Mindset in Entrepreneurship with Genar and Sam Block
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer Genar Mendez. He is joined by Financial Gym client Sam Block who is recording from her tiny house in the Colorado mountains. Sam works as a Branding & Mindset Coach and today Genar asks her about some of the biggest challenges she sees her clients face and tips for working through them.
Podcast Notes
Genar opens the conversation by asking Sam about the beginning of her coaching career.
Before coaching, Sam worked a ‘traditional’ job. She graduated college, landed what she thought was her dream job and within two years, worked herself into extreme burnout. She shares the distinct moment she realized a big change needed to be made.
She was led to the coaching industry through her own personal development journey and working with a coach. Once she realized this was the path she wanted, she earned two separate certifications.
Genar echoes that sometimes the biggest breakthrough moments come from the breakdowns. He asks Sam to talk more about the certification programs she attended.
The main certification was a six-month training course through Beautiful You Coaching Academy. It’s a comprehensive program, great for anyone interested in becoming a coach!
Sam mainly focuses on two types of clients in her work: the folks who want to get started on their creative pursuit and secondly the folks who are already in it, ready to take it to the next level.
Type 1: The client who is multi-passionate and wants to be their own boss, but doesn't quite know what type of business they want to run. These people see many paths for themselves and Sam helps them explore those and holds them accountable to clear action steps.
Type 2: The creative entrepreneur who is in the process of building their business and wants to do it in a way that is aligned with their values, which includes ethical marketing.
Genar asks Sam what the biggest challenges her clients face are when starting a business.
There are three big roadblocks:
1. Fear of failure
2. Fear of judgment
3. black & white thinking, or perfectionism.
There’s a misconception that everything has to work the first time, or there must be a huge leap from 9-5 to entrepreneurship. It can be a more gentle shift, where you dip your toes in and experiment. Approaching your business this way can be very freeing.
Genar asks Sam what she recommends for folks with too many ideas and uncertainty about how to move forward,
It’s about knowing yourself really well: how you work best, what energizes you vs. what drains you, and designing your business around that. The business you enjoy will be the one that is successful. It starts with knowing yourself.
Similarly to a financial roadmap, every person’s entrepreneurship journey is unique. Each person’s values and preferences play a huge role.
Genar asks Sam to explain the difference between coaches and consultants.
The work Sam does as a coach is about asking questions to help people draw their own conclusions. She is helping them build their self-trust muscle by supporting their decisions. Consulting focuses on giving people direct advice based on certain areas of expertise.
Genar asks Sam how coaches can support clients moving into entrepreneurship.
A coach is someone who is in your corner, who deeply understands the work you’re trying to do, and fully supports you throughout the process. When trying something new, we might not always have the backing of our friends and family right away. Having someone to hold space for you is powerful.
There is a lot of mindset work to be done. You have to face your fears and work through uncertainty. A coach is someone to guide you and hold you accountable.
Genar asks Sam if there are any client success stories that have inspired her.
Sam talks about how she is inspired by all of her clients, but there is a recent experience that comes to mind. She is working with a client who is transitioning from full-time healthcare work into coaching work. This client has ADHD which is one of her superpowers. She has been able to build a business that serves her needs and working style. The shift has been inspiring to watch as a coach.
When making a change, whether that is a career shift or financial journey, surrounding yourself with the right people is a key part of success. Coaches like Sam and Financial Trainers at The Gym are great examples of folks that do just that.
Connect with Sam
Website: https://samblockcoaching.com
Instagram: @sam__block