Opportunity is always knocking

26 January 2015 by Justin York

There is a view in life that we don't all get the same opportunities, or perhaps someone is much luckier than we are, I certainly had or perhaps still have that outlook. Yet just recently my view or opinion of that thinking has changed quite significantly.

When I started my own business, leaving behind the relative security and lucrative contracting market I was convinced that I was the next great thing in the coaching world, not only that, I was so good I would just attract clients like some kind of magnet! After a few months that view had become a little more pessimistic and I realised that this was probably not going to be the case.I then met someone who convinced me that it was not me but the way I was selling me.Now that was quite a strange thing to be told.He further explained that what the business looked like was not what I was selling so there was incongruence.

So I took the leap of faith and rebranded my business which came out of the process as Rubicon Coaching.Now that in itself of course is not sufficient to return to client magnet status but I did feel much more comfortable with what I was selling and that the business looked a lot more like me.Now it must just be a matter of time, right?Wrong, not that at all, but I was still feeling more comfortable.

As the weeks and months passed by I was using more of my reserves and not really getting any traction, attending about 500 networking meetings a week (ok a slight exaggeration perhaps), nothing happening.Well that's not strictly true, some interested parties but nothing confirmed.Christmas arrives as does the new year and they both head into the distant past (which I'm quite pleased about as I can't stand Christmas, mostly because the supermarkets seem to think they need to tell us it's coming in August, under some pretext about customers ask for it, well I don't!Anyway enough of that soap box) a little more interest and now I suddenly start to get more meeting requests and now I have secured some paying work.

I think that just plugging away at the process, perfecting my pitch (it's not yet I hasten to add) and just keeping the faith, continuing networking and building those contacts eventually paid off.I have to say that while this work won't allow me to retire, it's a great feeling to be able to say I'm actually in business, as by my definition you have to have some clients.My nerves still jangle as the weeks pass by, but perhaps not so much as they did.Ally this new found confidence with finally just getting into the deeper water and trying different things and the world just seems brighter.Maybe that's the night's drawing out, I don't actually care, it's just better.

So opportunity may well be just around the corner, the trick for me is to make the corners as close together as you can, that way I find that opportunity has a better chance of you finding it.It's always there, you have to keep knocking at the door.