Erica Bigelow

Welcome to Behind the Lectern. Since 2006. Your host, Jeff Klein has been working with speakers at all levels, from beginners to Toastmasters International Award winners, from experts to national speaker Association Hall of Famers. In each episode, Jeff introduces you to some of these speakers as you learn about their speaker journey, how they got started, where they came from, where they're going, and more. Take the lessons they have learned on their way to help you with your own path to make speaking work for you. Let's get started.

Hey, everybody, Jeff Klein, here again with another episode of the behind the lectern, podcast and multicast. I'm excited to introduce you to today's guest, Erica Bigelow. Hi, Erica.

Hi, thank you for having me.

So glad you're here. Erica is the living and loving life coach. And we're going to learn more about that during our talk today. She has a deep, overwhelming desire to help people. And she really hates to watch people struggle. And that's what drives her every day. So we're gonna learn a lot more about that today, as well. I'm looking at living and loving life.us, which is her website, where she offers a 30 minute consultation to see if she's the right coach for you. So we'll we'll repeat that a couple more times while we're here, of course, but first, when was your first speech, first speech, and it have to do with what you're doing now it could have been, you know, earlier in life.

So I've always had like this niche of being in charge or taking charge of situations. So first speech to the first couple people, probably elementary school, not knowing what I was doing, you know, just simply talking, but actually, you know, planting seeds for people to one of the better

I love it, I love it. Now, when did you recognize speaking was a way to help you with your life coaching practice.

And me about two years ago, and I came about, um, okay, so like I said, is I didn't know what I was doing. But I had been doing it my whole entire life. And then now that I'm in the seat, I'm looking back at, you know, events and stuff, and was like, Oh, wow, I actually been doing this a lot longer than I am saying, you know, because I was doing it. Not only in my job, because I've always had job title work. Either I was a lead, or a manager or something where people would come to me for clearly professional advice, but it will always in turn, be something personal for them.

Yeah, I understand that. I was networking long before I knew that, that it had a name. And that it was the thing. I was doing it organically. Right? It was like, operating scars. Yeah. Ready for place? Yeah. Right. And of course, that was, so years before I was teaching it. I was actually doing it and just didn't recognize that it was a thing. I just thought I was, you know, introducing myself to people. Right. And asking them to introduce me to other people. Right, which is what networking is, right? Who knew, you know? And then so what kind of groups were you speaking to when you first realized you could promote your practice?

Um, so, all type of groups, like I said, I was just talking and it was my boss that got a lot of information for me, my sister, all of my friends, just random people. Anybody that would listen, I had something to say. And I'm like, please just hear me for a minute.

What about the first time it was there was an organized group that said, hey, Erica, would you please talk to us about what you're doing?

So I would have to say that that happened at my last job. Just needing to hold, you know, the the meetings, having to get people back in line. You know, just doing what I thought I was doing. But like you said, organically, it turned into motivating people in that same, you know, handling my job, all the information that my boss wanted me to relate to the employees, but then at the end, somewhere in that meeting, I thought to at least get in there with my stuff and just motivate people to want to be better because my thought is, the better you feel about yourself, the better employee you can be the better husband, wife, child, everything, it just kind of bleeds into all aspects. So I took a little five minutes of my own time and started to do my speech for them. Got it well,

and how did you start your coaching practice?

Um, clearly the pandemic happened Probably like a lot of people, I was doing the job and I felt like I hit the glass ceiling. This is it for me like, there's nowhere to go, you're at the highest, unless you're going to be the owner, you can't go when you were hired in the position you are, didn't feel like I was being filled or like, a wasted a lot of my day because I wasn't giving up my potential of what I was supposed to do. So I started doing some research looking around. And actually my sister was like, You know what, you'd be really good at life coaching, because you listen, well, you have really good advice. And, you know, it's your theme, like people just gravitate towards you and just want to start telling you their whole life. And you know, that's not normal, because people are very secretive. They don't want to talk. But for whatever reason, someone sits with me, and by the end of that 20 minutes, I know their whole life and given them couple assignments. Yeah.

Very cool. Yeah. And then, did you go and get a look at any of the certifications, or the trainings and stuff like that?

Okay, so after I was like, You know what? So she, she was like, why don't you just try it and see. So what I did was I put myself out there and tried to just coach before, right to see if it was something. Okay, let's see. Sure. And the first couple of people gravitated to me like nothing. It was I loved it. When I got off the call. I was like, Oh, my God, I found it. This is my seat, like your hope. Now. Let's perfect it. So then I did the certification and the training hours, and all of that, and I'm still training just so I, the better I can be the better I can be for everyone else.

Oh, yeah, we're all always learning. I mean, I don't have a there's not a certification attached with what I do. But I'm always you know, every week, some new information, I'm going on somebody, you know, somebody zoom or somebodies webinar, trying to, you know, better my offer and better myself and all that good stuff. So we're there. Most of us in this, in this category of helping other people are lifelong learners. And we understand that it's an ongoing things. Right. So let's talk tell us about which organization you got certified through. So I went through, it's called the world's Institute of coaching.

I did a niche, self love and self confidence, which was already my thing. But like you said, knowing as much information as possible is always good. So yeah, I went into the self love confidence Avenue. And I love it. Part of it.

So how often are you speaking now.

So I do have a podcast and I that goes, every Monday, it's motivational Monday's. But other than that, I think I'm speaking at least about two to three times a week, Zoom calls, clients, I do monthly motivational speeches with a company, a big company, they haven't come every month. So I'm doing it, I would like to have it more and more frequently. You know, I am fairly new about speaking in larger groups. So I do have that. I need to build that stamina. And also, that confidence, you know, the more I speak, the more I feel like, you know, it just comes out more smooth.

And how many of those every week are like at a roomful of prospects as opposed to speaking to clients and stuff like that? So like, a rotary or women's business group or

no, not? Yeah, no, we got to get together. Okay. No,

I'm asking as a way for the people listening to learn. I'm not I'm not asking as a way to say, well, Erica, you know, we help people do that. You know, the beauty of this concept of behind the lectern is for speakers by speakers, you know, and your speaker, and you just haven't done it as, as, you know, as many places as others, and we've got speak people on the show who've been, you know, doing it for 35 years. And, you know, and then there's other folks who've been doing it for, you know, for two. And that's why I wanted to do the show, so people would hear from both ends of the spectrum and everything in between. Yeah. So, um, let me ask you this. When did it click for you that speaking was a way to promote your coaching practice.

Learning, getting in I you know, there was I don't know how she connected with me, because I didn't look for her. But she came and found me where I found you as the speaker Playhouse. Just having those kinds of networking situations and learning from people that have been in the business for 35 years of what's the best way to get clients, how do I get myself out there so people can trust what I'm saying works, those kinds of things. So it's really a You know, business moves. I'm trying to network get across as many people as I can. Who knows who I'm going to rub shoulders with? And where I'm going to take me. We love speakers playoffs. Yeah, I do. I do.

Are you planning to be at the retreat here in Dallas in a few weeks?

Um, no, I actually, since the COVID. And everything I kind of been off of the secret Playhouse I usually go every faithful every Thursday. So I haven't even heard about it. She must have mentioned this the last couple of weeks. Yeah,

well, they're doing a speaker's retreat here in Dallas. And it's an in person event. But they they've also and I'm giving them another plug here. But they've also added a playing full out membership, which, which I could I'm a member of, and, you know, again, that's another one of those things where people say, Well, you know, you've been speaking for, but I got to do the math 18 years, you know, why are you doing that, it's because I want to, you know, always looking to get better always looking to learn more. So that membership includes two monthly showcase calls where you can go on and speak for 10 or 15 minutes and get and get coaching and feedback. And includes all the all the drops all the recordings of all the drops as part of the membership. It's a very cool program. And like I said, I opted in right away. And, you know, I'm I think it's fair to say we're part of that community, the speakers playoffs community, which is, for those of you listening who don't know, it's a weekly, 90 minute, walk in roles, and I say rock and roll because Kimberly have leads it is super high energy. And within that 90 minutes, 30 or, more like 40 people tell us, they've got a room and a place for speakers, whether that's a summit, or a podcast like this, and and then after that 50 or 60 speakers showcase their topics, and what audiences they're looking to get in front of. And we managed to throw in a breakout room, and some educational opportunities in there as well. So it's a jam packed 90 minutes. And I actually skipped yesterday and but that's the first time I missed in three or several months. It's it's well worth doing. It's worth the 90 minutes for sure. It's just a great community that we're learning from each other. It's where wire because a guest on this podcast because we met there and then did you do Potter palooza? No. Okay, that was another program that came out of that. But it's coming up again in March. So I would definitely look at signing up for that. Part of loses a full day of being on podcasts. Oh, wow. So they'll have 25 or 30 or more podcasters lined up to him to do interviews.Oh, wow. Yeah, I did. I did for at the first one. And I all but I also have payments for two more after that day. And while that's all going on, there are speakers teaching about podcasting and about things to do with podcasting in the general room, and then you go and, you know, when it's one o'clock and you've got it, you've got a scheduled appointment to be on a show you go and do that. And then you come back to the big room. And we'll, we'll should definitely share the links in the in the show notes and stuff like that. So that's the duck said it was and I don't need guests. So I'm going to go on and get on other shows. Other people want to get want to get more guests. So they they choose the podcaster side, and they get four or five guests for the day. So it takes a little, you know, little stamina to do five interviews in it. You know, we do what we can do, right?

Yeah. I'm glad you mentioned that because there are days when they have packed aback and I'm wondering like, should I be a little tired or is it okay to keep going? You know, so

Well, the both are true. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So okay to be tired and you can keep going. You know, I mean, I did. There was a time when I spoke twice a week. Okay, so that was the average for two years. I spoke twice a week. Wow. And twice a week is very man and that was in person. There was no zoom. There was no this was 2008 and 2009. That was the it was all in person. miles on my plot in the car getting there. Sometimes it was being in Do an hour away at seven o'clock in the morning? Because that was that came with the territory, right? And I don't recommend doing it three times in a day. Oh, I did it a few times. And I don't recommend doing it six times in a week. I did that once or twice. And that was just too much. It was a burnout. Yeah, yeah. And you got to have that energy when you're in front of the room. Yeah. Fortunately, my I feed off the audience, you know, some speakers give all their energy away. When they speak. And I the opposite. If I when I speak in the evening, I can't get to sleep at night. You know, because I'm still ramped up from speed. So, you know, again, those are things and you learn. Yeah. Yeah, and other bandwidth works for other people. And that's how I created my, my pathway to Profit System to turn it to our talking to customers and leads, because I spoke 250 times in a three year period. And I made a lot of mistakes. Right? And but what I teach her because it's much, much less painful to learn from somebody else's mistakes.

Yeah. And I'm that type. Yeah, I like to watch and then see how someone else did it and then just critique it to work out. Yeah.

I got the bruises. I got the heartache. I got the road rash. Yeah. You don't have to.

Know I get it. You know, especially because I feel the urgency of this topic. For me. It's huge, especially with we're living in now. You know, we so

need you now. I'm telling you even more than we did before. COVID.

Yeah. Like the world has done this crazy shift. Well, but and on the plus side, the world. Yeah, Trump. Yeah. So shift in a good way. Like, everybody has so many complaints about the COVID. And, you know, being at home and this and that, but honestly, I wouldn't be in this position that I'm in if it never happened, I wouldn't be able to do what I do from home. It. Never if I wasn't forced to do it. So it actually was a bit deeper. Very good. Yeah. And,

and, you know, I had ups and downs because of it. But one of the benefits of it is that I'm now an international podcaster. International, the website is in international now. I'd already done I'd already spoken to internet and international audience in America, you know, it wasn't an international conference. But one of my goals this year is to speak, to get paid to travel to speak at an international conference outside the US.

Nice. And we get to meet people that we would have never been able to come in contact with. It's just, it's actually very, I see a lot more positive than clearly there is a lot of negatives, but But I agree with you, you know, yeah, I'd love it. And of course, in your in this current, you know, your current career now, you won't be replaced by a robot. That's funny, I never even thought of that was very true. They're all that can't do what what we do?

No, no. Which is funny in the sense that very early on in fake artificial intelligence. There was a there was a program and I wish I could remember what it was called. But it was it was a advice, or counselor program.

And you were right.

Yeah, well, wasn't I mean, it was a computer. So he was a software program, and you would type in, you would ask, how are you doing? And how does that make you feel and all those leading psychology questions. And, and it was so funny, and we this was something we played with, like one person in high school had a computer at their house. And this was one of the things we played with on their computer, at parties, you know, it was like, and I it's so funny that I thought of that, because it was a fake artificial counselor at the counseling is what I mean, counseling and coaching are very different. Let me Well, let me let you expand on that. Tell tell folks the difference between counseling and therapy and coaching. So counseling is dealing with the past, coaching is dealing with the present and moving forward.

So basically recognizing what the issues are, why you're, we're there or here and then just moving yourself for how do we move forward with that information?

One, and let me submit this and you tell me if it doesn't click with you. Counseling is also about getting, you know, counselors ask more questions and give answers. And coaches give attention to that. you help your clients figure it out on their own, but you still make suggestions. Whereas the therapist doesn't usually doesn't make as many suggestions as a coach would.

Well, so I'm going to have to go against that a little bit.

That's fine. Yeah. It's

They teach not to give answers because then I'm imposing my thoughts are what works for me onto you, okay. may not work for you. Do you know and say, yeah, what they, what they do is to ask open ended questions are good questions that will have people thinking, in a way that can be like an aha, like, Oh, okay. So it's more of I think it's the different type of questions.

Okay, when maybe I'm thinking more business coach than life coach,

not even business coat period. As a coach, they tell you do not tell somebody what, actually my contract it says I am not. What I say is just my advice. Don't take it for Oh, Erica said I have to do that's not please no. But what it is, is, is just that there are certain questions that are asked to open thought processes that are not really open for some people. Okay. Well,

I'm glad I asked this. I'm glad I asked that because I wanted him Glad we could talk to people about that. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah,

I think they go pretty much parallel. Okay. Because a lot of times with my clients is they'll come to me struggling with something like, not happy with their job or having a problem with their relationship. And then we find out that there's some inner issues that haven't been addressed, or their subconscious that they kind of forgot about that is showing up in their worlds now. Yeah, very interesting. And very, every day is something different. It's never the same, you know? Right. So I like, oh, it's

certainly rewarding for the right people.

Yeah. Yeah.

That's why I call this a multicast. Because I wanted to experiment and so far, we haven't had any anybody asked questions from through the clubhouse. But that's a yet we've only had a few episodes and the whole concept for the part of this part of what we're doing right now we're recording episodes live on zoom in on clubhouse. Nice to let you know when your Episode will air so you can tell your friends as well. So tell me about your podcast.

So my podcast is called living and loving life, basically, helping people become the best versions of themselves. So people, essentially people that don't can't afford it financially or not sure that they want to do life coaching, or kind of in between, it's a place for them to come. And just get little tools and Gil gyms to help them become the best versions of themselves. Cool. You bring in guests. Yeah. Cool. Very good. Yeah.

How many episodes have you got? Have you been? Are you on so now?

I've recorded about 30 and I've already put out I think this is maybe my ninth I started in October so maybe like my 10th or 12th. Grade

and which podcasts programming you know, what are the resources you're using for that?

Anything? You can find it on Apple musics.

No I met I met What what are you would serve to get you out on everything.

Buzzsprout.

Okay. Buzzsprout.

Okay. Route is pretty good because it connects everything for you every one place. I am somebody gave me that advice. Pay it forward. That was a good place if you have if you don't have like a platform where you can podcasts that have their stats, everything. It's pretty. It's it, you should look into it.

For sure. Good. Well, that's, again, one of the things pardon my roommate. One of the things we we want to do here behind the lectern is help share resources with our audience. You know, so we shared speakers Playhouse PATA Palooza, the set speakers retreat and of course Buzzsprout and if you have an affiliate link for Buzzsprout send it over to me and I'll include it in the show notes. So people go check out Buzzsprout and decide to use it you get you get credit for it. So that's another thing that that I you know, is important to me and you know, is the affiliate thing I just we finally after being in business for having the website up for 16 years finally have an affiliate program. I always had one of have, you know, that wasn't automated, and now I have an automated affiliate program. So I don't have to manage, I just send people the link. And then they go and tell other people about the website. And when people when people join based on their recommendation they get, they get paid. So, and I encourage other coaches, to coaches to have, again, whether it's art, whether it's official, automated, or whether you just tell people, you know, when you refer a friend, you get a free month or you know, whatever the case may be. So that's always important. What else should we talk about Erica about what you're doing to help folks?

Oh, whatever you like,

what, what are some of your goals when it comes to speaking for living and loving life?

So my goal is to be in front of the huge audience and being able to touch as many people as possible in a short amount of time, because you know, the one on one coaching is one, but so I would like if my vision sees like, maybe once a month, going out and doing the speech, wherever that is. And, you know, expanding that way,

okay, who is your niche? Who would you who resonates with Erica, who you know, that we should be? We hear this podcast, and we go, wow, I have a friend who needs your help. Whoo, hoo. might, what would give us clues that, that you're the person for that friend.

So I hate to minimize myself, because I feel like I need to get everywhere. But I would say my group is anywhere from like, 25 to 45. Women professionals that are in a situation where they feel stuck, or don't really know what direction to go now. And, yeah, but you don't want to exclude men. I don't have a lot of men clients, I probably have about five or six. But I think everybody needs that self love and confidence loves true to come into themselves, regardless men or women, you know, say it's just women? Wow.

Yeah, well, the thing we do when when we talk about target audience, we make choices. And those choices are where we're going to spend our time, money and effort. First, we're not going to turn down a client who shows up, right, usually, but we're going to we have to make choices because there's only 24 hours in a day. Exactly. And we don't want to be awake all 24 of those hours.

I think. So I've heard this before, like multiple times, when we had our thing is like I need to just have a target audience. But then, for some reason, my heart is like, Well, what about the other people? You know, but yeah,

well, here's, think about it this way. Creating a target audience is not about excluding other people. Right? It's about focusing on the people you can help the most. Now.

So the target audience can change is what

Absolutely, and you can have three, you should I mean, I talked about having three of them. Okay. You know, so the one we're starting

If you have three of them, how, what's to say? Where you put majority of your time into.

That's why you do start with one and you have campaigns, programs for the one and then once those are running, you can start a campaign or a program for the second one.

Got it

Yeah. Yeah.

I feel better about that.

Yes. And then you're again, you're not trying to reach too many people at one time. You wait until your machine is working. And then you add another sector.

Got it? Yeah, makes sense. And again, I wouldn't go past three. Okay. Yeah. time you get the three, the third one up and running, it'll be time to revisit the first one.

Got it? Yeah. And how often do you revisit your probe like your systems?

It kind of depends on the results. You know, if you're getting really, really good results, some people say well spend more money there and get more of those. Sometimes as a practitioner, we want to, we want to deal with a different set of problems as the in our daily work. And so as as a as a heart centered person, sometimes we need to work with a different prop with a different set of problems to maintain our energy. So sometimes your heart will tell you when it's time to find some more from different people. Yeah,

it's the sinew, that's the thing. And I love that. Because just that simple thing, everything is in you. Anything you need about your whole entire life, whatever that is. It's in you if you are aware, and mindful of it, it answers. You're right. You're right. Awesome.

Yeah, addressing your first Avatar, your first niche of young, younger career women. There are associations of women of every profession. So there's a women engineers was women and it women attorneys, women in architecture, women in accounting, you name it, there's an association for that. And that

The association means you're a part of something?

Now, what an association it means is they have week their monthly events. So if it's a happy hour, you can go to the event and network. If it's a lunch. It's a it's an event, you can go and speak. How do you get to be part of these groups? Google? OK, Google and meetup. I mean, you search them out. So if you type in Women's Association, wheret are you basing in

Las Vegas?

Okay, so if you typed in Women's Association, Las Vegas, you'll get a lot of convention results. Mm hmm. But you also get the Las Vegas Association of Women in Engineering for the Las Vegas Association of Women in, in hospitality.

And that is one become somebody that they call to talk to,

you have to reach out and pitch them. In this situation, you have to say, hey, who, who first of all, you start with who? Who plans your monthly lunches? Or who invites the speakers to your monthly lunches. And the first thing they'll usually come back with is well, we don't pay our speakers. What do you want? Well, as I'm willing to waive my fee for the right, right, roomful of people, okay, you know, and again, I'm teaching a little bit of what we talk about speaker Co Op, it's not, it's not about speaking for free, it's about being willing to waive your fee. Because you want to get Yeah, well, and but they'll never pay a speaker.

point, the point is to go there and get clients, right.

And but by positioning yourself as somebody who is sharing value, not giving away, you're not giving it you're you're you're waiving the fee, instead of being for free. So the crapper words, yeah, the money the money doesn't change. Great, great. But the but the your positioning, does and professionalism. And here's another part of it, Erica, make sure they're thinking of you as somebody who gets paid, not as somebody who does this for free.

That's the reason for saying always low key, correct.

And that's also the value. And that's also when you're when you get the speaking engagement, then you're also going to offer a book or a webinar or something people will buy, so that they think of Erica as somebody they pay for help, not get help for free.

Okay,

I know the coaching people teach you to do the 30, the free consultation, which does work, it is a workable program. But you will also have to make sure you qualify the people for the free consultation. So before I do a free consultation, I need to do like a call. It's fine. Well, it has to do with what you say to them. And I've learned, you know, I learned some of this from some some very successful coaches. And it's saying things like, I only work with people that I can help. And the point of this consultation is for us to decide if we want to work together. And in the consultation goes well, at the end of the 30 minutes, I'm going to tell you how we can how you can hire me to help you.

Okay, yeah, so that's I already kind of say that for my clients now is like I do offer the first 30 minute consultation to see if this is a good fit for you. And life coaching is something that you would like to invest in.

Right, right. And that's an important word. Yeah. Remembering. Remembering to include words like invest and stuff like that. Yeah. And some of this, you know, again, some of this may just be a reminder, and some of them may be new, and some of them may be stuff you've heard before. But it's all again, it's all about positioning. And one thing that a lot of coaches either forget or aren't comfortable with is remembering that they're in business

I know i have that problem. I had it from the beginning because I'm like, everybody's pro bono. And I'm like, so on my laptop I have, do you want a hobby or a business? Good for you, just to keep in my head like this has to be financially okay to do or you will not be able to transition all the way to this completely. Yeah, just has to be what it is. Yeah, that's really important. Yeah.

And what I had to do was remind me either remind, remind myself, that I owe it to the people to give them the opportunity to buy that if I don't, because they need my help. And if I don't tell them how they can help, how I can help them, then they won't get the help. So by not offering a sale by not offering to pay me to help them. I'm ripping them off because I'm giving them they're missing out because I'm not offering. Yeah, if they miss out because they choose not to take advantage of it. That's not on me. But if they miss out because I didn't offer. That's why I'm doing them a disservice.

It was a hard thing for me. Yeah. I understand. The money part. It was. Yeah, it was for me too. Oh, after a while. You're saying you got easier? Go? Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

And what's funny, is I grew up in retail, and I learned I was a great always a great closer in retail. No cash or charge, you know, you're ready to do let's let's any batteries. With that, you know, let's go to the register. And let's, let's find a purse to match the shoes. And let's get you some polish. So the shoes will always look good. I mean, I was great at closing and selling on the retail floor. But when it came to selling services, I was less comfortable making the offer. Yeah, and I would also devalue. Well, this usually cost 3000. But for you today. Yeah. And you really have to stick to your guns. Yeah, yeah. And I slip. I have the occasional slip.

Still?

Yeah. I slip now is by not charging enough? Yeah. But but tell everybody it's not. I can't do zero. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And I raised some prices. Justice COVID was hitting. And I have not gone back and reduce them.

Nice. Yeah, I just raised my price up a little bit, too. Yeah. Yeah. It's just. And then when they say yeah, sure. I'm so surprised. I'm not you're sure the price is. You know, in my mind,

that's, that's okay. So here's a sales lesson for everybody. When you asked when once somebody said you got to shut up when you make the offer. Right. And that's it. You're done. First person who talks next loses? Yeah. And when they say yes, your neck, you're the only words out of your mouth. Next would be Thank you. And how do you want to pay for that? Not Are you sure?

Yeah, no, no, no, no. But no, I'll say, Okay, I'll send you the welcome packet. And we'll see you back next week at this time, blah, blah, just shut it. So there's no time to think and maybe, you know, I already think that's what they taught in school to is make sure before you hit that. You have the schedule of appointment.

Yep. And I do that I decide when do you want when do you want to do your first strategy session? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So. Okay, awesome.

So what else should people know about Erica before we end our podcast today?

Um, so yeah, if you are looking to get out of a situation where you're stuck, and you just don't feel like you have direction, I feel like I'm your person. And I try to be as positive as possible and as motivating as possible, and just that support system that people need.

Okay, and we will share your links for the free consultation in the show notes. And again, the consultation is the is a sales conversation. Ultimately, if you're ready for coaching, which means you're ready to pay somebody to help you, then you should have some consultations with some coaches. Yep. So what do you like best about your coach if you're working with a coach as well?

Yes. And I would say she is me. Already done this for a while. Okay. You know, like, I feel like we vibe very well. We're kind of on the same page. And that's usually I think, that's what I feel is the best way to be with your coach. so that it goes smoother versus bumping heads and trying to make somebody think something else or do something else. Yeah, offices probably don't attract when it comes. Not this not in this way. No.

Good. I'm glad I asked. Because I also want to mention to people one of my biggest advice for people when they're looking for a coach, and I do a lot of coach referrals. Don't hire a coach who doesn't have a coach.

Yeah, absolutely. Because then you don't know the meaning or the value or whatever. Yeah, there.

There's a long list of reasons or a short list of reasons why they don't have a coach.

Right.

And And yet, it I mean, hire coach, you as a coach like Erica Bigelow.

Exactly, please reach out. I'm here. That's what I'm here for. So I will be available.

And it's the living and loving life podcast. And the website is living and loving life dot U. S. And there's a button there for the free absolute supplementary consultation. See if you want to hire Erica, and if Eric is willing to be hired by you. Because that's part of it, too. Right. You'll you'll want to work with, you know, you don't. What's beautiful about I've had to fire clients. Yeah. Yeah,

I refuse to take people's money if we're not moving along. And you're really, you know, committed to the process. Because there's no point I could have that space for somebody that really is committed and wants to move forward.

And that's a huge growth thing for you as a business person is to recognize that and not be not be so desperate. You have to have you have to there. You need their money more than they need your help. Yeah. Yeah. Super. All right. Well, this has been behind the lectern with Erica Bigelow. Thank you so much, Erica, and we will see you around the podcasts.

Thank you so much.

Welcome.

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