174 - The Power of Finding Your Potential: A Client Conversation with Petra Williams
In this episode, I had an enriching conversation with Petra Williams, a passionate and optimistic life and leadership coach.
Petra takes us on her journey from being a former engineer and high school teacher to discovering her true calling as a "performance life coach." Her coaching philosophy revolves around harnessing strengths, setting clear intentions, and taking action.
As part of the Business Building Boutique Program, Petra refined her marketing skills and found her unique brand voice. Now, she's aiming to expand her coaching practice, host engaging workshops, and kickstart her very own podcast.
Tune in to soak up Petra's contagious energy and gain valuable insights and tips for unleashing your potential through mindset, intention, and authenticity.
👉 Connect with Petra:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petrabeyou/
Website: www.beyoucoachingservices.com
Email: petra@beyoucoachingservices.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/PetraBeYou/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-williams-6a140b161/
Link to freebie/offer: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFspo08WEY/SRrbm00L7oFTXzjAkGKbTQ/view?utm_content=DAFspo08WEY&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton
👉 Create a profitable business that looks good and sets you up to be respected through the Fast Track Business Building Boutique Program
👉 Check out my FREE Canva Workshop and learn how to create stunning graphics for your coaching business!
👉 Watch the episode on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts!
👉 Book a free Coaching Business Assessment with me
Don’t forget to connect with me on social media:Instagram | Facebook| Pinterest
Transcript
Preview: My key learnings are to not be so afraid of the marketing side. I'm a scientist by trade. I mean, you know, as a former engineer, high school science teacher. kind of all about the research, the marketing's always kind of been, makes me a little nervous, honestly, and I kind of, when I get to that point, I get like, oh, man, I don't want to, you know, like that. So, but there's no way like you've given me everything I need to figure out how to, to get better at marketing. And I just like how you're, you're very much like, pick the thing you can do, pick the thing you can do. Let's not, you know, these are lots of options, but just worry about the thing you can do.
Intro: Hello, I'm Debbie Shadid, the host of the Life Coach Business Building podcast. If you are ready to have more clients in your life coach business, then you're in the right spot. Each week I'm gonna teach you super simple strategies to grow your business without feeling overwhelmed and without spending money on paid ads. If that sounds interesting. Stick around and let's get started.
Debbie: Welcome to the podcast. I have with me today, Petra Williams. She is one of my clients and a coach, and I just want to have her introduce herself. Then we're going to talk about her business, about the work that we've done together and about how you can work with her. So take it away. Introduce yourself.
Petra: Oh, so Debbie, I'm so happy to be here today and it's just been a pleasure to get to work with you. You know, I am a coach trying to pursue working full time as a coach. I live in the Kansas city area. I'm happily married. I'm getting ready to celebrate his 30th wedding anniversary this weekend.
So that's exciting. I've got three kids that are all adults and doing well. I grew up in Iowa. I've got great friends still from that time. I guess the thing I'd like to say about who I am as a person is that I've just taken every kind of situation that's presented to me in life and made the most out of it. At the same time, I'm really working hard to develop relationships with quality people. So I never looked at my life as, well, here's the career, you know, this long 35 year career you're going to have. It's like, let's try these new things. Let's learn from them, grow. And because my initial career was in engineering, my brain is just wired to kind of look at how things work and how people interact and how that can always do better.
So I just am an optimist, positive attitude kind of person and, you know, put all that together to say, could do this as a coach.
Debbie: Relationships with quality people. Now that's right there. Let's just stop and pause because that is such a great thing. I mean, honestly, especially as you're trying to improve your life. What is it that the people you surround yourself with are the ones that you want to be surrounding yourself with whoever or wherever you're going, right? Quality people. So, that's awesome. Well, so who do you coach?
Petra: I call myself a performance life coach because again, I mentioned the engineering parts. I also was a high school teacher. I've run my own business like I have worked as a consultant and I, you know what, when I was sorting out like who are the people I want to coach, it really just came to the folks that are kind of the same mindset as I have. Like, how can I move forward? How can I get better?
I call myself a performance life coach. My tagline for my business is called potential unscripted. I mean, I’m just like, let's find your story. Like find that story that you, you know, you want to write. It's probably in your head. you might've verbalized it to somebody. I did this, you know, coaching with a little bit of tough love, but mixed with a lot of compassion and really focused on intended outcomes for how you can just battle for the things that you want in life.
Debbie: And the story that you want to write is not a story on paper in a book. It's the story that your life will tell.
Petra: Yes, exactly. Yeah, I'm all about embracing that. Like, embrace the person you were designed to be. Don't let anything hold you back. Be your authentic self. And then once you kind of, figure that out, like, the world is just huge.
So the opportunities are going to present themselves. You're going to find things that you never thought you could do. You might end up in places you never thought you'd be. but until you kind of say, you know, it's time for me to not be mediocre anymore and you're ready to move out of just settling in your life, that's the kind of coach I am.
Debbie: I'm curious, how have you utilized coaching?
Petra: I use coaching all the time for myself every single day. I think every day is a battle that I want to win. I was a competitive athlete back in the day. And so that mindset of showing up practicing, you know, putting yourself. I mean, I was a gymnast.
And so, that field of sport is very exposed to lots of things because you're being judged all the time on how well you perform, certain moves and such. So I don't know. I'm competitive mindset. Only because I'm so optimistic about what is out there for me to try and do that I just see life like that, you know, let's go figure out, let's, you know, fight for what you want.
And so I self reflect continuously. I had shoulder surgery in November and hired a coach myself to build my strength up from that. I've, you know, worked with Debbie as a business coach. Like, I think there's always ways to improve. That's just how I'm wired. What can I learn? I mean, I'm always about learning, you know, working on a second master's degree. And so I'm all about embracing a coaching life personally.
Debbie: Wow. I love that. Me too. I mean, education and self development to me that's like the way to go. And maybe that's because I'm also an Iowa girl. Maybe that's how I was born and raised, making a better life. So how did you end up in my world? What was going on in your business? Where were you at in your business and why did you seek out the help that I could provide you?
Petra: I’m such a believer that there's these messages that come to you in your life that they're there for a reason and incumbent on us to kind of say, okay, why did that just show up on my friend's door?
Typically it's there because you've already been thinking about it like, man, I need to do something about that. And then when you hear somebody provide you with exactly what you're wanting to hear, you know, your brain connects in a crazy way. And you're like, wow, and I shared this with you before, but I have done a ton of work on developing my business.
You know, I've got the skill set, the education, the certifications. I worked on all sorts of parts, but I needed to bridge the gap between what I want to do in a functioning business. And so at the time that I had to be honest with myself about like, okay, I got to do that. And I don't have the tools.
You know, I'm saying that like, that's so hard, like, as much as I think I can do all this on my own, and I have the capacity to learn that I wasn't getting it done. So your message showed up, your Canva workshop. Such a fun tool. I mean, I absolutely love working in Canva. I wish that was something I could have had in my earlier days when I was working in my corporate job. But, yeah, you just, you said the right thing at the right time to me. And I, I clicked on and said, I got to jump in. I'm a believer though. Like you have to jump in with both feet when you make changes like that.
And I knew I was going to get stuck. I was going to be up against one of my limits if I didn't get honest about that. So that's how I found you. And it's been a blessing.
Debbie: So you are part of the fast track, business building boutique and that group of women that you are part of. It is a go getter group of ladies, isn't it?
Petra: Oh, it's awesome like, you know, being a coach, I mean, people are gonna say like, what is life coaching? Like, aren't there a ton of people out there? And yes, yes, yes. All those things, you know, but the reality is that nobody can coach like I can coach and nobody can coach like the other people that I've met through the cohort who are fabulous women.
I mean, and just to know, like, because you're all out here trying to do this thing. That's really about us. It's really when you're a coach, it's totally about who you are as a person. It's very personal to your own beliefs and values. and so you kind of think, well, nobody else is going to understand that.
And then you meet a bunch of great women all over the United States through your mechanism. The Monday meeting, and you're like, oh, my gosh, look at all of my friends. Immediately that has the same concerns and issues. And it was just good. Like, it was good to know I really wasn't as much alone in this thing as I thought I was.
Debbie: You know, when it comes to group coaching, oftentimes people say, I don't want group coaching. I want private coaching because you're not going to be able to answer my questions. So, would you speak to that kind of what it looks like inside the group setting? And do you feel like you've gotten your questions answered?
Petra: Well, if I haven't gotten my questions answered, it's my fault. There's plenty of time and we meet for 90 minutes. there's absolutely plenty of time for us, even in a group setting to ask the question and.
I think when you don't do it is 'cause you really don't want the answer honestly. You want somebody else to ask it maybe. And so then you can hear your response, you know, to them. And then you're like, okay, like I didn't have to ask that sound like glad somebody else did.
But, you know, you don't mess around when you ask 'cause like, what's going on? And you dig right in, and we should welcome that. And I don't, I wouldn't say it's always easy, but group coaching is, I mean, I guess if you want to hide behind your video, you can, don't know how that benefits you.
And I don't know how that would benefit you as a coach to kind of take that approach. So if we're not willing to ask questions, I don't know why our clients would be willing to let us ask them questions as well. So, you know, I think it just goes. a good place to just practice being vulnerable honestly.
Debbie: Yeah. Well, and the questions I find that somebody else asks are like the same thing. Like, wow, I didn't even think to ask that, but I need to know the answer to that
Petra: Absolutely. Yes. I mean, there's sometimes I'm like, oh, yeah, that's a good question. so sometimes I haven't felt like I've had to ask the question too, because somebody else has already asked it.
So I wasn't sure either. You know, when we 1st got into it, but, that's like, 1 of the most fun parts of my week just to sit down in a session and kind of see where everybody's at and what they're working on and how they're doing it and learning about new technology tools or. Approaches, I mean, there's so much to be gained. So, yeah, anybody out there kind of wondering about whether they should jump into a group coaching session with Debbie, I'd say absolutely.
Debbie: Thank you for that. I understand people's concern, but it's almost impossible to explain until you're in it. And then it's like, oh, she did answer my question or she did you know provide some accountability to me this week.
It doesn't really make sense. And we have a great Facebook group. So through our work together, what would you say has changed or that you've learned about business or that you've been able to apply? Thank or that you're in the process of applying, maybe I should say.
Petra: I wish I could say I have adopted everything you've given me and I am ready to roll and I don't even need you anymore because I am so good at being a student of Debbie's class. However, we all know, like, it doesn't work that way.
So my key learnings are to not be so afraid of the marketing side. I'm a scientist by trade. I mean, you know, as a former engineer, high school science teacher. kind of all about the research, the marketing's always kind of been, makes me a little nervous, honestly, and I kind of, when I get to that point, I get like, oh, man, I don't want to, you know, like that.
So, but there's no way like you've given me everything I need to figure out how to, to get better at marketing. And I just like how you're, you're very much like, pick the thing you can do, pick the thing you can do. Let's not, you know, these are lots of options, but just worry about the thing you can do.
you know, the copy that was hard I think that's hard for any coach because when you're trying to articulate. Well, this is actually what I do. This is what I mean, you know, and to put that in words. I mean, then it becomes a little bit more real. I think, um, so getting that down has been helpful, just all the mechanisms.
I mean, all the modules, you know, you have access to. I mean, that's just everything like I know I have a place to go to get it now, even if I'm not engaged as much as I'd like to, in some of that. I know that that stuff's available. And I really, I don't have an excuse. Like, honestly, if I get the end of this thing, if I don't have a successful coaching business, it's because I didn't put the work in. It wasn't because you didn't provide me with the roadmap.
Debbie: You can do it girl. I know you can. So she mentioned marketing and I do want to touch on that a minute because one of the things that is true is that I want to pick marketing that works for you and for you when I think about marketing.
You really are a natural teacher. You are a teacher, but you're also a natural teacher. So, to me, something that you really, I'm sure, shine at is the workshops and, you know, being really in front of people. So many people are only online, but I can see you doing so many in person events.
Petra: Oh, yeah, I mean, I absolutely love doing that. I got to sit in, some sessions last week to mentor some high school kids and I just love it. Yeah, I'm not one of those people that's afraid to speak in front of groups. I kind of welcome that. I have so much knowledge and. you know, goal setting and how to run teams and how to develop leaders.
I mean, I got a wide range of topics. And so I'm always open for anybody. That's got something that they want to bring to a group or a team that they lead. I'd love to provide, in person or even some workshops, because I do, I just have a lot of kind of life experience doing. things that drive change.
Debbie: Yeah. So we had a brief conversation before we got on about you at the gym. Do you want to share about that?
Petra: Well, yeah, I'm kind of one of these people in the morning, like, I'm an early morning person. love, like, getting up and, like, seeing what's going on and, like, what's on the table today.
And I chose to participate in some personal training. I had a shoulder injury and I really needed to, you know, get fit after kind of getting through that. And you know, how you recognize people when you go to the gym. I saw the same guy a couple of times and he kind of was a negative nailing one day.
And I was like, Hey, like, and he's a trainer. And I'm like, you don't talk like that with your coaches. Like, don't be like that yourself. I mean, welcome change. Be open to the positive. I don't know. I think we're all here to make everybody a little bit better. We all can do our parts. The whole place, you know, kind of cheesy, but the, you know, our culture will improve if we're all in the game together.
So I love people that battle. and the gym is a great place to see that, you know, cause all shapes and sizes, but anytime you see people putting in, you know, stepping into their moments, putting in, showing up I'm going to be your biggest cheerleader.
Debbie: Yeah, I love it. I mean, I think it's just just the general concept. I think we owe it to the world, right? To show up as our best self and help other people be their best self, even if it's not in the container as a paid coach, but just with the people that were around and no doubt that networking. Do you feel like you talk about being a coach to people?
Petra: Well it's just always my mindset. I live it like I'm always looking for lanes to talk with people and you know, like, wow, I saw you doing that, that's great, I mean, so I feel like I'm constantly kind of coaching. I think people have to see you, in your zone of genius, you know, what you're good at.
And when I am able to do that and speak to people about what it means to be a coach and why I coach, I'm able to do just that. So I probably have always kind of had that mindset and coaching mindset. I'm just, you know, now working it into a functioning, coaching business, which is really exciting. I love helping people. I don't know how to stress that enough. I mean, I really do.
Debbie: Well, so that also means a little coaching to you right now. That also means that our next step is for us to figure out how you can kind of network on the spot, almost whether that be that you have something on your phone and you're able to exchange information with somebody.
So that when you are doing education and workshops and stuff, really, you have a list of these people, like the trainer guy at the gym that you could say, hey, you know, I'm doing something about goals or whatever your topic would be. Yeah. Right. Yeah, people like that to maybe send a text message to or something like that, that would be fantastic.
Petra: There you are doing your magic again, pulling on a, pulling on a strand, right? That's the beauty of Debbie for sure. then I'm like, oh, she's right again. That would be great. I need to do that. Yes.
Debbie: Well, let's figure that out again, just a super simple way to be able to connect with somebody. There's a, the top earner at the life coach school where I certified from told us that when she is traveling and she sits down. You know, on vacation or something, and somebody small talks with her at the pool and says, Hey, what do you do?
She tells them what she does. And then she literally gets her email address while she's sitting at the pool. And this is the top earner. That's the way we build our business is just like that by being bold enough to say. Look, I know I have something that maybe someday you might be interested in and I want to keep you in the loop and in my world.
Petra: Yeah, you know, and you're absolutely right. I mean, when I was a teacher, I think 1 of my greatest strengths was that that's exactly how I kind of work with students. Connect with them in the hallway, circle back, say, you know, later, always acknowledge that I see them. When you do that over time, you just make that connection with people.
And then when you need to maybe have a hard conversation with them, or, you know, they come for you for help, it's because you've established that connection. So, you know, going back to kind of where we started at the beginning, I am hugely blessed with beautiful, wonderful people in my life. You know, saying quality relationships that I have worked on quality relationships don't just happen once or twice.
I mean, it's a consecutive commitment to check in follow up. I don't care what that is with people that will make you better and add to your life. So, that to me, that's another way of doing exactly what you're saying. So.
Debbie: As I listen to you talking, and of course, I know who you coach myself, but I mean, it's like, honestly, you could be helping a teenager. You could be helping an executive who needs a mindset adjustment for career advancement. You could be helping somebody who wants to get their mind in shape so they can get their body in shape. I mean, what are some of the favorite sort of ideas you have for coaching or that you like to do in coaching?
Petra: I think, you know, as I've started to coach clients and I do have some young clients, I mean, I do feel like I can, coach probably anybody that would come my way. I have, I work with a young 9 year old, and then I can work with, you know, somebody in their 50s. So, I love talking to people about mindset and intention.
And like why you do the things that you do, how you do them. it's just like, to me, kind of like you're solving this problem working through your own Rubik's cube all the time. And sometimes you kind of get blocked and sometimes you make, you know, you get one whole thing that lines up and you're like, wow, that's, look at, I did.
You know, maybe that's the day you want a big competition or you got an A on a test. But, you know, just, getting in that and trying to figure it out and not have it be about, like. Oh, these are the things you've done wrong in life. It's not like that for me at all. It's like, well, what can you do with all the gifts that you've been given to move, to maybe a more fulfilling life?
That's what I think, like, let's build on who you are, build on your strengths. Everybody has those because they're uniquely designed for you, nobody else. So I think being authentic and understanding that and being true to yourself and not worrying about it, you know, I call it noise, you know, people have noise in their life that they have Sometimes let that just take over. So let's sort it out.
Debbie: A nine year old. I can't, I don't know of anybody that I have worked with that has had a nine year old client. So can you imagine that person's future knowing that they have the ability to know that they can change the way that they're thinking?
Petra: Yeah. And this girl, she's incredibly smart. I mean, it's a gift. I just think it's a gift too. Like coaching is a gift. You know, somebody that will. Give you the option of spending time with you and you get to share some of your knowledge and experience and, you know, vision for how they could maybe see things a little differently. I mean, that's a gift to any coach.
Debbie: Oh, my gosh, you're so inspiring. Okay. So what do you see happening for your business in the next few months? Kind of what's your business growth plans? What do you hope to accomplish? Tell me a little bit about your vision.
Petra: Well, I mean, honestly, I would love to see my, my individual coaching, you know, um, take off. I would love to get more clients to be honest with that. I'm open to anybody that's, you know, interested in, you know, taking a chance on doing life a little differently. I do see workshops as being one of my big pieces of my business every time I do when I get such great feedback.
Like I said, I can speak on so many topics, you know, and I'm very driven by, like, what's the outcome that you have for your business or yourself? It's not like, you know, like, I can say, well, you could do this or that. It's no, it's like, I see coaching as a partnership too, to say, well, if you see a need in, like, you know, your staff is struggling with mindset or your group is studying with that, you know, struggling with that, well let's, let's talk about that.
Or if you don't know how to set goals, I mean there's, you know, people get really hung up on like the words that you use, but I kind of turn it more into action. How do you do that? How do you do that? What's that look like for you? Those kinds of things. So, um, I would love to do that. And I have a dream too, ultimately to have a podcast where I could kind of use those workshop topics to expand, in an arena and I see myself in my podcast though, talking to a lot of women that I've met in my life. That has been extremely resilient and still battle and then are part of the life game. And so I'd love to do that.
Debbie: Alight. You just gave me another assignment for you.
Petra: That's fine. Bring it on. Bring it on.
Debbie: I want you to have a podcast. I think that's a fantastic idea. I mean, I love listening to you and I'm sure everybody here today is enjoying listening to you. So is there anything else you would like to say about our work together? And is there anything else you would like to say about how people can work with you and anything remaining? Yes,
Petra: So definitely if there's a coach out there that's, you know, sees them, maybe you've listened to this or watched this and you can see yourself in me. I say, take a chance on Debbie.
She's been a great fit for me. She's so authentic. I think that's one of the biggest things that I enjoy about her. and she's always offering solutions. I mean. I saw the Canva workshop, I was like, I need to do that and then I'll open up my email and she's like, well, let's talk about pricing today.
I need to address that. So it's almost creepy sometimes Debbie, how much, you know, like, but you know, that's the thing about it because, you know, like, you know, exactly what coaches need. So please reach out to her. It's well worth it with the visit for sure. And, I would have no problem at all giving her the highest of recommendations.
For me, I would say the best way is for you to maybe message me via Instagram @PetraBeYou.
Debbie: We'll put that in the show notes.
Petra: My business is Be You Coaching Services. I call it Be You because I want everybody to be themselves.
Debbie: That's so awesome. So we will put everything in the show notes. So I know that you've got, you know, a freebie, they can have a consultation call with you or a connection call. Look, I'm sure she's just like me in that. You just want to have a conversation about what coaching looks like. She's not an arm twister and neither am I.
So we both want to have clients that are really a good fit and that, you know, I want people to feel comfortable about investing with me as I'm sure you want the person to feel comfortable investing with you. So. you know, head over to her website, take a look, follow her on Instagram, connect with her. I mean, I'm sure that you are as inspired as I am. Seriously. You gave me goosebumps today. Honestly,
Petra: Thank you so much. I really appreciate it and I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to kind of share my message in this podcast of yours. I really, really appreciate it.
Debbie: Well, all right, we're going to wrap this up and I'm going to ask you guys to make a note of her name, Petra Williams, because she's going to have a podcast before the end of this year, and you're going to want to go find her podcast and listen to it.
Petra: Sounds good to me. I'm all in Debbie, I'm all in.
Debbie: All right, we'll do it. Thanks so much. Have a great week, you guys. I'll talk to you next time. Bye bye.
Outro: Okay, ladies, that is it for today. Before we go, I want to invite you to head over to debbieshadid.com. I have this incredible Canva training, specifically designed for life coaches where I'm gonna teach you how to use Canva to create beautiful graphics to market your life coaching. All right. Have an amazing week. I'll talk to you very soon. Bye bye.