#191: The TOP Business Tools You Need To Get To The Next Level In 2022 With Allison Walsh The VP Of Advanced Recovery Systems

Those in your social circle haven't done it or you don't have a mentor or connection to somebody that can help you, you need to find a coach that can. And that to me is one of the most important things to do. You don't have to do it on your own. And especially when it comes to confidence of like navigating whatever that next level is for yourself. Sometimes you have to borrow the confidence of the people that have been there. Sometimes that's not necessarily the social circle, your family or friends group. And so getting somebody in your corner that's going to cheer you on, that's going to believe in you when you don't believe in yourself, that's going to help map out what it is that trying to accomplish and give you the skills that you need to be able to get there. Worth every penny.

Come on this journey with me each week when you join me. We are going to chase down our goals, overcome adversity and set you up for a better tomorrow.

I'm ready for my close up.

Hi and welcome back. I'm so excited for you to be here today to meet Alison Walsh. She's a seasoned executive philanthropist. Oh my gosh, that's a title I don't have. Space speaker, professional consultant and Miss Florida 2006. With over 20 years of experience in organizational leadership, I need a little help with organization myself. Alison's platform strengthens the professional development of tomorrow's most successful leaders. She's recognized by The Orlando Business Journal's 2021 Top 40 Under 40 and Women who Mean Business. Alison is a two time CEO for successful coaching companies and managing the personal and professional development for more than 200 clients nationwide. She also serves as Vice President of Business Development and Branding for Advanced Recovery Systems. A national provider and industry leader in behavioral health care, she's instrumental in developing worldwide brand recognition for the company and oversees the organization's national sales team which generates seven figures monthly in revenue. Under Alison's leadership during the pandemic, the productivity and efficiency of her team resulted in a 38% increase in opportunities year over year. I can't wait to get into that. Evident by her prolific corporate accomplishments, Alison serves as a contributing member for Forbes. Let's get into that too. Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network, the Revenue Collective, Orlando Business Journal's Leadership and Trust. I mean this is insane. She also host her own podcast, the she Believes she Could podcast and co hosts. Dear Mind you Matter Alison, thank you so much for being here with us today.

I am thrilled to be here Heather. Thank you so much for having me on.

Okay, well, I have to just give a shout out to your Forbes writing. So this is how I connected with you initially when I freaked out that I saw Forbes named my first book a top five business book for women to buy in 2021, even though that book came out in 2018.

And.

And then you and I connected and you were generous enough to have me on your podcast.

Yes.

Well, I love your book and I love all things confidence related. And so it had been one of my favorites for a long time. And when it came time to write that article, I was like, there wasn't even a question. I was like, it's in the top five. It's going on the list. So, no, I absolutely love it.

You know, it's so funny, and you and I were talking a little bit about this before we were on air, that sometimes timing is not what you think. You know, for example, I wrote that book in 2018, and anytime that I have a Google alert on the book, I have a Google alert on me. And everyone listening, take out a Google alert on yourself. You want to know what people are saying about you, at least you want to be in the know. So make sure you do that. But for me, I remember seeing that and thinking, oh, my gosh, I never would have thought, you know, years later that something could pick up steam. However, that does happen all the time does.

You got to just be patient. You got to keep doing the work and putting one foot in front of the next, and eventually you look back and you're like, wow, so much was accomplished. But I think so many times we look for that instant gratification and that those instant results, but sometimes the best things are worth waiting for.

Oh, you're so right. And you have accomplished quite a bit over the time. But I want to get into the statistic that was in your bio. Really, it got my attention right away. You and your team had a 38% increase in opportunities year over year during the pandemic. What do you attribute that to? What was the strategy? How did you achieve that level of success during such a challenging time?

So we were incredibly nimble. And I think that during this time, I am so grateful to my team for being willing to try things that we've never done before and to sell the way we've never sold before and to do business the way we've never done business before. And so we leaned into the data, we stayed very open minded, and we kept doing the next right thing. And so we didn't get Married Dick, especially early on. And in the beginning of the pandemic, we had to shut down some of our locations. We had to make some adjustments to team size. So initially I was very concerned that it was going to be one of the worst years ever, the worst two years ever now at this point. But instead we leaned in and we said, okay, we know what we're doing. And let's look at this from the lens of, yes, we love to be face to face to people, but we can accelerate and increase the amount of accounts that we're working with, we can increase our reach, we can target new opportunities, and we can do it with increased frequency. And so we realized that we could shorten our sales cycle. We could really increase the amount of accounts that we were working with, and that's what resulted in our increase.

And what were some of the strategies that you implemented that allowed you to be successful at that?

So we had been doing some deep dives into some updated cadence models for our sales team. And so we were able to work with our data analysts. We've got some amazing data scientists on our team, and really say, okay, well, how can we shorten this? What can we do? How do we have to increase the frequency? Because not only were we selling different. Right. We were also selling, selling into a different world at this point in time. So our accounts were being reached in different ways than they were before. Some were closing where, you know, their physical places of business. We had to do everything virtually. And so we incorporated a lot of different tools that we weren't necessarily using prior to.

Right.

We immediately pivoted and started using video emails. Right. So we signed up for a program called BombBomb, where we were able to.

Yeah, I've had them on my show. Yeah, I love Bomb. It's a great tool.

Love them. And it's super easy to use. And, you know, when you're trying to stand out in the crowd, when everybody else is just hitting you with phone calls and emails, and all of a sudden you can pop into somebody's email with a video with their name on a sign, like, you're going to stand out, you're going to catch their attention. And, you know, really leaning into tech. And we hadn't done as much from the B2B side with that before. It was just really relationship building. And then we said, you know what, here we are, we're in a virtual world. We got to wrap our arms around the tools that are available to us and try to make it as easy as possible to get ahead of us of the crowd and make sure that people know that we exist.

Two things that you said that really resonated with me and stick out to me. One, Data.

Right?

Data doesn't lie. And too often we just take data for granted. I've really gotten big in the past two years as I've been home because I have more time to really analyze the data on my social media and it has had. The ROI has been unbelievable. It really drives my decision on a weekly basis and I can almost, I can forecast now at this point in time with my social media how large the audience will be that I'll reach on any given post specifically to what you're saying, accrediting it to data. Right. So if for everyone listening in your business, in your personal life, whatever it is, take a look at the data. And even I remember when Harper Collins and I were launching my new book, Overcome youe Villains, I wanted to be named Leapfrog youg Villains. They didn't. We went back and forth and they said, well, let's check the data. And they went out and did a litmus test and, you know, brought together an AUD of 1000 people and tested different names. And then when it came back, it was so obvious. Leapfrogging your villains was not the title that it was an easy. I didn't have to be emotionally attached to it.

Right.

It was so easy to say, oh, that's obviously the right decision, so lean into data. And then the other point that I really like that you made is in a sea of mediocrity, how do you stand out if everyone's emailing and calling? How can you show up differently? And you guys leveraging that technology, you know, in that tools through video. Email is a differentiator. It's not game changing, but it's enough that you're going to get somebody to say, this is someone I'll respond to. They went the extra mile. Then you can go and say, all right, now I'm really going to blow your mind with the messaging I have for you here.

Exactly. And I can't support the point enough about data because it can drive all of your decisions. And you know, one of my mentors always say, your numbers don't lie and you've got to look at it and you've got to pay attention and success leaves clues and you have to follow the trail, the breadcrumbs. Right. And on social media, I mean, there are so many amazing tools. I wasn't, you know, and I always apologize to Instagram for this, but Like, I didn't really lean into Instagram until the pandemic. And it was something for me that I got on and I was like, wow, you know what? I can fill up my cup with, like, positive, inspirational messages every day. Like, I can easily turn some of this stuff out and share, you know, these messages with other people, too. And I was able to grow my Instagram account pretty considerably in the last two years by leaning in, right? Like, by paying attention to what content is resonating. What do people need? How can I fill up their cups, too? What's working? Even from a hashtag strategy to messaging to content. Long form, short form, all of it, right? And you can use so many great tools like later and hootsuite and all of these wonderful tools that are at your disposal to really pay attention to your analytics. And then you lean in and you do more of what's working and less of what's not, and you'll be blown away at your results. But he does compound there for sure, too.

It's. It's such a simple point, but one that the majority of people do not actually leverage and lean into. So thank you for bringing that up. Okay, now you brought up another topic that I really wanted to get into. And I actually took notes from your site today. Your site is Alison Walsh consulting dot com. I will link to it for everyone listening in the show notes. But you have this page, top 12 tools to scale my business. And I. First of all, I did not know all of these tools. I'm going to tell you right now. And I was on your website, I went down the rabbit hole, right? Like a few of these, I thought, well, I've never heard of this before. I downloaded Grammarly the minute I read about it on your. And now I'm using it. And Alison, it's like having my editor that I had to pay $25,000 to, right? It's like having him with me to write my newsletter, craft my emails, put up a blog post for. I don't know, I think it's like $12 a month or something. So can you give us a little bit of insight into that?

Oh, yeah. I love tools and I'm always looking for the next cool. I don't want to say hack, but, like, advantage to be able to get things done. I really love being efficient and effective with whatever I use. So I love Grammarly. My editing and my writing style is definitely improved by taking advantage of that. My newest favorite is Jarvis, and it literally creates content on demand. And you can literally say to it. I want a caption for this or I need at least inspiration for this next blog post or I need whatever it is that I'm trying to write. I love writing and I, you know, Heather, you've really inspired me. I know I've got a book in me, but in the meantime, I'm showing up like, I write blog content, I write articles. I love that. And sometimes I hit a writer's block and I just need like a fresh view or just a way of putting something. And so I'll type in like, really what the intention of the post or the article is going to be about. And it uses AI technology and it gives you just this new way of seeing things. And it is so freaking good. Like, I can't even tell you. Like, it has really helped me and I just started using it in the beginning of December because I just had a lot of content and I needed just some fresh stuff. And so highly, highly, highly recommend that, of course, later is one of my absolute favorites as far as scheduling platforms for social media. You can do Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, all with one drag. And you can see all of your analytics in there too. So again, it's like, okay, what's working? What. What's working with my audience? How can I really do more of that and serve in that capacity? And there's just so many cool things that are out there right now and I love using them. So yes, please check out that blog post. It's so much fun.

It's so good. And you know, I'll just go through a couple. Jarvis was not one that I'm familiar with. So thank you for bringing my attention to that because I am definitely. And if you go to Allison's website, she detail why these different tools add value so you can learn more about them. But I'm definitely going to go get Jarvis as soon as we are done with this podcast today. Because I'm so that blown away by Grammarly and I was so appreciative that, that you brought my attention to it. You know, it's funny, and you may already know this, I was on a call, I did an interview for Forbes with another writer from Forbes about my new book the other day. And when we were hanging up, I said, tell me what you're thinking of calling this article, because as you and I both know, what you title something will have an impact on how many people view it or click on it, right? If you're able to title it appropriately or in the best way possible. And so she said, well, Heather, don't worry. I use a tool that tests all subject lines and all headlines. I didn't even know that was a thing either.

Oh, yeah. There's so many tools for SEO that you can really lean into. A couple other ones that I really love just from an SEO value, just to really make sure you're using the right keywords so you show up when people search. There's ubersuggest, which is Neil Patel. It's awesome. You get several free searches a day where you can just type in the keywords that you want to make sure you're ranking for and it will populate for you. Because I used to be the one where I was like, I want some pretty title for whatever. And it's like, but that's not what people are looking for, so don't make it harder for people to find what you're doing. And then there's also a site called Answer the Public where you can type in, like, what it is that you're looking for. And it will populate different questions that people are typing into Google or other search engines so that you can literally, like, write it as people are typing it. So really, really, really helpful. And there's a million more I can rattle off. If anybody has any questions, let me know. I'm always looking for new, cool things to use to just make it that much more effective. If I'm going to spend time on something, I want to do it the best way I can.

So number one, I haven't heard of either of those. So thank you for opening my mind as I'm jotting these down very quickly. And I'll make sure to put these links in the show notes as well. But one thing that you just made me think of it, not only is this helpful as a Forbes writer, right? So you're writing articles and you click on your articles, but you can also use and leverage this stuff for social media if you want to expand your reach, right?

Absolutely, 1,000%. And right now, especially with Instagram, like, gone are the days of needing to use 30 hashtags and all of that. They're still effective. But most importantly, your content is what matters, right? You're trying to connect to people in a way that is resonating for them and in a way that they're communicating. And so you want to make sure that you know that first line that you write on your caption is going to hook them. Right. Or if you're using it in reels, what are people looking for? What are the questions that they're asking what are the pain points right? And when you can identify that and you can write content that speaks to them, you're going to be able to connect with your audience and it's going to grow exponentially.

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A lot of our listeners are either in corporate America, starting their own company, or have already, you know, are already entrepreneurs. Anytime you're sending an email blast, whether you're in corporate America or as an entrepreneur, that subject line is going to determine your open rate, which literally means it's going to impact your revenue. Right. With whatever conversion mechanism you have inside that email. So this sounds like another tool that we can lean into to help us drive people. Click open that email.

Absolutely. And a lot of email service providers now have split testing, so you can test two different subject lines with the same email and see which one's getting better results and then continue to lean into that. And I've been really focused on that as well and seen a nice increase and yeah, take a couple extra minutes to focus on what would you want to open and how else can you incorporate different cues or, you know, different dynamic data points that are going to encourage somebody to open? You know, if they see their name in a subject line, chances are they're going to open it. So include the dynamic data in the subject line and you're going to see really good Results.

Personalization in 2022 is critical to success. As you've mentioned already, as we've been talking, AI is everything right and automated. Everything is a world we live in. So when more and more businesses and people lean that way, if we also incorporate the AI in addition to the personalization, that's how you can really touch people. For those that don't know what a B testing is, which you just alluded to, can you explain to them why AB testing is important?

Sure. I mean, you get to sample or test out two different concepts. And so you're not just leaning into one, you're saying this one versus this one. Which one's the better one. So it gives you a chance to really evaluate what's working well. And you shouldn't just do that for email. If you're testing out landing pages or lead magnets or things of that nature, test it. Don't just put all of your eggs in one basket. When it literally takes you a couple clicks of a button to replicate, make some slight adjustments. It can literally be the difference between you selling out a program, maxing out on whatever it is that you're working on, it can make all of the difference by just testing and tweaking and seeing what's working. And there's all kinds of tools too that you can use for that as well.

So you also brought up that on some of these email platforms, the email platform is itself is starting to offer solutions. And I happen to be, I use mailchimp for my email program. And one of the things mailchimp has, they've improved immensely in the past year and it's just been so helpful, so mind blowing. So again, just from a business perspective, always add value and look at ways to innovate and bring more value to your customers. Because here I am. Two years ago I would have never been even mentioning mailchimp because they just sent out my emails, but they didn't offer much value. Today it's very different. They offer the option to do AB testing on any email subject line that I have. They offer and suggest subject lines to help me improve. They rate my viewability, likability, personalization, keyword usage, and they show me my conversion mechanisms, what's working and what's not. And Allison, they opened my eyes to something I had zero idea about, which was that I need to include and incorporate more opportunities for hot links. And once I did that, I saw my conversion rate increase drastically.

Yeah, mailchimp has definitely improved. And I love the fact too that you can set up all of your journeys in there and sequences and really make your life so much easier. And you can build simple landing pages in there too, which are great, and you can tag anybody that's coming in so you can. Again, that customization as you talked about, of really speaking to the people that are signing up for your list in a way that they want to be spoken to and serving up content to them that they care about, you can do all of that. I mean, I've got a ton of different lead magnets and landing pages out there, but I know how somebody entered into my email list and what they care about. And so I'm sending them content that that matters to them, which will increase the likelihood of them opening the emails, clicking on things, engaging in the content, doing whatever it is the call to action is asking them to do it makes a big difference.

And why is an email list so important to you?

Oh my gosh, because Instagram can go down in a day like we saw not too long ago, and everybody's going, oh my God, my business is going go down. No it's you want to own your mailing list. And, you know, it's really nice and impressive to have large audiences and all of that too, on social media. I don't want to minimize the impact that you can have with that. But when somebody is in your world and you're able to communicate with them in a very personalized way through an email list, you have that contact and you can nurture those relationships. And, you know, the goal is to again, be of service, but to then have them take advantage of what you're putting out there to the world, whether it's a book or it's a course or it's a mastermind, it's a program, whatever it is that you're selling. The email list is really probably with a more intimate community outside of working with you one on one or in a group program. So it's really important for you to own those contacts. And, you know, when Facebook and Instagram had that glitch a few months ago and everybody panicked, I think it really opened a lot of people's eyes to the importance of getting people off of social platforms and onto your list and adding value to them that way.

For anyone listening who has not set up an email list and does not have some type of a free offer to drive people, this is your call to action. Do it now, do it imperfectly, but do it. Here's why. In the end of 2020, my preferred social media platform and my large audience is on LinkedIn, not on Instagram or Facebook. And I've always taken for granted it would be there forever. I mean, it's a business network. Where would it ever go? What I didn't ever consider is that I would be put in LinkedIn jail. So what happened was I didn't know that you're not allowed to have someone other than you logging in, especially outside of your zip code area, right? So I had a VA that was logging in to manage my messages and whatnot. And LinkedIn, completely innocent. There is nothing. You know, I had no bad motive about it, but somehow LinkedIn saw that I was getting activity outside of the United States in my account and they wanted to protect me, so they shut my account down. And to try to get into somebody at LinkedIn to get help when you don't know anybody at that point in time, I didn't have contacts. I basically thought I had lost over 100,000 people in my community and that it was gone overnight. And so what I learned in that moment was the minute I'm getting my account back If I get it back, which I did, thankfully, I said I'm going to just start driving people to my free ebook, my free 30 day accountability program. These different automated things that I had set up on my website so that if for any reason I go to LinkedIn jail or LinkedIn gets bought and they shut it off, or whatever happens to LinkedIn, I'm still going to have some level of contact and community with that group. And then LinkedIn launched the LinkedIn newsletter, which is amazing, but they own it, they don't give you the data. So what they're saying is, we're really smart. We know that you people love email lists and that email helps you with your community, but we're not going to let you have access to the list. We're going to own it and basically let you rent it. So really smart on LinkedIn. And great that they're offering these new products and services. But to your point, it's on each one of us to drive those people back to our text community, our email list, whatever. It's going to be our podcast and getting them to subscribe so we can have an ongoing relationship.

Yeah, absolutely. You really got to get them onto your list, into your world, and then nurture them from there.

For the people in the world where you're so organized and you've had so much success around organization and leading teams and you do so many different things simultaneously, what are some of the hacks or tips you can share with all of us who are not so organized? Organized?

Well, I had to get really structured because I also have three kids and I think the older they get, the busier they get. And if I don't stay organized, I'm just completely out of luck. And my day is running me and I'm not running my day. So first and foremost, I have a priority list. I love to do lists, but I also find that the to do list can allow time leaks throughout your day if you're not careful. And so I try to identify at least the top three priorities for the day the night before. That way, when I get up in the morning and I am religious about my morning routine, I can knock out some of those priorities and I can have wins under my belt right away because when I get wins, I gain momentum. And so I play this game with myself throughout the day of like winning the day, but I have to be super intentional about it because otherwise it can be very overwhelming. So I'm a firm believer if you have more than three priorities, you don't have priorities. You're just going to get lost in the mess of the day. Time blocking is everything for me. So if you give yourself 30 days to do something, it's going to take 30 days. If you give yourself three hours, it's going to take three hours. So again, putting some boundaries on what you're doing throughout the day. And so if you're going to put something on the priority list, give yourself the amount of time that you think it should take you to go ahead and accomplish it and stick to that and give yourself breaks in between because you can have burnout throughout the day of just like, go, go, go, go, go. If you're not careful. So by doing those time blocks, giving yourself a little gap allows you to refresh, get up, walk around, get back at it. So that's really helped me and making sure that I'm asking for some support around things too. So if there's something that's too outside of my wheelhouse, and I don't want to say comfort zone because I'm always learning and I'm always growing and I'm obviously always into like finding new things, but I can get cluttered in my day and in my mindset and everything if I try to take on too many things that are outside of where I need to stay. So your zone of genius is really important. So I also think of it, it's not just like physical organization of time, energy and space. It's also like the mental organization of where you're going to lean in. And I think as entrepreneurs or small business owners, it can be easy to put on so many crowns that you get unorganized in your day and how you run your day. And so making sure that you're outsourcing what you need to, that you're asking for help with what you can really put on somebody else's plate that they can do just as well, if not better, because that's their zone of genius. And really leaning into where you need to spend your energy to get the best outcomes.

Oh, I couldn't agree more. And for me, the actual clutter, the physical clutter, can make a huge impact. I remember at the end of 2021 saying, okay, you know, for forecasting 2022, how am I going to get bigger? How am I going to be better? And I thought, I've got to get some space, like just literal physical space. I live in an apartment, I'm working from home nonstop, and it's not clean enough and there's. It's just not space free enough. And so I Went on this whole rampage around here to try to get rid of anything and everything I could just throw out of the house or give away. And even though it wasn't massive, it freed up space in my mind, which allowed me to start thinking more creatively. It allowed me to start solving problems and it truly linked back to just that declutter.

Yeah, no, that's huge. I actually took the week off between Christmas and new Year's and I went, you know, spending time with my kids. But we also cleaned out our entire house. We had just moved in here during the pandemic, like the July before, like the year before. And I'm like, how did we move into a house that has all this extra space? And we just fill it up like you don't even realize it, right? And it's just things get out of place or end up in the wrong closet and you just keep stacking it up like, we're not starting the year off like this. And it felt so good to do that. I also have a friend, she does these like decluttering challenges. And so it basically builds up your ability to kind of let go of things. And so on day one, you get rid of one thing, on day two, you get rid of two things. Three, and it just goes through the whole month. So by the end of the month, you've given away like 60, 70 things over time and you just feel so much less. Less stuff. Right. Because it does distract you. And we don't need to hold on to all these other things. We really don't. I think we've realized that less is more have, you know, quality over quantity and everything that we do. And that also comes with the physical stuff that we keep around us.

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Oh my gosh. I totally agree. And it's so funny. My son is a pack rat. Just, it's a weird personality thing he has. I'm. I'm not a pack rat. I would be happy if someone would just come in and clean my house and get rid of everything. I'd say thank you, but my son is not like that. And it's funny to see the attachment he has and how it can be challenging. So I want for people listening. I know it's not easy for everybody because there's a lot of people like my son that really feel attachment to having certain things around. They want to be able to visibly see that and. But I did get him through some coercion and some incentives, you know, to get rid of some of the things in his room. And even he said, I'm not knocking into things anymore. I'm like, oh, imagine that. This is. What a beautiful gift this is.

It is.

It is. You know, my mom holds on to a lot of things as well and so we just call her very sentimental. And so, you know, everything has a story and everything has meaning and she has been doing the same thing. She. After I. Well, I guess it was right after I moved out of the house. They turned the guest bedroom into like a closet room. And so. But that was like 20 something years ago. Right. And she's just continued to add to it and I'm like, we don't wear any of this stuff. Like this has got to go. So she's almost done and I'm so proud of her. But. And she hasn't just migrated the things over to my house too, which I appreciate because there was a period of time where every time my husband would come in the garage there'd be something else from my parents house. He's like, this has got to stop. Like we're just inheriting the stuff that they've gone through.

So.

No, it's. It makes a big difference with everything.

Oh, it so does. Okay, so you've been in coaching for quite some time. I'm still pretty new to coaching. I only started coaching people during the pandemic, can you give us some insight into why is it important? If somebody's successful that's listening, why would they want to go ahead and invest in a coach for themselves?

Oh, there's so many great reasons. And I think that not only have I been a coach for 14 years at this point, but I've also invested in coaching throughout that time, too. Coaches help you navigate that next level for yourself, right? And they help you overcome obstacles, they help you see around the corner. I always think of my coach as like my fast forward button, right? Like, I can sit here and try to figure things out on my own. Like, I'm a smart person. I subscribe to Marie Forleo's mindset of, like, everything is figureoutable. But if I can get someplace farther, faster, and navigate challenges or never even have to go through them because somebody else helped guide me through the process, it is worth every penny. And I've never worked with a coach that I didn't receive an ROI that was a huge multiple of what I actually invested in myself. And I think that that is incredibly important to seek out people that have done what it is that you're trying to do. And sometimes the most important thing and the most important reason to just pull the trigger and do it is because maybe the people that are in your circle haven't done what it is that you're trying to do. And I think that's really, really important. You're going to go through different phases, right? Especially people that are listening to this podcast, right. Probably very ambitious, want to go after goals, dreams, things that they have outlined for themselves. But if those in your social circle haven't done it, or you don't have a mentor connection to somebody that can help you, you need to find a coach that can. Right? And that to me is one of the most important things to do. You don't have to do it on your own. And especially when it comes to confidence of navigating whatever that next level is for yourself, sometimes you have to borrow the confidence of the people that and that are supporting you and cheering you on. And sometimes that's not necessarily the social circle, your family or friends group. And so getting somebody in your corner that's going to cheer you on, that's going to believe in you when you don't believe in yourself, that's going to help map out what it is that you're trying to accomplish and give you the skills that you need to be able to get there. Worth every penny.

Okay, Couldn't agree More. Never take advice from someone who hasn't been where you're going. Right. I made an epic fail when I was done writing Confidence Creator, and I reached out to my family, and I sent them my book, and I thought, what do you guys think? I'd love to hear your feedback. I was reaching out to people who had not been where I was going, and a couple of the people in my family said, don't do it. You can't write this book. You need to throw it in the trash and get another idea. And don't move forward, whatever you do. And luckily, I called my coach, which was my editor. I made an investment. I paid him a significant amount of money because he had written 19 books, and I wanted him to get me there faster. And when I called him and said, hey, my family said, I can't do this, he said, who do you think you should listen to? The person that's written 19 books or the person that's written none? And I said, you're so right. I'm gonna listen to you. What should I do? And he said, launch the flipping book. And that book went number one in five categories the first week it came out. So your advice is spot on for anyone that wants to go to that next level. And I believe you mentioned you have two spots left in your coaching program.

I. I do. And so I take on a handful of women that I work with each and every year. We typically work together for six to 12 months. I do have several that are on, like, year three and four right now. We're just continuing to level up, which is so much fun. But, yes, I would love to welcome the conversation with anybody that's listening right now. I really help women elevate their brands, their business. Of course, the mindset is a big part of this, but to really go after that next level for themselves. So I work with a lot of entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, women that are going for that next level, that next career advancement, if that's what's next on the roadmap for themselves and helping them navigate what that looks like, and really showing up in the most beautiful, bold version of themselves, which I love. And I love helping women just elevate all aspects of their lives.

And sometimes that can be intimidating to do on your own without someone standing by. You say, no, this is not something you should question. You can go for it. I've done it. I've seen other people that you can do it too. And that's that little, tiny push and encouragement that can get somebody over the Finish line.

Absolutely. And in the finish line is really that piece where they need you the most. You know, it's the whole process of getting there. Right. So when. When I work with a client, we're really digging in deep to, of course, like, what are their goals and dreams? What do they want to accomplish? How do they want to show up? Putting all of that together so that they can really shine brightly in the way that they want to. But every single time, like, if we have to revisit some of those mindset lessons right before it's time to launch or right before it's time to really get visible or go after some media or whatever it is that they're doing for themselves, themselves, because some of that stuff can creep back up. And that's where having a coach that says, go, you're good, you're ready, you're prepared, you've got everything within you. And so, so much happens around that period of time, too, of just again, that extra boost of confidence and getting them mentally and emotionally prepared for that next level, too, and practicing and mocks and whatever it is that we need to do to help them feel really good about what they're about to step into makes a big difference.

And for those women listening and for those gentlemen listening, that, you know, a woman who needs that, that push, please turn her on to Allison. But for those who aren't ready to make the leap into individual coaching but want to be a part of something else, what is the offer that you have for them?

Yeah, so I have this. You believe she could Society, which is my monthly membership group, and we focus on building your brand and business. It's on demand lessons. We load new content in there every single month. We have some guest instructors that come in that are experts as well in certain areas, but really giving you the tools. It's kind of like those tips on the blog, but on steroids. Right. It's just teaching you how to use a lot of those different things that are available to you to help you elevate your brand and business and do so without a lot of the stress. So that's good, too.

And I don't know who doesn't want these hacks. And thank you so much for sharing the hacks that you shared today. But if you want to go further into these hacks and learn more of Allison's hacks so that you can get ahead or someone that you love can get ahead, how do people get ahold of you, Alison?

So you can go to Alison Walsh consulting dot com. You can follow me on Instagram at Alison Walsh, of course, tune into the podcast the she believes she could podcast and then the society you can link to straight from Alison Walsh consulting. Com.

Well, I so appreciate you making time for us today. We know how busy you are and thank you for dropping all of this knowledge. Until next time, Allison. Thank you so much. And check out my episode on Allison's podcast. It was such a good one. And thank you so much, Allison, for being a woman who actually supports, encourages other women.

You too, Heather. Thank you so much for letting me come on your show today. I really appreciate it.

It.

All right, guys, check out the show notes to get Allison's links. And until next week, keep creating your confidence. I decided to change that dynamic. I couldn't be more excited for what you're gonna hear. Start learning and growing. Inevitably something will happen. No one succeeds alone. You don't stop and look around once in a while. You could miss it. Come on this journey with me.