Kevin Stafford 0:00
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the conversations with coaches podcast. I am your host, Kevin still caffeinated. And today I have the great pleasure of getting to interview Marian Wagner. Marian is a business mindset coach that specializes in helping online Coaches and Consultants create a six figure game plan, without starting with a large following on social media. A former school psychologist turned multiple six figure business owner in two separate online industries. Marian teaches a combination of psychological and strategic approaches. We’re going to talk about all that more. Marian, it’s been a delight to talk to you before I hit record, it’s going to be a delight to talk to you on the podcast. I am so grateful that you’re here. Thank you.
Marion Wagner 0:43
Thanks for having me, Kevin. I’m excited to be here.
Kevin Stafford 0:46
Let’s let’s let’s dig into your superhero origin story as I like to think of it. How did you get your start? As a coach? How did you like realize that maybe you already were you had the certain attributes of a coach and or maybe you were a coach in practice, and not yet in business? How do you get your start? And then how did you convert that into a coaching business for yourself?
Marion Wagner 1:06
Yeah, okay. So I’ll give you the I’ll give you the cliff notes here. I started my career as a school psychologist. So I have always specialized in cognitive behavioral therapy, and solution focused approaches, and NLP neuro linguistic programming. And so I’ve always been really into the psychology aspect of how we show up as human beings. And about 13 years ago, I started my first online business as a hobby, which was just a blog. And I dove into it learned all the early days of SEO, and growing affiliate links, all that kind of income generation stuff. And I learned it the hard way. So it took me a few years, but then I was able to convert that into a six figure, business. And then I thought, well, I’m going to do this again. So I started the second online business in a separate niche. And I realized as I started, I naturally started growing a team, a coaching coaching people in the space because they saw what I was doing. And they reached out and asked questions, and so I would help them. But I realized that in the online space, people fall into one of two camps were number one, they have all the strategy and all that they go to all the webinars, all the masterclasses, they read all the books, they know everything, but they don’t really believe in themselves or have any confidence behind their action. And then you have all the people who, gosh, they believe in themselves all the way. And they have all the confidence. Yeah. But they have no strategy, no direction. So they just end up throwing spaghetti against the wall and hoping something sticks and doing things the hard way. So I started in 2018, doing business mindset coaching, which is molding, the psychology, the mindset with strategy to grow an online business.
Kevin Stafford 2:55
Awesome. I love I love that again, it’s like, I love that you got the personal experience, and people just start coming to you for like, they realize that you’re good at the thing they want to get good at. And you’re good at distilling that for other people. Like that’s the real trick is when you’re able to like translate what worked for you into what will work for someone else. And then you’ve got to get a taste of what that magic is, like when you realize that you can you could really help people. Yeah, awesome.
Marion Wagner 3:20
It’s cool, because I feel like I’ve been in the shoes of the people I’m working with, I’ve walked the walk. If I didn’t read about it, or you know, take a master class to learn it. I failed forward. And I figured it out. And so I feel like I can really help them avoid the mistakes and save money that I I did not avoid and I spent
Kevin Stafford 3:45
less I paid for my education. Let me help you avoid paying full freight for yours. Let’s see.
Unknown Speaker 3:51
Yeah, and save time, right, you might as well just work with someone who actually has a roadmap and save you the time because
Kevin Stafford 3:57
spend your energy on on more positive pursuits. Let’s bring you up to the present day. Let’s talk about what your coaching practice looks like today. And I like to frame this question in a particular way because I feel like it gets that most of the important things about the nuts and bolts of a coaching practice. Who do you coach? And how do you coach them? Who being more like not necessarily like the identity of the person but maybe like in what areas of their life like you know, some people are more career coaches or executive suite like C suite coaches or advancement coaches or, or interpersonal coaches, etc. And so they coach different kinds of people at different stages in their life or different roles in their life. And in the how being, you know, kind of encompasses the whole spectrum of the coaching experience. You mentioned a couple of versions of it where you’ve got like the masterminds and like the small group coaching, obviously, the one on one is often where the magic starts and where the magic stays. Do you do any like keynote speeches? Or do you still maintain a blog or anything like that? So basically, who do you coach and how do you come Watch them these days.
Marion Wagner 5:01
Yeah, love it. So I work with primarily women who are working, they they know deep down that they’re meant to build a big business. They just don’t maybe know how to go about it in an intelligent way. So they want to go six figures, they know they can make it happen. And then they can scale from there. And so they’re usually service providers, coaches, consultants, people that have, yeah, they offer or they have a course that they want to build online. So that’s primarily who I work with. They’re also action takers, they’re, they’re my clients are not afraid of hard work, they know how to show up. They just don’t know necessarily what they should be doing when they do show up. So they want to make sure that they’re putting their energy into the right buckets. And then yeah, you name them all. I guess my main, my main focus is one on one coaching right now. But I’m launching a I’m so excited about I’m launching a mastermind in 2023. That I’m really after I have my baby next month, I can officially launch it and open the doors for it. But that’s that’s really, I’ve done in groups. So many times in the past, I’ve done destination retreats, but this I think is going to be the first time I’m doing a six month mastermind that’s kind of, I think been incredible.
Kevin Stafford 6:21
Oh, that’s awesome. That’s really awesome. Is there? I mean, I might be jumping but is there anywhere where people can like sign up to find out more about that? Or is that still are we still on the like the early pre stages?
Marion Wagner 6:32
So um, I am in the development stages right now, but I will be sharing it with my newsletter, my email list first. Yeah. So I think we’ll link to that here when
Kevin Stafford 6:41
we definitely will. I don’t want to jump the gun cuz I want to keep talking to you. But we’ll definitely, we’ll definitely make sure they know where to find you and where to where to find out about this mastermind is coming up in early 2018. But first things first. Let’s talk a little bit about I mean, obviously you have the mastermind is there anything else that is coming up or developing in your coaching practice we’re excited about obviously, you have a baby right around the corner. So I imagine that’s going to be taking up the lion’s share of your attention and love. But what else but I mean, besides that mastermind is coming up in 23 Are you excited about or like something that’s currently happening that you just you love about your practice and that other people love about your practice?
Marion Wagner 7:20
Yeah, I think if, you know, if you’re if you’re a coach, and you’re listening to this, then there’s so many possibilities and ways that you can grow your own practice, and reach people in a way that doesn’t have to be paid traffic. So I have a podcast like, like you do. So my podcast is called Get out of your head and grow your online business. So that’s a fun outlet. And that lets me reach an audience and share value for free. I also have a book that I’m finishing this actually next month, that’ll be coming out that’s called big income is called big income small audience. And this is kind of the heart of what I try to teach, which is you don’t need to have a large following, in order to start really growing a significant income in the online space.
Kevin Stafford 8:11
That’s exciting. I don’t know how you find the time for all. I mean, obviously, you have a plan, you have a strategy for it. And you’re interested in sharing and how you can literally have it all. Well, let’s, I want to make sure that this time is already flying. And I can tell I can there’s like a half dozen different things I’d love to talk to you about. But one thing we talked about this before I hit record, one of the things that I love about this podcast, I think other people do, too, is that it is short and sweet. Definitely, definitely sweet, but also short. Now sometimes I let things go a little bit too long. But I want to make sure before we go that you tell everybody where to find out more about you, obviously but also where to connect with you. So is there any way in particular on social media that you like to, like meet people for the first time where you like to engage and connect and then also just where people could best learn more about you maybe opt into an email newsletter, and maybe find out when the masterminds rolling out when the book is published and all that jazz?
Marion Wagner 9:07
Yeah, so I it’s so funny because I’ve primarily spent my time on Instagram, and I’m there at Marian Wagner coaching. But I’ve lately been more interested in LinkedIn i don’t know i It’s always LinkedIn is always intimidated me because it’s, you know, working in School Psychology and then going in the online space. I never really, I didn’t I wasn’t exposed to it, but I love LinkedIn now. I really do. So I’m just marrying Marian Wagner coaching over there too. And my website, same thing, it’s all it’s all Marian Wagner coaching. Keep it simple.
Kevin Stafford 9:46
Well done. I imagine that’s part of your strategy. Make it easy to find.
Marion Wagner 9:51
Everything is strategy.
Kevin Stafford 9:55
Oh, I love that you that you’re realizing because I feel like every day I I’m a little bit more impressed and pleased with LinkedIn as a, it’s a social media platform. But I’m really, I think even more of like a relationship platform because it really is still one of the it’s so powerful for actually starting a relationship meaningfully. As opposed to just on the surface, like, I have often found that it can be difficult to pierce that like surface veil, that crust, with relationship building on social media platforms, usually, it’s like meet people on social media and get them elsewhere. Like, come over to my website, let’s get into a call and talk or whatever. And I’m, I’m finding LinkedIn to be very, very rich in the ability to develop a relationship off of that first impression before you even like get face to face with someone. It’s really it’s really cool the way that’s going I find it really powerful.
Marion Wagner 10:42
Yeah, I mean, the conversations I have with people in the DMS on LinkedIn are like really meaty and deep. And yeah, you can make a lot of really good friendships and connections with and strategic partnerships with people that are related to what you do. With Instagram, I think it’s a great platform to kind of share more of the behind the scenes to build that know, like, and trust factor. So I’m really active in stories and I share my you know, being being a mom to a nine year old boy and two dogs are in there, I show the behind the scenes of how I run the day and ask questions and engage and get to know other people that way. But, yeah.
Kevin Stafford 11:20
Well, I can clearly keep you on all day. But you have all the all the things happening. So I should let you go. Is there any like message you want to leave the audience with before we go, I mean, obviously, you’ve, I love the way that you, your business and your life seem like they’re mirrors of each other, you definitely practice what you preach in a way that shines through even in this like 15 minute conversation. So is there any message besides you, that you want to leave the audience with?
Marion Wagner 11:46
I really truly believe and I think this needs to be talked about more on the online business space is that your business will grow to the extent that you grow. And if you feel stuck, or unclear, yet you’re lacking clarity or direction, then oftentimes, it’s it’s usually I always say like business is 80% between the ears. It’s usually because there’s some answer that you’re not seeing, like a blind spot that you’re not seeing, or something’s there, but you can fix it. And then once you fix that piece, you can explode, but it’s sometimes I know, frustrating to not know what it is. But I think when we invest in us, then it pays off in your business
Kevin Stafford 12:26
100%. And that’s exactly where coaches thrive is that that perspective that you can’t quite get for yourself. You just need someone to see it for you and to show it to you. And I feel like that’s really what coaches do so well and why it’s so necessary.
Marion Wagner 12:42
a coach. Yeah, I have a coach for a reason, because I can’t see my own blind spots.
Kevin Stafford 12:48
Well, Marian, thank you so much for being here for sharing for being open and for just generally being awesome. I’m I’m extremely grateful to have gotten to talk to you today for the podcast, and just in general Kevin. Thanks, Kevin. I appreciate it. And to the audience. I mean, obviously this almost goes without saying but I’m gonna say it anyway. Reach out to Mary and meet Mary and find her on LinkedIn, find her on Instagram, find on our website, get on that newsletter. You want to know about that mastermind. It’s gonna be great. You want to know about that book. It’s gonna be great. I feel confident I’m falling. I’ve only known you for like maybe only five minutes but I feel pretty confident in saying all those things. So find her check her out, get to know her. She’s fantastic. And we will talk to you again very soon.
