In 2010 I attended a conference in Orlando, and I had the opportunity to hear Simon Baily speak.  Once Mr. Bailey opened his mouth, I sat up a little straighter in my chair, and it was if all of the other attendees were gone, and for the next hour Simon Bailey talked to me, and everything he said I needed to hear. My one big takeaway from Mr. Bailey was this: When you are ready to move your business to the next level, people will start appearing in your life to help you get there.

Please, read that sentence again. When you are ready to move your business to the next level, people will start appearing in your life to help you get there. Read it a third time if you need to.

Now, this happens to all of us, all of the time, but we don’t see it because we are so quick to dismiss a genuine opportunity. We are so quick to wonder why someone reaches out to us, they must “want” something from us.This happened to me this week. On Tuesday I had lunch with a business friend, and we talked about something he was selling that I could use in some promotions. I then started telling him about a trade show I am doing in November, and he had some awesome ideas for me. Then it was…….nice seeing you, see you around sometime.

The next evening I got a call from him, and he told me could not stop thinking about my trade show, and we spent the next 3 hours on the phone as he laid out a fantastic marketing plan for me, and he offered to come to the trade show and help me successfully pull off the plan.

I immediately got a little uneasy feeling wondering…..WHY??? Why did he want to help me? Why could he not stop thinking about this trade show? Why? Why? Why?

I woke up the next morning still thinking about it, and then it “smacked me in the face”. I am ready to take my business to the next level, and he showed up with the knowledge I needed at exactly the moment I needed it. I am getting ready to take a huge leap forward in my business, and I am so far outside my comfort zone I feel like I am walking on a tightrope with no safety net a mile up in the air. That’s right, coaches need coaches too, and while he is not a coach, he does have the key to the door I’m trying to get through.

I didn’t recognize the teacher immediately when he appeared. He didn’t look like a teacher. It made me wonder how many people miss out on opportunities because they don’t recognize the teacher when he or she shows up.

In retrospect, this made me think of 3 or 4 people I know, that I showed up for when they needed help the most, and I offered my services to them, and the politely declined. I didn’t take it personally it was their business. I knew I could help them. Unfortunately, they are all now out of business. They didn’t recognize the teacher, and they couldn’t see the opportunity. And to be honest, I didn’t realize why I was there offering them help they didn’t ask for until this week.

When The Student Is Ready The Teacher Will Appear. How many opportunities are lost because you can’t recognize the teacher when they appear?

What do you need help with right now? How many of you just wondered if I am trying to “sell” you something by asking this simple question? I’m not, and I will be happy to point anyone who answers in the right direction. I’ll go one better than that. I will give anyone who feels they could use it a free 30 minute coaching call. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. You can schedule your free call on my calendar here: https://jeankuhn.acuityscheduling.com/