REB L. RISTY is THE MARKETING REBL of REBL MARKETING and took some time out to talk with The Industry Leaders about what all successful coaching businesses have in common.
With her rose-gold hair, Reb Risty puts the REBL-Edge into REBL Marketing, a strategic content marketing agency specializing in video and podcasting.
You’re a very busy person, so thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today! For people who don’t know you, can you tell us how you ended up sitting where you are today?
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial heart and I’ve done everything from selling lemonade in my parents, front yard with my sister, selling CUTCO knives door to door, being the managing partner for a very successful Polynesian entertainment business, investing in a failed franchise business, e-commerce, and now REBL Marketing.
I also held corporate marketing positions at QUALCOMM, the World Trade Center, a large marketing agency, and an Avionics engineering firm.
All of these experiences led me to start building REBL Marketing into what it is today.
When my father passed away from cancer is when I got serious about going out on my own. He only lived three months from his diagnosis. He was a year and a half into his retirement. It was the most challenging time of my life. I didn’t know what your sadness was until I lost him.
His passing made me realize you think you have all this time, but you don’t. I always wanted to start my own business, but frankly, I was too scared. But watching somebody who I love so much lose everything, I realized it was time for me to take the chance and get over my fear of not having the security of a corporate executive job.
What does your daily routine look like?
I am a morning person, so I’m usually up by 5 AM getting ready to go to the gym. I have a mind tracker system I follow that a fitness coach gave me. It basically goes like this.
-Wake up, do not hit snooze
-No electronics for at least 30 minutes
-Smile for at least 15 seconds
-Drink a full glass of water
-Look in the mirror and give yourself at least three daily affirmations, I am strong enough. I’m dedicated enough. I can do this.
-Envision going through the workout routine, pushing through all the reps, and how good it feels to finish.
Once I get to my desk, I use a system from Donald Miller Business Made Simple.
-Set at least three priorities for the day
-Write down 3 to 4 things I’m grateful for
-Imagine the end of the day and everything I’ve accomplished
-remind myself of my six month, one year and five-year goals
I never go into email first. I always go into our project management tool Asana to ensure I see all the most important tasks and messages for my team.
What excites you most about what you do?
Helping other entrepreneurs and business owners grow faster by sharing the knowledge and experiences I’ve gained with running 5 other businesses and working in the corporate world.
What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you on your journey in business?
When I don’t know the answer to something or want to say no, but don’t know how, I always take a breath and ask the other person to give me time to get back to them. This, especially helps when you want to say no.
What’s been the hardest part about the path you’ve taken and how would you advise someone facing a similar situation to overcome it?
When my right-hand person, who was more like a partner, retired. We had great energy and I could count on her. She decided to retire last year and it was a lot harder on me than I thought it would be. She managed most of the client-facing work and the team. It allowed me to focus on content creation and marketing the business. Our revenue doubled in 3 years. When she left, all the work was back on me. I also didn’t have anyone to bounce ideas off or even talk to.
All of a sudden, my business was an emotional drain on me, and I lost my passion. For the first time in my life, I became depressed and very unconfident in myself. I started to lose business, and sales were almost nonexistent. I tried an online therapy app. It didn’t work.
I got a business coach this year and am part of a mastermind group. That has helped me a lot. I still feel lonely sometimes but am working through that by being more active in my community. I’ve also found a new path with coaching and advising. I started my own marketing mastermind group and am now offering hourly advisory services. I feel energized again and business is much better.
Are there any well-known Books, Podcasts, or Courses that you credit your current success to?
Business Made Simple – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-made-simple-with-donald-miller/id1092751338
How I Built This – https://www.npr.org/series/490248027/how-i-built-this
Ed Mylett – https://www.edmylett.com/
It seems like there are a lot of people offering business coaching these days. In your opinion, is that a good thing?
No. I’ve had a few coaches. One-on-one and in group settings. I would never work with a coach that was simply certified and didn’t have any real-world experience. Experience is the only thing that makes a good coach. I laugh when I see inexperienced people (mostly people in their 20s) trying to coach or pretend they are coaches.
As a coach, you have a lot of responsibility for influencing and helping somebody looking and searching for answers. Coaching is not a fake till you make it profession. You could negatively effect someone’s life and business if you don’t know what you are doing.
There are a lot of coaches out there that waste people’s time and money and it’s frankly not right.
People can sometimes confuse a coach with a mentor. Can you help us clarify the difference?
When I think of a coach, they are someone who helps you with more tactical and practical activities. A coach is someone who you meet with on a regular basis and helps you stay accountable.
A mentor is someone you look up to, who’s been there before you. Someone you want to emulate or be like.
For any entrepreneurs or executives looking to work with a coach, where are the best places to find a great one?
A good referral is always the best place to find a coach.
What 3 qualities would you say separate a great business coach from a bad one?
- Experience
- System/process
- Honesty
Do you think someone can be a great business coach without having many years of experience?
NO!
