133: Strategic Planning for Coaches with Carrie Flynn
Every coach needs strategic planning if you want to grow and scale your business. Today's guest, Carrie Flynn of Virtual Simplicity, is here to share everything you need to know about strategic planning in your coaching business. Carrie started Virtual Simplicity back in 2017 while also working full-time as a public school teacher.
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Show Notes
Every coach needs strategic planning if you want to grow and scale your business. Today's guest, Carrie Flynn of Virtual Simplicity, is here to share everything you need to know about strategic planning in your coaching business.
Carrie started Virtual Simplicity back in 2017 while also working full-time as a public school teacher. As the business grew, she scaled to working as an OBM with clients who often launched online programs. Virtual Simplicity has since expanded into an agency with a team of dedicated experts and specialists who help clients develop simple, easy, efficient, but not complicated online programs, funnels, and launch strategies.
I've known Carrie for over a year, and she's become my go-to person for strategic planning. This conversation was fantastic, with unexpected but necessary detours into money mindset, dealing with the guilt, shame, and anxiety that comes with money, and more. We cover it all today, and I know you'll get so much value from this conversation.
Topics covered
- Carrie’s work helping female business owners to grow and scale their businesses sustainably
- How Carrie built Virtual Simplicity while still in her career as a teacher
- Carrie’s top tips for managing your time and mindset while making a career transition
- Making space for the inevitable discomfort that comes with making big decisions
- What is strategic planning?
- The goal of growth marketing
- How coaches can benefit from strategic planning
- Working through the shame and money mindset many of us deal with in our businesses
- Why you need to think about sustainability
- The value of getting outside support
- Common pitfalls among coaches when it comes to growth and scaling
- When should coaches consider working with a consultant on strategic planning?
Resources mentioned
- Carrie Flynn's Website | Virtual Simplicity
- Carrie Flynn on LinkedIn
- Carrie Flynn on Instagram
- Coach with Clarity Collective
- Coach with Clarity Podcast Facebook Group
- Connect with Me on Instagram
- Email Me: info@coachwithclarity.com
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TRANSCRIPT
Well, hello, my friend. Welcome to the Coach with Clarity Podcast. My name is Lee Chaix McDonough, I'm your host, and I am thrilled that you are joining me today because I have something very special to share with you. I invited my friend Carrie Flynn of Virtual Simplicity, to come on and talk to us a little bit about what strategic planning is, and why it is so important for coaches to include a strategic planning process in their businesses, especially if they are looking to grow and scale. Here's the funny thing about interviews, though I come prepared, I do my homework, I have a set of questions that I intend to ask, and then when I get in the flow with a really dynamic and fascinating guest, we hit topics that I never could have imagined. And that's exactly what happened today with Carrie, we took not even a detour, I'm going to say a necessary trip down a path of money mindset, and how we can treat ourselves when we are coming face to face with maybe some of our money decisions that we've made in the past that we have mixed feelings about today. How do we deal with the guilt, the shame, the anxiety that comes up when it comes to money? Because both Carrie and I have had those experiences, we actually get pretty transparent about it during our conversation. Carrie and I both want to have these conversations because we want to remove the stigma and shame that often accompanies some of these financial decisions. So we definitely dive into that today, which I was not expecting and yet I'm so glad we did. And then of course, we also take a good look at what it means to transition from one career into another and how to navigate that transition. And of course, how to effectively incorporate a strategic planning process into your coaching practice. So we really do cover it all today. I cannot wait for you to hear this conversation. So without further ado, I am thrilled to introduce you to my go to person when it comes to strategic planning, Carrie Flynn of Virtual Simplicity.
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Lee: Well, hello, Carrie, thank you so much for coming on the Coach with Clarity Podcast.
Carrie: Thank you so much for having me, my friend, I'm so excited.
Lee: I am really excited too. I've been looking forward to this conversation for a long time. But before we get into it, let's get to know you a little bit. So tell us about who you are and the work you do for the world.
Carrie: I'm Carrie, I own a company called Virtual Simplicity. And what we do at Virtual Simplicity is we help female entrepreneurs and small business owners to grow and scale their businesses sustainably. I'm a marketing integrator and consultant, so we focus mostly on growth, marketing, doing things like strategic planning, creating amazing strategic and simplified processes and plans and project management. So clients can really maximize their profits and bottom line without having to sacrifice like, their fun and enjoyment and free time and all of that.
Lee: Ooh, that resonates with me, because there is a lot of work that goes into operating a business and creating all of those plans and processes. But we do that so that on the back end, we've got the time and the flexibility that we're hoping to achieve to be with our people and do the things that we love. So I love that there are people like you out there, who are the experts and helping us create those strategic plans. I couldn't live without mine, for sure. And I have so many questions about that. But my very first one is, how did you come to do this work? Like have you always been in marketing and strategic planning?
Carrie: No, I actually was a teacher for 15 years in the public school system. And probably in early 2017 is when I actually started a business, it really started as a more of a side hustle situation. So I started as a virtual assistant and became what's called an online business manager. So I was on the more operations side of coaching businesses, clients who are coaches online, or some who were just entrepreneurs online and helped them to kind of manage their operations but the one key kind of factor between all the clients I was working with was they all had promotions and launches they were doing. And so I learned a significant amount about like the marketing behind it, the strategy behind it, but also a lot about like funnel building, like the tactical pieces of building out assets for launches, all that – all that's involved. And so that was how I sort of started. And I did that for a while. I did not leave my teaching job until 2021. So that'll give you some insights until my business really was grown whilst I was teaching kind of beside that. And I really niche down into what I did now, about a year ago. I started to really lean into more of the marketing and launching side and working with more of women who needed support in that area. So I sort of made the, took my skills as an integrator and moved over into the marketing side, because I really enjoy thought partnership and strategy, and creating really awesome plans. So it definitely didn't start that way. But it sort of evolved to where it is now. Took me a little while but I got there.
Lee: I love that you have built this out while you were still working your initial career as a teacher. And I think a lot of coaches too, do that, you know, maybe they're starting out as therapists or teachers, or health care professionals, realtors. I mean, I've worked with people from all sorts of backgrounds, and very few of them actually jump into coaching straightaway. There tends to be this time period where you're transitioning from one into the other. And it sounds like that was the case for you from teaching into your work now.
Carrie: Yes, very, I would say the majority of my time as a small business owner was, at least for now anyway, it was that period of time where it was sort of a slower transition. And to be honest, at the beginning, I didn't know if I would ever leave. I would ever be a full time entrepreneur business owner. It wasn't certainly how I started when I was thinking about it. It didn't start that way. But once I decided that was kind of the direction I thought I wanted to go in, that is when I sort of started so it was a slow kind of burn there to get to that place I would say. And that fits with my kind of core values. I'm big on sustainability. I'm not big on jumping off cliffs, just because like that's not my personality, of course. So it's like it kind of fits with me to do it that way. It's not necessarily the appropriate path for everybody. And there's nothing saying you shouldn't take the leap sooner if you don't if you want to do that. But for me, in our family that worked for us, that's what we did.
Lee: I appreciate you sharing that, because I think you're exactly right. Some people do need or want a long runway, when they're making that type of career transition where other people, it's actually going to serve them best to cut ties pretty quickly and move on to the next thing. There's no one right or wrong way. It's really about discovering the way that's going to work best for us and the people in our lives. I'm curious, though, when you think about your transition period, were there any tips or techniques that helped you make that transition? And I'm asking because one of the questions I get so often from people who are considering becoming a coach is, “How do I balance the work that I'm doing now as a,” fill in the blank with whatever their career is, “with my desire for building my own business and moving into coaching?” So that navigating those two worlds and that transition period, what are your thoughts? Or what best practices might you share around that?
Carrie: Well, I would say, I was really realistic about my capacity, that was important. And I didn't try to take on more than I was capable of. That's super important. Number one, so being mindful of what your capacity is. And then the second thing I did was I was pretty structured, I'm a very regimented person by nature. So having a kind of daily, “Okay, I'm going to do this for x amount of time.” I definitely am not a fan of burning out and working too much. So I would maybe work two hours a day on my business, and only Monday to Fridays, usually, sometimes I would do it on the weekends, but I was not somebody who was gonna burn around the clock, that was just never me. I value family and I also value my own personal wellness and my free time. And so that was one of the reasons why I took longer is because I wanted to do it that way. And then the second thing is you have to know, be aware of when the time to actually move to full time is. It's being willing to make that move, when it's time because there will come a point when you have to make that choice, because you will no longer be able to do both, at some point there will come a time where you have to decide. And that just being comfortable and being willing to take, it will feel a little risky. But you can do it in a way that's really sustainable. Like we waited until I had enough income coming in from my business that I could pay myself, like that was a marker for me. So if that's your marker, know what the thing is you need to do before you leave. And then when the time comes, you have to decide you have to make the choice. Because you can stay that way, you just won't be able to grow any further.
Lee: So I really appreciate, number one, understanding your capacity. And I think that also requires a level of self awareness, which fortunately, most coaches out there are pretty self aware people. But understanding how much we can reasonably take on and then finding the time in our day to do that work, and then drawing boundaries around the rest of the time. Because I have found certainly, as a small business owner, it is so easy for my business to bleed into all of the other areas of my life. And if I don't have those clear boundaries, then that runs the risk of jeopardizing my time with my husband and my children and my friends. And then what am I doing all this work for? Theoretically, it's to enjoy my life. But if I'm spending all of my life on my business, then I'm out of balance. And so understanding capacity, I think, is a really important piece of that. So I'm so glad you brought that up.
Carrie: Yes. And don't think that when you become a full time entrepreneur, that suddenly you're gonna figure out boundaries, like your total thing, I thought, Oh, I'm gonna totally have all this time and no, like, you're still going to want to, it's gonna be tempting to blur the lines and work, work more hours and blah, blah, blah. That's the thing that will always be there.
Lee: Yes, yes, that's, that's exactly right. So it's about just understanding how much you have to give, when and how you want to give it and then turning it off, when it's time to step away and do the other things in your life that bring you pleasure. So capacity is important. And then also, I really appreciate this idea of knowing when to make that move. And to your point, even when you know what your markers are of readiness, and you've met them, there's still going to be some anxiety or some discomfort that comes in making the move. And that's not necessarily a sign that it's the wrong thing. It's just our brains kicking in trying to keep us safe. And oftentimes, I know when I've been in that situation, I have felt so much better on the other side of the decision after I've made the move. And there was a lot of anticipatory anxiety that actually didn't serve me and then kind of disappeared once I actually just did the thing. So, I think having those markers of knowing when it's time to move, and then also making space for the inevitable discomfort that comes with that is really important.
Carrie: For sure. Yeah. I think the anxiety does not leave. That’s the other thing I would say. Sadly, it doesn't magically disappear when you become the full time business owner. If not, it just sort of shows up in different ways, which is okay.
Lee: And again, it doesn't mean that you're doing something wrong, it just means you're being asked to show up, and work with it in a different way.
Carrie: Yeah.
Lee: Alright, so I want to dive into how coaches can benefit from this concept of strategic planning. And before we even talk about this, I think maybe we should define the term. Because I know when I was a fairly new coach, and I was doing my research and listening to podcasts and doing all of that, I heard a lot about strategic planning. And I wasn't really clear on what that even meant, until I kind of got thrown into the world and realized, “Oh, I’ve got to do all this stuff.” So how would you describe what strategic planning is for someone who may be brand new to it?
Carrie: Right. So there's really a couple of different types of strategic planning, there's strategic planning for your marketing purposes. And then there's actual like, overall business strategic planning, so you can plan for your whole business. What I do is more focused in the marketing side. So typically, what we're doing is we're looking at, normally we look at a 90 day period or a quarter, if you can do it at the beginning of a quarter, that's awesome. But if not a 90 day period works fine too. Like, you don't, it doesn't – there's no magic around like quarters, but if you know, if you start doing it in like August for the next three months, that's okay. Like no big deal. But essentially, it's a 90 day plan or a quarter. And what you're gonna want to do is you want to assess, like, what are your goals for your marketing, your business growth, and as it pertains to your marketing, your business. Like what is a goal that you can set like a, we call them KPIs or key performance indicators, but you can call them goals, doesn't matter. And what we try to do with clients is get them to really create a focus like a specific focus or strategic initiatives. We try really hard to not overdo it. Like we don't want to pick 17 initiatives to accomplish with our marketing, because guess what, you won't be able to do all of them. And you will feel super overwhelmed, like you'll feel very defeated. So the goal with a strategic plan is to create a goal, some strategic initiatives and growth opportunities that will help you to get to that goal. That's the ultimate focus of it. And then what I do with that, with clients is we take that info, and we break it down by month, and to specific things that we're going to do like tasks that are then going to, again, get us to the goal. Everything points back to the goal. And then I sometimes take it even a step further, and I go week by week. So week by week over that 90 day period. So the goal being at the end of that time to have those things checked off. And we can track and see how we did with the goals that we set and reassess at the end of those 90 days. The point of it is really, is to keep you from throwing spaghetti at a wall.
So if you are just sort of like flying by the seat of your pants, a lot of times that's very directionless, and you end up not going anywhere or be like in cycles, and you're not quite sure how you ended up there. Like and that's a very, like, that's not a predictable way to grow long term, it can sometimes work in the short term, but in the long term, it's not sustainable. So if you force yourself to do a little bit of planning, it only takes an hour when I do it, maybe 90 minutes. And then you come away with something that you can reference. It's like a reference point, really, at the end of the day. And then if you have people that are on your team, or maybe you have a VA or somebody working with you, they can help you to execute on that plan, which is key.
Lee: I love how you've described that. That really the goal of strategic planning is to create a roadmap for what, when and how all of this gets done. And because I know sustainability, so important, ideally, if this is something that can then be repeatable, if we can create processes out of this even better, right?
Carrie: Yeah, it just makes it easier. And then you do it every 90 days. So you re, you do it at the end of that period, you reassess and then that helps you to create the next one. So they kind of, the goal is to build on, that you don't just create random new things. The goal is to really build upon that. So it doesn't mean that you don't have any long term big, hairy, audacious goal. goals, you can totally have those. That would maybe come on the business strategic planning side. But the goal with growth marketing is to have you see growth and increments over a longer period of time.
Lee: So when I think about the coaches that I work with either coaches inside the Collective my group program, or my mastermind, or my private coaching clients, one thing I noticed about most of them is that they tend to be these huge visionary thinkers, they are masters at seeing what is possible and creating this vision of an ideal future, and really leaning into that. So the idea of having those big, hairy, audacious goals that comes very naturally to them. But then what happens is they have this huge goal. And then they look at where they are now. And the disconnect between those two things is literally painful. And they start doubting their ability to get from where they are today to where they want to be in the future. Because that chasm between the two seems so wide.
Carrie: Yeah, that’s the point of that plan.
Lee: Exactly! I was gonna say it sounds to me like that's where you come in, and you help kind of break down that huge gap into something more manageable.
Carrie: Yes, that is in the consulting side, that it really works on the integrator side, too. But the goal is to assess where somebody's at now, like, be real honest about where you're at now, like data, numbers, everything, like just be super real. And then where do you want to go? We assess that. And then there's a gap. So we actually assess the gap. Like there's specific, if it's, you know, how much money you want to bring into your business, how many hours you want to work, and how much profit you want to take home. Like, those are some common ones that people look at. So be super real about where you are, where you want to go. And then there's this kind of gap. And if you write and then you write it down, there's an actual exercise I make people go through, if they haven't done it, where they actually have to, like do that. Because if you haven't thought about it, that's one of the first steps you need to take.
Lee: Listening to you describe that process, one of the thoughts that I initially had is that it can feel overwhelming, if not downright scary, to be honest with yourself much less another person about where you are at now. I think there are a lot of coaches who get a little bashful, even a little embarrassed, because they assume that they're not far enough along yet or that because they haven't hit a five figure month or because they have some business debt, that they're doing something wrong. And the thought of sharing this with someone, even kind of being honest about it with themselves. That's a hard thing to do. And so I'm just kind of curious how you approach your own clients who maybe are carrying a little shame around the decisions they've made in the past and how that's brought them to where they are today?
Carrie: Well, I have experienced with that personally. So I tend to – I have come I mean, just understand that that's super normal. And you can be a seven figure earner and have money mindset problems, you can have shame around money, you can have I mean, I've worked with a few coaches too, and other types of business owners and they have all had some level of issue there. I don't, it varies. Me personally, like I have real regrets and shame around money, especially in my business. So like, if you're in the US like with, if you've had to take out a payment plan for your taxes. That's embarrassing. Like how that's embarrassing, I've had to do that. It's embarrassing when you have to, like, let people go or you know, like, let go of a coaching program that you love, because you don't have the money to pay for it. I've had to do all of that it is shameful. So I think just numbers are information and it's just data. And it's what we're doing sometimes is we putting our feelings about ourself into the money part. And for me, what helps a ton is to try to remove my own feelings about myself out of it. And also knowing that it's super normal and almost every business owner I've ever talked to has been through some level of that at some point. So if you don't have a space, a community, a trusted advisor, a coach somebody to talk to – that's like step one. You cannot be I mean, my coach has a coach like and she's a seven figure earner. It doesn't matter. You need support. So that's step number one. And so that's one of the things that I have to do as a guide, is be that sounding board. And a lot of times people will just start telling me stuff. And then they're like, I don't even know why I told you all this, I'm like, Well, you just needed to get it out. And it's fine, like, feel free to dump away. So if you don't have that, that's step one is to get help, whatever that looks like. And then two, you have to be willing to look at your money and your numbers, and whatever else. Because if you can't look at it, then you're giving it some sort of weird, negative energy power over you. And then you won't be able to make the shift that you need to make in order to grow and scale. So if you can't do that, it won't matter how great at sales you are, it won't matter how great at content creation you are, you can do all of that, but it won't be sustainable. So you have to deal with it. And I know that's very hard. I, as someone who's gone through it, I get it.
Lee: Yeah, yeah.
Carrie: It's just step one, get support. You need to have somebody to talk to and then you need to be willing – even if you do it by yourself, you need to be willing to start with that exercise. Even if it's alone with a therapist, or alone, or alone with a coach. If you're not comfortable talking to somebody else, you can keep it to yourself, put it in your own Google Drive, it's totally fine.
Lee: Yes, I really appreciate you. First off, sharing your own experiences with it, because you're exactly right. I have yet to come across a small business owner or an entrepreneur that has not had some sort of financial pit.
Carrie: I know a lot of, I know so many people who are doing so well right now but have been through bankruptcy or have lost businesses or had been in a lawsuit with a former partner, I mean, really hard things. Divorce.
Lee: And because we don't talk about them, it becomes taboo, and we think we are the only people dealing with it.
Carrie: You're not a psycho. I promise.
Lee: Yes. And so that's why I'm really grateful actually, that you're you're sharing your own experiences and talking about this on the podcast, because this goes a long way towards opening up the dialogue around the truth behind being a six or seven figure business and just how many of these business owners have had to navigate their way through their own financial uncertainty as well.
Carrie: For sure.
Lee: And just to be transparent, like I have been there too. And I have spent years working not just on money mindset, but also on the practicalities of money. And I still have my own things that I work through. I took out an EIDL. So the emergency loan during COVID. And I carried a lot of guilt and even shame around what it meant that I had to take out a loan for my business. But the fact is, I am so grateful for that loan, because had I not been able to do that, especially during the pandemic. I don't know if I could have kept my business going.
Carrie: Right.
Lee: And that's the other thing is we have to not just take on this idea that oh, I took out a loan or I'm in debt. And there's something wrong and shameful. It's actually no, how did that serve me? And what opportunities has it allowed me to do? How can I almost express gratitude for that debt? Because now I'm eight, now my business is still going forward. But yeah, my goodness that that took a lot of healing and processing before I was even able to get us on point.
Carrie: No listen, my mom was in real estate for like 35 years and when I think it was in the first recession around 2008. She ended up having to take out a, what's it called, like a line of equity, I think, because her business just stalled. You know, it was, a lot of people in the industry stalled. Now she did of course, eventually, like, it pivoted, which we all do. But she talks about that. That was very, like she couldn't live without it. And so that was really hard, but also how lucky that she was able to do that. That she had the ability to get the money that she needed to live while she pivoted and transitioned into a different phase of her real estate business. So it's a part of business. It will happen, not maybe not to that level, but it's a part of business dealing with painful experiences, in particular around money.
Lee: And then learning how we can leverage those experiences and leverage that debt, that literal debt in order to kind of bring ourselves to a better place. So certainly money mindset issues, I know it's not just coaches dealing with it, but certainly coaches do.
Carrie: Everybody.
Lee: Yes. I'm curious to what other pitfalls you tend to see among coaches or clients that you've worked with when it comes specifically to growth and scaling and the planning that has to go into making that happen.
Carrie: I think the clients, I've worked with quite a few coaches over the years and I think the one common thing that coaches have a hard time with knowing what to do is how to actually scale. Because many, many service providers we’re in this boat as well, I would say we often start with our higher ticket offer first. Like the first thing we start out with, because it's the easiest one, it's one to one, it's the easiest one to start a business with. So we often start with a, you know, one to one service, whether that be one to one coaching, or whatever. And then we sort of are in a place where we're like, alright, but I am one person. And so how do I grow and scale this and maybe make more money and give myself more time. And so that can be a tricky place to navigate how to do that well, and do that in a way that fits with what they want. So there's sometimes some trial and error that will come. And, you know, and they might listen to other strategists, or there's a lot of coaching programs and other like things that people can get into that, they'll try and then it doesn't fit right or what have you. So that happens a lot. They're not sure how to scale it. And then sometimes even my clients who are when you get to like the high six figure, seven figure mark – how do I not be the one in the business. So then once you get to a place where you do have a pretty solid, like value ladder as a coach, especially, you're often still pretty involved, even if you have a group coaching program, and you have coaches. I've had clients who had coaches, and they're still involved. I mean, it's just a pain point for them. So how do I get out of this, while still being the face of the business and maintain my integrity? And you know, because people come to your business for you, and especially as a coach, like, that's a big piece of it. So how do we navigate that, to where I can grow my business, but I don't have to be the one in it as much, how do I slowly remove myself, if that's what they want, if that's what they want to do, which those two I'm thinking of did, they did not. They wanted to be more of a thought leader. And there is a point where you are wanting to be the visionary, and the business, which means you're doing all the creating mentally and the visioning casting, but you don't want to be doing the actual implementation of coaching maybe anymore. Those are two pain point areas that I saw with them. And that was a significant piece of me working with both of them was how do we figure out a way to get, what's the short term/long term plan to get you out so it maintains their integrity? And that was the other piece like how do I maintain my integrity, I don't want to upset people. That was key.
Lee: Especially in coaching, the focus is on the interpersonal relationship and how your clients feel very connected to you. So if you are at a point where there's only so much of you to go around, and you have to look at stepping back, or scaling in such a way where people are getting less of you, that can be complicated. And I've seen firsthand what happens when that transition is not navigated skillfully, and clients feel betrayed, or they feel sold to or lied to. And that's certainly something as coaches of integrity that we want to avoid at all costs.
Carrie: Yeah, there's a way to be the face of your company, while not being the one doing all the implementation, and sometimes I've been in past memberships or groups where the person didn't, in my opinion, navigate the being the face of their business, as well as some of my own clients did. And that's because you don't get to remove yourself from being the face of the business. That's just not how that works in a coaching business, or really, in any business where, like you're the brand.
Lee: Yeah.
Carrie: It's not a thing that you get to do. So don't start a business like that, if you don't want to at least be the face, because you'll need to sell it, then at that point, I think so just know that the being the face of it's kind of the thing that you need to do. But there's a way to do that without you having to be the coach 100%. So like, for example, some of my clients maybe quit offering one to one coaching with them, but they may still had one to one coaching with a coaching team member, or what have you. Maybe they did the group coaching calls only, but wasn't doing the one to one to kind of alleviate time and then we sort of dissipated that over time, you know, over a longer period of time. So that they would free up their time to do more. But neither one of them. One of them wanted to get off, like social and I'm like no, I'm like, that's not gonna work long term. And sure enough, it didn't work. She's back to being the face and it's working a lot better from what I'm seeing. I don't work with her anymore, but just watching from the outside it looks like it's really back to where I'm like this is where you should be doing. So like.
Lee: So it really is about deliberate decisions and very understanding how those decisions connect with your strategic plan.
Carrie: Very.
Lee: So Carrie, the last question that I want to kind of ask you before we wrap up today is, at what point should a coach consider working with someone like you, either from the consultant side and or from the integrator side, when it comes to strategic planning? Like, are there certain experiences or milestones, coaches should hit that suggest, “Okay, we really have to look at this.”
Carrie: Yeah, so the first offer that I do, that's kind of my signature offer is, it's called a Simplify To Scale VIP Day, that's really ideal for somebody who's growing. I don't work a lot with brand new businesses. So if you're brand new in the coaching, I encourage people to get with maybe other programs who are like yours, for example, who are teaching coaches how to start businesses or helping people to kind of grow initially, that's where you want to start. When you have had some experience and you're ready to, you're growing, that's when it's time to come talk to somebody like me. And so spending a day with me, mapping out your plan is a wonderful start. When somebody is at the point where they're kind of making the multiple, six figures, they're ready to scale. That's when we can talk about consulting. And they're established and they're scaling. And then, as far as bringing me on as the overseer of your marketing, that client really needs to be in a comfortable place profitably. So typically, those people are making close to seven figures or at seven figures. Typically, it's not 100% the case, but I'm a big protector of people's profits and bottom line, because it's not wise to invest that amount of income into someone if you are not able to have a profitability of at least 20% or something. And so if that's not the case, you don't want to do that. So it's much safer for someone who's at that almost seven figure to do that. Because it's an investment, because I'm really like, in it to win it with your business at that point. I'm really involved, I spend a lot of time on it. So and so that's not an option. That's really the highest level that I would work with somebody. So it goes like integrator, consulting, VIP day.
Lee: I love that you have that structure by the way.
Carrie: And then we have options that are for newer people by the way. If there are some DIY options, I have courses and some other things that we offer to people who just are ready to like, kind of learn about it but they're not in a place where they're ready to invest. Like maybe in a day, there's still options for that, too. So we try to have something for each phase of the business.
Lee: Which I really appreciate because I think regardless of where a coach is in their business, there is a need for that level of strategic planning. So whether it's a DIY, a done with you, a done for you, there are different paths, and many of those, you're able to provide that support. So,
Carrie: Absolutely.
Lee: Everyone benefits from a good strategic plan. And it's just a matter of how that concept is going to work best based on where you're at in your business, what your goals are.
Carrie: Right.
Lee: Excellent. Well, I have just really loved our conversation today. We went places I didn't anticipate. But that's, that's the fun.
Carrie: That’s the best part!
Lee: Isn’t it?
Carrie: That’s the best part of podcast is when you kind of go in a unique direction.
Lee: Yes, yes. And as a listener too, cause I'm obsessed with podcasts. I always appreciate that too, because I feel like I'm a part of a real authentic conversation. So thank you for being willing to do that with me today. I am positive, many listeners are going to want to have their own conversations with you as well. So where is the best place for them to learn more about you and your work?
Carrie: So if you want to get on my website just to learn about our business, it's virtualsimplicity.co not.com. Because somebody already owned that, that was not paying like bajillion dollars to get that. So virtualsimplicity.co. But I do spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. And you can just search my name Carrie Flynn on LinkedIn, and I pop up. And then I also spend a lot of time on Instagram. And my tagline is Virtual Smplicity there. So it's really easy.
I'm going to be hosting some free workshops starting next Wednesday, where I sort of break down like each layer of what I just talked about, like in little chunks and so if you're either totally free I'll be doing every Wednesday starting like October or whatever next Wednesday is, October 5th or 6th or whatever, through the end of October, the whole month of October. So if you're interested, there'll be plenty of info on the website. Of course it'll be on my socials too so feel free to check it out. If you're kind of newer. It's perfect for you.
Lee: Awesome. We will have links to all of that in the show notes. And I have to give a bit of a plug because Carrie is the October guest expert for the Coach with Clarity Collective. I'm so excited. So if you are already a Collective member, then sit tight. You are going to get some time with Carrie later on this month. If you're not yet a Collective member, now's a great time to join. So head to coachwithclarity.com/collective to learn more. Carrie, thank you so much for coming on the show. It's always a pleasure. And I'll see you in a few weeks for the collective guest expert training.
Carrie: Awesome. Thank you
Lee: I so hope you enjoyed my conversation with Carrie Flynn of Virtual Simplicity. I have known Carrie now for a little over a year. We were in a mastermind program together and I was immediately drawn to her because she is such a calming presence. She operates from a place of integrity, and I always feel better just being in her energy. I know that that is something that she provides for her clients as well. So if you are looking for additional support around strategic planning and scaling, especially when it comes to marketing and launching, definitely check out Carrie’s website, virtualsimplicity.co and go find her over on LinkedIn.
Again, I am thrilled that Carrie is going to be our guest expert trainer this month inside the Collective. So if you are not already a collective member and you would like to join, make sure you head to coachwithclarity.com/collective to learn more. In addition to getting access to all of the live calls this month and beyond, you also can access every single training coaching call and q&a call that we've held since the Collective began over three years ago. So there are so many resources waiting for you inside the Collective as well as a collection of templates, guides, resources, trainings, so many goodies inside the Collective. So head on over to coachwithclarity.com/collective to learn more and join today. And I cannot wait to welcome you as the newest member of the Coach with Clarity Collective.
All right, my friend. That is it for me this week. And I'm already looking forward to continuing our conversation next week with a brand new episode of the show. So I will see you right back here next week. And until then, my name is Lee Chaix McDonough reminding you to get out there and show the world what it means to be a Coach with Clarity.