Business Tao with George Kao – Details, episodes & analysis

You can read the post here: https://www.georgekao.com/blog/perfectnow

Over the years, I’ve become sensitized to marketing manipulation. By watching/listening to this episode, you’ll also gain more conscious control over your purchasing choices… and be empowered to do more authentic marketing.

I see a lot of aspiring business owners doing this:

You’re waiting until you’re “ready” before you take the leap.

A dear client asked me about the “thin line between readiness and procrastination.”

After coaching hundreds of business owners, I can tell you this: ​

Chances are, you are being fooled by your own brilliant mind. Feeling of “lack of readiness” is usually procrastination.

**

Here’s the truth:

I rarely feel “ready”.

When I started writing this article, I felt maybe I wouldn’t have enough to say… maybe I should do more research or journaling or give it a few more days (or weeks) before I’m ready to start writing this.

When making a video — at the moment I press “record” I feel like I could’ve spent another hour thinking about the topic.

When I launch a course, I know I could spend several more months (or years!) researching the topic… but I remind myself that whatever I already know will be helpful to the students. We are usually much harsher on ourselves than our students / clients are.

The founder of Linkedin, Reid Hoffman, famously said this:

If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.

**

I feel embarrassed often… because I create often.

Every book that I publish, I feel slightly embarrassed by… but the reality is that if I waited until a book was “ready” I might never publish. Thankfully I do publish, because book after book, each one is getting better. I can always re-publish and re-launch a 2nd edition later… and I am already planning for it!

Every course that I teach, I’m embarrassed by, but I also get feedback that makes the course better, year after year.

I’m doing this for the long term journey of growth, not just short-term experiences of posting, publishing, launching.

The creative process, the reality of building an authentic business, requires this continual practice:

Transform fear into Love.

I feel that we are being called by Spirit to recognize when we are feeling afraid in the creative process, and instead, reinterpret that emotion. Turn “fear” or “lack of readiness” into one or more of these…

Excitement

Passion

Service

Curious self-exploration

Adventure

**

Transform hesitation into Action.

If I am creating something, and I feel hesitation, I now interpret it as a signal to take action, to just do it. To take the next step. To write the next sentence. To click “record” on the video. To press “publish”.

It is a daily creative practice: transmuting fearful hesitation into loving action. Bit by bit, piece by piece, we become more courageous. We get wiser through action and experience.

A little-known fact is that the creative person’s doubt and “lack of readiness” never goes away. We simply get better at recognizing it, and transmuting it into creative action.

So there’s only one thing to do:

Start today.

Bias yourself toward action, doing what you are afraid of, knowing that it can be interpreted as excitement, passion, service. Go ahead and write, speak, publish, launch, etc… do the thing that puts your work into the marketplace.

Get inspired by Gregory Vahanian as he talks about his shift into authentic content creation and netcaring.

Links to Gregory's content:

Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/gregoryvahaniancoaching/

Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/gregoryvahanian/

Gregory is part of my group coaching program: https://www.georgekao.com/group

Comment on this episode:

https://youtu.be/6nwQBU71n8o

We become inauthentic when we try to persuade people.

When you’re in the energy of trying to “get” someone to believe you and to buy your thing, it becomes too easy to say whatever you think the other person wants to hear. You lose your grounding and integrity.

Instead, what if you sell only to people who will quickly understand the value of what you’re selling?

Discuss:

https://youtu.be/9tQ3CusWAyE

See all the info here:

https://www.georgekao.com/outreach

To ask any questions, comment here:

https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeKaoCommunity/videos/1604533226641719

“Tell me about your goals.”

“Well, I want a business beyond my wildest dreams. Doesn’t everyone?!”

In her voice, there’s a slight tinge of desperation. An unspoken, “I refuse to be happy until I arrive.”

When I started my business in 2009, I was like this, too. Easily influenced by my business mentors at the time, I became uber-focused on external success. Becoming a millionaire, building a guru online presence, etc.

Eventually, I burned out. I came to realize that prioritizing the externals often erodes the internals, and lends itself to stress, constant grasping, lack of fulfillment, etc. A breathless chasing after external validation.

Today, I wish to be average in external metrics, yet lead from the inner qualities.

In an industry of business coaches and marketing experts who all clamor for seven-figure incomes and million-follower fame, I focus on three different things now…

Discuss here:

https://youtu.be/EM5s20UUBGI

I wish I knew this when I was in my 30's, my 20's, even my teens...

Discuss here:

https://youtu.be/xk7sAsmUE3I

These are values that drive my business, and what I hope will set the foundation of my client community.

I’m happy to share these values publicly, with the hope that it inspires growth for all business owners.

As you listen to each point, take a moment to reflect on how it aligns with your own values. I’d love any comments, questions, and even suggestions.

Related blog post: https://www.georgekao.com/blog/values

I’ve been full-time as a solopreneur since 2009. I’ve launched many services, programs, and events. Some of them have been busts, getting few to no enrollments.

My first reactions to those experiences had been discouragement and slight depression. Many times I’ve been tempted to quit.

While I was in a state of discouragement, I asked myself:

“What would I say to a client who was experiencing this… and what therefore should I do to also recover?”

The word that came to me:

BREATHE

Intentional deep breathing is always a good reminder! However, I also got curious what else BREATHE could mean. In the next few days, what formed was a simple system bouncing back from setbacks.

​It’s important to have a recovery process quickly available to you when you start to get discouraged.

The next time you encounter a discouraging mistake or failure, try the BREATHE method as described in this episode.

Discuss here:

https://youtu.be/8tdMFKytknI