lot at night because of my clients. That's when they're available. And so I do back on that. And I want to be able to if there's a client at a nice range, you know, be able to give them to another coach in my community.
00:30:58
Speaker
And I envision having a membership group where there's Motivated to Marry events and even a Motivated to Marry dating site. So why do you do group coaching and one-on-one coaching? I usually find that coaches either do one or the other exclusively.
00:31:18
Speaker
Well, I invite my one-on-one clients to be in the group. And some people like to be with other people. They want a group experience. And I find that people join because of the group. And they want to be with other people. And they want to learn. And they want to hear their perspectives. And so I don't do big groups. My groups are about a dozen men, 12 men and women.
00:31:43
Speaker
I like the small experience. And it's enough people to get a conversation going, but not too big that people feel ignored. And so again, it's really the high touch. I'm a high touch coach. So I actually went through training to see what model I should like in terms of my personality. And I came up with an intimate connection. So I like your intimate one-on-one and also those smaller experiences.
00:32:11
Speaker
If I'm in a very big room, I'm happy because unless I'm in a big room, you know, with people trying to connect with one, but on a virtual basis, it's not easy.
Coaching Modalities and Personal Highlights
00:32:23
Speaker
I do it, but it's... So I think I've heard lots of coaches talking about this, but which one do you prefer since COVID? Do you prefer the virtual or do you prefer more of the one-on-one?
00:32:35
Speaker
I offer both. So if they live in an area, they can come see me. I've had people in my backyard now that I'm back. I have seen one or two. From my standpoint, the virtual, once you have a zip established,
00:32:52
Speaker
I actually do session at my client's home if they live within an hour of me. So I like to see my clients in their environment. You learn a lot about a person when you walk into their home and they feel comfortable. So they let, you know, they're able to open up a little bit more.
00:33:08
Speaker
So I really like some one-on-one. I miss my one-on-one with my face-to-face clients, but it can be time-consuming too. I mean, when they come, and I can't have someone in my house right now unless they come to my porch because I still have my son and my husband working from home.
00:33:27
Speaker
But not all my clients get close by. So I have clients in California, in Massachusetts, in Chicago. I've even had a member of the clients in Florida, and even Europe. What times were you the most proud of what you do? What are your sort of high points, those prize moments? Just when people feel like they feel more at peace with themselves.
00:33:54
Speaker
You know, that they're doing better, that somebody who wasn't going out to events have tried that. They haven't been online and now they're meeting people and communicating with people. Just, you know, whenever people have breakthroughs, I think I'm the most proud of that in terms of my work. Yeah.
00:34:14
Speaker
And what other things are you kind of doing now to sort of reach out and hit new types of customers in a sense? Are you finding that certain customers resonate more with different things?
00:34:27
Speaker
Well, I have my meetup group and I'm doing some speaking and I have like a class coming up call. I call it connection circles. So helping people learn how to connect more with themselves and others. And also we do breakout rooms so they get to meet some of the other people in the group. And I've been trying to keep up with that. The promotion of my coach training has eaten into my time. So I'm not as consistent.
Balancing Life and Professional Consistency
00:34:53
Speaker
I'm in some groups and I'm in a very like a very close knit networking group where we really kind of work one on one and recommend clients to each other. So referrals are very important for me. People are in this space and they say, Oh, you have to talk to Amy.
00:35:10
Speaker
And ways I get clients referrals through my speaking opportunities and through my website, my SEO, I do blogging. I have a newsletter that goes out and then, you know, try to do a podcast.
00:35:27
Speaker
and get out. And I do Facebook Lives. I have a Facebook group and I have almost a thousand people in my Motivated Mary Singles Facebook group. So I'm trying to be consistent. So I know with marketing, the big thing is if you're going to do something, do it consistently so people know you're going to show up so they can plan on it.
00:35:49
Speaker
And life changes day to day, especially with COVID. And my son's getting vaccinated right now. We're doing this podcast. So life is going to change. And so it's really about keeping up with what's going on and doing the best I can. So as a woman, as a mother, as a wife, I really, really just try to do the best I can and help my clients and be there for them as well.
00:36:19
Speaker
This kind of goes into my final question. What do you sort of value the most when it comes to prioritizing things? Really my family and my friends and my clients and my husband. Fortunately, I met a man and this is a big thing, supports my dream and supports my value of helping others.
00:36:43
Speaker
and is not jealous of it and doesn't get jealous of the time I spend. So I married a normal man who needs to call in for himself and is okay being by himself. And I had to get used to the fact that he's okay getting used to being by himself. Because I was like, you're I can go, you know, you're gonna be okay. He has to call in and he watches the ball game or something like that. And he needs that recharge.
00:37:12
Speaker
So yeah, I value my family, you know, I have for my son, he's in middle school and there's always things change on a dime. And so, you know, I have to do the best I can. I mean, I thought I was the coach training in May. It's not happening what I thought. So I looked to say, okay, and when can I do it? So you do the best you can. That's my philosophy.
00:37:41
Speaker
Now, I also notice you're talking about consistencies too. So why do you value consistency so heavily? Because I'm in a lot of marketing groups. And I know that's what works. If you're going to be marketing your business is to be consistent. I have a newsletter that goes out every week. It's not easy, but it goes out every week. At least I'm emailing my clients once a week. I mean, I'd like to be emailing them more, but I also don't want to be a paid employee.
00:38:10
Speaker
And I want them to look forward. And yeah, so I'm sure with you being consistent, you have so many shows going out, you know, so often. I couldn't keep my podcast going consistently. So I dropped it.
00:38:28
Speaker
And whatever you do, you need to have a meetup group. They expect to have meetups. And I'm trying to stay consistent. So I try to plan at least one walk. And I have some clients and friends who are ones doing yoga. But she had to go to India to see her parents. So try her best. But I think people want to know that they can count on you. And you're building trust, and you're building relationship with your audience.
00:38:56
Speaker
And so being consistent is very important. You also kind of mentioned doing the best that you can. Why do you value that as well?
00:39:05
Speaker
Well, some of us have a perfection kind of thing and we try to do everything and we get scared of put out my coach training because it's not perfect, but it's good. It's really good. And actually my mentor that I'm working with is like, this is the best thing since sliced
Final Thoughts on Growth and Pursuing Dreams
00:39:20
Speaker
bread. You really need to, you know, and she's a single woman and she's been through my whole program and she's just met somebody and she says, well, you know, you, what you teach and what you teach is very important.
00:39:31
Speaker
and works and so she's kind of like you know good and i have other coaches who say you know perfections for another life and good enough you know you they won't and this is a pilot program so i'm going to elicit feedback i'm not charging my full rate because i want to get some feedback and i want them to help me improve it so you just get it started sometimes
00:39:57
Speaker
You just got to ride and do it, fall on your face, get back up or get some feedback and say and tweak it. You know, nothing is perfect. You know, so you have to kind of get out there and just move forward. And I see the people just get out and start doing it. They get further ahead because they, you know, you learn, you learn what works, what you learn that doesn't work, and then you improve as you go along, right?
00:40:21
Speaker
So what are some final remarks you'd like to say to the audience, something that they could take away from this? Well, follow your dreams, get some support. You know, coaching profession has shown that the people who get coached get further quicker, invest in yourself, invest in your personal growth and your knowledge and your learning.
00:40:44
Speaker
and enjoy the process. Like, life is to enjoy it. And if you're not happy and you're miserable, well, let's change it. You know, let's find something that's gonna make you want to wake up, want to, you know, I look forward to, you know, meeting with my clients. I look forward to my day and creative process. Well, thank you again. This was a very good interview. Appreciate it. I wish your business the best of luck. Well, thank you very much. I appreciate it.