Melanie Layer’s leading edge concepts and discoveries in self and business development are outstanding. She helps people who are feeling frustrated with their results and ready to do whatever it takes to get the life they want by becoming their coach. Melanie’s programs will change your life and then make you rich! Read our interview with the lovely Melanie below…
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
Ever since I was a little girl I have always had a dislike for the rules and guidelines others put out for me. I never enjoyed having a boss, I never enjoyed doing what I was told, I very much disliked anyone telling me how much money I was most likely going to earn, and, furthermore, how to do it! I actually started my first business when I was twelve years old. The business I’m currently in stemmed from a background in sales, a love of travel, and a leadership quality I have had since I can remember. I wanted a life of freedom where I could live wherever I wanted, go to bed when I was sleepy, and wake up when I was sleepy no more! So I created it!
Tell us about your business.
I have a life and business coaching business. I coach executives, entrepreneurs, multi-level marketers, and other coaches to do what it takes in order to scale and grow their business into the business of their dreams. Although a lot of business principles come into play and I have a lot of education in sales, marketing, business relations, and business knowledge, a lot of the coaching and training comes from coaching entrepreneurs to go past their limiting fears, creating the confidence they crave, celebrating their accomplishments in a major way, and taking ownership of their failures when necessary.
Growing your business is all about learning and teaching yourself new techniques and skills that can work in your favour. As I mentioned, I have experience in sales and ventured in other avenues. Sales is an important part of any business’s growth. If you want your company to be the best it can be, you could look into companies like Webology who specialise in providing marketing services in order to take your business to the next level.
I love my business because I’m very selective about the clients I choose and I develop deep relationships with them. I care deeply for them, it’s a lot more than just a business transaction. Some of my most extraordinary memories this past year were with my clients.
Are you currently running any promos, contests, giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
On January 15th, 2017 I will be hosting a Freedom Facebook Live! I will be giving away some free coaching and launching some amazing promotions! Because, based on research, January 15th is when most people quit their New Year’s resolutions. So the intention of this Facebook Live is to bypass the quitting and skyrocket 2017!
Where is your business based?
The greatest thing about my business, in my opinion, is that it is a global, world-wide business. What I mean by that is all I need to run my business successfully is a laptop and wifi connection. I have a nomadic lifestyle; I live in hotels and Airbnb’s around the world with my boyfriend, Kevin. This year I have run my business from Iceland, Mexico, Dubai, Greece, over 20 US States and 6 Canadian Provinces. My clients connect with me from all over the world!
What were the first few steps to get your business up and running?
My business has shifted a lot since I first started it. When I began my journey as a coach I started a business called the Invisible Coach. This meant the only way to work with me was by referral only. It was an “underground” coaching business. I set it up this way for a couple of reasons. First of all, I was very young and was afraid people wouldn’t take me seriously despite the knowledge and training I had. Secondly, in a world where everyone is trying to sell their coaching and running ads all the time, I felt that having a VIP “underground” style sales process could help me charge more and waste less time chasing leads. So the first few steps I took were to network within my immediate connections and tell them what I was doing, enroll them in my vision of the Invisible Coach, deliver extraordinary coaching to them, and ask for referrals.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
Word of mouth was, and still is, the best way to attract clients into my business. I have a unique and exclusive training on how to create endless referrals! This process is also what makes my clients so successful when they work with me. I am able to grow businesses without even touching social media or marketing at all. I do, however, have a soft spot for Facebook Lives! I did a 21 Day Facebook Live Challenge late last year and it did wonders for my business.
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
My biggest challenges were when I transitioned my business from invisible to visible. There was a period of time where I was afraid to lose the status and importance that I felt with my high-end invisible clients by starting something new on social media. For example, I didn’t have a large following on social media so I was always afraid of how little likes I’d get if I posted anything related to my business or how much interaction my videos or Facebook Lives would get. I felt embarrassed in my beginning stages online because I wanted to feel as influential as I did in the business I had already built. And that was going to take time. For any industry, I have learnt that the idea of Risk Management is beneficial, but more so when it comes to the financial industry. But this doesn’t mean in the social media field there isn’t anything that we have to consider before going ahead with our businesses. It all depends on what you want the outcome to be.
How did you overcome these challenges?
I worked on my mindset every single day! I felt the fear before every post and posted anyway. I worked on being brave until I could be confident and maxed out my Facebook friends within a few months. My LinkedIn account exploded and I built a following of about two thousand organic followers on Instagram within a year. I still don’t have a website and I have yet to run a Facebook ad or sell a course online, but when I post something now I don’t doubt that it will get the visibility I hope for. I’ve attracted many amazing clients into my business because I never gave up! As I have a number of friends in different fields in regards to the world of work, when they tell me about any challenges that they face at work, they always seem to have a solution to it. For example, a good friend of mine works in the work of retail. I can hear you all sigh just at the sight of this. But I can tell you that it is getting better. She mentioned how her store have incorporated the idea of technology in the workplace, with the iPad POS system. So far, she says that it has made a difference in terms of easier transactions with customers. Although this is a start, it is pointing in the right direction. What my point for that story was that anything is possible, in order to turn a negative into a positive.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
Here’s another extraordinary thing about my business: There are some clients that work with me that I have been coaching for three years or more and my goal is to be able to coach these people forever! However, in order to do that, I need to constantly be moving forward in my business, always learning more, always growing, always doing more… I can’t stop. If I do, the amazing clients I have coached will surpass me and no longer have a need for me. I believe that a great coach is a great leader so what motivates me is knowing that the only way to lead the pack is to keep leading the pack.
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
The most unique thing about me is how I treat my clients. I believe that you attract who you are in business. This would mean that there’s a little bit of me in each client I have. So I treat them exactly the way I would dream to be treated. I celebrate them, I love them, I respect them, I praise them, and I’m honest with them. As I mentioned earlier, the relationship I have with my clients is much deeper than a transactional relationship. This is also why I’m very selective, I only take on clients I truly connect with and feel inspired by. Another way I distinguish myself from the competition is my unique lifestyle. I live the dream I sell. I live in the most beautiful places, I eat unique and delicious food, I always push myself to do wild, exciting adventurous things, my relationship with Kevin is absolutely extraordinary, and I LOVE MY LIFE!
What is the best advice you have received recently?
The best advice I have received recently was from my coach, Raymond. He talks about branding and your personal brand and how important it is to be in integrity with it. I believe your brand is a mix between your public identity, your personality, the results you provide, the relationships you build, and the impact you leave on people. If you can be at the top of your game in all these areas, the way people will talk about you will elicit curiosity and referrals. The way people talk about you is your brand.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
The best tool you can have in business is someone who believes in you more than you do and is willing to stand for your dreams even when you’re not. Someone who sees and understands your goals and your vision and knows how to get you out of your own way. The advice I always give is hire a coach. Someone who is an expert in both mindset and business. Fear and doubt will slow your business down faster than failure ever will.
What is your favorite business tool or resource?
I love Facebook Live! I can use it as a tool in my private groups to keep connected with my clients, I can capture exciting or powerful moments in my life and share them with my followers in the moment, I can answer any questions they have on the spot, I can run competitions, contests, I can do draws, all with this one tool. And then I can even boost it on my business page. What’s fantastic about Facebook Live is when my connections share my video I get connected to their network. This has really helped me grow my followers and my client base this past year.
What social media outlets do you use?
Instagram @melanie_ann_layer
Facebook www.facebook.com/melanieannlayer.mli/?fref=ts and www.facebook.com/thebossvibe
LinkedIn https://ca.linkedin.com/in/melanielayer
Email mli.coachingme@gmail.com
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
“Outwitting the Devil” by Napolean Hill and “Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself” by Dr. Joe Dispenza.
What are you currently learning about your business or looking for help with?
I am currently learning about live conference, how to fill a room, and how to execute a flawless two to three day event. I’m looking for help from mentors who have done this before and extraordinary event planners.
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
My goal for the next few months is to get 12 new clients enrolled in The Ultimate VIP ExperienceTM. This is my most high-end coaching experience. For this particular venture I’m striving to create video marketing and Facebook advertisements to generate the perfect clients for me.