written by john c ashworth

"Currently, the new skill I'm honing is that of copywriter. You can get more information about that here." -John

I wrote the post below back in late 2017, shortly after leaving the car business as a salesman. It's always interesting to go back to these journal entries and gain perspective. A window into the past and the thinking that helps shape the present.

I think there are two important questions to ask yourself when engaging in such an exercise.

1. How accurate was my thinking at the time?
2. How can I be more accurate in my thinking today?

I came across this post below during a review of all blog post drafts I had started to date inside my wordpress dashboard. It's a little personal but also instructive in regards to the two questions above. And not just for me, but possibly for you too.

Regardless, I hope you enjoy the story.

This is all part of a project on the ash flash here in 2020 to publish more for you, and to cultivate a living breathing example of the kind of writing and publishing You can do to help you sell more stuff inside your small business. Remember, stories sell, and the more of them you can tell more effectively, the more stuff you will sell.

If you are interested in learning more about how great copywriting can help you grow your business, send me a note here and I'll respond by email. This is one of my passions and as such, I’m always interested in some great conversation and in talking strategy on the subject. You can Send me a note here...

*Note: Please note that inside this 2017 post I reference a coaching service I was developing at the time. That service is NOT something I offer anymore.

-John

Every skill you learn increases the chance of YOUR Success

written by john c ashworth
December 15th, 2017

Four years ago, I was sitting on my living room couch reviewing the numbers inside my fitness business. A business that had been contracted to just me again, working with a small number of clients in my personal training studio downtown here in Madison, WI. I had other projects in the works too, including my Virtual Coaching software, my fitness blog, and my on-going commitment to Fitness Friday on the local NBC TV affiliate. I was running out of time and money to make the move I wanted to make away from so much client work, and toward more and more focus on my software, my writing, my blog and my virtual coaching platform.

I was facing a crossroads. I was aware that my decision to pursue a totally different path could have long-lasting implications on the second half of my career and my life. I also remember how overwhelmed I felt, because the decision was being forced by my finances, not my passions.  Passion doesn't always win the day.  Regardless, I was certain that I needed to make this life and career altering decision. I needed space and time to earn for my family and to get some perspective. So, I responded to a Craig's list ad for a car sales position and jumped in to this brilliant and crazy world head first.  Believing at the time, that because I would still be working personally with people, I could leverage my gifts and talents and still inspire and find fulfillment in the work while I caught up. In some ways, I was right.  In others, I was not.

Four years and four dealerships later, I can say with conviction that the decision I made was a good one.  My sabbatical. Now it's time for the next step.  Should my boss be reading this, I would simply like to acknowledge that he and I both know there is a much larger role I could play beyond the salesman on the floor.  Whether or not that is possible, is really up to him.  In the mean time, I can only keep going.  Keep honing my skills of perseverance and resilience.  Keep cultivating my resolve.  I was already a good salesman when I landed in the car business.  Now I'm a superstar.  Selling cars is tough, however, and surviving in this business far longer than most, has not only made me a better salesman, but also a better person. Selling cars is not as easy as people think.  So no matter what, until the next thing comes, I march on while my calling as your coach beckons.

Through my work in the car business, I have developed and honed a communication, marketing and sales mechanism that has tremendous potential to help not only advance my virtual coaching platform in ways I could not see before, but to help you do the same inside your business or organization.  I have learned something extremely profound along the way...All paths lead to your calling, regardless of how or where they are paved.

Something else profound happened along the way too.  Something much more recent, and much more personal. It has become an important part of this journey and has granted me a level of clarity I've NEVER had before. An amazing gift that will benefit all of us. Something I will share with you someday.  A BIG dose of gratitude due to my wife Laura and my son Carl for inspiring this change, believing in it, and sticking with me while I worked it out.  I'll share it with you someday, I promise.  In fact, it might just appear in my next book of wisdom.

Every skill you learn increases the probability of your success. This is why the journey is so relevant and important.  Are you staying present?

Combined with your experience and especially your failures, assuming you choose to learn from them, you have the opportunity to stuff your toolbox full, and go to these implements when you need them.

This is the growing wisdom that comes with age and experience. Something that can only be gained over time, with reflection and mindfulness, and with that perseverance and resolve that is so important. Not hijacked for quick profit and burnout. A startup with no sense of balance is a great example. Without naming any, I'm sure you can think of a few.

At the heart of every experience are the connections and interactions between people, not things. You cannot gain mastery over your life and your career without a true grasping of this human truth. And when it comes to your own personal growth and skill development in all areas of life, it is often someone on the other end who has inspired you to take action in some way.  

How can you do this for others?

What can you learn from others that can help you take the next step?  

Stay present.

When I was 100% engaged in running my fitness business, my mission and my work was separated from all others through my focus on these truths and on the coaching that helped my clients create true and lasting change and transformation. I did that by being an expert and an inspiration at the same time.  I did that my being personal in the way I am here today.  Somewhere along the path, I lost this focus and it changed the trajectory of my business.  I suppose, however, that this was the point, because today, I find myself in a place that would not have been possible without this decision and the experience it granted me.

Of course, that is easier to see now. I could not clearly see that then. The good news is that I did not lose that focus completely. The virtual coaching platform I was constructing at the time, and that I'm now working on again, was built on this premise. As I said before, I just knew I needed more time and resources to bring it to life. I knew it was a viable pursuit. I know that for sure today.  Even if I have to spend the next several months or years building it at night and early hours of the morning.  My "Mr Holland's Opus."

Today I'm calling it the "Virtual Coach in your pocket." And if you act quickly, you won't have to wait to get access.  For starters, it is a very simple idea. It has to be, because I can't just abandon my work as a car salesman, and once again, the right promotion, might just keep me here a little longer.  It simply depends on what might come knocking at my door.  Doesn't it always?  At the moment, I still have to sell cars for a living and as such, cannot yet afford the luxury of everything I plan to create. Small steps are the wise choice at the moment, and small steps are possible while I wait for the next customer to arrive on a cold a blustery night 🙂  And tonight, with the wind chill at about ten degrees, I have time and space to write to you in this way.

Should you be struggling right now in some way with your health and fitness or your career, or your life, I just might be able to help you find the kind of clarity that I sit with today.  The initial phase of my re-birth and the "Virtual Coach in YOUR pocket" is a very simple opportunity for you to take advantage of me as your coach in a modern, innovative and unique way.  I don't have a landing page where you can learn more.  I don't have any videos you can watch.  I can't even say exactly what this program might entail for you because each of YOU are so unique, that this pilot program will likely look quite different for each of you.  That's the point, however.  Stop trying to squeeze yourself in to someone else's box.  Find your own way out and through.  And if you're struggling to do that, I know I can help you.  After all, this might just be the choice that finally allows you to break-through.

All you have to do right now is choose to send me a text message so that we can schedule a 15-30 minute introductory session at no cost to you. One conversation that alone could alter your life's path in significantly positive ways and with no obligation or pressure to continue beyond it. You can decide not to do it when that call is over and you can cancel any time without further obligation.  What do you have to lose?

I look forward to hearing from you soon...

-John

608-555-5555 - call or text to this number.

PS If you've come this far, YOU are ready.

PPS "When the student is ready, the teacher appears..."