Karen Skidmore's Kick-Ass Blog | CanDoCanBe

Best testimonial ever (and the funniest!!)

Testimonials are great for business!

Not only do they give you a personal boost, they also provide better promotional material than any marketing copy that you write.  It's far better to read and hear what others have said about someone or something than read "blah, blah" sales copy.

But have you had any testimonials that have made you laugh out loud?

Yesterday, I received an update from one of my clients before her session.  She listed all her achievements, what she was on target for and what the focus for the next session was (my ideal client - ready and prepared!).

At the end she added the following:

"Feel I am beginning to make progress – I feel like I have been mentally constipated  and finally everything is beginning to move!  You’re the catalyst that has made it happen! (I’m not sure if you would want to be described as a the coaching/mentoring version of a laxative!)." 

Now I won't disclose my client's name as I haven't asked permission to do so but I really wanted to share with you my best testimonial ever. 

It just goes to show that as a coach, you are what your clients see in you rather than what you think you are.  And if I am her laxative, then ... well, I had better stop this post before my wicked sense of humour offends anyone ;o)

Please add your comments but any rude ones will not be published!! :o)

A magical journey

Dear Karen,

When you started mentoring me last year in Guildford, I was so pleased to meet another person who was having a clear and specific vision and following it. And believing that is was safe and OK to have a goal and to plan ahead.
Many people are scared of doing this as they think it might not happen so they'd better stay on the safer and negative side. Just in case...

The start up of my business, Lucks Yard Clinic has been a magical journey from beginning until now.

I  made everything very clear in my business plan from where to work and whom to work with. Somehow people just came my way and opportunities arose on a very regular basis. It was amazing!

Recently I was reading through my notes from your course at Surrey University last year and it gave me goose bumps. All of the things I wanted to happen has come true and is still happening every day!  I am blessed to have met you and had you as an inspiration on this very special journey, and boy am I having fun at work now!!

Thank you so much!

Tone Tellefsen Hughes

Email Newsletters Made Easy - Bootcamp off to a great start

Today was the first day of the Email Newsletter Bootcamp and what fun it was. 

Here is what Elizabeth Cairns said on my testimonial page on Ecademy:  “This afternoon I had the delightful pleasure of spending an hour on the phone attending one of Karens tele forums.  Now "delightful pleasure" is not usually how I would describe my every day conference calls but Karen made it such, along with the other business women dialling in too.

“Karen's ability to demystify our chosen topic (email newsletters) was wonderful. Not only is she passionate, knowledgeable and entertaining, she is a skilled facilitator and was able to move the forum on with a rare grace and courtesy and a good dollop of humour.

“I have experienced many meetings, conference calls and forums and a skillful host who can maintain the personal touch is not common place.

“It's a pleasure to be part of a programme that I know will be enlightening and enjoyable and help me achieve specifically what I set out to. Thanks Karen, I'm looking forward to more Kick Ass forums this month!”

Thanks Elizabeth and if you wanted to attend but the timing was wrong for you, then click here and fill in your contact details if you would like to receive information early next year of the launch of the Home Study programme - as well other exciting email newsletter “stuff”!!

Business Start Up - Milestone dates are a valuable lesson

"Working with Karen has been really useful - it was focused, inspiring and I came away with a real plan of action. The sessions enabled me to feel much calmer about starting my new business and it all seemed so much more do-able. I am able to understand the thought processes I need to go through and know that I can do it.

“I have benefited immensely from our sessions and am so grateful for having worked through this crucial kick-starting stage with you.

“You have given me such valuable guidance and direction and really helped me to shift my mind set and look at the way i talk to myself and how to focus on the vision of what I am trying to achieve and create a real plan to follow to reach the end goal...

“Thank you for getting those milestone dates out of me and onto paper, it was such a valuable lesson!”  Marita Gramstadt, Guildford, Surrey

Wow, thanks Alice

“Karen, after attending one of your teleforums, I wanted to say that I’m in awe of what you are achieving – as good as all those professional marketing consultants who charge the earth!  Better even, because you engage in interaction from your audience and their feedback adds to your presentation, as well as your excellent style of delivery.  

“Your content is always varied, to the point, concise, topical, relevant, well researched, honest, and there is plenty of extra material to back it up and to aid into further research.  Your blog is always a joy to enter, as there’s always something new on it, particularly aimed towards the womanpreneur and their enterprises.  I look forward to more of the same in the future.”

Sent in by Alice Elliott of www.alice-designs.co.uk after attending the first part of my Email Newsletter Tele-Programme that I am currently running.   Thanks, Alice – this makes me believe I am on the right track!

If you would like more information about my Business Forums and Teleprogrames, you can check out my schedule at www.businessforumsforwomen.com

 

CanDoCanBe Womens Enterprise Programme - Next date Jan 2007

“I would like to say thank you so much for the Women’s Enterprise programme. It has been enormously helpful to confront some of the issues facing starting up my own business, not least of all to discover quite a number of the ladies on the programme in a similar situation!

“I would also like to compliment you on the way you have delivered the whole project. You have a very natural, un-complicated style that I know put me very much at ease, and made it very easy to participate in the discussions without feeling uncomfortable. No doubt something to do with the fact that you have made this first part of the journey already and are able to recognise so many of the issues facing us all. As you said yesterday, it’s a particularly nice group of ladies and I hope we will manage to stay in touch and share experiences.

“I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you to any female about to embark on a similar journey. I’m really pleased that I have had the chance to participate on the project, and now look forward to implementing many of the processes I have learned on the course.

“Watch this space for news of how Blue Oyster progresses over the coming months!”

Debbie Sillince.

This is programme is designed to support women who need to seek finance or funding to move their business forward.  Interested to know more?  Click here to find out more about the next programme due to start in January. 

Thanks Charlotte. It was great working with you too.

“Before coaching with Karen, I had lost the focus, enthusiasm and passion for my business. I was lacking motivation and was worrying too much about what other people thought.

 

“However, in just 6 weeks Karen has helped me to turn my life around; I am now 100% focussed on my business and my future, my relationships have improved and most of all my work life balance has never been better.

 

“Karen's style worked so well for me because she combined her wonderful supportive qualities with a good old fashioned kick up the backside. Believe me I really needed this! My confidence is soaring and my business is now really starting to take shape.  Thank you Karen!”

 

Interested in how your business could move forward?  Then click here to read more about how working 1–2–1 with me could make 2007 the year of you.

 

Charlotte Hunter works as a LifeStyle Coach for Health and Happiness. She has started up her own blog, (something that all of you can be doing, very easily!) and you can find out more by going to www.charlottehunterlifecoaching.blogspot.com

 

Wow - thank you Jenny. This has made my week.

'I was looking for personal business support when I came across Karen and CanDoCanBe, something to ignite my ideas and help sort the list of things to achieve I had in my head. I also wanted the opportunity to meet like minded people, little did I know what a gem I found; CanDoCanBe the whole package! 

Karen's infectious enthusiasm put me on track with what I wanted and that was just my introductory session. During my Personal Coaching sessions I received exceptional support combined with coaching that really challenged my personal thoughts; exactly what I asked for.

Are you running a hormone-controlled business?

Rowena attended the CanDoCanBe Women's Business Forum last week and I received this email from her.  As a big believer of "Completion, not Perfection", I wanted to share her words of widsom with you all.

Thank you, Rowena, for letting me share your email with everyone on this blog.

Dear Karen

Had to write to congratulate you on your efforts yesterday at the Women's Business Forum.  What a joy to hear you say that, even though you get criticism for your grammar, you shrug it off and write it anyway!  I feel that you have given permission for all the women there to let go of this compulsion society puts on us to be as perfect as we can be. 

April 2006

“Working with Karen was quite a revelation. I wasn’t really sure at first and certainly did not expect the results I achieved. Karen has infectious enthusiasm, which kicked me in the right direction.

And the great thing is that this inspiration lasted. This wasn’t some “ra-ra” upbeat exercise. I was able to find out myself that I can do it and she brought out the belief in me to help me realise what my new business is going to be. I have found the drive to get things moving and a clear action plan on what I need to do next.”

Dashini Gowing, Windlesham, Surrey www.funafterbaby.co.uk