Last week I was speaking to a beautiful, talented young woman just starting her own business.
I recommended for her to read Lessons of a Lipstick Queen by Poppy King.
I recommended it because I love Poppy’s super engaging, creative way of talking about building a business.
Poppy has the perfect description of me + my coaching business right now
“If you have ever lived with a cat, you may have seen them moving round and round in a circle before deciding exactly where to sit. Once they’ve picked a spot, though, you can’t budge them. That’s what a marketing point of view should be like. Circle around the vicinity where you are looking to market, then decide on what it is you are saying, and sit on it.” (Poppy King)
Me (with short hair) and Tigger while on the trip of a lifetime. One of the families I worked with when I had my school, took me to Disneyland. Their dad really didn’t want to go to and I love Disneyland so I offered to go in his place.
I’m like that cat moving round and round my coaching business not having decided exactly where to sit yet.
I have so many interests and gifts in business and life. I’m in that stage of growing my new business as a coach where I’m trying things on to see if I like them.
Sometimes I feel like I’m bouncing around with Tigger!
Exactly how do I want to niche? (It’s recommended, of course…niche-ing) Picking that one perfect little zone of genius that only you can really serve in the unique way that you uniquely possess.
My (adult) History In Biz
When I started Musicalia I resisted niche-ing. Musicalia wasn’t a music school in the beginning, it was an Educational Service.
I officially registered my business as ‘Musicalia Educational Services’. The Musicalia bit came from a dream I’d had and even though I didn’t know exactly what I’d do in my business I knew for sure it would have the name “musicalia” in it.
I offered music lessons and creativity classes for adults as well as multi-generational music workshops, professional development workshops for classroom teachers, worked as a travelling consultant to school districts, accepted commissions for book-binding projects and large scale acrylic paintings.
A strange mix I know but I was trying to figure out how to break out of my union-controlled teaching position in the school district and was literally throwing everything into the mix.
I was circling. Big time.
It just happened that I was teaching a baby music class for my 1 year-old nephew on Saturday mornings as a favour to my sister. Those classes grew exponentially over an 18- month period (like from 3 babies to 120) and I ended up not having time for all that other stuff. In the end, I had to niche and give the rest of it up.
I had circled around my community to see which of my gifts would be most attractive and also create an income.
That’s how my music school was born. Organically. So organically, I had quite a few people tell me to ‘grow up’ and go back to my real job. That was over 2 decades ago so clearly I didn’t listen to them.
The music school is now closed and I’m trying to determine which of my gifts will be most outwardly useful AND self-delighting now?
My Current Circling Thoughts
Will I coach only women?
Will I include programs on money? (I LOVE talking about money mindset, wealth building and money healing so I’m definitely leaning to creating something here.)
Will I include only self-study programs? 1:1 coaching? group coaching too?
Will I include my gifts at creativity coaching?
Will I ONLY focus on business coaching?
Will I work only with beginners? Women over 40? Under 40? With creatives? With folks who need emotional relief? Will I do energy work…only? Or as part of my life coaching?
I’m circling.
Where will I feel good?
Where can I give from my heart?
Where do others think I serve best?
Where will I make the most money?
Will I use my intuitive gifts? Can I help but use them?
I’m circling…like that cat.
And the young woman I spoke to last week sent me a message.
“I loved talking to you. You really have something special that resonated with me so much, so thank you. So happy you reached out to me.”
I spoke with many people last week. It’s part of my circling. My intuitive gifts had me reaching out to this woman because I knew she needed an ear. Most people contact me though:)
The one thing I know for sure right now is I LOVE talking to people about their lives AND businesses. I feel completely awake when I do. I feel like I’m on purpose and doing something I should be doing.
I love…
- talking to people who really want to workshop and express their thoughts
- being the person with the puzzle-solving brain
- talking to people who love my ‘intuitive hits’
- those working jam-session strategy sessions full of ideas, brainstorms and possibility for other people’s businesses
- the energy created by problem solving and how spent I feel afterward
- sitting with folks who are in pain, hearing their heart’s expression, their fears, their challenges, supporting them as they move back to center
- the ease of energy healing work
- meeting new people
- that my client base is international now (wow)
Are you circling?
Or do you know exactly what you’re marketing and centered on in your biz?
I’d love to know exactly what YOU do.
Hopefully you will be able to leave a link to your website if you have one. See you in the comments!
WOW, This completely resonates with me Susan! I feel like I’m circling too. I have been building the foundation to my offerings outside of my event business. You are so spot on with talking to others to see what intuitive hits you get that feel like the right path to pursue. I love they way look at things and make connections. Thank you for this!! XO
I’m so glad I’m not the only one! Thanks, Susie…it’s going to be so amazing when we stop circling and find our sure places.
Great post, Susan. I don’t know that I’m circling so much as accepting the fact that I have many passions and many talents and they all “circle” back to one mission: to help women lead a more delicious, fully expressed life at the table and in their entrepreneurial lives.
For a long time I tried to do the niche-ing thing and I can absolutely see the wisdom in it. But it’s just not for me. So I create niche-specific programs instead and that allows me to move in and out of my passionate pursuits with ease. More work? Yes. More fun? Yes. And, like you, self-delighting (love that phrase, BTW) is very important to me. This is my second career and it’s got to be fun! Thanks for a delightful post.
Thank you, Sue Ann. I love your idea of creating niche-specific programs rather than getting niched entirely and yet I completely understand how what you are doing has a larger umbrella of leading women to something delicious and fully expressed…mmmmm:)! Cheers to you, O Wise and Self-Delighting One! I hope my second career will be as self-delighting as yours clearly has become. Thank you.
Yes, I am circling! There are so many things I have done and can do! Yes, women only, but I help men too!! Relationships? yes, I am an expert in helping people navigate their way through relationships and much more than that. Intuitive Body Wisdom, but who knows what that is? Exactly, and that is where my circling is finding it’s resting spot. WI was successful and I had an emptiness and it is the practices of what i call “Intuitive Body Wisdom, that guided me to find my centre, become aligned with my deepest heartfelt desires and be aligned between what i think and I feel. So my circling is closing in and expanding at the same time.
A fellow circler! Welcome, Deb! I can feel you closing in and expanding too, shifting what needs to shift with your own Intuitive Body Wisdom. thank you! xo
Catwoman. Circling like a cat. Me. Superheros. Cats. I love them all. Like I love all the things I love to do. Me too. People. What I love the most? … is just helping people find what it means to be themselves, without judgement, without expectation,… just being there… in their life… .with themselves. How does one market such things? Maybe when you look from the outside in, it’s called niching… but when you look from the inside out, that for me, is selfing. I just invented a new word for myself! Inspired by being here with you and responding to your WONDERFUL way of writing. Such a gift you have that when you settle and then circle and then settle, I think it will all be just so perfect. PS and the title of this post… I LOVE IT!!! oh gifted one ….
Ohhhh…Selfing! Good. Thanks, Elizabeth! Love that. Love that. And thank you for your encouragement with the writing after this long dry spell!
You are so welcome. I LOVE YOUR WRITING!
Elizabeth you are the most encouraging person EVER:) Thank you.xo
I would say I am circling a bit. I am still trying to decide whether I should really market my services for those wanting birth control or those trying to get pregnant. Or just to help empower women to help them with their health.
It’s hard!
Hi Hannah, I can see that would be hard. Hormonal circling…I can almost imagine one of those meditation walks…you know, the kind where a person walks a maze with the end result being peace. Hormonal circling…someone might search for you for birth control and then may want to get pregnant and after that just really want to be empowered to maintain their health and it could all be part of the circling under the umbrella of empowerment. ooooo…good luck with that!
Loved this! For a while I felt like I was circling, but now I think I’ve narrowed down my focus for my coaching practice…then again, if things don’t go as planned, I’m willing to be flexible and circle again. Who knows – if that happens maybe I’ll circle back to this post and read your thoughts and ideas again! Thanks!!
Thanks, Stacey! and you’re welcome! Whispers for Wellness…I’m going to visit you.
Love this, Susan! I am definitely circling right now. I like your terminology – it makes it sound like a more peaceful and natural process (I used the term “spaghettification” in a previous post – feeling pulled in opposite directions). I am having a hard time narrowing my focus, but I feel like we just have to keep throwing stuff out there to see what sticks. It’s so nice to hear I’m not alone in this!
Hi Beth, I love the feeling of circling myself. It just feels more relaxed and like it will lead me to a natural place of happiness. We’ll have to check in with one another to see if narrowing in really is the right path or if a wider path will work better!
Circling, beautiful! I circle quite a bit. I love that in a circle, it all comes back to the beginning, kind of like seasons. It feels more comfortable to me that way, enveloping rather than moving away. Love this!
Love the metaphor of circling! And bouncing like Tigger, which I feel like I am doing now, I keep getting business, all good, but it is keeping me in Tigger mode and I need a little cat circling time to regroup.
Hi Heather…I mean Tigger…I mean Heather:)
I just took a look at your site…so lovely!
Food and Healing…I want to learn more.
Circling, circles, spirals…love them all. Hmmmmm? I circle around the cul-de sac from time to time too! Great images for continuous motion, which is really important for me. I have landed where it feels right, AND I believe it’s always good to circle around to see what else tugs deeply with my multi-passionate self. This is a great nudge for me to circle often!
delightful post, susan! i “circled” for several years within the general area of my coaching business (emotional eating), but about 6 months ago i decided to “pick my spot” (a bold new life after physical recovery from anorexia or bulimia). for me, it was a matter of going back to my roots though. over 20 years ago, i began my counseling career with an emphasis on adolescents diagnosed with eating disorders and i’ve found my way back to my true calling. (i need to check out poppy’s book!)
A true circle with a full circle ending, April! Now I understand your compassionate writing in your posts more fully. What you do come from your own experience. Thanks for sharing this.xo
I love the analogy! I also love how you said that you let your business, Musicalia grow organically. I have always found that things flow where they are meant to flow naturally, helping you to find your path. I found my “spot” through continuing to circle until I found something that felt natural and right for me. I love helping others to succeed and now I get to do that every single day. It is so important to find the right “spot” to lay as well, the extra time and effort is so worth it!
Yes, Cathy! That’s exactly what I’m looking for. Something natural and right.
Yes! I’m a twirler/circler. Sometimes it seems as though it is so hard to narrow down everything that I like to do or that I’m capable of doing. And then, boom! Something happens and it just feels right. I found my perfect twirl (or just got so dizzy in the process that I’m still suffering from that head rush). Yes…the more I circle, something ends of making the most sense. So comforting to read this! Thanks for posting Susan!
Yes, Sarah, I know what you mean about narrowing down. Congratulations on finding your perfect twirl! I love that…like a dancer practicing in the mirror to get that twirl just right!
I think everyone’s business evolves at times at that somehow we should alternate between “circling” and “sitting” because your clients needs will change over time and so will your perspective on how you can best serve them. <3
I agree! Thanks, Melanie.