"I think the biggest challenge for most people right now is the uncertainty of tomorrow and security for the future."
Susan Sheehan is an International Speaker, Wellness and Business Coach (25 years), investor, and BRAIN training authority. She is the managing partner of SMARTCOACH7, best-selling Authorx2, and Mum.
Susan has operated businesses in Australia and USA and has studied in NZ, Australia, and the USA, interviewed celebrities, and worked with the leaders in the world in personal and business development. Applying the steely focus she has become known for, Susan is passionate about sharing her experience and results to help others live healthy, rich lives.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Susan Sheehan: We are on a mission to make a startling difference to the world: we help people find their purpose and meaning to life and then monetize it. As an international speaker, I am passionate about inspiring people from the stage, or by our interviews, podcast or live SM events.
As Managing partner of SMARTCOACH7 with Caroline Barton we do all things people and business. We know that business grows as people grow personally, and because we live in the largest entrepreneurial era, ever in the history of business and in an uncertain economy, personal and wellness coaching is an essential asset of the business plan.
There are a lot of moving parts when starting/growing and/or scaling a business and the right information is needed for a business to be profitable. SMARTCOACH7 works with a team of professionals, business partners and has access to unlimited funding that puts us in the unique position to help anyone with any problem.
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Susan Sheehan: My biggest lesson would have to be… get to know the people/person before you do business with them as relationship capital is the most powerful form of capital there is.
People have learned to be more creative, to look outside the box and to open their mind to learning how to do things better or differently. Our mission was to help people keep their energy up and their focus forward: to look at their life and business through a new lens and to hold on tight to a vision of a better tomorrow.
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Susan Sheehan: First and foremost to avoid negative conversations, conspiracy theorists and people that live with an attitude the world owes them something.
Business owners need to focus on developing their business acumen, their financial intelligence and personal posture and profile. They need to become a visionary of their life and business: it is more than a business plan and a new car: it is a clear, precise, detailed view of what they want to achieve and expect in business and life. All business owners need to be coachable, surround themselves with the right people and open to letting go of what doesn’t work.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Susan Sheehan: I have been a coach for 27 years and I have seen the greatest growth surge in the industry due to the pandemic because of (1) people needing support for mental health (2) people needing to know how to do different things and how to do things differently (3) to be part of coaching groups and masterminds to stay focused and results driven.
We identified that people would spend money to be supported or to learn how to do something but there was considerable thought into what they invested in and how much they spent. As for us: we just did what ever we had to do and that includes working with our business coach.
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Susan Sheehan: I am honestly very proud of how we handled the pandemic: we did the best we could for ourselves, our clients and others that needed us. We doubled our income, set up 2 charities, opened an op shop and spent 100’s hours coaching via ZOOM.
We use the Best, Better, Learned formula daily: it keeps us focused on being better as we go, with our personal development and our business practices. It is all about strengthening your weaknesses and I know that people think they need to focus on their strengths, but think about it: if a weakness is what stops success then doesn’t it make sense to fix it. It is the daily process of improvement and progression not perfection.
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Susan Sheehan: We will continue with ZOOM and virtual events/coaching but we are also preparing to hold a live event and I am speaking at an event in LA in November. Time to spend some time away from the computer and connect personally with people again.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Susan Sheehan: That can change daily but we would do at least 5 hours on screen per day: more when we are launching a program or event.
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Susan Sheehan: Yes, stories are a powerful way for an individual to connect to a message. People are either right brained or left brained, (to keep it simple): this means they are either visual and heart centred or need the numbers and facts. We have storybooks of stories both personal and professional: we attempt to deliver the story addressing the whole brain with language that will speak to everyone.
We also know that when you care about what your people want: what their core desires are and you work with them, then people want to do their best. It is without exception the most powerful form of influence. We have developed a brain-based performance and well-being training that delivers the why, what and how to have healthy, happy, high performing people in your business or team.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Susan Sheehan: Think of a treadmill: people are busy moving, but going nowhere. We encourage people to get off the treadmill to power up the hills and feel the adrenaline, trip up the curb and get up smiling, navigate the streets and change what you look at, handle the weather and love being uncomfortable and if you get lost, ask! We have our 7 ingredients to wealth: it is a simple formula that can keep one focused and results driven.
I think the biggest challenge for most people right now is the uncertainty of tomorrow and security for the future.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Susan Sheehan: We work with a coach and we have access to his coaches and networks, so we are learning something new every week across all areas of business, investing, trading and real estate. We are international investors.
Because we have online programs I personally, am always interested in online marketing.
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Susan Sheehan: I think everything we have talked about here is relevant for this question.
Change will only happen if people change and that includes bosses, management, CEO’s, supervisors and team leaders. The CULTURE of a company must be about healthy, happy people and that includes ‘the boss’. I think it is that simple, but then is it?
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Susan Sheehan: This is an easy question, one word: SALES. Sales is the only thing that brings money into a business, and whether it’s selling yourself, a product, a service, a team member or doing a deal: it all comes down to psychology, human behaviour and communication: and it all takes PRACTICE.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Susan Sheehan: We have a big vision for SMARTCOACH7 but for the rest of 2022: we will hold a live event ‘I AM… Live Your Life at 100% Potential’ and we are going to LA in November where I will be speaking to some of the most brilliant business minds of our time.
On a personal level I am going to see my daughter and mother for the first time since the pandemic.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Susan Sheehan for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Susan Sheehan or her company, you can do it through her – Instagram
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