Want to think and grow… rich? 
The thinking that got you here… won’t get you there.
You need to train your mind to spot – and reject – poor thinking.
I’m going to give you an example from the coaching industry.
The other day I came across an article theorizing about the “state of the coaching industry.”
The author meant well. He’s a good person. But his analysis, I feel, is based on thinking that just won’t get you there.
The article posited that the coaching industry is poised to “Cross the Chasm.” And that will be a good thing for coaches all over as more people will be looking to invest in coaching.
“Crossing the Chasm” refers to when a product crosses from being used by the early adopters to being embraced by the masses.
A survey conducted by the International Coach Federation (ICF) states that 17% of respondents reported they are “very aware of coaching.” This and a few additional observations, the author suggests, puts coaching on the very brink of crossing the chasm into widespread acceptability.
Maybe.
But it’s all irrelevant.
My problem is with the premise: That if a coach is struggling to attract clients, it’s because the ‘industry’ is still young. And it will soon get easier as ‘the coaching industry’ matures and crosses the chasm.
In my experience and observation, this simply isn’t true.
Depending on who you ask, the average coach earns anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000 a year.
If that is true, those income levels have NOTHING to do with the state of the industry.
It has to do with what coaches are taught – and not taught – about how to grow a coaching business.
The fact is, no one buys coaching. No one wants a coach. And the greatest service the ICF and the coaching schools could do for their coaches would be to say this out loud.
Coaching is a process. It is a means to an end.
Placing coaching on a pedestal as an ideal in it’s own right sells coach training. But it does a disservice to the coaches who never learn that to have the impact and the income they want, they’re going to have to run a business first.
Stop talking about coaching as if it’s an ideal all on it’s own. That’s like talking about the benefits of a hammer. Or surgery. Or concrete. No one wants any of these things, but they’ll buy them – in large quantity – when they can clearly see how their investment will give them what they want.
Finally, don’t encourage people to believe that their struggle to grow their business is because of external factors. That’s simply not true.
It’s poor thinking – the very kind of thinking that keeps so many coaches so poor.
If you’re a coach – or any expert – you’ve got to know this: You could 10x your business and your industry wouldn’t even notice. The economy wouldn’t notice. It will not be front page news.
But your family sure would.
Let’s learn from Andrew Carnegie who had a distinct way of thinking about opportunities.
And he was, as you may know, the inspiration for the famous book “Think and Grow Rich.”
Andrew Carnegie opened his original steel mill during a recession.
“Though EDGAR THOMSON [Ed. Edgar Thomson was the name of the mill] had gone on line in a depressed business climate, Carnegie did not let this slow him down. On the contrary, he appeared almost to glory in the adverse conditions. Other entrepreneurs might have reduced output until the market was stronger, but Carnegie pushed Shinn to keep the new plant operating seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day.”
– Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw
Think… and Grow Rich.
If you’re serious about using your expertise to increase your impact – and your income, let’s get a few things clear:
– It’s not the economy.
– It’s not your industry.
– It’s not the tools you’ve been using.
The good news is that it’s YOU.
There are already people achieving what you want – and far, far more. In the same industry. In the same economy.
What’s the difference?
Their thinking.
The fastest way to increase your impact and your income is to hang around – and learn from – those already achieving what you want and learn how they think.
Avoid the theoreticians. And the academics.
And certainly steer clear of those waiting for external conditions to change so that you can finally thrive and live free.
The first mistake most people make is hanging out with people who are where they are. And pass the pot of poor thinking around.
It’s a pot that never empties.
But you won’t learn to think and grow rich that way.
Where would you be if, instead, you gloried in today’s adverse conditions?
—
Dov Gordon helps consultants, coaches and other experts to create a steady, consistent, predictable flow of ideal clients.
