Kevin Stafford 0:00
Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the conversations with Coach’s podcast. It’s me Kevin and I have already been having a delightful conversation and a very Contentful conversation with Steve filled biz Coach Steve, you might remember him from our first episode. Let me reacquaint you. Steve is a certified business coach, author, podcast host, professional speaker, coffee enthusiast, which we talked about last time, and award winning business management executive is passionate about growth, efficient operations and long term success. He has owned and operated seven businesses and written seven books. Steve has been coaching and consulting for decades, going all the way back to the ancient days before the.com bubble. I remember us joking about that last time. He has developed frameworks for every level of business and excels at facilitating those light bulb moments for his clients. His strongest passion is in helping the owner operator, the entrepreneur who is tick tock never off the clock. Steve, welcome back. It’s really it’s really good to see you again.
Steve Feld 0:58
Thanks for having me back. Kevin.
Kevin Stafford 1:01
Let’s, uh, let’s talk a little bit about your 2003. We are as of this recording, we’re about three and a half weeks deep already. And it feels like it could have been three and a half hours. It’s been flying by so tell me about your new year so far? And tell me about the year to come?
Steve Feld 1:15
Oh, great. Yeah, I’ve now written eight books. So we just launched the seventh one this month. Getting ready to do another strategic planning workshop for those business owners who think I don’t need to do any planning. And then they wonder why they struggle all year delay strategic plan, and let’s you know, starting a new mastermind group in February. So we are filling that up. Right as we are talking right now.
Kevin Stafford 1:42
Oh my goodness, that’s so basically standard operating procedure for you, you were you were busy and happy and just going all over the place in all the right ways. And House momentum. Last time we talked, it’s lovely to see that that has not changed at all, in fact, only gotten even better. And
Steve Feld 1:56
you know, that’s where my passion is helping these owner operators build that long term sustainable business. And I’m not I’m relentless on it. So let’s turn around that failure rate for small business owners. Let’s get him succeeding.
Kevin Stafford 2:08
I like that. I like that term relentless. It’s we talk about your passion a lot. But and everybody I talked to here, I mean, most entrepreneurs, small business owners, coaches, you’re all like there’s a foundation of passion and a desire to serve and give back and to help and to and to grow. But relentlessness is not a virtue you hear often spoken of directly like that. And I feel like that that’s a good a good one. That’s That’s one. Alignment fit, you know, service oriented leadership, relentlessness. And like that, that’s good.
Steve Feld 2:37
It’s, you know, the Napoleon Hill that you know what? Red hot burning desire kind of theory. It’s it. I’ve just had this conversation with a business owner yesterday. I’m like, What is that one red hot burning thing that you want your business? And they couldn’t nail it? And it’s like, well, that’s why your business isn’t moving. Because you don’t know what you’re passionate about? What you’re excited about every day, to help people help your customers, your clients. And they’re like, Oh, my God.
Kevin Stafford 3:10
It’s me say it like that. And it’s, it sounds like, oh, Duh, of course. But before you get to that, oh, Duh, of course moment. It can be a painful and frustrating mystery.
Steve Feld 3:20
Yeah, I mean, I’ve had my coach going, what are you most passionate about? And this is years and years ago, and I’m like, I did that? Well, until you figure that out, nothing’s gonna work in your business.
Kevin Stafford 3:32
Nothing. And it’s so it’s so important to identify it as a stymieing point, a roadblock. And we are talking about this in sort of a different context with social media before where you really have to start with what you’re like, what’s your what’s your purpose? What are you doing this? For? What what’s the result? You want to see it? It’s a very similar like a cousin question, a parallel question to what are you what are the red hot desire is for just passionate about all the way down your bones that you wake up in the morning, and you just start like, vibrating with the excitement of it all? You know? And that’s, it’s, it’s a guiding question. It’s also a clarifying question. And, yeah, and when you don’t have that answer, like, and again, the words might change, where it comes from, and your body might change. Some days, it might be from your gut, some days from your heart, some days from your head, but that answer is gonna come immediately. And if it doesn’t, if it’s if it’s encountering obstacles, or it’s getting some friction, that’s where to put your attention because there’s something there that needs to be dealt with.
Steve Feld 4:27
Yeah, I met an HVAC guy, December, and he’s like, Well, you know, is that time of year and no one really wants me I’m like, I think we’re looking at this wrong, aren’t you doing preventive maintenance and everything? He’s he didn’t have that in his business. So we started talking about that. I go, what’s your burning desire? And he’s like, Oh, that’s simple. Because I want to make people comfortable within their homes. Hmm. That’s lovely. Yeah, there you go. Simple. And yeah, that’s his whole passion goes when I hear someone going in middle of August, and it’s 115 out and their AC went down. I take that personally that I gotta help them. Geez,
Kevin Stafford 5:08
you put it like that. And I’m like I want to be I want to hire this guy for something, I don’t even need any work done. I was like, This is it, that’s exactly the kind of person I want to work with.
Steve Feld 5:16
Exactly. Because that’s their desire. It’s like, now I’m trying to get them out of the truck, because you can’t grow your business by you being in the truck and doing all the work.
Kevin Stafford 5:26
Oh, man, I think that’s the magic word, the S word scaling, scaling, scaling beyond your own personal 24/7 365. That’s even even that even the best and the brightest and the most passionate can can stumble on that it can be tough to figure out how to how to amplify your efforts and your work and your impact. Without, I mean, burning your candle at all possible ends.
Steve Feld 5:48
I couldn’t agree more. I mean, one of my businesses, I woke up with the reality that I can only take on this many clients at a time. That’s it, too. I just had this sinking feeling I’m kept on income, I’m tapped on everything I’m kept. I’m stuck in my own bubble. And I said, You know what, enough of that I finished my projects, close that business open up a new one where I can scale. And now I have the ability to scale at Coaches underneath me books, automated programs. It’s just like scale scale scale, because that’s building a business that I can hopefully sell one day. Whereas when I can only take on this many clients, I cannot sell that business.
Kevin Stafford 6:32
And I know for some people, at least in my experience talking to some people scale can be a little bit of a dirty word. Because they feel like they feel like it goes hand in hand with dilution with with a lessening with a spreading out too thin, or losing touch with what they’re passionate about, oh my god, I’m gonna lose control of my business control.
Unknown Speaker 6:52
No, I’m a micromanager. I got my fingers in the
Kevin Stafford 6:56
butt scaling, it’s really scaling is more about like that amplification of expansion. It’s actually you think about anything that’s living, anything that’s healthy is growing. It’s not necessarily growing, just grow. It’s not like a cancer, but it is growing, it’s developing. And so when you feel that cap, and I love the way that you like, you put your hand out, like when I when I’m when I’m thinking in terms of a cap, I can almost feel like I put my hand up here, I’m like feeling the ceiling, kind of touching the top of my head and how uncomfortable that is, when you’re in a space that can’t grow with you.
Steve Feld 7:26
I felt like someone took a glass and put it over me like you do on a bug on a bar. That’s what it felt like, because I could feel that I could see everything around you. But I couldn’t get out of it. And it was like I really felt I could feel the top I could feel the sides. And I’m like, I’m duck. And this is the I can’t move this business forward, do this. Even if I brought on a another person, I’m still gonna be kept. And I realized that because I have to get involved so much because it was consulting. And it’s like, wait a minute, let’s switch it over. What am I doing more more coaching or more consulting? So I started really analyzing that. And it’s like, well, it’s kind of close. But why don’t build a coaching business. I can have the consulting aspect to it. But I can scale and that’s when I, okay, shut this thing down and let’s rebrand, refocus, bring in some new tools, bring in the right people and switch coaches. And
Kevin Stafford 8:31
I do say that jokingly. But it’s also like I was in my head just like this is the moment where I have to blow smoke up. Steve’s but because you are this is exactly why a coach like you. It can can be so valuable and can be so crucial is like you need someone it’s hard to see that for yourself. Oh, almost impossible to see that for yourself. And then to chart your course out a coach like you. You’re uniquely positioned powerfully positioned to come in with that, like, right alongside, it’s like shoulder, that’d be like, you see all this? Right? Right? You do you know what to do? Because I do. And then it’s just it’s possibility and potential from there.
Steve Feld 9:08
Exactly. You know, that was one of the things when I was looking okay, what do I have to break down? And that’s when I said, I’m gonna have to rebuild a whole new company, I can’t do everything. I can’t just switch. And I started looking at my coach, are they going to grow with me in this new model with my new mindset with my new focus? And I realized they’re not. They were great for what they did. I applaud them and I respect them and thank them, but it’s like I’m time to find a different kind of coach. So I found someone who was a little bit more hard, more abrupt, a little bit more sandpapery, if you will, but they never lied, never deceived. Honest all day. They care more about probably me than they care about themselves. Because they want the best out of their clients and I checked them out and when I brought them on Like, you know what, here’s a coach who is going to push me just like, I mean, Phil Jackson pushed Michael Jordan. He they were not exactly you know, it wasn’t like oil on ice here. But that’s what made the team better and Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan better.
Kevin Stafford 10:19
Yeah And listen, endless encouragement can be can be damaging, and you need to be challenged, especially by someone who understands the value of it and can see exactly where that challenge needs to happen. Challenge for its own sake can be as dangerous or useless as praised for its own sake.
Steve Feld 10:37
Yeah, I totally agree. You need someone who could, who sees more in you than you see in yourself at that moment. And they push you towards you being better in such a great way. So they’re not there for the monetary gain piece of your company and all that they’re not there for that they’re there to see you succeed and become the person you want to be. Alright,
Kevin Stafford 11:03
I can talk to you all day. And I knew this would happen, but we both have harder out. But before I do let you go, I want to make sure it can mean you do T’s book number eight, you teased an upcoming mastermind. If I remember correctly, this coach Steve is still the it’s still the website talk about where people can find out more about the book, the mastermind, everything else you’re doing and just more about you in general. Okay, oh, I’m
Steve Feld 11:25
on social media. Primarily LinkedIn and Facebook. So I’ve been promoting the books there. I’ve been giving away the book all month to all my contacts and say, hey, get a copy. I mean, take it for free before Amazon starts kicking anyone to charge for it. I’m waiting for that. That should be February. And then the mastermind group. I’m definitely looking for a few more. I still have a few more spots open up for entrepreneurs and they could connect through me through Facebook and I’m his coach Steve or Steve Feld. You can find me both ways on Facebook and LinkedIn. Steve felt
Kevin Stafford 12:03
love it Facebook LinkedIn website, on the Holy Holy Trinity, no matter where you are. You know, it’s
Steve Feld 12:11
the Trinity for your business. Don’t be on a million platforms beyond the ones that you can manage control and where your peeps are.
Kevin Stafford 12:18
That’s right where your peeps are. That’s a little too cute for an episode title. But quite frankly,
Unknown Speaker 12:24
where your tribe is.
Kevin Stafford 12:28
So Steve, thank you. Thanks. I’m well scratchable stressed out and replaced tribe. Thank you for coming back on. Like I said, like I threatened. Totally just have you back on in the summer, maybe have you back on and like, you know, April, May, June. And we’ll just connect again, maybe when we have a little bit more time to ramble and explore our various stories and analogies and experiences. Because I just I love where our conversations go. The good get gets gets right to the meat of things so quickly, because we’re both so passionate about it. Like frankly, that’s it’s
Steve Feld 12:53
like, hey, let’s help people and get them the results they want. If you got in business for a reason, then let’s help you get to that goal.
Kevin Stafford 13:01
I love it. Well, I’m going to help you get to your next meeting. Steve, thank you so much for coming back on. I really appreciate it.
Unknown Speaker 13:07
Thank you very much Kevin and good luck everyone.
Kevin Stafford 13:11
And everyone you know if you know this code Steve, listen to our previous episode was fantastic. Check him out. You can you can you can pick up these but now you can tell what he’s all about. And you’re gonna want to be a part of it. So anyway, find them where you can find him, as we said, and we’ll talk to you again here very soon. Goodbye.
