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Hiring some kind of business / execution coach

Forodstar

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Hey folks,

So it's official I suck at execution. Ok it's pseudoscience I did something called Clifton strengths (50 dollars I will never see again) and it came back with me having absolutely no execution skills in my top 10 (34 total skills). I don't highly recommend doing the test I just did it because my friend who runs a business mentioned it had benefited him. The lack of execution resonated with me hard.

So I wonder if I should hire a coach to keep me on track with the execution part.

Some context.

So now I work for myself as a IT contractor the one man band making quite a lot at least for my location (5-8x local salary non US location). But to be honest I am in the slowlane or shall we say retire early crowd, I save a load each month dump in ETFs and in 3 - 5 years I should be comfortably retired. (not that it particular matters but I will be in my early 30s) and then life starts right?

But I am truly frustrated at being tied by the formula hours of work * rate. Ok I change contracts every few months to up the rate but still I am selling my time for money. Now the field I work in I figure though it would be some kind of human resource system, I could make what I do into a service.

To make it clear I would provide a business a service let's say consulting (human resource system) for time period say 1 to 3 years.

And securing even one client probably a medium business, domestic leader (non US probably EU) internationally known would probably pay a small fortune. I think I could be lean find some individual contractors or most probably B2B to supply me the people (I have got some leads on this already) to fulfill the obligations to the client. So my big job would be just to secure the client. I have worked sales a bunch of times I don't really enjoy it to be honest.

My feeling with sales is at the end it's a number. Right time and right place, right value proposition you got it. But because I do nothing about this at the moment is just a dead idea to be honest.

And my real question is how do I execute on this? It's obvious right just do it, build UVP get in contact with potential clients. But I know deeply I won't unless someone is pushing me and helping me execute, mentoring and coaching. So do you have experience with this paying someone to help you get your business of the ground? And where should I look for such a person? Here, right?
 
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eliquid

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Hey folks,

So it's official I suck at execution. Ok it's pseudoscience I did something called Clifton strengths (50 dollars I will never see again) and it came back with me having absolutely no execution skills in my top 10 (34 total skills). I don't highly recommend doing the test I just did it because my friend who runs a business mentioned it had benefited him. The lack of execution resonated with me hard.

So I wonder if I should hire a coach to keep me on track with the execution part.

Some context.

So now I work for myself as a IT contractor the one man band making quite a lot at least for my location (5-8x local salary non US location). But to be honest I am in the slowlane or shall we say retire early crowd, I save a load each month dump in ETFs and in 3 - 5 years I should be comfortably retired. (not that it particular matters but I will be in my early 30s) and then life starts right?

But I am truly frustrated at being tied by the formula hours of work * rate. Ok I change contracts every few months to up the rate but still I am selling my time for money. Now the field I work in I figure though it would be some kind of human resource system, I could make what I do into a service.

To make it clear I would provide a business a service let's say consulting (human resource system) for time period say 1 to 3 years.

And securing even one client probably a medium business, domestic leader (non US probably EU) internationally known would probably pay a small fortune. I think I could be lean find some individual contractors or most probably B2B to supply me the people (I have got some leads on this already) to fulfill the obligations to the client. So my big job would be just to secure the client. I have worked sales a bunch of times I don't really enjoy it to be honest.

My feeling with sales is at the end it's a number. Right time and right place, right value proposition you got it. But because I do nothing about this at the moment is just a dead idea to be honest.

And my real question is how do I execute on this? It's obvious right just do it, build UVP get in contact with potential clients. But I know deeply I won't unless someone is pushing me and helping me execute, mentoring and coaching. So do you have experience with this paying someone to help you get your business of the ground? And where should I look for such a person? Here, right?

Some people are born just to not execute. Stop trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

You called the Clifton pseudoscience and talked negative about it, but it told you exactly what you are.. a person that doesn't execute.

The majority of your post is about you not executing.

If you are about to retire in 3-5 years and you're 30 now.. you should be patting yourself on the back a little bit ( not a lot ).

Double down on what you are good at, instead of trying to compensate for what you suck at.
 

Andy Black

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My feeling with sales is at the end it's a number. Right time and right place, right value proposition you got it. But because I do nothing about this at the moment is just a dead idea to be honest.
I think your mindset about sales is going to hold you back.

Engage the market and find out what it wants, is willing to pay for, and how to sell it to them.

I was an IT contractor too. I’m surprised you’re not someone who executes. Are you on the technical or management side?

I agree with playing to your strengths. I discussed that in this radio interview:
To improve your sales, maybe listen to this and other episodes:
And here’s a chat I had with a consultant who wanted to escape the time for money trap:
 
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Andy Black

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I know deeply I won't unless someone is pushing me and helping me execute, mentoring and coaching.
This sounds to me like you haven’t found a big enough why and/or you’re not interested in this particular project.

Either figure out how to get interested enough to take action, or find something you can’t not do.

The best reason I came across for starting a business was because you can’t NOT start it.

I didn’t particular like IT contracting, but it paid pretty good for a techie. I then fell into an industry that fascinates me and allows me to help smaller businesses rather than enterprise businesses. 10+ years later and I’m even more fascinated than when I started.

If money was no object then what work would you be doing?
 

Andy Black

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do you have experience with this paying someone to help you get your business of the ground? And where should I look for such a person? Here, right?
I don’t know if throwing money at this problem is the best way to help you in the long run.

Sure, I think there’s mentors you could pay inside and outside the forum, but maybe spend time rather than money and read more of the threads in this forum? Let that be your unofficial mentor until you find your mojo and start executing without needing someone to be your boss?
 

kleine2

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Hey folks,

So it's official I suck at execution. Ok it's pseudoscience I did something called Clifton strengths (50 dollars I will never see again) and it came back with me having absolutely no execution skills in my top 10 (34 total skills). I don't highly recommend doing the test I just did it because my friend who runs a business mentioned it had benefited him. The lack of execution resonated with me hard.

So I wonder if I should hire a coach to keep me on track with the execution part.

Some context.

So now I work for myself as a IT contractor the one man band making quite a lot at least for my location (5-8x local salary non US location). But to be honest I am in the slowlane or shall we say retire early crowd, I save a load each month dump in ETFs and in 3 - 5 years I should be comfortably retired. (not that it particular matters but I will be in my early 30s) and then life starts right?

But I am truly frustrated at being tied by the formula hours of work * rate. Ok I change contracts every few months to up the rate but still I am selling my time for money. Now the field I work in I figure though it would be some kind of human resource system, I could make what I do into a service.

To make it clear I would provide a business a service let's say consulting (human resource system) for time period say 1 to 3 years.

And securing even one client probably a medium business, domestic leader (non US probably EU) internationally known would probably pay a small fortune. I think I could be lean find some individual contractors or most probably B2B to supply me the people (I have got some leads on this already) to fulfill the obligations to the client. So my big job would be just to secure the client. I have worked sales a bunch of times I don't really enjoy it to be honest.

My feeling with sales is at the end it's a number. Right time and right place, right value proposition you got it. But because I do nothing about this at the moment is just a dead idea to be honest.

And my real question is how do I execute on this? It's obvious right just do it, build UVP get in contact with potential clients. But I know deeply I won't unless someone is pushing me and helping me execute, mentoring and coaching. So do you have experience with this paying someone to help you get your business of the ground? And where should I look for such a person? Here, right?
I didn't get it.
If you are going to retire in 3-5 years then why change course?
It's not like a business is going to be an easy overnight success either.
 
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biophase

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Yeah, this thread doesn’t make any sense to me. If you’re really going to retire in 3 to 5 years at age 30 something, why do you care?

I also find it hard to believe that you will be able to retire in 3 to 5 years and asking these questions.

When you’re in your 30s you need much more money to retire then when you are in your 40s or 50s.

Did you actually calculate this amount out??
 
G

Guest-5ty5s4

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Hey folks,

So it's official I suck at execution. Ok it's pseudoscience I did something called Clifton strengths (50 dollars I will never see again) and it came back with me having absolutely no execution skills in my top 10 (34 total skills). I don't highly recommend doing the test I just did it because my friend who runs a business mentioned it had benefited him. The lack of execution resonated with me hard.

So I wonder if I should hire a coach to keep me on track with the execution part.

Some context.

So now I work for myself as a IT contractor the one man band making quite a lot at least for my location (5-8x local salary non US location). But to be honest I am in the slowlane or shall we say retire early crowd, I save a load each month dump in ETFs and in 3 - 5 years I should be comfortably retired. (not that it particular matters but I will be in my early 30s) and then life starts right?

But I am truly frustrated at being tied by the formula hours of work * rate. Ok I change contracts every few months to up the rate but still I am selling my time for money. Now the field I work in I figure though it would be some kind of human resource system, I could make what I do into a service.

To make it clear I would provide a business a service let's say consulting (human resource system) for time period say 1 to 3 years.

And securing even one client probably a medium business, domestic leader (non US probably EU) internationally known would probably pay a small fortune. I think I could be lean find some individual contractors or most probably B2B to supply me the people (I have got some leads on this already) to fulfill the obligations to the client. So my big job would be just to secure the client. I have worked sales a bunch of times I don't really enjoy it to be honest.

My feeling with sales is at the end it's a number. Right time and right place, right value proposition you got it. But because I do nothing about this at the moment is just a dead idea to be honest.

And my real question is how do I execute on this? It's obvious right just do it, build UVP get in contact with potential clients. But I know deeply I won't unless someone is pushing me and helping me execute, mentoring and coaching. So do you have experience with this paying someone to help you get your business of the ground? And where should I look for such a person? Here, right?
Don't hire a coach. Don't worry about this Clifton test.

Double down on what is working: your IT contractor business.

Hire people that you can teach to do basic functions of the IT contracting business, and acquire more customers than you can serve by yourself.

That's it, that's the secret.
 

WJK

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Hey folks,

So it's official I suck at execution. Ok it's pseudoscience I did something called Clifton strengths (50 dollars I will never see again) and it came back with me having absolutely no execution skills in my top 10 (34 total skills). I don't highly recommend doing the test I just did it because my friend who runs a business mentioned it had benefited him. The lack of execution resonated with me hard.

So I wonder if I should hire a coach to keep me on track with the execution part.

Some context.

So now I work for myself as a IT contractor the one man band making quite a lot at least for my location (5-8x local salary non US location). But to be honest I am in the slowlane or shall we say retire early crowd, I save a load each month dump in ETFs and in 3 - 5 years I should be comfortably retired. (not that it particular matters but I will be in my early 30s) and then life starts right?

But I am truly frustrated at being tied by the formula hours of work * rate. Ok I change contracts every few months to up the rate but still I am selling my time for money. Now the field I work in I figure though it would be some kind of human resource system, I could make what I do into a service.

To make it clear I would provide a business a service let's say consulting (human resource system) for time period say 1 to 3 years.

And securing even one client probably a medium business, domestic leader (non US probably EU) internationally known would probably pay a small fortune. I think I could be lean find some individual contractors or most probably B2B to supply me the people (I have got some leads on this already) to fulfill the obligations to the client. So my big job would be just to secure the client. I have worked sales a bunch of times I don't really enjoy it to be honest.

My feeling with sales is at the end it's a number. Right time and right place, right value proposition you got it. But because I do nothing about this at the moment is just a dead idea to be honest.

And my real question is how do I execute on this? It's obvious right just do it, build UVP get in contact with potential clients. But I know deeply I won't unless someone is pushing me and helping me execute, mentoring and coaching. So do you have experience with this paying someone to help you get your business of the ground? And where should I look for such a person? Here, right?
No one else can MAKE you do anything... You don't need someone else to push you because it WILL NOT WORK! When a human feels pushed they either push back with aggressive force or through passive-aggressive behavior.
Figure out what baby step you can take right now to further your goal. Go do it. Then figure out the next baby step to further your goal. Go do that. And then, figure out the next, next baby step... you get the idea.
Either you do what you must to succeed, or you don't want it enough to be bothered. NO ONE can help you with that type of problem. So close your wallet. Shut up. And get busy!
 
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Forodstar

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Nice replies folks. That was helpful sound boarding.

Got what you have been saying. Some broad themes I took from your posts.

1) Keep doing what I am doing it's ok. Be at peace. The trajectory is alright.
2) Find some kind of burning why.
3) Sucking at execution, ok. Rather play to the strengths.
4) Throwing money at it, ain't going to fix it.

So rather than being whiny wanna be entrepreneur. Getting frustrated about being limited what I can earn on a given day. Rather keep pushing for the higher rate. Focus on what I am good at. Selling myself as a contractor to business, getting an ever higher rate. The sky is the limit I guess with rate. There is someone somewhere making +1000 usd per day. I am on around 500 at the moment.

1) Build relationships
2) Ask for the highest rate.
3) Skill up into market valuable areas.
4) Boost profile, provide trainings. (have an idea with this get some support creating video content that could be packed together or just in bound marketing.

I think @Andy Black asked the field, I come from non-tech background trained myself up and now push Agile / transformation with several engineering teams simultaneously, usually I am slotted into to improve delivery of multiple engineering teams. I am good with people and I am good at building consensus and coming up with a good strategy that will address pains points from team and business in a quick time. I will double down my focus on that. My product is pretty strong now I have a fair amount of inbound interest, so it's not like me pushing into cold market.
 

Forodstar

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Just an interesting follow up, a potential client, one of these domestic leaders tech sector 1000 employeesish, a CTO (personal contact from being involved with startups and getting wasted a lot at some point), saw they were hiring Agile Coaches in 3 locations so I thought I would pitch him with a B2B co-op, I would lead the project and grab 2 other resources for the other locations to give a consistent transformation asap based on what the client wants.

So I guess I executed, thanks folks, just talking about it with you helped me at least get the business proposition in my mind. To be honest I doubt this will go anywhere but you never know. If you swing the bat you got at least a chance of scoring home run, right?

Well this is proof that I don't a need business coach as you folks said. Just need to have the concept and give it try if I spot the opportunity. Regardless, of whether I get to the B2B stage or not, I think this has been a valuable exercise in thinking how my contract business could be something bigger not only by securing higher rate myself but also could I make what I do into a bigger service.

Edit: I have an initial chat with the CTO on Friday.
 
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WJK

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Just an interesting follow up, a potential client, one of these domestic leaders tech sector 1000 employeesish, a CTO (personal contact from being involved with startups and getting wasted a lot at some point), saw they were hiring Agile Coaches in 3 locations so I thought I would pitch him with a B2B co-op, I would lead the project and grab 2 other resources for the other locations to give a consistent transformation asap based on what the client wants.

So I guess I executed, thanks folks, just talking about it with you helped me at least get the business proposition in my mind. To be honest I doubt this will go anywhere but you never know. If you swing the bat you got at least a chance of scoring home run, right?

Well this is proof that I don't a need business coach as you folks said. Just need to have the concept and give it try if I spot the opportunity. Regardless, of whether I get to the B2B stage or not, I think this has been a valuable exercise in thinking how my contract business could be something bigger not only by securing higher rate myself but also could I make what I do into a bigger service.

Edit: I have an initial chat with the CTO on Friday.
If you don't swing the bat, you can't hit the home run.

If you fail to try, you will fail 100% of the time.

A goal without action steps is just an empty dream.
 
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