Spending time with Clay is always an adventure. From the moment that you sit down with him, you quickly realize that not only is he a wealth of knowledge and experience, but he thinks differently than most people. He is a true entrepreneur. Everything that he does is intentional and is focused on creating and building towards specific goals. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him waste any time. His consistent momentum and energy that he creates is contagious and is truly challenged me to step up the intentionality that I bring to the way that I live.
As an aspiring business coach, I truly want to learn everything that I can from Clay so that I am able to provide the most value that I possibly can for my clients. One of the biggest takeaways that I have gotten from working with Clay is the ability to begin to recognize people who are playing business versus people who are actually true entrepreneurs. When it comes down to defining an individual who just plays business, it really comes down to the fact that they want the results without being willing to do the work. I have quickly learned that there truly is no magic sauce. There is a proven pathway, but it requires each person to be a diligent doer, and show up day in and day out and do what Clay calls the “stupid repeatable tasks”. If the business owner is not willing to do these things, then they are just playing business and will not achieve their goals.
It is important to know this as an aspiring business coach because we can only truly help the clients were willing to do the work. When I look at Clay as a model, he is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever encountered. During a time when he has the resources and ability to delegate a lot of the things that he does, he still chooses to wake up early each and every day and be the person who puts forth the effort to actually get stuff done. If I want to have success not only in business coaching but also in my life and in any potential business that I would like to start, then I must be a person who does the work day in and day out. This cannot be compromised. This is a non-negotiable, essential element to success.
There is a proven pathway, but it requires each person to be a diligent doer, and show up day in and day out and do what Clay calls the “stupid repeatable tasks”.
When we look at the statistics, Clay has shown us time and time again that nine out of 10 businesses fail. Additionally, it is an even smaller percentage of businesses that actually become profitable and create the opportunity for the owner to achieve their goals and find the freedom that they are looking to have. Clay has been able to blow the statistics out of the water with his own businesses and the businesses that he has coached. He’s found a tried-and-true way to help our clients get the success that they want. The only requirement is that they be people who are willing to do the work and follow the proven path.
On a foundational level, this is been truly one of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned so far. I have to be able to help my clients understand that they must be a hard worker and must stick to the proven path. Additionally, I must become this person as well. If I am not living what I am trying to lead them in, then I will not succeed as a business coach. My goal is truly to be the best possible business coach that I could be, and add the most value to my clients by helping them achieve their goals. In order to do this I must be a true entrepreneur that is willing to do the work, to go above and beyond in the “stupid repeatable tasks” each and every day. This is the only way to achieve the goal.
