The following is an excerpt of David’s interview in Top Coaching Techniques.
Ingrid: So on that David, is it an important thing to follow your passion?
David: Ingrid, what a silly question! Are you really going to ask me that question, seriously? Look, there was a time when we were very focused on survival, and some people still are, but more and more people are realizing that they can feed themselves, have a roof over their head, and they don’t have to just survive anymore. It’s not a case where you have to take one job and keep it for life. There are so many options these days. Why not follow your passion? Do you want to be lying there on your deathbed going, ‘Well, I kept that same job for fifty years and I’m so proud of myself.’ or do you want to say, ‘I fully experienced everything I could.’
The following is taken from David’s interview with Anna Dargitz in 10 Super Coaches.
What method did you find most effective in getting your initial clients?
I had some ideas about the universal law of attraction from my depth psychology and world religions work and from Thomas Leonard’s book, The Portable Coach. But, as indicated, I knew of no coaches, workbooks or resources that could guide me… step by step, to use the law to market my business.
It took over a year and a half to create The Authentic Marketer, but we were highly motivated and dedicated to see it to completion. The process of writing it accelerated our proficiencies in the area of attraction. The step-by-step workbook is about who we are beyond name and personality, and how to share it with grace and ease. It focuses on the universal laws that govern our whole world not just how many paying clients we have. When I changed my definition of success from “how many paying clients I have” to “how powerfully I help others express their Whole Self”, I became extremely successful on my own terms.
The following is an excerpt of David’s interview in Top Coaching Techniques.
David: Well, you may not like this answer Ingrid, but what I would first do is ask you, ‘Are you worth more than you’re currently being paid?’
Ingrid: Now that’s a very hard thing to answer.
David: Yeah.
Ingrid: Especially publicly here, David.
David: Yeah, well that’s where we’d start. What I would suggest that you do – and this might be something that you did for homework – is to actually list what you contribute to the company. Not just what you contribute in terms of the specific job you do, but there might be other things in terms of maybe how enthusiastic you are around work, or the drive and the initiative you show. So that might be a great homework exercise, for you to list exactly what you contribute. Then you could start getting a feel for what you think you’re worth, and should you be paid more or should you not. That would at least start a discussion with your boss.
The following is taken from David’s interview in 10 Super Coaches.
What did you charge your initial clients?
My first ever paying client I charged Australian $25 a week. If you were going to translate that to US dollars it would be pretty similar, you might charge US $20 dollars a week or even $25. (I’m not talking about straight conversion, but I think that would be appropriate).
Then I started saying that my regular fee was $250 a month, and the first couple of people that came in, I said, “Look, this is what I charge, but I’d be happy to do you for half of that fee” and they were thrilled to be working with me for what they saw as half price.
The following is an excerpt of David’s interview in Top Coaching Techniques.
Ingrid: Are you saying finances could be a source of joy?
David: Absolutely. The first step you need to find out is, how much is going in or out each month.
Ingrid: That sounds like a budget.
David: It sort of is. You need to find out how much is going in and out. If more is coming in than going out, you are going to be feeling good. You’ll know you are going in the right directions. It makes an amazing difference.
Ingrid: Making that first step can be sort of like going to the dentist when you haven’t gone in thirteen years. You don’t know what to expect. You don’t know how much you are spending and you don’t want to know.
David: Right. You don’t want to look at it. Don’t do a budget first. As a great first step, decide why you are saving. You need to know what you are saving for. You aren’t going to want the pain when you don’t know the gain. Pick something – it could be a five year or ten year target – a vacation, to be financially independent, feeling good with twenty grand in the bank should you ever need it.
The following is an excerpt of David’s interview in Top Coaching Techniques.
Ingrid: What are some of the most common things that people come to you with?
David: One of the biggest ones is career direction. People are actually getting to a point – not just in Australia, but around the world – where they’re thinking, ‘You know what? There must be more to life. I don’t want to work in this job anymore, I want to find something that I’m really passionate about and I’d like to get paid for it.’
