The Dreaded Question for Everyone Who is Just Starting Out…
It’s no secret that I cringe when people ask me the dreaded “what do you do” question. It’s my least favorite way to start a conversation. I will rather be talking to people about what sets their soul on fire, what brings them joy and how they’re serving the world. Who’s with me? Raise your hand if that question makes you want to run screaming out the door.
When I was first starting out in the life coaching space, I spent so much time trying to figure out what to call myself. Am I a life coach? A clarity coach? A health coach? But the actual question that I was asking myself was am I even good enough to be a life coach? Will anyone even trust me? The underlying fear is that I am not good enough. And yes, in the beginning I wasn’t. How could I be? I was just starting out. I had to keep doing the dang thing so that I could get good. I drove the people around me, and myself, crazy! My answer to the “what do you do” questions has changed countless times in the last five years. But here’s what I’ve learned:
If you’re just starting out in any space, it’s tough to answer this question with a simple, straightforward title. Often times, people get confused and have no idea what we’re talking about because we focus on fancy titles. And to top it all off, what usually follows is “and you make a living out of this?” I used to get offended by that statement, but now I consider it a compliment. I mean, I can take something that people can’t imagine making a living out of and actually earn money doing it! How awesome is that? Here’s something you can do to be better equipped to answer the question:
Be prepared with a few key points.
Remember, you will get the type of response that you put out. When you say things like, “Well, it’s a little confusing,” most people will automatically be in that confused state of mind. Instead, be confident about your answer. The key to not feeling stuck and feeling like you have to defend your career choice is being prepared. Put pen to paper and brainstorm a list of things about yourself that you might want to share with someone when they ask you the “what do you do” questions. As someone who is into personal development, you already know that practice is the only thing that’s going to help you feel confident. All you need is 2-3 short sentences. Here’s how you can put that together…
Combine your audience, your strength and what transformation you are trying to create in people or in the world. Bonus points if you can throw in a stat, like how many years you’ve been doing this or how many people you’ve helped.
After all, when people ask you the “what do you do” question, what they really want to know is how you can help them or someone that they know. They’re looking for a connection. If you can tell them the transformation that you create and who you serve, that will be all they need to hear. Here’s what I say most of the time:
“I help overachieving women figure out what their dream life looks like and then starting living that life exactly where they’re at. I’ve helped over 500 women achieve this!”
With these two sentences, I talk about my audience, what my strength is, and the transformation that I create and I threw in there how many people I’ve already helped. Notice that I didn’t give myself a title or dish out a laundry list of things that I do. After you have that down, the only thing left is practice, practice, practice! That’s the only way it’s going to feel natural and like YOU!
Putting it into action:
Ready to craft your
Think about WHO you serve in 2-3 words. Is it working women? It is business owners? Is it soccer moms? How to think of the ONE biggest transformation you create for them. Is it helping them quit their job so they can spend more time with their kids? Is it helping their kids get into a good soccer team? Is it helping them earn their next 10K in their business? Next (and totally optional if you’re just starting out), can you sum up something that you’ve achieved in one sentence? How many women have you helped so far? Did you create something unique, maybe a course? Here’s mine as a reference for you:
Combine all of that into 2-3 sentences.
Practice, practice, practice! If you’re just starting out, it’s going to feel unnatural and totally not like yourself. But the more you say it out loud, the more confident you’ll feel. It helps to say it in front of a mirror so that you can see yourself speaking it and take ownership of it! YOU got this, you’re a rock star!
