Is your corporate career sabotaging your new coaching business?
Fallen out of love with your business?
Tired of getting caught up in the social media time-suck?
Not seeing the fruits of your labour after you’ve poured your heart and soul into everything?
I get it. You’re working ALL the time (despite setting up your biz to create more freedom in your life), but you have a hunch that something's missing…like a 'secret code' all those 'six figure' coaches seem to know…But you don't.
I can assure you, there’s no 'secret code' or ‘magic 6-step formula' that will make you 6 figures while you sleep!
I honestly believe the real (if a little uncomfortable) reason you’re not yet making the income and impact you want isn’t (solely) because of the economic downturn, a saturated market, that your peers are better than you or even that the almighty algorithm is against you!
If you’ve had a ‘successful’ corporate career but are still struggling to make your new biz profitable, the likely culprit is your ‘corporate hangover’.
Let me explain…
How it started
For context, before starting my biz in 2016, I had a ‘successful’ 15+ year career working in people and organisational development within tech and financial services start-ups. I’d reached senior management status and was bringing home a decent monthly paycheque.
That was until it all came crashing down around my ears to an abrupt – and traumatic – end when I was made redundant whilst pregnant with my second little girl.
I became an accidental entrepreneur, unlike the stories you read about starting a biz from a place of inspiration or a deep desire for change!
Up until that point, I had worked really bloody hard to climb the corporate ladder. I was ambitious and pretty good at my job.
And it paid off. The harder I worked the more ‘successful’ I became.
So imagine my confusion when ‘working harder’ in my new coaching biz didn’t automatically translate into a steady stream of paying clients.
The giant red flag
My ‘successful’ corporate career on paper was just that.
The giant red flag I never noticed was that my career ‘success’ never correlated with my happiness and fulfilment at work. I was chasing someone else’s definition of success - a common predicament so many people-pleasing women face in the world of work. The more I shape-shifted and played the game to ‘fit in’ and get recognition, the more I deprived myself of my own needs.
Only now can I see that I was effectively living a lie for at least the last four years of my corporate career.
And if I'm being painfully honest, I was probably the least authentic version of myself I’ve ever been during this time.
If this is starting to resonate, you could be suffering from the effects of an almighty corporate hangover and inadvertently sabotaging your new coaching biz.
What is the corporate hangover effect?
Leaving your corporate career may have been a quick (and surprising) exit like mine, but it can take longer than you think to shake the effects of it.
The experiences and habits we picked up in the corporate world can haunt us long after we’ve left.
These will be deeply ingrained thoughts, habits and behaviours that are hard to break.
So much so, you may not even realise.
Any of these sound familiar?
Paralysing fear of failure (and rejection)
Maybe in your corporate role, little mistakes left you feeling like you weren’t good enough. Managers belittled or humiliated you, squished your ideas or blocked your every move - cue all those unwelcome effects of Amygdala Hijack - such as the inability to think straight, a lack of confidence, fear and over-emotionality etc. No wonder you’re overly cautious and hesitant to take risks in your biz!
Perhaps you’re avoiding sales calls because they feel awkward, you feel like a fraud and lack belief in what you’re offering. Instead of experimenting with new ideas, you stick to what feels safe and familiar, even if you’re not seeing the results you want. Maybe the fear of hearing a ‘no’ is stopping you from pitching to big clients that could push your business forward. This mindset could be holding you back from being beautifully bold in your biz.
Chasing perfection
If hitting targets and meeting high standards was the norm in your corporate role, anything less than perfect in your biz might feel like a disappointment. This can mean nothing is ever finished because you never think it’s good enough. This relentless pursuit of perfection can paralyse you (hello procrastination!) or push you to burnout..neither is a recipe for success!
In your own biz, this could look like spending weeks refining your website before launching it, constantly tweaking your services, or endlessly editing your Insta caption before you hit ‘post’.
Over-reliance on others’ approval
Family holidays, lunch breaks, time off for the never-ending school sickness bugs..when you’ve been so used to needing permission for everything, it can make it extremely challenging when all the decisions in your biz fall to you. And only you.
You probably second-guess your every move, whether it’s posting on social media, launching a new service or investing in support for your business. Instead of trusting your intuition, you might hold back. The fear of making the ‘wrong’ choice can leave you stuck in analysis paralysis, where you spend more time weighing options than taking action.
Working ALL the hours
You probably created your biz for more freedom yet you’ve found yourself chained to your desk for way longer than you’d like. And when you’re not sitting at your desk by 9am, or taking a (rare!) break, you feel a rush of guilt that you’re being lazy or unproductive. Am I right? This guilt can chip away at your motivation and joy, making it harder to maintain momentum and keep going when times get tough.
Keeping this corporate badge of honour and always feeling the need to be busy can suck you into a miserable cycle of guilt and exhaustion and in some cases, make you want to throw the towel in altogether!
Losing your true self
Adapting to big corporate cultures and conforming to ‘fit’ the mould often means suppressing your true self. Do this for long enough, you may stray far enough that you wonder who YOU really are. And, take it from someone who’s been there, this can carry over into your biz, making it difficult to connect authentically with your perfect people.
In the corporate world, you might have found yourself modifying your behaviour, appearance, and even your opinions to fit with everyone else. This can create a disconnect between your true self and who you feel you need to be to succeed.
When you’re not fully in tune with who you are, it becomes difficult to build your brand.
And in business, unapologetic AUTHENTICITY is what is truly magnetic.
It’s the best-kept secret to growing a coaching business that effortlessly attracts your perfect people (and repels those who aren’t).
It took a lot of work to reconnect with my purpose and learn how to trust my feminine intuition again after 15+ years of operating in masculine, results-driven environments but my corporate hangover is no more.
Now I work with coaches and consultants who have a similar story to my own and who also want to shake their corporate hangovers for good
Talented, big-hearted women who have had - at least on paper - ‘successful’ corporate careers before starting their coaching or consulting businesses.
Talented, down-to-earth women who, for various reasons, have never felt SAFE to show up unapologetically as their fully-expressed, authentic selves at work.
Talented, values-led women who want to grow their business in a kind and ethical way; without having to change who they are or work 24/7.
So, if your corporate hangover is lingering and stopping you from dialling up your true self and growing a profitable, YOU-shaped business, Fruitful Founder™️ could be a great place to start.
It’s my signature niching, offer-creation, marketing and ethical sales programme for coaches and consultants ready to grow their businesses in a kind and ethical way; without having to change who you are or work 24/7.
Apply for a FREE strategy call to see if it’s the right fit for you.
“I didn’t have any clients and didn’t know what on earth my offer was anymore. I now have six ongoing 1:1 mentoring clients and have some irons in the fire/upcoming potential leads for more. Biggest win has been running a workshop using Fruitful Founder principles which led to three new 1:1 clients signing up to work with me. I’m feeling excited for the future! The possibilities are endless really! Sarah knows her stuff, gets results and is generous with her time and energy.
It is possible to achieve everything you thought you could achieve when you first started your business. And more. It (Fruitful Founder) really works. You just need to take action and do the work. ”
