RISE Austin is almost here! Register today!

Everyone who's anyone will be at RISE Austin, March 7-11, 2011. Will you? If you don't know about RISE, it stands for Relationship and Information Series for Entrepreneurs. You can learn more about RISE and its history by clicking here.

If you have your own business or have ever considered starting one, you MUST check out the awesome sessions that are offered. Click here to navigate a full list of the sessions offered throughout the week. SOS Leadership partners Amber Fogarty and Billy Moyer will both be presenting at RISE Austin, and details about our sessions are below. In addition, Thom Singer, a strategic partner and member of the SOS Coaching Network, will be presenting a session entitled "Some Assembly Required: Integrating Face-to-Face and Online Social Networking." We hope to see you during RISE Austin 2011!

Amber Fogarty's Session
The Time Management Myth
March 8, 2011 from 10:00am - 11:30am
Concordia University - North Lamar Center
7701 N. Lamar Blvd #500, Austin, TX 78752-1025
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About This Session
“We say we waste time, but that is impossible. We waste ourselves.” - Alice Bloch Do you ever feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day? As entrepreneurs, most of us feel that way on a daily basis. We have overflowing to do lists that often have more tasks on them at the end of the day than they did at the beginning. We sometimes feel overwhelmed and aren’t even sure how to spend the time we have. Time is the great equalizer. We all have the exact same number of hours in a day. How can we make the most of our time? The idea that time can be “managed” is a myth. No matter what we do, we can’t change the amount of time we have, nor can we change how quickly or slowly time goes by. We can only manage ourselves and the choices we make with our time. This session will focus on improving your time habits, identifying your time thieves, and making time work for you. We’ll share valuable ideas and insights to help you protect your most valuable asset: your time. “Those who do not take time for relaxation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.” - John Wanamaker
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Billy Moyer
You can get "THERE" from "HERE"
March 10, 2011 from 10:00am - 11:30am
Concordia University North Lamar Center
7701 N. Lamar Blvd #500, Austin, TX 78752
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About This Session
This session focuses on what’s next in your life or business. It encourages you to look at your future. It will motivate you to become the best version of yourself by talking about where you are now and where you want to go in the future. Essentially, this interactive workshop is Goal Setting 101 for professionals! Maybe you are a dreamer or maybe you are a high achiever, either way you can be better! In this session you will learn some of the fundamentals of goal setting and more importantly, goal achievement! Paul J. Meyer said: "If you are not making the progress you would like to make, and are capable of making it is simply because your goals are not clearly define." In this session you will begin to clearly define your goals! You will start your journey to SUCCESS! All attendee will get a free copy of the book, "Seeds of Success: A Journey from Success to Significance" co-written by Billy Moyer.
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Thom Singer's Session Details
Some Assembly Required: Integrating Face-to-Face and Online Social Networking
March 10, 2011 from 2:00pm - 3:30pm
111 Congress Ave, Suite 1700
Austin, TX 78701
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About This Session
There is no competition between social media and face-to-face networking. It is all about visibility! Marketing, Sales, PR, Networking, Advertising, Business Development, Social Media, and Branding are all important to growing a company and a career. Those who create a collective balance of all these business disciplines can establish stronger reputations that will allow them to achieve more success. A focus on "integrated visibility" will bring more opportunities and help balance a powerful network of contacts. The presentation encourages the cultivation solid business practices and motivates participants to take the necessary action toward achievement.
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See you at RISE Austin 2011!

Renting Success

I attended a National Speakers Association conference in Atlanta, Georgia this past weekend and have come back extremely motivated. The conference was just what I needed. I learned something new in each session I attended and a few of those things could be considered AHA moments. But the last session proved that I had yet to have my AHA.

The last session featured a panel of Million Dollar Speakers. One of them said something that hit me really hard. Rory Vaden said: "Success is never owned, it is rented and the rent is due each day." I have heard similar things before and have even said similar things. In the book that I co-wrote, Seeds of Success, we write that "success is not a destination, it is a journey." Although that is similar, the wording that Rory used was just what I needed to hear.

I am young and could be considered successful by some, but I am nowhere near where I want to be in my life. I have lofty goals, and I plan on being successful. But am I willing to do the thing that no else wants to do? Am I just renting success on some days and forgetting to pay the bill on others? This is something I will continue to ponder in the coming weeks, and I think it would benefit everyone to do the same.

Here are some things I plan on doing more of to insure that my rent payment is never overdue:

• Read something new everyday
• Write everyday
• Become a master of telling my story
• Cut down on my time-wasters
• Determine what my ideal day looks like and work toward making it a reality
• Tell people how much I appreciate them
• Clearly define my goals for the next month, three months, six months, and year
• Go for it!

I am committing to these things! Please join me because "we cannot own success, it is rented and the rent is due everyday." But if we all pay the rent, we can own success together! Now that would be awesome!

Am I Uncoachable?

This piece of information probably won't be surprising to you. There are people out there who are "uncoachable." Indeed, it's true.

What makes someone uncoachable? There are so many factors that can contribute to "uncoachability." Here are a few of my favorites, worded as I statements so that you can challenge yourself to think about whether or not each one applies to you.

• I am uncoachable because I do not want to change.
• I am uncoachable because I do not believe that I need to change.
• I am uncoachable because I believe I know more than the coach. (Knowing is the enemy of learning.)
• I am uncoachable because I think it's not the right time to (fill in your excuse here).
  
• I am uncoachable because I think something or someone else needs to change before I do.
• I am uncoachable because I need to be in control 100% of the time.
• I am uncoachable because I do not like to be challenged.
  
• I am uncoachable because I am not open to feedback.

Bearing all this in mind, are you uncoachable? A very wise coach once told me that being coached is about being open to all possibilities. It is about being challenged to be a better version of yourself.

How can you strive to be more coachable? To be more open to feedback? To embrace change?

Young Adults Know Coaching

I found something really interesting in a study* conducted about coaching. The age group that had the highest level of awareness about coaching is young adults, ages 25-34. This is an age group that recognizes the value of coaching and is actively seeking coaching relationships.

As an adjunct college instructor, I definitely see huge drive and motivation among the business students I teach. I meet so many go-getters - young people who know what they want and are prepared to work hard to get it. They have lots of BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) and are hungry for knowledge.

When I tell people this, many are surprised because there's a general opinion out there that we should be concerned about the next generation. Don't get me wrong - there are slackers among them, just like in any generation, but by and large I'm impressed by their passion, energy, and vision for the future.

Of course, this is all great news if you're a coach. And it might make you think about ways to reach out to this market if you're not already. If you're not a coach, I recommend finding a way to reach out to the young adults in your community. Be a mentor. Encourage them and let them know we're counting on them to do great things!

I hope you've had a great week and are looking forward to an AWESOME weekend, filled with quality time with those who matter most to you!

*The Global Consumer Awareness Study surveyed 15,000 individuals (aged 25 and older) from 20 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America.

Why do people choose to work with a coach?

According to a recent study*, "more than two-fifths (42.6%) of respondents who had experienced coaching chose optimize individual and/or team performance as their motivation for being coached. This reason ranked highest followed by expand professional career opportunities (38.8%) and improve business management strategies (36.1%). Increase self-esteem/self-confidence and manage work/life balance rated fourth and fifth to round out the top five motivation areas."

“Individuals who engage in a coaching partnership can expect to experience fresh perspectives on personal challenges and opportunities, enhanced thinking and decision making skills, enhanced interpersonal effectiveness, and increased confidence in carrying out their chosen work and life roles.”

- International Coach Federation (ICF)

If you have worked with a coach, we would love to hear about your experience. Share a comment or send us an email. If you haven’t yet experienced a coaching relationship, perhaps now is the time to pursue one. Happy International Coaching Week!

*The Global Consumer Awareness Study surveyed 15,000 individuals (aged 25 and older) from 20 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America.

Our Favorite Coaching Questions

In celebration of International Coaching Week, SOS Leadership Institute is excited to share some of our favorite questions asked during the course of our coaching relationships.

• What's right in your life? What's wrong in your life? What's missing in your life?
• What matters to you most right now?
• What will your life look like when you accomplish your Top Ten goals?
• What is one problem you can turn into an opportunity?
• What is one thing you can do today to make your life better?
• Who do you rely on to support you as you work toward achieving your goals?
• In what ways are you adding stress to your life?
  
• What new leadership skill do you most need to develop?
• What is your biggest fear, and how do you face it?
• What is one thing that doesn't exist that if it did would profoundly impact your business?
  

If you have other questions you enjoy asking or being asked, we'd love to hear them. Leave us a comment or send us an email. Happy Wednesday!

We're fired up about International Coaching Week!

SOS Leadership Institute's Co-Founder, Billy Moyer, talks about coaching and his excitement about International Coaching Week:

Happy International Coaching Week!

Bless those who challenge us to grow, to stretch, to move beyond the knowable, to come back home to our elemental and essential nature. Bless those who challenge us for they remind us of doors we have closed and doors we have yet to open.

— Navajo saying

This is what coaching is all about. Coaches are here to challenge us to grow and become even better than we ever thought we could be. They ask thought-provoking questions and help us ponder our life’s purpose and the goals that matter most to us.

Coaches strive to help us maximize our personal and professional potential. They inspire us to think beyond what is to what could be. They encourage us to think creatively about a future that motivates us to work hard and stretch ourselves. The best coaches hold us accountable and keep us on track as we strive to achieve our goals.

How has a coach made a difference in your life? Share your stories with us this week as we celebrate International Coaching Week! Email your story by clicking here.

Don't Cancel on Yourself

When I facilitate the SOS Leadership Protecting Goals Program individually and in group coaching sessions, one of the top areas of concern for participants is finding the time to achieve their goals. Often when we honestly look at why we haven’t achieved a particular goal, we blame it on not having enough time in our hectic schedule to make it happen. That’s why the last segment of the program focuses on finding time for achievement. We all know that time is finite, and thus it evens the playing field. We all have the same 24 hours each day. We choose how to spend that time. We choose to accomplish our goals…or not.

One of the biggest reasons I fail to accomplish my goals is because I cancel on myself. What exactly does that mean? Well, I wouldn’t dream of canceling a meeting with a client or prospect, yet I cancel time that I have scheduled for myself all the time. Here’s one example: I schedule time to exercise three times a week, yet I often cancel my exercise time because I want to get a few more things done at work or because I want to get home to my kids. I’m often prioritizing my work and family goals over my healthy lifestyle goals. I remind myself often that in order to have the energy to achieve my other goals, I MUST prioritize my healthy lifestyle goal because exercise and eating right give me energy.

In order to ensure that I stay on track with achieving my goals, I’ve created an Ideal Time Picture, which is simply a schedule of how I’ll spend my time in an ideal week. This schedule allocates time for each of my goals. When I keep track of how I spend my time, I notice patterns in my time habits. The biggest pattern that jumped out at me is that I cancel on myself far too often. I schedule time to work toward achieving my goals, but I don’t prioritize that time in the same way I would prioritize an appointment with an important client or a hot prospect. I’ve found that I often put myself last.

At SOS Leadership, we tell people often, “You’re always working on goals. It’s your choice whether they are your goals or someone else’s.” Whose goals have you been working on lately? Your goals? Your boss’s goals? Your significant other’s goals? Your parents’ goals?

I need to make a conscious to choice to work on my own goals, to prioritize myself, and to stop canceling on myself. If I am not making the progress I would like to make and am capable of making, I need to make some changes. How about you? What are you struggling with? What are your time habits? What changes do you need to make to accomplish your goals?