When I went to my first-ever female entrepreneurs conference in late 2009, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. This event was unlike anything I’d ever been to before (and I used to produce conferences for a living and had seen a lot!).

I was at a crossroads in my business and life and was desperate for some guidance and direction.

My coaching business was growing in numbers of clients, but it wasn’t a sustainable model and I was tired from only serving clients one-to-one (and to be honest, some of these clients weren’t my ideal clients). I was freakin’ scared because I had walked away from my 6-figure corporate job and there was no way I was going back and giving up the time I got to spend with my son I birthed earlier that year.

When I walked into that event in Las Vegas, along with 600 other entrepreneurs, I was mesmerized.

And when it came time to apply for a live business makeover on the stage, I put my name in the hat trusting with every fiber of my being that I would be picked. I was.

It was during that moment on the stage that I saw all that was possible for me. I felt what it was like to have a rockstar coach who cared about me and had created really amazing results for her business and for the hundreds of students she had coached.

So, when the time came where this coach – her name is Ali Brown – unveiled her year-long coaching and mastermind program, I just KNEW that I had to apply for membership. Granted, this was my first time I had EVER heard of anything like this before. I hadn’t done any research. Hadn’t compared this program to that program. Nothing.

Often opportunities just fall out of seemingly thin air into our laps when we most need them. This felt like one of those times …

I was petrified calling my husband and telling him the price tag ($13,000). I thought I was going to have to make a big pitch and sell him on it (my coaching business wasn’t generating a lot of money at this time). But, to my surprise, he was game.  He said, “Jenny, I trust you. You’re smart. If you think it’s worth it, then do it. I believe in you.”

So I applied at that event (along with about 100 others), was on Cloud 9, flew home … and FREAKED OUT.

All my sh*t reared its ugly head.

I got nervous that I’d made a mistake.

Crazy thoughts that ran through my head included:

“Maybe I wasn’t cut out to be in this group of successful business owners?”

“Maybe I should do a different program at a lower investment level?”

“Maybe I should become a stay-at-home mom and abandon my business I had worked hard to start and build?”

“Maybe I should just go back to the way things were in my business even though they weren’t working for me?”

“Who do I think I am?”

When I got my acceptance letter, I even tried to pull out of the program (even though there was a no cancellations or refunds clause in the contract that I signed). I soon learned that if I did that, I’d lose my deposit and more importantly, I knew I’d be letting myself down.

I opted to walk through the fear … and stay in the program.

2010 – the year I went through that high-level coaching and mastermind program – was the year everything in my life and business changed.

• I changed my business model to one that was more in line with my passions and much more lucrative and scalable.
• After years of not knowing where we wanted to put down roots for our family, my husband and I got clarity and moved from New York City to the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts (yup, from the biggest city in America to the #1 small town in America).
• I conceived my second child.
• I made hundreds of business connections and launched my first-ever information product.
• I parted ways with 2 business partners when I realized we wanted different things.
• I traveled to Europe with my family while my business hummed along.
• I saw how some of the smartest minds in business made decisions and brokered deals. I was a fly on the wall and my mind S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D bigger than even I thought possible.
• I hired my first-ever strategist for my business. I met this woman in my coaching program.
• I saw the future of my business and knew I could do all those things I wanted to do.
• And I did all this WITHOUT any private, one-on-one access to the head coach … that’s the magic of group coaching programs (although my high-level coaching program does include private access to me).

Do you want QUANTUM LEAPS in your business, life and spirit? Are you tired of sitting on the sidelines watching everyone else do crazy cool stuff while you keep muttering, “someday” and “if only I could afford it?”

Listen up, a high-level coaching and mastermind program might be JUST the experience that will get you to your next level, now.

Here are the questions you need to ask when selecting the right program for you and your business:

• How much access do you get to the coach leading the program?
• Is the program all virtual or are there in-person components?
• What kind of training lessons are covered?
• How many people are in the group? (Do you do better in small or large groups?)
• How are group members selected? Is there an application or interview process to ensure an energetic match?
• What’s the length of the program? Will it give you enough time to integrate all that you’re learning?
• How are you held accountable for reaching your goals? Is there a tracking system in place?
• What are the qualifications of the coach? Do you resonate with the way this person shows up in life and business?
• How confident are you in your ability to invest in your business to trigger revenue growth?

Hey – want to take your spiritual online business to a COMPLETELY new level?

Check out my mastermind GLOW.

You + me + fellow Gutsy Leaders of Wisdom growing gorgeous online businesses.

Go to http://GLOWmastermind to apply.

This is Jenny Fenig sending you so much love, light and faith as you GET GUTSY. I’ll see you next time.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Jenny