I’ve been watching something happen lately and it seems that the more our fear rises the more this issue has just gotten out of hand. It typically comes up behind closed doors in one of those private conversations I have with a client or a colleague who has hit the wall. The conversation starts something like this:

“I can’t do it anymore. Things are falling apart faster than I can keep up and I’m frustrated, overwhelmed and bleeding money so fast that I’m losing control. I need your help.”

My heart hurts when I hear this. First, because I totally know what it feels like to fall apart (of course it’s happened to me too.) Second because now that I know what I know from going through being unconscious in my growth I also know what to do differently.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about yet then perhaps you have either been wise enough to not fall into this trap or you are still unconscious.

Here are some of the indicators you could be making unconscious growth choices:

* Because you’ve accumulated some debt or experienced a cash flow issue o take a big risk and launch in a very tight time frame.

* Your mentor told you to move faster to generate more income quickly (but you just feel like you are spinning out of control.)

* You have a big launch or new program and you spend thousands of dollars on new branding, hiring new people, and tons of energy moving heaven and earth to accomplish this in record time (but tons of mistakes and lots of breakdowns are happening along the way.)

* Your great ideas and fast-paced promotions sound exciting to you and your team but they fall flat when you bring them to market.

* As fast as you get new customers in the door they seem to be leaving.

You can’t keep good people on your team – or the people you hire or contract with never seem to deliver the results you want (hint: it’s probably you not them.)

* You have so many balls in the air that you can’t keep up and you are exhausted mentally, physically and financially.

If you saw yourself in one or more of these situations, don’t despair. It happens when we get focused on solving the wrong problems in our business. Most of us don’t know any better and we are actually trying to do the right thing. But we are being driven by a deep need that isn’t being met and that causes us to make disastrous unconscious decisions. My guess is you’ve been doing one of these three things:

1. Sell a program or service that is no longer aligned with your truth.

2. Grow at record speed without the right foundation.

3. Focus on making tons of money at the expense of good business practices.

Some of you will want to stop reading right now. That’s because I’m calling you on your crap. Trust me I know. I’ve done both. Don’t stop reading through.

Others will feel a sigh of relief knowing that you aren’t alone and that there is a better way to do this. Be prepared for what I’m about to tell you though because it’s opposite what many mentors will tell you.

How do I know? First cause I’ve made these same mistakes. But more importantly, recently I’ve been watching some very well meaning mentors implode lately after teaching their clients to do the very same things that aren’t working.

Here’s what does work.

1. Start telling yourself the truth about what you really want.
You don’t need to conquer the world or do what your hero did to get successful. You will grow rapidly and in a direct path by picking a business model that supports your values. Most importantly, you will want to get help to align the strategies with YOUR truth!

2. Grow by balancing getting your foundation solid WITH assertive goals.
It’s a rare person that can sustain success by marketing alone. Having a strong customer retention system in place is essential to sustain your investment in growth. It’s worth tackling this BEFORE you launch (mostly cause it’s costing you five times more to get new clients than it does to keep the ones you have.)

3. Focus on making a difference through massive value.
When you emotionally connect with people who know you are committed to solving their biggest challenges and you do so through massive value and really caring, they want to stay with you (even if you have some ups & downs.) When you focus on sales first, people feel it. They don’t want to be sold they want to be helped.

Today ask yourself the tough questions about how you are running your business. Are you happy and passionate about your work? Is your business running smoothly? Are your clients excited to stay with you? Are you experiencing the signs mentioned above?

If you can’t say 100% yes then join me for our new training program to help you turn your ship around called MARS – Magnetic Attraction and Retention System. It starts with a free training on the 9 principles of stellar value and service!

Author's Bio: 

Melanie Benson Strick, known as The Big Idea Catalyst, helps entrepreneurs re-energize their business, focus on the right opportunities, and to expand their impact with proven sustainable growth strategies. Ready to super-charge your business? Get 25 Tips to Re-Energize Your Business in 7 Days or Less at http://tinyurl.com/45j3ars