Combining Intuition With Pure Passion For Making A Difference
Hi! My name is Maria Last, I’m a Coaching Institute Diploma Student and proud founder of IntuiChic, and this is an account of my success through my alliance with The Coaching Institute.
Like all great strategies, let’s begin with the end in mind.
The Outcome
Since beginning my training with The Coaching Institute at the end of November 2008 (13 months into my 18 month course) I have:
- Successfully created and launched an online and offline business called IntuiChic, www.intuichic.com
- Designed and created successful coaching programs to serve my niche market
- Earned back my diploma course investment in full through coaching
- Tripled my monthly income
- Created a free opt-in product which has grown my database by 150%
- Conducted a completely unique World First coaching competition forum, the winner received over $1000 in prizes
- Launched a fortnightly e-resource called IntuiChic Living
- Begun creating my first off-line, hard copy product
- Created passive income streams through:
- the sale of e-books; and
- our membership site, IntuiWorld
I’m also very proud to say that every week I have the privilege of working with amazing and inspiring people, who are choosing to move themselves, creating ripples of change that in turn help to move others. For this I am most grateful.
In the Beginning
They say ‘it’s not all about the money’, and in truth, on a deeper level, we know that it can never really be about the money. However, the words of Sharon Pearson during my very first weekend of training at The Coaching Institute as a diploma student, ring very clearly and ecologically true to me to this day, “If you’re broke you move no-one”.
A very simple case in point but one that I don’t think I really heard before that day. As a holistic therapist in a home based one-on-one business I was struggling to make the money I needed to so that I could make the difference and move/help the people who need it the most.
When I came to The Coaching Institute, as much as I was wishing it wasn’t true, my business wasn’t working and my clients weren’t receiving the full benefit of what I had to offer, even when they could find me, because I didn’t even know how to market to my existing clients. I was feeling absolutely disillusioned, frustrated and at a loss as to what to do. The only thing I was sure of was that I and my business desperately needed an overhaul.
Now that we’ve got a clear picture of the sinking ship and the lone passenger on board, que the old Rod Steward song “We are sailing sinking, we are sailing sinking...”
What did I do?
- I consciously decided to (and did) shift my mindset, my focus and my language.
- I took action and committed to using all of the resources The Coaching Institute made available to me. Because they are the building blocks that had already been tested and refined for creating a successful business, this meant I was able to confidently invest my time and energy.
- I didn’t just attend the webinars and take notes, I put what I learned into action as soon as possible. Action speaks louder than words.
- I attended the bonus classes on marketing, online marketing, web-design, plus all the essentials - how to design a business card, build a database, create a product, develop a coaching practice, create passive income, define a niche, find my market and of course learn how to connect with them. Again, I didn’t just attend the classes, I put all of this knowledge into action and the result is IntuiChic.
- I also took the opportunity to become a member of ‘Your Coaching Success’ which I still find to be an incredibly valuable investment.
So, what about the coaching?
With all this talk about marketing and business I bet you’re wondering about the coaching?
Well here’s the great news, with regard to professional development (and personal growth, which I believe is the essential foundation for professional development), I have completed my Certificate IV in Life Coaching, Certificate IV in Business (hallelujah!), NLP Practitioner Training, Trainers Training and Public Speaking and Advanced Coaching Skills including DISC. I have also become an accredited member of the International Coach Federation which is recognised world wide, a path of accreditation available to all The Coaching Institute students.
What does all this mean? Yes, lots of certificates, but its so much more than that. It means that because of these combined skills, my valuable expertise in the market place and following an internationally recognised and proven path to success, I now have a business that’s financially rewarding as well as one that serves my clients in the best possible way - not just around what they want, but more importantly, what they need most.
Moving Forward
If now is the time when you want to start throwing more pebbles into life, remember, you don’t need to throw one at a time, you can throw hand fulls, and create amazing ripples of change, enough to fill an ocean.
Maria Last
2009 The Coaching Institute Student of the Year
0415 125 834
