I am pretty sure I am not the only one who has noticed the dramatic increase in the number of coaches who refer to themselves as ‘trauma-focused”, ‘trauma-aware” or “trauma-conscious.”  There is no question that there is a tremendous need. Half of all women have experienced trauma at some time in their lives and there is a significant percentage of traumatized people who become entrepreneurs.  Because I work with female entrepreneurs, I wanted to address this issue on the podcast, and talk with someone who is a legitimate expert on the intersection of trauma and entrepreneurship, so I invited Nicole Lewis-Keeber back as my first return guest. Nicole has spent years studying, training, and developing her expertise in this area as a licensed psychotherapist, coach, facilitator, speaker, trainer, and published author. She created her signature program “Do No Harm” because simply having a personal history of trauma and the desire to help others does not qualify anyone as “trauma-conscious.” This convo may be triggering to some, but I hope will listen all the way to the end of the episode.  This subject is far too important to not address, even if it might ruffle some feathers.  Nicole and I discuss:The definition of traumaWhy trauma has become trendy What Nicole noticed in biographies about both Will Smith & Prince Therapy, coaching, trauma & entrepreneurship Also mentioned in this interview:ACES Scale  https://bit.ly/3Qw6Vi9Bruce Perry's book: What Happened to You?Mic Drop Moments:“What works for you works for you.”  (not necessarily someone else…)  Nicole Lewis KeeberNicole’s first interview with me: https://apple.co/3OOboeMIf you’d like to connect with Nicole, here are all the details: Do No Harm Program: https://nicole.lewis-keeber.com/Trauma & Entrepreneurship Assessment: https://nicole.lewis-keeber.com/self-assessment/?preview=true“Love Your Business” Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092CBWWX9?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420Love your business course: https://www.loveyourbusinessschool.com/p/love-your-business-self-paced/?preview=logged_outLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolelewiskeeber/If trauma is the reason you are struggling in your entrepreneurial journey, please reach out to Nicole.  If your challenge is more likely to be your mindset, take my quiz and see which of the six common struggles may be holding you back and what to do about it! What’s Holding You Back?https://bit.ly/obstaclesquiz (click on the link) Thinking about working with me? If you need the focused attention on your business & life that is only available through 1:1 coaching, click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with Diann to see if her 12-week private coaching program is right for you. Free Consultation for 1:1 Coaching (click on the link) Want to add yourself to the waitlist for our fall group coaching program?  There is no obligation, but if you want to get more information, you need to be on the list, so click here: Gr

If you have been a regular listener, you know that I am obsessed with helping female solopreneurs gain confidence and courage so they can pursue and achieve their goals and dreams.  One of the most common scenarios I encounter with my business strategy and coaching clients the fear of hearing the word “no.  I have been interviewed on the topic of entrepreneurship and rejection sensitivity on several other podcasts, so I know this is a pretty widespread struggle. There are a number of ways we unconsciously resist hearing no that actually limit our income, profit, and success in business.  Behaviors such as never raising our prices, asking a team member to learn something new, and avoiding creating new offers are a few.   Many of us go so far out of our way to avoid being rejected that we basically reject the chance of being found, hired, and paid.  Or, we just don’t ask for the sale, avoid using a Call to Action in our marketing, and “forget” to follow up with prospects.  With everything I am learning about confidence, failure, and resiliency, I have come to the conclusion that getting better at dealing with “no” is a skill that all of us need to get better at.  Think of it this way: we either need to learn how to deal more effectively with “no” or get used to settling for less than we truly want.  The main issue is what we make it mean when we hear no, especially for those who are shy, introverted, highly creative, socially anxious, and who experience rejection sensitivity, but the good news is that getting better at hearing no is a skill that anyone can learn.  I share several strategies that have been helpful to my clients and also to myself, including one I adapted from my experiences as a psychotherapist, including:Upping the ante on your “no” Role-playing with your biz bestieQuestioning the “no” Asking for things you don’t really want/need Also mentioned in this episode: “Go for No” by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz  https://amzn.to/3vjEtaZDid you recognize yourself in any of the ways I talked about in this episode? So many of my clients knew they were struggling and suspected they were holding themselves back in their business when they hired me, and one of the first things we did was to assess their mindset and habits.  If you don’t know what isn’t working, you won’t know what to change, right?  I created a quiz with 6 different behaviors I often see in female solopreneurs that limit their income, profit, and success.  Once you take the quiz, you will receive specific feedback, guidance, and practical advice about your particular challenge and more importantly, steps you can take to fix it.   Click on this link to take the quiz: What’s Holding You Back?   https://bit.ly/obstaclesquizWith 20+ years of experience as a psychotherapist and 7+ years as a coach, I rarely meet a solopreneur who wouldn’t benefit from some expert guidance. Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see if my signature 12-week 1:1 coaching program is right for you. https://calendly.com/diannwingert/free-consultation/So, that’s all for now, Driven Woman!  Please join us next week for an amazing guest interview with Nicole Lewis Keeber, my first-ever repeat guest. Nicole and I will be talking about what entrepreneurs need to know about trauma and why it seems like everyone on the internet is suddenly claiming to be a trauma specialist.  In the meantime, stay driven! 

Just because you work for yourself, doesn’t mean you need to work by yourself.  Hiring a virtual assistant can be one of the best investments in your solopreneur business because you simply can’t do everything on your own as efficiently and profitably as you can with the right kind of help.  I can say without reservation that hiring a VA changed my business and I should have done it sooner.  Today’s guest, Belinda Sandor,  is a business workflow and productivity expert with 25 years of experience, and the founder of RocketGirl Solutions. After years of being hired by small businesses on a contract basis to act as their part-time “business manager,” she turned her experience into founding The VA Connection, a professional online community with the goal of educating and connecting independent virtual assistants around the world.  Belinda is also a sought-after speaker and has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Reader’s Digest, and other national and local media. Our conversation today is about how to partner with your VA so that they can accelerate your business growth and profit.   Want to connect with Belinda Sandor?  Let me count the ways! RocketGirl Solutions: https://rocketgirlsolutions.com/The VA Connection: https://www.thevaconnection.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belindawasser/Want Belinda’s help to hire your very own VA? https://thevaconnection.mykajabi.com/hire A virtual assistant can be a tremendous asset in your business, but just having one isn’t going to solve every problem, especially if those challenges are related to your business mindset.  Mindset tends to be overlooked by many solopreneurs who don’t really understand why they are stuck at a certain level of business growth or income.  I created this quiz to help you figure out the underlying reason you feel stuck.  Take the quiz and get your personalized result, as well as the first steps for what to do about it!    What’s Holding You Back?    https://bit.ly/obstaclesquizIs Your Business Slower in the Summer? If you need the focused attention on your business & life that is only available through 1:1 coaching, click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with Diann to see if her 12-week private coaching program is right for you.  Summer is a slower time for many businesses, so why not spent this summer investing in yourself? Free Consultation for 1:1 Coaching Want to add yourself to the waitlist for our next round of coaching groups?  There is no obligation, but if you want to get more information, you need to be on the list, so click here:    Group Coaching Waitlist Before you bounce, don’t forget to leave a review of The Driven Woman Podcast.  It really does help other Driven Women find the showApple: https://apple.co/2BZDFzcAndroid: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-driven-woman-1194485Don’t forget to join us next week for Episode #117 when I return with a solo episode called “From Chasing Clients to In Demand”. Join me next Tuesday, August 2nd when it drops! 

In this value-packed solo episode,  I share my perspective on a word that is totally overutilized in the coaching industry: AUTHENTICITY;  and why I think what is being taught by many is actually manipulative AF and anything but authentic.  My definition of authenticity involves true vulnerability, courage, and risk-taking and is strategic, not tactical.  IMHO, authenticity is your unfair advantage, but there is more to it than that. What else can contribute to your unfair advantage?Education, training, certifications Experience and expertise, paid, volunteer and apprenticeLife lessons, personal development, and even post-traumatic growth Gifts, talents, and obstacles you’ve overcome Acknowledging forms of privilegeThe more authentic I have become, the more I have been learning to unmask myself and share who I am, and the more I understand that I’m not the only one who feels like a square peg in a round hole,  who has paid a high price for conforming to the norm and is learning to excavate myself from under layers of cultural conditioning that began almost in the womb.  But, authenticity as your unfair advantage does not mean sharing everything with everybody indiscriminately, either.  What you share with the public, with your audience, and with your clients can, and probably should differ and authenticity never involves breaching trust or exposing information involving others when you have not requested consent. Also mentioned in this episode: Helen Polise The Tik Tok Teacher, Episode #114 Coach Pam Peterson, Episode #110 Heather Zeitzwolfe, Episode # 84 If you find yourself thinking “I have no idea how to be authentic in my business” or “unfair advantage? Nope, I’m offering the same thing as everyone else”, it might be time to invest in the expert guidance of a business strategist and mindset coach.  Being a solopreneur can be overwhelming and you don’t have to figure it out alone.  The first step is to identify which habits and behaviors are holding you back.  I created a quiz with 6 different behaviors I see in female solopreneurs.  Once you take the quiz, you will receive specific feedback, guidance, and practical advice about steps you can take to fix it.   Click on this link to take the quiz: What’s Holding You Back?   https://bit.ly/whyb-quiz With 20+ years of experience as a psychotherapist and 7+ years as a coach, I rarely meet a solopreneur who wouldn’t benefit from some expert guidance. Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see if my signature 12-week 1:1 coaching program is right for you. https://bit.ly/calendly-free-consultation Let’s connect on Instagram: https://bit.ly/DWC-InstagramSo, that’s all for now, Driven Woman!  Please join us next week for an amazing guest interview with Belinda Sandor on why you ( yes you ) need a virtual assistant.  In the meantime, stay driven! 

Whether we are talking about YouTube, Instagram Reels, or TikTok, showing up online increasingly relies on being on video.  You can still reach people with your words via blogging, or your voice, via podcasting, but when you add video to the mix, you 10x the connection your audience feels with you, turbo-charging the process of converting casual observer into a devoted follower and potential client.  So, why aren’t all of us jumping on the video bandwagon?  The top three obstacles are technology, bandwidth, and confidence, and I am pretty damn sure that confidence (or lack of it) is the biggest hurdle.  Helen Polise is my inspiration and today’s guest on the podcast.  A successful producer of TV commercials for the past three decades, Helen knows her way around a camera and how to attract and engage an audience.  She took her pandemic pause and turned it into her new passion: teaching TikTok! I also had a not-so-hidden agenda for this interview. If you listen all the way to the end,  you’ll see how and you’ll also see exactly why I can’t say enough about Helen Polise. The Tik Tok Teacher's Tips for Video Confidencefind your passionshare your authentic selfput yourself out there consistentlyembrace life fully, even the "bad stuff"it's okay to make mistakesremember to support your community Mic Drop Moment:   “You will find YOUR friend group by being you.” If you’d like to connect with Helen Polise, here are a few ways to do so:Tik Tok Confidence_Helen’s very affordable, easy-to-follow course: https://bit.ly/tiktokconfidenceSocialize_the free platform Helen co-founded to make social media easier for all of us: https://www.hellosocialize.com/sign-up/TikTok: @themuthership IG: https://www.instagram.com/themuthership/Is Your Business Slower in the Summer? If you need the focused attention on your business & life that is only available through 1:1 coaching, click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with Diann to see if her 12-week private coaching program is right for you.  Summer is a slower time for many businesses, so why not spent this summer investing in yourself? Free Consultation for 1:1 CoachingWant to add yourself to the waitlist for our next round of coaching groups?  There is no obligation, but if you want to get more information, you need to be on the list, so click here: Group Coaching Waitlist Don’t forget to join us next week for Episode #115 when I return with a solo episode called “What is Your Unfair Advantage?” Each of us has a superpower, your awesomesauce, a gift that can be leveraged to make our business stand out from the rest.  Do you know what yours is?  Join me next Tuesday, July 19th when it drops!  

If you are a coach, consultant or other professional service providers, I don’t have to tell you how frustrating it is to be on a sales call with someone who is not a legitimate prospect and believe me, it feels bad for them too.   When you are just getting started, you may choose to work with almost anyone who is able and willing to hire you, but  once you are established, and find yourself in the enviable position of having a waiting list or being able to hand pick your clients, you need a system. Having a screening or application process in place allows you to focus on identifying and serving only those clients that have the motivation, expectations, and resources to benefit from working with you, who will achieve amazing outcomes, and who will happily sing your praises, all of which helps keep your pipeline full.   We have all heard that you need to attract your ideal clients and repel everyone else, but how do you do this in a practical and efficient way? One of the strategies I have developed in order to make sure I am getting in front of the right people, for the right reason at the right time is my consultation process and the language I use and the questions I ask of anyone scheduling a consultation with me.  I use Calendly, but you can apply the same process to Acuity, Schedule Once or any other online scheduler.  In this value-packed solo episode, I walk you through my exact system and how it benefits both me and the prospective client, even if we decide not to work together.  What to call it & why: consultation, interview, application, discovery call How it creates value for your ideal client & deters those who will never hire you The 5 questions you simply must ask (and what happens if you don’t) Uncommon advice on your availability and appointment reminders Also mentioned in this episode: Claudia Schalkx, marketing consultant  https://bridge2more.com/If you find yourself thinking “I never thought about screening my prospects like this,” I’ve got a lot more expert guidance to share with you.  Being a solopreneur can be overwhelming and you don’t have to figure it out alone.  The first step is to identify which habits and behaviors are holding you back.  I created a quiz with 6 different behaviors I see in female solopreneurs.  Once you take the quiz, you will receive specific feedback, guidance, and practical advice about steps you can take to fix it.   Click on this link to take the quiz: What’s Holding You Back?   https://bit.ly/whyb-quizWith 20+ years of experience as a psychotherapist and 7+ years as a coach, I rarely meet a solopreneur who wouldn’t benefit from some expert guidance. Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see if my signature 12-week 1:1 coaching program is right for you. https://bit.ly/calendly-free-consultationIf you are the kind of entrepreneur who learns as much from others as you do when you and your business are the sole focus, my brand new group membership program is starting soon and the first step is to get on the waitlist. Click here to be notified of all the details: Group Coaching Waitlist  So, that’s all for now, Driven Woman!  Please join us next week for an amazing guest interview on being confident on video with Helen Polise, The Tik Tok Teacher, and in the meantime, stay driven! 

I love working with creatives and today’s guest, my client Lauren Hirsch was one of my favorites.  Lauren decided to work with me after interviewing several other coaches and even having the first session with one of them.  She had just been diagnosed with ADHD and was struggling to find direction in her career,  create consistent habits, and feel more confident and intentional.  We worked together for 12 weeks in my 1:1 coaching program, from November - to February.  Literally the day after we finished our engagement, her boyfriend of several years, whom she was living with, broke off the relationship.  Lauren had to move out, find a new place to live, and was looking for a new job at the same time.  With this much disruption and change, Lauren was worried that all the positive changes in mindset and habits we had created together would be lost. I must admit I was a little worried about that, too. What you will hear in this Client Success Story interview, which was recorded almost four months after we finished working together, is that did not happen. In fact, not only is Lauren thriving in her new job and apartment, but the work we did together is so evident in the way she sees herself, the way she makes decisions, and most of all, her identity as a creative.  Lauren learned that being a creative means she literally sees and experiences the world differently, so she really can’t look to others for acceptance and approval, without first giving it to herself.  She wanted help with career direction, self-confidence, creating more structure and routines in her life, and managing her impulsivity as a multi-passionate creative.  What she got was all that, and a whole lot more.Lauren and I talk about:  Transforming perfectionism into self-trust Tuning out her inner critic and listening to her intuition Receiving constructive criticism from her boss as an opportunity Embracing her identity as a creative who can make her living from her gifts  Mic Drop Moment:  “Creativity is an identity, not a behavior.” Lauren Hirsch  If you’d like to connect with Lauren Hirsch,  find her on Instagram:@now_here_designs@bee_layer  Lauren knew she was a perfectionist before hiring me, but most of us just know we aren’t making progress without being clear about why. Perfectionism is just one of the six common struggles that may be holding you back, take my quiz and find out which one is yours, and what to do about it! What’s Holding You Back?https://bit.ly/whyb-quiz Thinking about working with me? If you need the focused attention on your business & life that is only available through 1:1 coaching, click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with Diann to see if her 12-week private coaching program is right for you. Free Consultation for 1:1 Coaching  Instagram: https://bit.ly/DWC-Instagram Before you bounce, don’t forget to leave a review of The Driven Woman Podcast, I’d love to read it on a future episode!    Apple: https://apple.co/2BZDFzcAndroid: https://bit.ly/TDWE-podchaser Don’t forget to join us next week for Episode #113, a value-packed solo episode. If you haven’t already, please follow/subscribe to The Driven Woman Podcast so you won’t miss a single thing! 

If you are a woman who has started her own business, I don’t have to tell you that you face quite a few challenges.  You have to know why you're in business, your goals and obstacles, and what's working and what isn't working.  You also need to know how to ask for the money, how much money to ask for, and how to feel good about asking for it.In other words, even in the most simple, solopreneur business: coaching, consulting or professional services, you need to know your why, what you are trying to achieve, your advantages and disadvantages, and what aspects of your business are actually driving your success and which ones are inhibiting or delaying it.  Our relationship with money is the other elephant in the room, and a surprising number of women have trouble with establishing their prices, selling, and accepting payment.  With all these challenges, the majority of us dive head first into consuming content about business,  hoping it will make the daunting task of decision-making easier or more comfortable.   There is nothing wrong with seeking advice, consulting or coaching, but the risk of following others, either too many experts or over-reliance on a so-called “expert” is you may very well end up with a business you hate.  As hard as it is to admit, you would not be alone if you ever said or thought this.  In fact, there is a growing number of women who have hit the wall in their business and don’t know what to do.  Like everything else in life, it starts with self-awareness. What you’ll learn in today’s episode: Four wrong ways to start a business The warning signs that your business isn’t right for youWhy you need a simple business plan My thoughts about the word “expert” in the online world There is hope, even if you hate your business, so don’t give up! If you find yourself thinking “I hate my business”,  you don’t have to figure this out alone.  The first step is to figure out the habits and behaviors that are holding you back.  Take my quiz and you will find out your specific challenge but will receive feedback, guidance, and practical advice about steps you can take to fix it.   Click on this link to take the quiz: What’s Holding You Back?   https://bit.ly/obstaclesquizWith 20+ years of experience as a psychotherapist and 7+ years as a coach, I rarely meet a solopreneur who wouldn’t benefit from some expert guidance in this area. Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see if my signature 12-week 1:1 coaching program is right for you. https://calendly.com/diannwingert/free-consultation/If you are the kind of entrepreneur who learns as much from others as you do when you and your business are the sole focus, my brand new group membership program is starting soon and the first step is to get on the waitlist. Click here to be notified of all the details: Group Coaching Waitlist  Join The Driven Woman Facebook GroupThe place to be for entrepreneurial women who are ready to go from driven and distracted to focused, fired up, and flame retardant  (https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedrivenwoman) Let’s connect on Instagram:: https://www.instagram.com/coachdiannwingert/ So, that’s all for now, Driven Woman!  Please join us next week for an amazing guest interview and in the meantime, stay driven! 

I just love inviting someone I have worked with to join me on the podcast for a Client Success Story episode.   As you will hear in the preview to this one,  I do not interview my clients during or immediately after we have completed my 12 week coaching program, when the bond is strong and they are flying high on how much we have accomplished together.  I wait a few months, because I am not interested in only helping my clients during the time they are actively working with me.  My goal is to set them up for the kind of success that lasts,  and that they can maintain on their own.  In this convo, you will meet my client Pam Peterson, who is a health and wellness coach, specializing in working with women with chronic pain in a mind-body-brain framework.  Pam has a masters degree, a bunch of certifications and has learned what actually works for chronic pain, because she has been living with it for years.  Pam and I talk about:  How much she accomplished during our three months togetherThe mindset shifts she made and sustained The challenges she experienced and how we overcame them Why I am not the easiest coach to work with, but just right for herHow she has been able to maintain her momentum after working with me If you’d like to connect with Pam Peterson, here are a few ways to do so:Website: https://www.coachpampeterson.com/Book a  consultation: https://calendly.com/coach-pam-peterson/30min?month=2022-06Free chronic pain guide: https://subscribepage.com/a8a3p9Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@coachpampetersonIG: https://www.instagram.com/coach.pam.peterson/Pam knew what was standing in her way before hiring me, but but most of us just know we aren’t making progress without being clear about why. If there is a gap between where you are and where you want to be, take my quiz and get your personalized result, and what to do about it! What’s Holding You Back?https://bit.ly/obstaclesquizThinking about working with me? If you need the focused attention on your business & life that is only available through 1:1 coaching, click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with Diann to see if her 12-week private coaching program is right for you. Free Consultation for 1:1 Coaching Want to add yourself to the waitlist for our next round of coaching groups?  There is no obligation, but if you want to get more information, you need to be on the list, so click here: Group Coaching Waitlist The Driven Woman Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedrivenwoman/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachdiannwingert/ Before you bounce, don’t forget to leave a review of The Driven Woman Podcast, I’d love to read it on a future episode!    Apple: https://apple.co/2BZDFzcAndroid: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-driven-woman-1194485

If you are anything like me, you have a tendency to procrastinate. You procrastinate on the trivial, but also on things that are important to you and when you do, it can create a lot of seriously negative consequences.   You might even think of yourself as a “procrastinator” (something I do not recommend, and talk about why, in this episode.)   I believe that everyone procrastinates on some tasks, some of the time,  but it’s just too easy to dump all those times when you said you would do something and you aren’t doing on the procrastination pile.  But, what if it  isn’t “just” procrastination?  What if it’s resistance, avoidance, imposter complex, resentment, or even your intuition pointing you in a different direction?  Sometimes,  labeling our behavior as “just” procrastination doesn’t go deep enough to identify the real issue.  When this is the case, treating it as procrastination isn’t going to work, or worse, get you even deeper into something that isn’t right for you.  There are times when we need to push ourselves and “just do it” and other times we need a completely different approach.  In this solo episode, we explore the different scenarios that we might incorrectly label as “just procrastination” that really aren’t, what is actually going on, and what to do about it. Discussed in this episode: How to identify when it’s “just procrastination” and when it’s something more The hidden emotion that pretends to be procrastination Uncovering intuition in your business through Radical Self Acceptance Why knowing your personal and business values leads to better decisionsWhat questions to ask yourself to to get unstuck and create confidence I have struggled with procrastination for most of my life, even as a high achieving and highly educated individual, until I learned that what appears to be “just procrastination” isn’t always so.  Learning that what I was labeling 'just procrastination" when it was something else helped me solve the real problem.  If you are struggling with procrastination, maybe it’s because you are trying to do something that is not aligned with your values, which creates resistance.  The good news is you can get crystal clear on your top 5 values and use them to make better decisions in your business and life.  Wanna know how?  Grab my FREE handout Identifying Your Core Value here With 20+ years of experience as a psychotherapist and 6+ years as a coach, I rarely meet a solopreneur who wouldn’t benefit from some expert guidance in this area. Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see if my signature 12-week 1:1 coaching program is right for you. https://calendly.com/diannwingert/free-consultation/If you are the kind of entrepreneur who learns as much from others as you do when you and your business are the sole focus, my brand new group membership program is starting soon and the first step is to get on the waitlist. Click here to be notified of all the details: Group Coaching Waitlist  Join The Driven Woman Facebook GroupThe place to be for entrepreneurial women who are ready to go from driven and distracted to focused, fired up, and flame retardant  (https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedrivenwoman) So, that’s all for now, Driven Woman!