On my recent birthday sabbatical, I had the rare opportunity to enjoy some down time to reflect on life. I found myself getting all deep and philosophical… and a little emotional.

I thought about how fortunate I truly am to have a business where I get to call the shots and be in charge of my future. I don’t have to drag my butt out of bed every morning and march off to put in x number of hours doing whatever I’m told I have to do to make a buck to survive.

I’m one of the blessed ones who gets to earn an honest living doing what I love to do and changing lives in the process.

Now, I won’t claim that every day is picture perfect. I have not-so-good days too but I honestly don’t ever feel like I’m selling my soul and losing more and more of me in the process of earning my livelihood.

I don’t waste my dreams on longing for a way out. My dreams are about ways I can create even more beautiful abundance – not just for me, but for everyone I come in contact with. It may sound hokey but I know this is my purpose in life.

This whole theme of abundance, success and gratitude and how important it is to our wellbeing to be in a place where we flow rather than struggle through our days has been on my mind so much lately as I’m gearing up to start The Beauty Biz Success Core Coaching Academy later this month.

It makes my heart hurt when hear from beauty biz practitioners who desperately want to succeed in this business they love so dearly. And I get it. When we start in this field and see the positive beautiful difference we can make for those we serve, it’s very hard to give up on it even if the going is tough.

But I also know that the decision to dig deeper and claim more for ourselves – or not – is a personal one for everybody. There’s not one right answer – there are many.

So let me ask you…

(***Time out for a coaching tip: write these questions and your answers to them down in your private journal)

1. When you think about where success fits into your life story, how are you doing compared to how you thought you’d be doing by now?

2. Are you where you dreamed you’d be?

3. How is the picture different?

4. Are you doing anything right now to become more aligned with the success you long for?

5. Are you investing the right way to support business growth?

6. How do you decide what steps you’ll take to invest in your success? This could be where you’ll spend your time, what skills / techniques you’ll learn, what ways you’ll continue your business education, what ways you’ll continue to learn and grow as a person so you’re energetically aligned with the success you want, etc.

These are important focus setting questions that you’ll want to ask yourself regularly if you are serious about taking your practice to the next level of success.

Last year, several of the gals I worked with in the academy hit the 6-figure mark (something they deeply desired) and I can’t wait to see what this year brings for the current group. The most rewarding thing about what I do is watching who these extraordinary people become along their journey.

The Core Coaching Academy is a program designed to teach people JUST LIKE YOU how to

• attract more clients,
• get more referrals
• and make more money

…so you too can break through the 6-figure mark.

And yes, there are still some spots left!

Every year when I launch this program, I watch so many of you – my fellow practitioners – become paralyzed by the decision to invest in your success or hold back. I know how you feel because I’ve been there. I get that it feels like an optional expense or a luxury that you probably shouldn’t indulge in. Let me assure you… an investment like this – one that is for your business growth – isn’t the same thing as splurging on a handbag, a fancy dress or a new pair of shoes. It’s a business expense and it’s a necessary one if you need to grow and have struggled to do so on your own.

So how do you move past that paralyzing fear that has you in its grip?

Here are a few tips that can help you step forward with confidence and bravery when trying to decide if the investment is right for you and your biz.

Tip 1 – Stop Saying, “I Can’t Afford It!”

This is the number 1 excuse that I hear when it comes to beauty biz practitioners holding themselves back from reaching the next level of success.

Most of the time it is a FEAR based statement and to welcome success you must start making decisions from a place of strategy, not fear.

Ask yourself this…

If you are struggling or in need of attracting more clients, getting more referrals, and making more money can you afford not to learn how to do these things?

Instead of thinking “I can’t afford it,” shift your mindset and think about all the amazing things that a success investment could (and will) welcome into your life. Such as:

• Confidence
• Strategic Decision-Making
• Increased Profits
• A Schedule Full Of AMAZING Clients
• A Solid Flow Of Referrals

In the words of the late great Wayne Dyer…

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. ~Wayne Dyer

Get real with yourself and find out if you really can’t afford it or if you’re just looking through fear making you scared to commit to change and growth.

I have seen it with my own eyes… the gals who invest in my coaching programs in spite of feeling this kind of fear are the ones breaking the biggest barriers and surprising the heck out of themselves. They now see fear as: Feeling Excited And Ready! And let me tell you…

There’s no accessory or treatment that makes you more beautiful than confidence! ~Lori Crete

Tip 2 – Map out a Realistic Revenue Projection

At my live event in August, I shared my very own secret weapon that allows me to invest with bravery. My Realistic Revenue Projector Worksheet is the tool I use to ‘get real’ about what I can afford by showing me how it will work.

This is a system I designed to take the fear out of any buying decision. It clearly maps out how much you have to make to see a ROI (return on your investment).

There were gasps in the audience when people realized how easy and realistic it is to create a ROI when you invest wisely in success.

Here’s a short, simplified version of my Realistic Revenue Worksheet:

If you invest $3,500 in a year long coaching program what do you have to do to make it back?

Average charge for a facial $85.00

3500 ÷ 88 = 41

You can see that by doing 41 facials you have made your money back.

41 ÷ by 52 (the number of weeks in a year) means you have to do less than one $85 facial a week to make your money back.

Doesn’t it seem very doable when you look at it this way!

So you could say, this is $3500 – eeek! Or, you could instead say, this is 1 facial a week – easy!

Same fact – different view.

Tip 3 – Stop Stepping Over the Dollars To Get To The Dimes

The urge to save a few bucks can cause you to miss out on big dollars.

Invest wisely because trying to save a few bucks will not pay off in the long run.

There are a lot of people investing in the “inexpensive” or “cheaper” ways to get more clients and ending up being very disappointed.

*Daily Deals are a perfect example of stepping over the dollars to get the dimes. Daily Deals require a low (mostly no) investment and also provide little return on investment – for A LOT of hard work.

If you truly want to take your business to the next level of success you have to ask yourself, “How can I bravely step over the dimes and go for the dollars that will make my beauty biz a divine success?”

I would love to help you take your beauty biz to the next level of success with field tested and proven tools, tips, systems and support.

Click here to join me in the Core Coaching Academy – we’re starting on 9/21/15