Life, Mastered with Molly Claire

In this episode, I answer your questions about Life Mastery! What do you consider to be life mastery? When you think about the concept, do you envision a big house? Owning a specific car? Enjoying perfect relationships? Or is life mastery something very different in your eyes? Through this Q & A, I hope to help you crystalize what it is for you as an individual. Listen in as I share what I personally believe life mastery is and tips for defining it for yourself. As we begin, remember: No matter your place in your journey, life is still life. It throws curveballs. Learning to take them in stride, and avoiding the self-defeating “compare and despair” trap are integral to success. True life mastery needs clarity, confidence, and inward focus to create what you want. It takes constantly realigning your business to support the life you want. What You’ll Learn Real and raw: Molly shares her own challenges Rely on resources and have a plan Q: I don’t even know where to start... I feel overwhelmed! What are some clear action steps? There isn’t just one “right” way to start Create a certainty and competency list Compile a thought list Q: I’m afraid I won’t be able to create the business I want without sacrificing time with my family. How do I do both? Become clear about your big picture Align your actions Order your top 5 priorities Q: My business is a side gig and I think I want it that way. Am I just playing it safe? Clarify the purpose of your business When you lose sight of what you really want, return to purpose Q: My family schedule is so busy... everyone relies on me… I feel frustrated by home demands -- and guilty when I spend time on my business. Help! Give yourself permission to live your priorities Expect discomfort in any shift Q: How can I commit time to work when I have little kids? There is always something that comes up and I can’t get anything done. (Even if you don’t have little kids, anything unexpected will take your time again and again.) Accept that life is life Calculate and allot flex time Contact Info and Recommended Resources Connect with Molly Claire The Coaching Collective: thecoachingcollective.com -- Sign up for free monthly mastery trainings! Work with Molly! mollyclaire.com/coaching

Ethics and integrity are paramount to a reputable coaching business and quality coaching. Due to very limited regulations, we technically have the freedom to adapt our style and the tools we use as we see fit. Unfortunately this freedom can be abused and give our industry a bad name. Coaches can get sloppy, dive into areas they aren’t qualified to help, not uphold confidentiality, or not respect materials they are using. This means that as professional coaches, we all have the responsibility to uphold high standards for our industry and build a trust. I discuss this important topic in this episode because we want to conduct our coaching with integrity. We want to build a positive reputation, be excellent examples within our industry, and uplevel the professionalism of both ourselves and our industry as a whole. After all, we are being entrusted with people’s lives and their businesses and that is not to be taken lightly. What You’ll Learn Stealing other people’s work Ethically use materials or information you’ve been given Give correct credit Know your material The danger of sharing only in part Be creative Build your own materials Keep confidentiality Share testimonials appropriately, use anonymity in outside interactions Be sensitive Treat people fairly Collaborate with fairness Contact Info and Recommended Resources Connect with Molly Claire The Coaching Collective: thecoachingcollective.com -- Sign up for free monthly mastery trainings! Work with Molly! mollyclaire.com/coaching

Building your business isn’t easy. It’s a ride of successes with joys and failures with struggles. And it’s not always easy to handle the uncertainties that arise. Quieting the fears of doubt, wondering if you’re making a difference with a client, swirling the conversation from a session around and around in your head… those are quite normal. No matter whether you’re newer to coaching or a seasoned pro, we all need encouragement to surf the ups and the downs. As you grow your business, my sincere hope for you is that you are loving it and your clients; that you are riding more highs than lows. And through it all, I hope that you’re continually upping your coaching mastery. I hope this for you because I know it is an integral part of succeeding in your coaching business and loving it even more. To help, I’ve compiled for you 10 tips focused on master-level coaching. In this episode, I give you these 10 tips and expound a bit on each one. What You’ll Learn Be where you are, practice the basics Embrace the idea of being where you are, be present Always be learning, but don’t get stuck Make connections Meet your client where they are Let go of rigidity Give yourself permission to have your own style Don’t be afraid let go and collaborate See value in others, don’t get caught in scarcity Do your own work Contact Info and Recommended Resources Connect with Molly Claire: The Coaching Collective: thecoachingcollective.com -- Sign up for free monthly mastery trainings! Work with Molly! mollyclaire.com/coaching

Uncertainty creates a vague, dark cloud of confusion. It may be uncertainty in your coaching program or the direction you should take. It may show up as doubt that you can properly scale your business or succeed long term. It may manifest as feeling overwhelmed, lacking confidence, and even feeling fear. No matter how it crops up, uncertainty is completely normal. You should expect to experience it at some point in your coaching business, if you haven’t already. Because uncertainty is normal, it’s wise to have awareness and know some action steps. Employing these will help move you from uncertainty to certainty, reduce worries, and boost your confidence. In this episode, I share three areas of uncertainty and offer ideas for converting to clarity. As you listen, remember that others often see you much more confident and capable than you see yourself. Despite your feelings of uncertainty, you have the skills and the tools to be positively impactful and help others at a high level. You are completely capable, Coach! What You’ll Learn Lack of Confidence in Your Offer Incorrect valuation; correctly valuing the outcome, not the “how” Lack of clarity in your program structure; it’s not about perfection, it’s about connection Overdelivering: creating a high-level experience, not just more things You have to be sold on it yourself first Lack of Confidence in Yourself Handling the voice of “I’m not sure this will work”; What does self-doubt feel and look like for you? Answer the “what if” questions; How will you experience and handle them? Recognize that fear is totally normal. Fear and creativity come together on the journey Are you willing to fail by default or succeed on purpose? Inaction technically is action Overwhelm as a Distraction Typically stirred up by fear, know your overwhelm indicators Get task steps specific; replace the unknown with the known Make space for your thoughts and feelings Contact Info and Recommended Resources Connect with Molly Claire: The Coaching Collective: thecoachingcollective.com -- Sign up for free monthly mastery trainings! Work with Molly! mollyclaire.com/coaching

Handling some of the emotions that surface during coaching sessions can be a delicate process. Some instances may lead you to even suspect trauma in the life of a client. What a some signs a caring coach should watch for to know if referral to a licensed therapist is needed? What can a coach do within their own coaching scope to further help a client? In this episode, Jen Taylor, a licenced trauma therapist with numerous credentials and training in multiple techniques, shares her insights and tips. As Jen and I spoke, one important point stuck out to me that Jen really felt to be most important as well. That is: the relationship a client develops with you is paramount to success. This is true whether a client is dealing with trauma or not. But since trauma is usually experienced within relationship, so can healing be experienced within relationship. So the more you can positively connect with a client, the more you can help them heal and improve their life, which is the goal of all coaching. What You’ll Learn How Trauma is Defined and some Red-Flags of Potential Trauma An unintegrated response to a physical or emotional stressor The nervous system’s overwhelm that marks trauma Belief whether or not we had agency over what happened Survival brain hijacking Emotional and physical symptoms to watch for, tracking body movements How to Tell the Difference between Trauma and Normal Life Ups and Downs How quickly does the person recover from an upset? Does the person feel overwhelmed and powerless or do they feel they have agency? Is it impacting their daily life? How to Incorporate Help Within the Scope of Coaching Help clients develop the ability to be a witness of their own cognitive, emotional and somatic experiences (often referred to as decoupling) Increase curiosity to put distance between circumstance and response Encourage regulation and staying connected with self during disregulation The Top-Down Approach Versus the Bottom-Up Approach The brain creates thoughts and feelings and sends those down to the body; but the body also creates feelings and sends them up to the brain (how it is all interconnected) Using the body as an ally instead of an enemy Staying with the emotions that are coming up, creating space How to settle into, and make use of, a sensorial response Contact Info and Recommended Resources Meet Jen Taylor, MA, LPCC Jen is a somatic trauma therapist, specializing in EMDR Therapy, Sensorimotor Therapy, and Assisted Psychotherapy. She is also a certified Synergetic Play Therapist (SPT), a Certified Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapist, and is trained in multiple techniques. She works with individuals of all ages, from children as young as two to adults in their 70s. She focuses on a mind-body approach that assists in relief from anxiety, depression, grief, disordered eating, chronic illness, and other impacts on the nervous system from trauma and stress. Jen is also a Life Coach and a graduate of The Life Coach School. Somatic Psychotherapy uses Sensorimotor Therapy that combines cognitive and body based interventions. EMDR Therapy is Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing that involves an 8-step phrase process. Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) uses the only legal psychedelic medicine available for use by mental health providers. Learn more about these techniques and Jen’s services at jentaylorpsychotherapy.com/therapy-services. Connect with Jen Taylor Website (for therapy or connecting within Colorado): jentaylorpsychotherapy.com Website (for coaches wanting to connect with Jen regarding somatic training): inbodiedwellness.com Connect with Molly Claire The Coaching Collective: thecoachingcollective.com -- Sign up for free monthly trainings! Work with Molly! mollyclaire.com/coaching

As a coach, you’re typically your own boss. Completely self-guided and self-managed, you’re without someone charting out your day. You may also have the added layer of your business being located in your home. That’s why focus of your time, focus of your energy, how productive you are, and how you manage the day-to-day are crucial. It can be too easy to lose focus and lose sight of our goals. Maybe even occasionally use home as an excuse to escape making a tough decision or dealing with doubt at work, or vice versa. I want to offer a few tips and some ways to harness focus, move consistently toward your goals, and to especially focus on the things that are most important. The positive habits and mindshifts I share with you take practice and time to come more naturally. Believe me, I’m still working on them myself. I encourage you to work consistently on them as well, because they do make a world of difference. What You’ll Learn Create a Container Around Your Time, Focus and Energy Harness the positive focus and creativity of procrastination without the normally accompanying negatives Look ahead; prepare your brain; start the juices flowing Commit to the end result: have a self-imposed deadline, set expectations, and fulfill them Halt the Cycle of Dread Move toward what you dread and take purposeful action Use the positive emotional experience of accomplishment as fuel Proper Energy Management It’s not about having more time, it’s about managing your thoughts and energy Note negative tasks and thoughts that deplete your energy; Note positive tasks and thoughts that energize you Personalize your time of day, task methods, and task order to maximize your focus, energy and productivity Contact Info and Recommended Resources Connect with Molly Claire: The Coaching Collective: thecoachingcollective.com -- Sign up for free monthly mastery trainings! Work with Molly! mollyclaire.com/coaching

As a coach, you want to use your gifting to help others create their ideal life and business. Naturally, you also desire this for yourself. But how do you build a committed business that nurtures your ideal life? How do you stay true to your own path and not someone else’s? How do you avoid building someone else’s business or building a business that doesn’t support the life you want? In this episode, I chat with certified Life Coach, Heather Rackham, about these very questions. Heather shares lessons she’s learned and truths she’s embraced along her business-building journey. She shares about knowing your own values, following your own instincts, and sticking with your priorities. In this, you find clarity. And in clarity, you find joy, definitive action, and freedom. Freedom to pour into others while still building the coaching business and life your heart longs for. What You’ll Learn How to Build Your Right Business - Not someone else’s Recognize self-sabotage End the frustration loop Commit and recommit to your ideal life How to Commit to Your Values (Priorities) and Clarify Them Discern between what you value and what others think you should value Acknowledge internal and external judgment Reject ambition shame and surround yourself with a community of support How Heather Shaped Her Coaching Business Growth The value of why The value of progression The value of uniqueness The value of challenge How to Create Fuel and Avoid Unproductive Shifts The power of alignment The power of understanding yourself The power of coming home The power of leaning in How Heather Adjusted and Built Her Ideal Business and Life The lesson of not building someone else’s business The lesson of being true to your own alignment The lesson of embracing personal coaching for your life and your navigation Contact Info and Recommended Resources Meet Heather Rackham, The Second Marriage Coach Heather runs the Latter-Day Saints (LDS) Life Coach Directory, which lists coaches that are members of the LDS church and are also certified through the Life Coaching School. Coaches in this directory work with people both inside and outside of the church. She is also the host of the coaching podcast, Latter-Day Life Coaches, which features a variety of LDS coaches and their niches. In her own coaching, Heather is a certified Life Coach and works with women who are in a second marriage or considering one. It is her desire to teach women to have peace, safety, love and respect both in their marriage and for themselves. In addition to her own business, Heather serves as a mentor within The Coaching Collective with Molly Claire and Aimée Gianni. Latter-Day Saint Life Coach resources Directory: ldslifecoaches.com Podcast: ldslifecoaches.com/podcast Connect with Heather Rackham Heatherrackham.com Facebook Instagram Pinterest Work with Heather! heatherrackham.com/work-with-me Connect with Molly Claire The Coaching Collective: thecoachingcollective.com -- Sign up for free monthly trainings! Work with Molly! mollyclaire.com/coaching

Seeking validation from clients can sabotage your coaching. It puts you in an up and down cycle of highs and lows and can affect your coaching. How can we identify this validation trap and thus avoid it? How can we keep our coaching free from needing personal validation and remain focused on our clients? Before we tackle this subject, it’s important to acknowledge that wanting validation is completely normal. As coaches, we naturally tend to seek validation because we need to know we’re truly helping others. It’s part of our helper personalities. It’s only when validation becomes too self-focused that we want to avoid. So don’t judge yourself too harshly. What You’ll Learn How to Recognize the Trap of Validation The client is in a pleaser role You’re hyper-focused on yourself The safe, sacred space for the client is interrupted A positive response, rather than what is actually best for the client, is sought Honesty from the client is inhibited Empowerment is not supported How to Identify When You’re Falling Into the Trap of Validation Asking if something is helpful Getting overly lit up from praise Feeling unsettled when the focus isn’t on you Seeking validation that’s unnecessary How to Avoid the Trap of Validation Never take credit Hold space for curiosity regarding success Define your success, separate from your clients Stay in your space, give your client theirs Contact Info and Recommended Resources The Coaching Collective: thecoachingcollective.com/ Work with Molly! mollyclaire.com/coaching

There is a direct link between the comfort and confidence a client has in a coach and that client’s progress. This means the connection you’re able to create can be the best indicator of their success. I love how Brené Brown describes connection. She says, “I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” As coaches, we’re in a unique position. We love, we support, we value. We listen, we provide judgement-free space, and we offer guidance -- all without expecting nor needing anything back. This gives us the core to nurture a connection in which we can offer something truly amazing to our clients. What You’ll Learn How to Connect with Your Client’s Emotions Listen, identify, and reflect without unintentionally removing hope Relate personal experience without projecting into the situation Empathizing without adding or taking away How to Understand Why a Client Feels As They Do Identifying and understanding pain points Understanding gaps between where they are now and where they want to be. (Bonus: This is also how you sell them on working with you.) Clarifying the why behind what they want, and the feelings they hope to have when they get it How to Help Your Client Envision Possibilities Believing in a better future for them before they can see it Opening up imagination and new perspective Helping bridge gaps by drawing out correlations and watering seeds of hope Contact Info and Recommended Resources The Coaching Collective: thecoachingcollective.com/ Work with Molly! mollyclaire.com/coaching

I love the old saying, “Life by the yard is hard, life by the inch is a cinch!” I don’t know who first said it but it is definitely true. And it is especially powerful when it comes to self-belief as fuel. To begin, you need to take time to envision what you’re capable of creating. What is your income? Your reach? Now, what do those beliefs stir in you? What emotions come to the surface? To answer these questions and to begin inching your self-fuel forward, you need to envision what you’re capable of creating. What is your income? Your reach? What do you believe is possible? As you consider these things, additional questions naturally arise like: How do I stay in belief? How do I stay aligned with myself? How do I pivot? In this episode, I help you address those questions. I teach these concepts in my coaching course and they’ve worked for me and countless others. I believe they will work for you as well. What You’ll Learn Business Mastery - How to have more self-belief for fuel Deciding that Endpoint Belief to Gain Clarity Measuring results Assessing your relationship with yourself Identifying how you feel and what you believe is possible Molly’s personal example of working through these concepts Addressing the Beliefs in Your Way of Getting There Acknowledging fears and doubts fueled by thoughts and beliefs Creating space to pinpoint unruly and limiting thoughts Defining What Stepping into Belief Means for You It doesn’t mean what you probably think it does Creating a plan of commitment U-turning brain patterns Creating emotions to get crystal clear and to bring up powerful positivity Stairsteping beliefs to stem doubt and discouragement Contact Info and Recommended Resources Work with me! mollyclaire.com/coaching