February 27, 2014 by Sharla Jacobs and Jesse Koren

The Secret to Business Success is the "C" Word

Sharla and I first met at a workshop (can you believe it?) on November 15, 2001. It was NOT love at first sight. I thought she was cute, but would only make a really great friend. She thought I was cute also, but a little too young (and too nice) for her taste. 🙂

Jesse and Sharla on their 12-year anniversary

Our first date was a workshop that I led at my home. I had desperately tried to fill this workshop with lots of people... but Sharla was the only one who showed up. I was totally embarrassed... But Sharla was so gracious and she suggested that I lead the workshop for her anyway.

Somehow, the workshop started to feel more like a first date. (Looking back, we think the Universe set this one up.)

Our first kiss was on January 5, 2002. Don't ask me why I still remember the date, because we dated for about a week after that. And then I broke up with her. But then, in Sharla's words, "You called me 10 times a day and wouldn't stay off my couch."

So we got back together again. And then broke up again. We were on again and off again for another 6 weeks when she finally got fed up with my antics and she said, "You need to sh*t or get off the pot!"

That night we were sitting in Yab Yum (for all of you Tantra people) and I sprung the "C word" on her.

I said, "I commit to you." (At least that's what Sharla remembers me saying.)

I don't remember anything about that night (and I was sober, I swear)... I must have subconsciously blocked it out, because in my world the "C" word meant being stuck, trapped and regretful for the rest of my life.

I moved into Sharla's small apartment a week later. And for the next year, I literally did not unpack. That's how not committed I was. It would have taken me less than an hour to pack up my Red Jeep Cherokee with all my stuff and head off to the land of freedom.

It took me a year to realized the "freedom game" I was playing was killing us. We argued more than we kissed and underneath every argument was, "Are we in this together or not?"

So we went on a retreat together and decided that we were either going to dive deeper together or break up. At the end of the retreat, I asked Sharla to marry me...for just one year. You might laugh; but this was a HUGE step for me! I really thought I'd regret it.

But instead a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Suddenly, I could dedicate my whole being to loving her (instead of holding out for another woman). It was like I saw her for the first time (and I really liked what I saw).

I thought I was cured of my commitment phobia... but it took me another 3 years until I finally had the courage to commit to her for life.

We had hiked far back into the South Fork of the Yuba River. We sat in Yab Yum again and after I proposed we cried together and laughed together, as we talked about the kids we would have and the life we would live together. I felt freer than I had felt since I was a little boy.

No one was more surprised than I was that the freedom I sought by avoiding the "C" word was the very freedom I found when I embraced it, by proposing to Sharla.

It's this same level of commitment that had us go from 0-$175,000 in our first year working together. And it's this level of commitment that has had us earn over $10 million dollars.

It's this level of commitment we see in our Thrive Academy Members who are making $10,000+ each month. And it's this level of commitment we see in our many friends who consistently earn 6-, 7- and 8-Figures each year.

Even though most people avoid it, Commitment is the secret that will fuel your success.

At the Client Attraction Summit, we do a process where you let go of the comfort-seeking part of you that would rather not commit to your business.

Instead, you'll commit to:

a) NOT do your business.

b) Kick the back door shut and commit to your business for 1 year.

c) Kick the back door shut and commit to your business for the rest of your life.

I've asked myself why so many people cry during this exercise...

What I've realized is that most people NEVER fully commit to their business.

They're in their business as a fair-weather friend. As long as it's comfortable, convenient and inspiring they do their business. But the moment it gets challenging (which it always does) they turn to Plan B (aka Plan "Back Door)," which usually involves a draining J-O-B (with no plan as to how to get your business thriving again).

This is the ordinary approach to being an entrepreneur. And it's the reason so many Coaches and Holistic Practitioners struggle. As I shared in last week's Blog Post, I know what it's like to work a draining job with no plan to fulfill my dream.

The reason I believe so many people cry during the Commitment Exercise at the Summit is the same reason I believe people cry during weddings. Because commitment is beautiful, inspiring, and an act of courage.

All of our members who are making more than $10,000 per month have committed deeply to themselves.They've kicked the back door shut and have chosen to honor their desire to contribute over any circumstance that would stop them from fulfilling their destiny.

Are you ready to kick YOUR back door shut and make this year the best year of your life?

If so, leave a comment below. We'd love to hear from you.

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February 13, 2014 by Sharla Jacobs and Jesse Koren

Valentine’s Day Holds the Secret to Avoiding Burnout

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentines inspired by our son Jacob's Kindergarten class

In the spirit of expressing our love and appreciation, we’ve spent the last week making Valentine's cards.

(And we are taking Friday away from the office to celebrate our own Love! You’ll get a full report next week. ☺)

Because we’ve seen too many coaches and holistic practitioners get sucked into the burnout vortex, we wrote a special Valentine’s blog post to help you use the spirit of Valentine ’s Day to avoid burnout in your own business.

We have seen too many coaches and holistic practitioners who are on their way to burnout, because they either have too many clients and no time for themselves.

Or they don’t have enough clients and their worry (and attempts to just make ends meet) burns them out.

However, YOU can steer clear of burnout.

The answer is hidden within the spirit of Valentine’s Day!

How do you know if you’re heading toward the Burnout Vortex?

On a scale from 1-10, how much do you LOVE your business? And we mean
REALLY LOVE your business.

To help you answer this question, here are some additional questions:

Does it light you up and excite you?
Do you dread the thought of getting up to go to "work?"
Does it worry you and stress you out?
Are you delighted with some parts of your business (like the actual
work of supporting others), but hate other parts (like the bookkeeping)?

Go ahead and answer the question now: On a scale from 1-10, how much do
you LOVE your business?

Here's the scale:

Score of 1-3 = The Burnout Vortex

Score of 4-7= Maintaining (but probably not feelin’ the love).

Score of 8-10 = Truly Thriving!

Everyone wants to be in the range of 8-10, but may not know HOW to get there.

So we want to make sure you have some distinctions and tips to move you away
from the Burnout Vortex and toward Truly Thriving!

First, let's talk about what it means to be Truly Thriving...

True success means consistently hanging out in the “Truly Thriving” range.

And when someone who is truly thriving dips into the 6’s or 7’s (which is inevitable),
they quickly ascend back up to at least an 8 by using some of their own pre-determined
structures.

This is WHY they are able to maintain the level of Truly Thriving.

Maintaining is really to just be going along, doing the day-to-day, but not really excited about it.

The last category is the Burnout Vortex. Unfortunately, too many coaches and holistic practitioners are either living in the Burnout Vortex or just on the edge (and some even believe becoming successful = burnout).

What’s the remedy to steer clear of the Burnout Vortex?

The secret is hidden within the spirit of Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is the one day of the year that is fully devoted to love.

Why?
Is it because Hallmark says so? ☺
Of course not!

Valentine's Day is a only a day devoted to love if YOU say so…if YOU make love important.

Whether you have someone you call your lover or whether you are single and your lover is you…

You get permission to devote the entire day to LOVE!
You get to indulge in whatever makes you feel and appreciate LOVE. It could be chocolate, baths with rose petals, candlelight dinners and beautiful music…

Or you could make it a regular day of your life.

The choice is yours.

But the truth is, as an entrepreneur, you have permission to make LOVE important EVERY DAY.
You can turn any day you want into Valentine’s Day.

And when you show YOURSELF a great deal of self-love by making self-care important, YOU will avoid the Burnout Vortex.

Here are a list of tips to help you avoid burnout:

Create clear office hours when you answer your phone and email. And then don't answer your phone when you're office isn't open. We take weekends off (unless we're leading an event, in which case, we take the Monday and Tuesday for our rest days). We also finish work by 4pm at the latest and devote this to family time.
Create structures for rest and rejuvenation.Studies show that one day away from screens is like seven days of rest! Make sure you have clear rest days to let your mind relax (which frees yourself up for more creativity!)Be sure to find a few things that REALLY rejuvenate your mind, body and soul.We have found that regular massage and bodywork is ESSENTIAL to our ongoing well-being. Without it, we find ourselves feeling a little cranky and not being as focused.(If you're still not quite making the money you want to make, you can always create a trade for bodywork with another practitioner who values your services as much as you value bodywork!)
Schedule 15-30 minute breaks every 90 minutes. Studies show short breaks every 90 minutes increase your productivity and creativity dramatically.You can take breaks to meditate, dance, go for a walk or whatever you need to rejuvenate yourself.

It’s YOUR life; you get to live it on YOUR terms.

The secret is to set aside the time AHEAD of time, so you don’t have to get burned out or exhausted in order to finally relax.

Okay, we’re off to take a short “Thrive Break” before our team meeting.

We hope you enjoyed this article.

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February 6, 2014 by Sharla Jacobs and Jesse Koren

How to Stop Sabotaging Yourself (In 2 minutes)

Are you ready to take what you’re doing to the next level? To deepen your confidence, your power, and your ability to attract more clients?

If you’re not saying “Yes, I'm ready!” right now – something may be stopping you?

After working with over 20,000 coaches and holistic practitioners, and we haven't met one person who didn't have at least a few negative beliefs that were stopping them from reaching their potential.

In fact, the reason we're so passionate about this topic is because over the last 10 years, we've had to take back our own power over and over again.

So, if you have some negative beliefs that are holding you back, you're not alone.

Rick Carson, author of Taming Your Gremlin™, calls these negative
beliefs Gremlins™. He says:

There is indeed a Gremlin™ in your head and he's out to make you miserable. Left to do his thing, he'll zap your health, foul up your relationships, ruin your disposition, dampen your creativity, hamper your productivity, drive you into low-down funks and wind you up into fits of anxiety.

So, it's time to stop sabotaging yourself and take back your power from your Gremlins™.

But how?

The Worst Thing You Can Do...

The worst thing you can do is go to war with your Gremlins™. Ignoring them doesn't make them go away. Drowning them out with food, alcohol, drugs, work, and other addictions won't make them go away. Telling them to go away doesn't work either.

The first step to stopping your Gremlins™ from sabotaging you is to see that they are on your side. No matter how mean they are, they are doing their best to keep you safe.

It turns out that your Gremlins™ prefer safe and familiar (read "boring") over exciting and amazing (read "scary to your gremlins".) This is true even if your Spirit is calling you to grow and contribute at the highest level.

In fact, the stronger your urge to grow and contribute, the louder and more powerful your gremlins need to be... Otherwise, how could they neutralize your efforts and keep you safe?

Should I try Positive Affirmations?
Hell no! Why don't positive affirmations work?

Because your Gremlins are far more powerful than your positive affirmations. If you say: "I'm good enough," or even "I'm amazing," your Gremlins™ will simply say: "NO, YOU'RE NOT!" And, so you're left feeling even worse than before you started "affirming yourself."

So, how do you stop your Gremlins™ in their tracks?

The Most Powerful Way to Stop Your Gremlins™ from sabotaging you (in 2 minutes)

Instead of trying to avoid, drown or resist your Gremlins™ (and instead of using positive affirmations), try this:

Harness the power of your Gremlins™ and then use your new level of power to inspire your greatness.

Here's a 2 minute exercise that will leave you feeling unstoppable:

Stand in front of the mirror. Set a timer for 1 minute. And for 1 minute, give your Gremlins voice. Without holding back, tell yourself why you're not good enough, not ready, why nobody wants what you have, what a F&*# up you are... Let yourself get as loud and mean and "Gremlin-y" as you possibly can.

At the end of 1 minute, take a deep breath and set your timer for 1 minute again. This time, with the same level of energy, tell yourself how amazing you are, why you will succeed and why your people need what you have.

Finally, take a deep breath into the aliveness and love that you feel for yourself and make a new commitment to share your gifts with the people who need what you have.

With this new level of energy, that comes from harnessing the power of your Gremlins™, you will be amazed at how much easier it is to attract new clients.

If you’d like more powerful ways you can stop your Gremlins and attract more clients, sign up for our weekly Thrive Ezine (delivered to your inbox every Thursday). We’ll send you tons of great tips and info via articles and videos to help you get more clients and reach more people.

Get your free videos and tips here: www.ClientAttractionSummit.com

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November 28, 2013 by Sharla Jacobs

23k in 30 days as an energy healer (Jacqui’s story)

Jacqui was a struggling Energy Healer, wanting to help more people and make more money but not knowing how...

She studied and practiced healing techniques for 10 years, had a ton of certifications, and the clients who hired her experienced deep, life-changing transformation.

With all of Jacqui’s expertise, she could only get on average 2 clients a month at $88 per session.

Jacqui’s problem?

She didn’t understand how to talk about what she did in a way that inspired clients to say YES. She would talk for 15 minutes about her certifications, books she read, ideas she had… and watch that dreaded “eye glaze” while she was talking.

She also lacked practical experience with marketing or business strategies that felt good to her.

Like most talented Coaches and Holistic Practitioners who find their way to our Client Attraction Summit, Jacqui was frustrated and in her words…

“I’m a great student! If someone would just give me a template I would follow it! So when Jesse started talking about Thrive’s 200+ templates, I lit up!

"I saw that you two put A LOT of science into it. The questions and processes on the templates were there for a reason. And so I left that Summit and got to work.”

Jacqui put what she learned at Summit into action. She used the Water Element (Curiosity) the “What Do You Do?” Process, and customized our Heartselling Templates for her business.

Her results?

Well, most people don’t think this is possible for an Energy Healer…

Jacqui made $23,000 in 30 days after putting our templates with the 5 Elements of Heartselling into action...

She stopped spending so much time talking about her work and giving away free healing and advice, and instead she used the Water Element to “Be Curious” and got clients instead of giving it all away!

Jacqui also discovered that by raising her rates by 4x to $387 a session she attracted MORE CLIENTS!

We want you to have all the resources Jacqui had. We know they work for those who consistently take action. And for that reason, we are inviting you to take action today, even if you don’t think you are ready.

To get just a little bit out of your comfort zone…
Just like Jacqui did.

Because we know that if we gift you with some of our best strategies for free in a live event format (where people learn best, hands down)... And you actually show up for yourself by showing up for the event...

You’ll also take action with it when you leave! And of the 8,000+ Coaches and Holistic Practitioners who attended the Client Attraction Summit, there is a direct correlation between taking action… and getting extraordinary results.

Want what Jacqui’s got?

>>> Learn More about the Summit and Claim Your Full Scholarship Now <<<

We imagine you’ve got gifts to share with the world and you’re aching to serve more people. We know you can attract better quality clients (and even raise your rates) after learning the heart-based strategies to attract your ideal clients...

How do we know?

Because we’ve seen it over and over again for 13 years. We have so many stories just like Jacqui’s of happy Coaches and Holistic Practitioners who changed the way they attract clients and created massive success in their business.

Life Coaches. Business Coaches. Holistic Practitioners. Energy Healers. Nutrition Consultants. Spiritual Healers. Naturopaths. Wellness Coaches. Acupuncturists. Holistic MDs. Relationship Coaches. Lawyers Turned Shamans. Authors. Speakers. Workshop Leaders. Massage Therapists. Reiki Practitioners… And More!

We want your story to be next.

Check out the details here...and we hope to meet you in person soon!

Love & Prosperity,

Jesse & Sharla

PS. I almost forgot, Jacqui wanted to tell you this…

“I felt like I was wasting my gifts, dipping into family funds to keep my practice going.
And then I heard Sharla speak on a teleseminar. I tapped into her energy and found her to be filled with sincere integrity. I immediately signed up for the Client Attraction Summit, knowing I had found a mentor.

"During the Summit, I drank in the marketing information and carefully studied the templates. I totally resonate with 'Heartselling,' because it is based on caring about your clients…caring enough to give them your absolute best...

This is such great fun! My clients are reaching new heights of health and JOY, as they layer the healings' momentum, by having sessions weekly, instead of 'whenever'."

Get access to the same templates and opportunities that catalyzed Jacqui’s career here.

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November 9, 2013 by Sharla Jacobs

Our World, Our Industry, and Your Future Clients...

...Are All Starving For This One Thing.

As I sit here after placing the finishing touches on an outline for an upcoming Facebook Live, encouraging our son (who is practicing his newest gymnastic move on the floor near my desk), thanking our team for rocking it this week, and considering what’s ahead for the New Year… two other important things are also on my mind and heart.

The state of our world.

And the state of our industry.

When my husband, Jesse, and I started this company, it wasn’t much of a company at all, LOL! We were just two passionate people determined to transform the world through increasing the quality of life for each client we had the honor to serve. Touching hearts and allowing healing to unfold, one person at a time through our coaching and acupuncture practices.

Through a series of spiritual experiences that aligned our way of selling with the way we did our transformational work… HeartsellingTM was accidentally born.

Attracting a new client became about empowering another human being to make a choice that was best for them, whether that choice meant they worked with us or not. Having conversations in this way magnetized so many new clients we loved working with quickly and our friends started asking us how we were doing it.

We started sharing our methods with them, organically, one person to one person. Then we started doing small workshops that also happened organically, through connection.

And then one step led to another, and now we’re here...

We’ve employed hundreds of people, spoken in front of 50,000 Coaches and Holistic Practitioners, had over 8,000 people attend our live events and watched our clients collectively generate over $100 Million, all using heart centered client attraction strategies…

We’ve seen so much in this industry.

Our company, Thrive Academy, has not only survived but thrived and grown each year in the transformational space.

And that’s not an easy thing.

Our clients have grown to be some of the most successful leaders in their space… ranging from Shamans now coaching CEOs…

To Acupuncturists launching leveraged group programs...

To former teacher turned Spiritual Healer making 6 figures and writing an Amazon Bestseller...

To speaking on global stages, landing Hay House contracts, and becoming philanthropists with global impact.

They didn’t do it with a magic pill. They didn’t do it through 3 steps to rocking it out without putting in the hours. The creativity. The imagination. The love.

They did it because connection to a deeper purpose and vision compelled them to move through the pain and joy of growth.

They did it because we gave them the templates and the systems that worked for us, and they took those proven systems and made it THEIRS. They did it because they were willing to look deep within and develop their authentic voices and offered authentic value.

They connected the strategy with the hearts of those they are meant to help. They did it through 1-on-1 connection until they were so confident in getting new clients, they could scale while still maintaining the integrity of the intimacy that earned them the trust of their community in the first place.

They did it by keeping love and connection front and center, just like we always have and always will.

There is a lot of pain in our industry, the “Transformation Industry” right now. There is a lot of pain in the world right now. I can’t help but think it’s all connected.

We’ve been reaching out to coaches and holistic practitioners within the greater community at large to learn more about their pain and how they are moving through to continue bringing their vision into the world.

We love our industry and are looking to answer the question... “How can we move forward together, and better?”

While so many people talk about automation and scale and “crushing it,” I can’t help but feel that the internet and our industry in general has to make a move back toward connection, intimacy and love.

Where people feel seen, heard, understood… and something most people don’t want to talk about, but HAND HELD. Our clients rock it because we are there for them. Because we consistently meet in person. Because our programs have never become so automated that any member of our community gets left behind.

It’s the same in the world. The pain is visceral. People are hurting each other at unprecedented rates and in increasingly violent ways because they themselves are hurting. Because they are starving to be seen, known, and loved. I believe together, doing our work, touching lives, we can be that for them, organically and one person at at time.

Every time one of you reaches out and touches another life, helps a client breakthrough a limiting belief or pattern, you create a space for another human being to experience the authentic connection that both our industry, and our world, are starving for right now.

I believe that increasing connection in an increasingly disconnected industry and world is the heart and spirit of what we do at Thrive. It’s what our clients do. It’s what their clients do. And it’s how we are slowly transforming this world while also raising our two sons based on the same principles.

When people feel held, they do their best work and reach the greatest heights of success. When people feel seen and loved, it becomes harder for them to hurt others.

There’s so much going on right now sometimes it makes my head spin, and often makes my heart hurt. But I know from 13 years of leading a global movement that together we move through it.

Thanks for listening. For taking a few minutes of your busy day to hear what’s in my heart, and hopefully respond in the comments below so I can hear yours.

Love & Prosperity,

Sharla Jacobs
Co-Founder, Thrive Academy

P.S. If you feel inspired by our vision for our community, our world, or our industry…

If you know that the way for you to move forward bringing your great work into the world is going to have to be based in connection, love and intimacy…

And you believe in the power of gathering together in person with like minded and like souled individuals to propel your dreams forward…

Then I’d love to invite you to claim a full scholarship to come to our next live Thrive Academy event, the Client Attraction Summit in January 2018.

We’ll share with you many of the strategies we mentioned above, connection and love based ways to communicate the value of your beautiful gift you are truly here to offer so that people get it and say yes to working with you…

Without ever compromising your integrity for even one second.

We have 35 scholarships available for January and the application process should take less than 5 minutes for you to complete.

You can learn more here and just so you know there is a $100 fully refundable seat deposit involved. If we do not accept your application we will immediately refund it, otherwise you will get it back the second you show up at the Summit.

If you know that 2018 is the year for you to step out more with your gifts, to make the money you need to contribute at the highest level possible while living your values, then you are more than likely the right person to be in the room… alongside a few hundred people who are also answering the call.

To see what others are saying about the Summit, visit this page.

Jesse and I, and our entire global Thrive community, can’t wait to connect more with you and support your vision!