The benefits of a group coaching program with Amy Sanders-Robbins

What are the advantages of joining a group coaching program? Today I chat with one of the master minders, Amy from Bespoke Family Lawyers about why she decided to invest in a mastermind and the advantages of being part of a group coaching program, and the impacts that it has had on her business.

Hello, and welcome to the Clare Wood Podcast, where myself and incredible guests share about money mindset, financial successes, and how to manage your money in a fun and practical way to create wealth and abundance in both your business and your life. I’m your host, Clare Wood. I’m a business coach and a money mentor. I strongly believe that money has the power to positively change the world. I can’t wait to help you transform your mindset around money, create a love of numbers, and build the business of your dreams so you can live a life of financial freedom, giving, and global impact.

Doors to the Mind to Money Mastermind are officially open. If you would like to find out more about the mastermind, you can check out more in the show notes for today’s episode.

A big warm welcome to the podcast, Amy. It is so wonderful to have you here. Would you like to introduce yourself to the listeners and your business, and share a little bit about what you do and how you help people?

AMY:

Thanks so much, Clare for having me. My name’s Amy Sanders-Robbins, and I’m the founder and director of Bespoke Family Lawyers. And we help people recover, rebuild and move forward after separation. And the way we do this is by getting really clear on our client’s needs and goals and interests and how they want to live their lives. And we then use that information to create a personalized legal solution that gives them financial security and freedom, as well as a clear parenting and communication framework. Because we want our clients to be able to go on and live their best life moving forward.

CLARE:

And I love watching all of your posts on social media, the way that you talk about separation and doing it in a way that hopefully is with as little conflict as possible is just so inspiring. And I know that you helped so many people. So if you’re listening and you are going through a separation or you know someone that is, please make sure you do go and check out the links that will be in the show notes for today’s episode. Well, thank you so much for joining. Today I’ve invited you on the podcast to have a little bit of a chat about my Mastermind, which the doors are now open for. So you’ve got a really thriving business, Amy. It’s just going from success to success. I’d love to know, why did you decide to invest in a Mastermind?

Why Amy invested in a Mastermind

AMY:

I guess probably the thing that I’ve learned over the last three years in business is that mindset is the key to everything. And for me it had come to a point where I really needed to be able to focus on my money mindset, but also how I was showing up in my marketing. And those were the things that most spoke to me about your mastermind and also the opportunity to be part of a community of other businesses fairly similar to mine, but in different industries, because the information that you get and you exchange in these small intimate groups is really powerful in the way that you think about your business, but also how you maybe take it as you progress and move forward.

CLARE:

That was kind of similar to me when I invested in my first mastermind was that I wanted to be around the energy of other people. And I guess that’s what I found really inspiring is when you’re around people that are doing things, either from a financial perspective or even just in terms of work-life balance or their confidence around how they shop in business.

AMY:

And it kind of gives you the ability to see how other people are doing it, and you can sort of go, “Well, I actually want to achieve that. How do I get to that space?” So yeah, it’s definitely been a really good investment from my perspective.

CLARE:

Well, we love having you in the community, Amy, as you know. I’d love to know, when you go to commit or invest in your business or to join a mastermind like this, often a lot of fears come up and you sort of wonder, “Is this the right thing for me to be doing right now?” I’d love to know, did anything come up for you when you first went to join the mastermind? Did you have any concerns about taking that leap?

AMY:

Yeah. Look, I had been interested in the mastermind and had been seeing your posts on social media for probably a good couple of weeks before the doors closed. And I thought about investing and I wanted to do it. And I had got to a space where I had moved through some of the album, like mindset blocks that were impacting on how I was showing up in my business. And then eventually I got to a point, I think I might have even called you on the very last day before your doors closed and said, ‘Actually, no, I’m going to do this. I’m going to do this because I know that this will be powerful and this will be the next thing that I need to do to take Bespoke to the next place I wanted to go to.” And closer to the freedom and flexibility that I wanted. And I haven’t regretted that. But it is, it’s one of those things that you kind of have to be in the right spot to both from a business perspective, we have businesses in the right spot for it, because it is a big investment of time and money, but also I think more than anything you actually have to be in the right mindset to approach it with a really positive energy that it’s going to be a very worthwhile investment.

CLARE:

Well, I’m so glad that you jumped in, and I can totally relate to that. Making a commitment of time in some ways is one of the hardest parts of joining any sort of program really, because we’re all very busy people and to commit to extra time. But it’s something I’ve banged on and on about on the podcast before, which is that if you don’t make the time, you will always just keep repeating the same patterns, the same behaviors, and most likely getting the same results. And yeah, I know for me, when I’ve gone to invest in a course or anything, I’m like, “How am I going to find the time?” And then I’m like, “Clare, you have to make the time.”

AMY:

Yeah, I agree 100%. And that was exactly what went through my mind. It was the time commitment more than anything. And it actually has been a really easy time commitment. Because you’re excited and you look forward to the fortnightly phone calls. You prepare beforehand, you show up, you’re really interested in sharing an update about where you’re at, but you’re also really interested in hearing where everyone else is at. And going through the topic that you’re going to share that day. And I also like the mindset work of the journaling and the meditations and the breath work that we’ve been doing. I think they’re all things that I don’t always make time for. And I, on the days that I do, I’m better for it.

CLARE:

It’s such a game changer, isn’t it, really taking the space for yourself. And it’s so funny that we don’t prioritize looking after number one, that is terrible.

AMY:

I think most of us are really terrible at it.

CLARE:

I had a beautiful call with a client of mine this morning, and she said, “I’ve come to realize that when I look after myself first, everything else just flows.” And I thought it was a really beautiful expression and something that I really encourage people to do is to really do this work, because it does, it makes all the difference. So following on from that question, I’d love to know, you are such a busy person. We were just chatting off air about how much is going on inside your firm. And particularly in the space of litigation how much time that consumes of yours. How did you create the time in your busy calendar with a team, everything else that’s going on for the mastermind?

How Amy made the time for investing in her business

AMY:

Yeah, I guess one of the goals that I had for myself going into the mastermind was to create some boundaries, better boundaries for myself. Which also included boundaries within my team about what times I would be able to do client work and what times I would be sort of taking out to be working on my business rather than in it. And so I have clearly set that out in my calendar. And most of the time, I think there’s been maybe one time or two times when we’ve had called allocated events, which I have zero control over. It’s worked really well. And I’ve also been trying to get to a place where I block out a Friday from doing client work so that I am creating the space to do some of the pre-work if I haven’t caught up or had a time during the week to do it, or I’m actually revisiting some of the goals or the strategic direction that I’ve set and sort of looking at what steps or actions I need to take to sort of keep myself on track. So I think having the discipline and consistency around setting those boundaries has been a good thing. Something that I’m still working on, but I am getting better at it.

CLARE:

Yeah, and boundaries isn’t a destination. It’s something that improves over time. You get better and better. And you know, I’ve seen you taking some big leaps in this space and I can’t wait to watch you continue to really carve out the time for yourself, because you really deserve it. And if anyone is listening and thinking that they can’t create time, if Amy’s been able to create time, with she’s got a family, she’s got a beautiful daughter and a thriving business, then this is kind of what you need to do if you want to get a shift, is create the time for it.

AMY:

Absolutely, I would not have seen some of the advantages and improvements and financial gains in my business if I hadn’t actually changed my mindset around my ability to commit to time and commit to my business. And once I’ve done that and especially been working around that since probably November, December last year, it’s made a significant difference, particularly on our bottom line.

CLARE:

Oh, I like to hear about that.

AMY:

Which is a good thing, because energy goes where energy flows. So I think that’s something that’s … It makes it much easier to say yes to something if you know that the time commitment is not huge and it’s very doable.

CLARE:

Oh, I’m so glad that you have been part of the mastermind. It’s been wonderful having you inside. So I’d love to ask, as your business has been scaling and growing, what have been some of the biggest things that you have struggled with?

AMY:

I think which I’ve already touched on before was mindset. In my first year of business was probably, I was very unprepared and naïve about what it took to have your own business in terms of everything that you’re juggling, but also that your mindset has a significant impact on how you show up, and also on your team. So that was probably has been something that I’ve had to do quite a bit of work on.

And then, you often then fall into the trap of “comparisonitis” where you’re comparing yourself to others, and you’ve just got to fall outside of that and create some again boundaries around comparing yourself to everyone else’s race. And I think the other thing is focusing on my financials and making sure that I’m allocating time every week to be looking at our revenue, how we’re sort of getting money in, our cashflow projections. Also having a look at your profit and loss and your balance sheet, which are all the things we talk about with my clients when I’m working with them through their separations that involve businesses and other entities. But it’s something that you always put to the bottom of the list, because it’s one of those things where you are working on your business. But if you’re not prioritizing it and spending some time there every week then it just doesn’t happen.

So I think they’re probably been the biggest struggles and things where I’ve had to upskill and engage in things like this mastermind and meet with my accountant and get really clear, ask all my dumb questions or things that I think are dumb, but probably are really, really important, Get clear on where you do work around your planning your perfect day and your perfect week. And that’s something I’m constantly refining. So I think all those issues are the same issues that come up pretty regularly, that I’ve got to constantly work on.

CLARE:

And they’re the same issues that so many business owners struggle with.

AMY:

Yeah, it is.

CLARE:

They’re like the most common challenges. And I was exactly the same. At the start of a business journey you have no idea how hard it’s going to be juggling all of the balls. But in many ways as well that’s part of the journey, isn’t it, it’s learning these lessons and learning to move through them. So I’d love to know, did you find the mastermind has helped you with any of these challenges?

AMY:

Absolutely. As I said, one of the things that I’ve been working on this year is my money mindset. So being able to focus on my financials, but also then have to delve into and work on some of those money blocks that have been happening, some of the limiting beliefs and that scarcity that comes up and which can stop you from investing in your business and sometimes investing in yourself. It can also stop you from thinking about how you make big changes in your business where you’re refining and evolving. So I think that’s been something that’s been really powerful for me from the mastermind. I think the other thing that was one of my goals for this year was to gain confidence in my marketing. And particularly how I showed up on socials. Really good with doing our postings, but it was the stories and reels, which I haven’t even got to yet, but stories and just being confident with showing my face and sharing what it is that we actually do and how it is that we help people through their separation journey. So, gaining that confidence and doing that also as part of a group where other people are doing the same thing, I think has been really helpful.

CLARE:

Yeah, it’s been amazing to watch people go through the discomfort together. I mean, I’ve shared on the podcast before, I spent years where I’d record videos and sit there and cry afterwards and delete them. And it’s something that is really challenging, but it’s such an impactful way to really connect with your dream audience. Because they can really see you, they can sense your energy. And I think it’s just been amazing watching you and a lot of the other crew really putting themselves out there and then in turn seeing the benefits of doing so.

AMY:

Yeah, there’s definitely been some discomfort everyone’s had to push through on socials, but it is, as you say, it’s a very worthwhile way to spend your energy and to sort of push through and gain bigger impact and more audience of the right people that you want to work with.

CLARE:

Yeah. This word discomfort, I use it so much because I do remind people all the time, if you keep doing the same thing, you keep getting the same outcome, and shifting feels shitty. Like it does, it feels really uncomfortable. And one of my clients used this term today. She said, “I feel like I’m in one of hotels where you can’t get to the top floor. You need to change lifts.” And you know what I’m talking about? You get to a floor and you need to change to a different lift to get to the upper floors. And she said, “I feel like I’ve got part of the way, and then I’m stuck in this lobby where I don’t want to be, I just want to get up to the next level. And it just feels really uncomfortable being in this place where I know that the next level awaits me, but it’s just that discomfort of being in the in-between stage.” So yeah, growth, it’s challenging, it’s uncomfortable, but it’s worth it.

AMY:

Absolutely. And I think that’s always the key takeaway, isn’t it? Is that beautiful opportunities and growth come through some of the biggest, most challenging moments in our lives.

CLARE:

This would be really relevant for a lot of your clients I imagine.

AMY:

Yeah, it is.

CLARE:

So I’d love to know, in terms of being in a group coaching situations. So people are often sort of weighing up one-on-one coaching as compared to joining a mastermind. I’d love to know, in your opinion, what are the benefits of being in a group program as compared to working with someone one-on-one?

One-on-one coaching versus a Mastermind 

AMY:

Look, I think probably the best thing for me has been getting different input and ideas from people who are outside my industry. And this has been pretty invaluable and it’s challenged me to rethink how my business operates. It’s helped me to refine how we do things, but it’s also helped me to refine why. And as you say, if you keep doing the same things, you’re always going to get the same result. And where I want to take Bespoke is to the next level from here. And to do that I have to continue to evolve. Like it’s been evolving from the very moment that I started it. And the only way that I’m going to do that is by opening myself up to new ideas and new opportunities.

 And that has been one of the best things as part of the group is, in the Voxer chat, there’s lots of input, lots of support when you’re going through a challenge in your business, and we’re in between calls, it’s been great to have that support immediately available. We’re also able to bounce ideas off of you in there as well, which is also extremely helpful, because sometimes you want to be able to action something without waiting for the next call. So that’s been a really great part of the mastermind is actually being part of this and a community of people who are in a similar place on their business journey.

CLARE:

Yeah, I love that. And I do agree. I think there’s so much power in not just having one person who’s helping you. I love when people disagree with me in there actually, or share a different perspective, because it allows to kind of have a well-rounded perception of how you can move through something. And I think too, one of the things that I love is witnessing other people going through similar things at the same time. So like you spoke about, I remember I used to look up to one of my mentors and she’d be there confidently on social media. And I just think, “Oh gosh, I’ll never be like that.” And then when I’d see other people really getting uncomfortable and their voice shaking and getting caught, and then I feel, “Oh, they’re sort of going through the same thing that I’m going through.” So it’s also being able to relate to the challenges that your peers may be going through at the same time as well.

CLARE:

We’ve spoken a lot about mindset. I’d love to know through the mastermind, what are the things that you’ve learned in the mindset space that have helped how you do business?

How Amy uplevelled her business mindset

AMY:

I think probably one of the biggest things that has helped me has been the journaling and the prompts and the journaling tasks. Because I find that when I make the time for journaling, this will often lead to some pretty big breakthroughs, particularly when I’m going through a time of challenge. So working on having prompts that are connected to our business and connected to the journey that we’re on to evolve and to refine what our business looks like and where we want to take it, and our why and purpose. I think that has been a really good exercise for me, particularly with my mindset. I think it’s also doing the meditation and breath work. I’d never done breath work before, and it’s actually something I’ve really enjoyed doing. And I’ve now got an app that helps me, and I’m creating space for meditation. And if it’s not daily, it’s at least a couple of times a week now, which I just wasn’t doing. And I find that whenever I am making those consistent efforts to take a moment for myself and not have all those rushing thoughts about all the things you’re juggling and all the things you’ve got on your to-do list, then it helps you to come back to being centered and focused. And where you want to put your energy, where you want to put your thoughts to achieve the outcomes and objectives that I want for myself for Bespoken, but also more importantly for my family.

CLARE:

Yeah, a 100%. And I never even used to understand what journaling was. And it was only when I started to really lean into the practice that I went, “Wow, this is really incredible and really powerful.” So it’s why I incorporate it. And it’s something that I really encourage people to learn how to do as a way of exploring what’s going on. Maybe a little bit below the conscious level, because I don’t know about you, but I have so many times, and I’m like, “Whoa, I didn’t know that was there.”

AMY:

Yeah, that’s right. It’s like it allows you to go down from that cognitive level down to the cellular level to understand, “Well, what’s the root cause? And what is it that’s either holding me back. Or what is the actual challenge and how can I deal with it?” I think I’ve had a few challenges this year in my business from different aspects. And being able to create the space and the time to do the journaling and get deeper into understanding where those issues were arising or why they were arising. I’ve then been able to take some really purposeful action in addressing them.

CLARE:

Yeah, love that, love that. Have you had any wins that you have achieved over the last couple of months that you would like to share or celebrate today?

AMY:

Yeah, so the first three months that I was doing the programs, so the first quarter we exceeded our business goals and targets by about 30%. Because that’s I was putting more of my energy into it. I think then there’s been a few challenges that has sort of derailed that a little bit, but I think instead of those challenges being things that would have completely distracted me from continuing to move forward with my business goals, what they’ve done is they’ve also allowed me to be a bit more focused and come back to what is my overall purpose and why did I even start Bespoke? You know, it was to help people, but in a way that I wanted to do, that I wasn’t able to in my previous roles when I was an employee. But it was also because I wanted to have greater level of freedom and flexibility because I have a small child and I wanted to spend time with her. And so getting really clear on how do I achieve a business that is aligned with my core values, aligned with my personal objectives and purpose has been a really big sort of aha for me through this program. And I think the other thing is the community. I’ve really enjoyed being part of the community of people that we have in the mastermind at the moment. Everyone’s so different, and it just means that you get such great feedback and comments from people about whether it’s a challenge you’re having, whether it’s a win, whether it’s an idea you’re throwing out that you want to sort of investigate or explore. It’s such a safe space to be able to have that exploration and to be able to then work out what it is that you then want to target your attention on, which I think has been wonderful.

CLARE:

Well, it’s so amazing to witness your personal growth and obviously your business growth as well. And like I said, I’ve loved having you inside the mastermind. If people are listening today and maybe they’re going through a separation or considering it, or they have family or friends that are and would like your help. Would you mind sharing the way that they can best connect with you to get some support in that space?

AMY:

Yeah. So people can connect with us through either Instagram or Facebook on @bespokefamilylawyers. We also have our website, bespokefamilylawyers.com.au, and people can jump on our website and they can book a free 20 minute call with us so that we can get a really good understanding of some of the immediate issues and concerns that they are experiencing at that time. And we can then work out a pathway forward to help them to get an outcome and a resolution so that they can move forward to live their best life.

CLARE:

Yeah, I love that. And something I know that we’ve spoken about before is that even if someone isn’t actually going through a separation yet, if it’s something they’re considering, that’s still an appropriate time to reach out and have a conversation and start thinking about the process, even if it’s not quite happening just yet. So Amy and Bespoke Family Lawyers are just an incredible group of people. So I’ll pop all of the links in the show notes for today’s episode. Amy, thank you so much for coming on today and sharing a little bit about your journey inside the mastermind, and look forward to chatting to you soon.

AMY:

Thank you so much, Clare, it’s been really lovely chatting.

CLARE:

If you have enjoyed today’s episode, you are going to love the Mind to Money Mastermind. Inside the Mastermind I share with you the tools, systems, strategies, and support you need to break through your next income, and of course profit level. You guys know how important I think profit is, not just that sexy sales number. I will also be teaching sales for scaling your six figure service-based business towards the seven figure mark. The mastermind is an adaptive program tailored to support the community as they are scaling. There are no fixed framework, because this is all about the people who are on the inside. Inside the mastermind there is accountability against your strategic priorities, making sure you are staying on track towards your big business goals, And like any community, the magic is in the community.

We’ll support you through the tough times, celebrate your wins and share advice to help you get the results you want faster. Inside the Mastermind we’ll be teaching you how to create an unshakable money mindset, how to build your dream team. We’ll be talking about launching online courses and digital products. Giving you pricing and product strategies to make sure you are charging and earning your worth. And helping you to build your business in an aligned way, giving you more time and freedom to do the things that you desire. To find out more about this epic immunity, you can click on the link in the show notes for today’s episode.

Thanks so much for listening. If you love this episode, please share it with your audience. And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @clare_wood_coach, And also make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss an episode. Have an abundant week. And I look forward to talking to you again next week.