The Secret Weapon of Success: Why Every Entrepreneur Needs a Thought Partner

For many female entrepreneurs, success is not measured as much in revenue or profit, but in aligning their business with deeply-held values, energy, and personal lifestyle. During a period of business soul-searching, my client, Jen Liddy reached out to work with me. We have known each other for several years and she knew what she needed most was not traditional business coaching but rather a true thought partner.

Jen Liddy’s story is not just inspiring; it mirrors the struggles and aspirations of many female entrepreneurs, including myself. Jen had reached a point in her life where despite achieving financial success, she felt a disheartening lack of fulfillment and joy in her work. This led her to make a decisive pivot in her business strategy, emphasizing a life that valued not just profit, but personal satisfaction and work-life balance.

One of the most powerful takeaways from Jen’s experience was the significance of hiring a thought partner. Unlike traditional coaching, a thought partner comes alongside you to delve deep into the strategic and creative aspects of your business. After experiencing burnout and recognizing the dissatisfaction in her work, Jen sought me as a strategist, coach, and consultant combined in one. Our partnership allowed Jen to articulate her ideas verbally and refine them with input from an experienced professional, propelling her towards clarity and purpose.

For me, this concept was electrifying. In the trenches of day-to-day operations, many of us as female entrepreneurs find ourselves lost in the noise, unable to pick out our own voices and true intentions. Jen’s reflection on the need to get quiet and shut off external input to truly receive creative ideas was a direct call to my habitual working style, which often bordered on the chaotic and reactive. It was clear that I needed to redefine my own approach, prioritizing deep work and introspective strategy over constant hustle. This is one of the things I love most about my work — I help my clients create significant results and they help me grow and change in return.

Thinking about our collaboration, the thing that struck me most was Jen’s uncovering of her new niche. Her focus has shifted to helping entrepreneurs who, like herself, shy away from the conventional spotlight in marketing. She developed strategies for those seeking to wield what she called “quiet influence”, a style of leadership and business that does not demand the limelight but instead builds authority through expertise and genuine engagement.

The transformation in Jen’s business wasn’t just about changing what she offered but redefining who she wanted to serve and how. She emphasized understanding the psychographics of her desired clientele over their professional titles — a method that is compelling for its depth and personalization. This encouraged me to revisit who I genuinely wanted to work with, pushing me to conduct my own market research and redefine my target audience based on aligned values and shared visions, not just surface-level demographics.

Moreover, Jen’s journey highlighted the courage required to pivot. She let go of certain offerings that didn’t sit well with her renewed business ethos, such as memberships and masterminds, and instead, embraced one-off strategy sessions and a premium 30-day sprint. This not only catered perfectly to her energy but also targeted clients who favored quick, intensive bursts of work. Her daring to right-size her business to suit her personal and professional needs inspired me to evaluate my own business offerings with a critical, yet optimistic lens.

Choosing to hire me as her thought partner and sharing the results highlights the powerful impact of fostering the right partnerships and embracing the courage to redefine success on your own terms. Embracing the role of a thought partner, I am now more prepared than ever to help my clients steer their endeavors towards a future not defined by societal benchmarks, but by personal fulfillment and strategic clarity.
Feel free to DM me on LinkedIn or Instagram @coachdiannwingert or send me an email at diann@diannwingertcoaching.com. I’d love to hear your thoughts! If you’d like to hear the full episode on The Driven Woman Entrepreneur Podcast, you can do that here.

Originally published at https://www.diannwingertcoaching.com on May 16, 2024.