How bouldering helped me start my business

At the start of 2024 I set myself the challenge to "be brave". So when a friend ask me to join him climbing, despite being afraid of heights, I said yes. I soon came to realise that climbing was as much a mental challenge as it was physical.

Here are some of the lessons that I've learned so far and how they helped me launch my coaching Practice:

1. Start with an achievable goal. Whilst I'm still learning to climb I know I'm not going to reach the top of every climb, so my simple goal each time is simply get all of my hands and feet off the ground. It's not always graceful. Sometimes this is all I achieve but most of the time I then carry on and get much higher than I first thought possible. Even if getting off the ground is all I achieve, it's still a step higher than giving up.

When thinking about setting up my business, of course, my mind jumped straight to having multiple clients, enabling me to go part-time and having a lovely income. It actually felt quite daunting and a huge leap. But by breaking it down into one small step: setting up a website, I was at least able to get started, and soon had clients booked in.

2. Feel your way to the top. Of course, it's nice to have a plan of the route you're going to take to get to the top of the climb. But sometimes until you're actually on the wall, you don't quite know how the hand holds feel and whether or not your leg will stretch in the way you need it to. You have to remain in the moment on the climb and respond to what is needed of you.

I don't quite have a plan on how I am going to grow the business. In fact I'm Still figuring out how I describe my style of coaching and why people should come to me, but that's OK. I'm open to the continued learning.

3. Surround yourself with friends. If it weren't for my friend Dan, I wouldn't be here talking to you about this at all. It's also true without his support encouragement and advice, I wouldn't have achieved half of the climbs I have done. His celebrations of success and support of failures means that at no point do I feel like I want to give up.

4. Falling is inevitable. Being halfway up a wall with just my toes for support and my fingertips clinging on for dear life means that it's inevitable at some point I'll slip. Sometimes I am able to grab on and prevent falling completely. Sometimes I need to take a side step to prevent a fall. Sometimes I'll fall. The hardest thing is not let this phase you and getting straight back up and re-attempting the climb, or making a minor adjustment to enable you to carry on.

Starting a new business and working with new clients is not all going to be plain sailing and understanding that that's a fact of running a business, especially one that's working in other people emotions. You make decisions that aren't for the best. Or work with clients you don't quite know how to help. But never letting this get in the way of Having another go. But this time, equipped with the lessons learned from the last time.

5. Trust the process. I'm still understanding the best way to reach out, hold on and more importantly to trust my body to do what it needs to do and support me in the way it needs to support me. Often that next move requires more trust than strength. Trust that it will do what it needs.

I've been thinking about setting up as a coach for quite some time, but never quite trusting the skills I had. Sure, I've been doing it internally for a while, but it was a bold move to start a private practise an to ask for clients. Accepting the fear but doing it anyway.

6. The feeling when you get there. Often when you get to the top, the challenge feels over. The sense of accomplishment kicks in. "Well done you achieved what you set out to do" Sometimes, however, getting to the top still feels a stretch and not the comfiest place to hang out.

Sometimes, the goal I set for the company might be something small like: Create a template for an invoice, whilst its still a tack completed, it didnt take that much effort. Sometimes the goal like "find three new clients" is a real challenge and will take a lot of you to achieve. These are the goals that feel most rewarding (if a little scary) to achieve.

So why am I telling you this. Well, my next brave move is to seek more clients. It still feels a bit of. Stretch.

So, if you're facing your own wall, or need help re-planning your route, I've a bag of chalk and am feeling brave, why not get in touch and book a conversation in? Perhaps you can be like my friend Dan, he didn't know the impact climbing would have for me, perhaps simply you sharing this post might help someone else without you ever knowing.

With 2024 being a year to be brave, inspire me in the comments... how are you being brave this year?