Unexpected Take-Aways From Courses/Learning I've Done

I’ve taken lots, and lots of courses since I started working on-line 10 years ago. Back then, I knew absolutely nothing about marketing, technology or working on line.

Luckily, I’d always felt confident that I could learn.  I want to share with you what courses I took, what worked, what didn’t and the surprising and unexpected take-aways I’ve had from these courses. I’m hoping that my experiences can help you in some way.

This is just a selection of the courses I’ve taken and people I’ve hired:

1. I took Martha Beck’s Life Coach Training and then Master Life Coach training. This gave me the confidence to call myself a Coach (even though I’d been stealth coaching for years.) The big surprise that I got out of this training was a worldwide tribe. I suddenly believed it was possible to get clients that didn’t live in my little town of 12,000 people and I opened my horizons to the world. This was totally unexpected.

2. I did some self-directed learning using YouTube videos. I transformed a free blogging WordPress site into a website. That means I paid nothing for my website – which was good because it kept changing a lot in the first few years. I learned that you can learn just about anything with YouTube videos – for free!

3. I hired someone to help me write my first website pages. She asked me lots of questions, had me answer them and write a first draft. Then she told me something I’ve never forgotten – “You are a good writer!” I had no idea whether I was a good writer or not so that helped. She used the basis of what I’d done and just enhanced what I’d written for my About page. (I still use some of her phrases).

4. I took Brendon Burchard’s Total Product Blueprint. Two tiny parts of this course helped me. First, Brendon calculated in dollars and cents what you could make if you created a product and he multiplied it by the number of people that could buy it. Unbelievably, this was the first time I had actually calculated the dollars and cents of what it was possible to make on-line. This was inspiring.

Secondly, he outlined how he structured his classes that was an incredible help! I used this method over and over again. Years later I went to his LIVE event with a free ticket. That was amazing because he was such a nice, fun, young, guy that I thought – hmmm…anything really IS possible. It’s ESSENTIAL to believe that this is possible.

5. I took Marie Forleo’s B-School. I wanted to know what all the hype was about. It was good but when I took it, I already knew most of what she talked about – so I took it too late in my own evolution. I learned that you need to acknowledge what you already know, and that timing is everything.

6. I took Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Formula – but didn’t complete it. It was fantastic but not quite where I was in business yet. I hadn’t yet put my head around not hiding. And when you launch, you don’t hide. So, I bought his book, so that I could refer to it at some future date.

7. I took Lisa Sasevich’s Speak to Sell. By this time I was looking for new models of how to work, and I was tired of just listening to men talk about this kind of work. I was trying to find sustainable way to be in business and also to get off-line more.

I learned how to structure freebies – giving away something of value without giving away the whole program for free.  But I didn’t adopt Lisa’s step-by-step sales process.

8. I went to Stu McLaren’s Tribes Live event in Toronto this summer. Finally, something in Canada! I LOVED it! After 10 years on-line, I’ve finally stopped hiding so now I can actually benefit from his teachings. You’ll be seeing something new from us at the Soul’s Calling Academy in a few weeks so stay tuned!

My Take-aways:

1. It’s great to invest in your own learning when you are starting an on-line business. You aren’t an expert. Take the expertise of those who’ve come before you.

2. You will probably get something totally different than you expected from the trainings you do. That doesn’t mean that these trainings aren’t valuable, it just means you’ll get what you need. Expect that.

3. If part of your personal story is that you’ve been hiding, playing small or trying to always fit in, then NO marketing or business development courses will work for you, because you won’t implement them. You’ll have to deal with what’s holding you back first!

4. Hire people to help you do things you’ve never done, but don’t expect them to do everything for you. You WILL have to move out of your comfort zone and do things you’ve never done and probably fail lots of times. That’s part of the process.

5. Go to LIVE events. Yes, on-line classes are good, but live events are inspiring and motivating and give you the kind of boost that is essential – especially if you are working alone in front of a computer!

6. The biggest take-away I’ve had from any training is BELIEVING that it’s possible. The most helpful part is seeing real people who created fulfilling work in a BIG way. When I see that, I start to overcome my outdated programming and believe that it really is possible!

7. Don’t take a training because of some else’s hype. Investigate it yourself. Listen to your own soul’s voice. Any time I’ve followed someone else’s hype, it’s not been my thing. YOU need that tingling in your gut – without a rational explanation to justify it. Your soul’s voice, not other people, is your guide.

I’ve only listed the bigger trainings and learning that I’ve taken in marketing and business development because these were my big area of need.

However, I’ve taken countless shorter trainings on specific coaching/guiding techniques and methods to enhance the work that I do with people. And, I’ve taken countless free trainings. I’m sure that I also have a stash of trainings that I never completed – hiding somewhere in my old dead computer’s exhausted memory.

I want to remind you that when you discover your unique genius and your soul’s purpose – you WILL need to learn something. You have genius inside you, but you WILL need to practice it, hone it and learn what you need to learn to get your soul’s work out into the world.

What courses have you taken? What are you learning right now?

Big love,