When I announced my offer of free life coaching, I knew I was in danger of getting overwhelmed with responses. A year or two ago I did something similar on my own blog and got almost 50 people asking me to work with them.

Not as many people read the How To Be Rich and Happy blog (yet), but I had mentioned it on my own blog. So I understood there was a risk of being inundated and spending hours upon hours sifting through e-mails.

Reading an e-mail and trying to get a grasp on whether a person is determined and committed is really, really difficult. If talk is cheap then e-mails are free because I have got it wrong so many times with clients that I no longer even bother trying.

So I wanted to devise a way that would test peoples commitment and narrow the field somewhat. What better way than to say I’d changed my mind?

It seems though I annoyed a few people. In fact I’d go as far as to say some people were spitting feathers and so outraged by my atrocious, dishonest and selfish behavior (their words not mine) they felt the need to berate me via DM, e-mail and in Angela’s case, in the comments of the previous post.

I really don’t mind that, it comes with the territory of writing a blog, but I thought I should explain what I did and that it wasn’t a spur of the moment decision to mess with your mind and waste your time as was suggested to me.

Clue 1: The story about Robert Allen was a global metaphor designed to say;

“Look, if I cancel this, don’t take me at my word, I’m testing to see how interested you are.”

Clue 2: I stared the post saying I was canceling the offer with another global metaphor about me working my tits off to get a sales order. This one was designed to say;

“Don’t give up, you may not get the result you want now, but don’t give up”

Clue 3: Was the following line with a hyperlink back to the original post in case anybody had missed it;

“I know anybody that read the previous post thoroughly and understands what I was driving at, will appreciate the reasons I have decided to retract my offer.”

Basically I was screaming, this is a test don’t quit if you want it badly!

I even closed comments, not because I was worried about what people would say, but because I knew somebody would leave a comment saying they’d worked it out, and that would have defeated the point.

Within 10 minutes I started to get e-mails. Some people were immediately on board and knew what I was up to, a few were unsure and a minority plain pissed off.

Some of the responses really impressed me (especially the two people that phoned me!) and if I’m giving so much of my time away I want to give it to somebody that impresses me.

In fact I was so inspired that once again I’ve changed the rules, or rather expanded on them.

Rather than being 1 winner there are going to be 6. The first person gets the original deal and the others get me for 4 sessions over a month and we’ll blitz through as much stuff as possible.

There is also a 7th person listed and if I don’t hear from any of the 5 by Friday 9th at 5.00pm, their place will go to that person. Similarly, if anybody drops out before I get to them, that person will get it.

So without further ado and lacking a drum roll or American Idol type 30 second pauses in between each name, here are the winners.

Starting now for 6 months or whenever -  Alisa Bowman
Starting 1st May – Halcyone Vadeboncouer
Staring 1st June – El Daniel Simpson
Starting 1st July – Haider Al-Mosawi
Staring 1st August – Dena Botbyl
Waiting in the wings – Beth Freeman

I know some people will be upset and I’m sorry I can’t take any more at this point, but I’m grateful to all of you that contacted me and I’d encourage you to do so again if/when I decide to do this again.

On the other hand, there’s a great quote by rower Steve Redgrave, the only man to ever win a Gold Medal in 5 consecutive Olympics in a power event. After he won his 4th he said to the waiting media;

“If any of you see me in a boat again, shoot me”

If any of you hear me talking about this again, I’d prefer if you didn’t shoot me. Just send me the hyperlink back to this series of posts.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

When I announced my offer of free life coaching, I knew I was in danger of getting overwhelmed with responses. A year or two ago I did something similar on my own blog and got almost 50 people asking me to work with them.

Not as many people read the How To Be Rich and Happy blog (yet), but I had mentioned it on my own blog. So I understood there was a risk of being inundated and spending hours upon hours sifting through e-mails.

Reading an e-mail and trying to get a grasp on whether a person is determined and committed is really, really difficult. If talk is cheap then e-mails are free because I have got it wrong so many times with clients that I no longer even bother trying.

So I wanted to devise a way that would test peoples commitment and narrow the field somewhat. What better way than to say I’d changed my mind?

It seems though I annoyed a few people. In fact I’d go as far as to say some people were spitting feathers and so outraged by my atrocious, dishonest and selfish behavior (their words not mine) they felt the need to berate me via DM, e-mail and in Angela’s case, in the comments of the previous post.

I really don’t mind that, it comes with the territory of writing a blog, but I thought I should explain what I did and that it wasn’t a spur of the moment decision to mess with your mind and waste your time as was suggested to me.

Clue 1: The story about Robert Allen was a global metaphor designed to say;

“Look, if I cancel this, don’t take me at my word, I’m testing to see how interested you are.”

Clue 2: I stared the post saying I was canceling the offer with another global metaphor about me working my tits off to get a sales order. This one was designed to say;

“Don’t give up, you may not get the result you want now, but don’t give up”

Clue 3: Was the following line with a hyperlink back to the original post in case anybody had missed it;

“I know anybody that read the previous post thoroughly and understands what I was driving at, will appreciate the reasons I have decided to retract my offer.”

Basically I was screaming, this is a test don’t quit if you want it badly!

I even closed comments, not because I was worried about what people would say, but because I knew somebody would leave a comment saying they’d worked it out, and that would have defeated the point.

Within 10 minutes I started to get e-mails. Some people were immediately on board and knew what I was up to, a few were unsure and a minority plain pissed off.

Some of the responses really impressed me (especially the two people that phoned me!) and if I’m giving so much of my time away I want to give it to somebody that impresses me.

In fact I was so inspired that once again I’ve changed the rules, or rather expanded on them.

Rather than being 1 winner there are going to be 6. The first person gets the original deal and the others get me for 4 sessions over a month and we’ll blitz through as much stuff as possible.

There is also a 7th person listed and if I don’t hear from any of the 5 by Friday 9th at 5.00pm, their place will go to that person. Similarly, if anybody drops out before I get to them, that person will get it.

So without further ado and lacking a drum roll or American Idol type 30 second pauses in between each name, here are the winners.

Starting now for 6 months or whenever -  Alisa Bowman
Starting 1st May – Halcyone Vadeboncouer
Staring 1st June – El Daniel Simpson
Starting 1st July – Haider Al-Mosawi
Staring 1st August – Dena Botbyl
Waiting in the wings – Beth Freeman

I know some people will be upset and I’m sorry I can’t take any more at this point, but I’m grateful to all of you that contacted me and I’d encourage you to do so again if/when I decide to do this again.

On the other hand, there’s a great quote by rower Steve Redgrave, the only man to ever win a Gold Medal in 5 consecutive Olympics in a power event. After he won his 4th he said to the waiting media;

“If any of you see me in a boat again, shoot me”

If any of you hear me talking about this again, I’d prefer if you didn’t shoot me. Just send me the hyperlink back to this series of posts.

Be Sociable, Share!

•