IAM807- Coach Helps Small Businesses Increase Engagement and Profit

00:02 - Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

00:29 - Gresham Haekless

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the Gresham Haeklesspodcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Gems Collins of jimscollins.com. Jims, it's awesome having you on the show. 

00:38 - Gems Collins

Hi, thanks so much for having me.

00:41 - Gresham Haekless: It's a pleasure to be here. No worries, a pleasure. It's ours. Before we jump in, I wanted to read a little bit more about Gems so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. Gems is an online course specialist working with entrepreneurs in multiple industries to design, create, and launch their online courses. With a master's in global management and a 15-year career in project management, Jim started her own business when she married a US serviceman and her career trajectory changed. Jim truly believes in the power of experience as an education and loves the versatility of online courses to spread the passion and purpose of entrepreneurs. Jims, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

01:16 - Gems Collins

I sure am excited to be here.

01:18 - Gresham Haekless

Awesome, let's do this. So to kick everything off, I wanted to kind of rewind the clock a little bit here, a little bit more on how you got started, what I like to call your CEO story.

01:28 - Gems Collins

So yeah, I mean, it kind of started when I joined the military community. So as my bio and you beautifully explained, I had 15 years in project management behind me. I had all these plans to go and open my own consultancy. And then when I joined the military community, and I actually moved to America from, I was living in Abu Dhabi at the time came over to America. And it just kind of changed everything, you know, starting from scratch all over again, the ability to find a job that kind of lit me up whilst having to move every kind of 2 or 3 years just really took its toll on me. I struggled with a lot of confidence issues and lack of self-worth and that kind of thing and decided that it was kind of up to me to take it into my own hands to make my professional fulfillment what I wanted it to be. So I decided to start my own business where I was going to help other military spouses to start their own businesses. And I did this by, I created an online course to walk them through the process of understanding what your purpose is, what's your why, you know, how you create a business plan or your pricing marketing, all of that kind of stuff.

And that was really successful. But after probably 6 to 8 months, I found that more people were actually coming to me for support with creating their own online courses than they were starting businesses. So I was getting people further down the line who were looking at ways to scale, expand, generate more revenue, and add different income streams to their business. So it was sort of a natural pivot. And so since then, I've been creating courses with people, so helping them through the process or doing it for them. So basically people who are just like, I really wanna do this, but I don't have the time, can you help me pull this together? And so it's kind of just grown from there. But you know, as you said in my bio, it's just something that I feel really passionate about because people have online courses are a great way to reach more people. And you know, entrepreneurs generally have this spirit of giving and educating and inspiring and leading. And I think online courses are a really good way to do that, to reach more people.

03:20 - Gresham Haekless

Yeah, I think you definitely hit the nail on the head and I was actually just kind of touched on that because I feel so many times, I feel like we all have our gifts that we are, are we are bestowed upon us to give to the world. And I think that as you talked about, I think sometimes the struggle or the frustration is not being able to service as many clients directly, but being able to kind of have an online course where it kind of lives online and has the ability to showcase your expertise, help out so many more people because you're able to kind of replicate yourself is a phenomenal thing to do.

03:51 - Gems Collins

Yeah, exactly. And I think it takes some of the pressure off, especially people who literally just trade time for money. So people who are doing one-to-one coaching or can either teach an aspect of what they do so that people can learn it for themselves, freeing the business owner up to then do more stuff to offer themselves to different types of people. But like I said, it's just a really good way to get your gifts into the hands of other people, to really help other people to get your name out there, and to grow your business in a way that maybe allows you to step back 1 day. So you're not having to work as much on the business constantly.

04:20 - Gresham Haekless

Yeah, absolutely. Working definitely in the business or something. I think most of us sometimes get trapped in when we start the business, we're really passionate about it. We love and don't realize all the things that you have to do. And a lot of times we get trapped in and sometimes we get some that might describe the worst job ever. But a lot of times we know that there is light at the end of the tunnel in a way that we can kind of replicate ourselves in such a big way thing that we can do. 

04:46 - Gresham Haekless

Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So I know you touched on it a little bit and can you take us through a little bit more on how you serve your clients? What exactly does that process look like for you working with your potential clients?

04:54 - Gems Collins

Yeah, so the main 1 that I do is the kind of done with your program. So I work with people who want to learn how to implement courses themselves because maybe they're going to do multiple ones, but they don't really know where to start. They have an idea, but they don't really know where to go from there. And really the first thing I do is get people to validate their idea because there's no point in creating a course that then nobody has any interest in buying. And so it's either testing the idea with your current audience or finding an audience that needs what it is that you have to offer. So we go through a process of, I guess, market validation, understanding that there's a need for it, and then really understanding what the client transformation looks like. So the purpose of the course is always not what do I want to tell you, but how can I help you? What transformation do you want to go through? So what are you going to come out with at the end of this?

So whether it's they're learning a new skill, A lot of this, you know, people do a lot of mindset courses, teaching you ways to deal with anxiety, stress, a lot of social media marketing strategies. I do a lot of bookkeeping courses, which is actually quite interesting. So what does the transformation look like? And then we go through a big brain dump, so a content brain dump. So what's everything that you need to teach people? And then how do you order it? What's fluff, what's necessary? And then how do you teach it in a way that is understandable for somebody who isn't the expert? So obviously as the course provider, you're the expert.

So you deliver things in a way that other people who know the content would understand. So it's about how we can scale it back and teach it to people who don't necessarily understand the first thing about what it is that you're teaching them. And then we go through, you know, the flow. So I make sure that it all makes sense. We beta test it and then we launch it. So we go through a marketing strategy and a launch plan and then the follow-up. So what a lot of people think is that you launch a course into the universe and then that's it job done. But that's not, that's really just where the work starts because then you've got to follow up, nurture, get feedback from people, and tweak it based on what people are saying, what works, and what doesn't work. So it's quite an evolutionary process for the first sort of 2 or 3 launches.

06:52 - Gresham Haekless

Yeah, that makes so much sense. And I love how everything kind of started out with that kind of testing piece. Cause I think so many times, especially as entrepreneurs, we get so in love with our idea and so in love with what we're doing, that a lot of times we don't get that market feedback to know if it actually does have legs and it can potentially create that opportunity that we're all hoping and looking for. And I think that I love the kind of step-by-step process and being able to kind of understand each of the nuances of it. Because I think as you said so well and so eloquently, a lot of times we think that by the time we launch our course, all we have to do is just put our shingle up, so to speak, and then everybody's gonna be running to our doorsteps. But there's really a lot more in that process.

07:32 - Gems Collins

Yeah, a lot of people have that, you know, build it and they will come mentality, but it's completely the other way around. It's, you know, what they want and build it for them rather than just assuming that everybody wants what you have to offer. And, you know, it's an ego thing sometimes, because, you know, we think we have all the best ideas, But a lot of it is understanding what the market wants and then also understanding how to explain to them that it is what they want and that it's what they need.

07:52 - Gresham Haekless

Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's what you kind of touched on with that. I always say the true definition of somebody who is an expert is somebody who is able to kind of explain it to a 3-year-old or explain it to a fourth grader. And if you're able to take your expertise and communicate it in such a way that that person becomes an expert or that person becomes at least a few steps further along in their process, then you have created something that's truly phenomenal.

08:15 - Gems Collins

Exactly, The transformation has to take them at least 1 or 2 steps further than where they currently are. Yeah.

08:20 - Gresham Haekless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce. And this could be for you personally or your business or a combination of both. But what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

08:31 - Gems Collins

I think for me it's the connections that I build with people and I know that that may not be unique in that everybody builds different connections, everybody builds connections with their audience. But for me, I generally become friends with every single 1 of my clients and it's because I get to know them on a level that is more than just what is your business about, but it's what are you about. Because of your business and your personal life, as much as there's a crossover, people often show up in 2 different ways. And I think the best way to help somebody is to understand both versions of them, the business persona and then the professional. And so for me, even before we started working together officially, I make a point of getting to know somebody on a personal basis before we even go down that route. And then it's, and again, this is probably nothing secretive or new, but it's, I always under promise over deliver. I always go above and beyond for my clients because that's what gets people coming back to you, it's what establishes trust and it's what gets you recommendations and referrals. And to me, that's the lifeblood of my business is referrals from other people. But I just genuinely love getting to know people. I love getting to know the face behind the business, and understanding why they do what they do because I feel that's the way that I can serve them best.

09:36 - Gresham Haekless

I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an Apple Book or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

09:47 - Gems Collins

I am in love with a morning routine. I don't start my day until I feel that I've done the thinking and the doing that I need to do before my day starts. And so I make a point of getting up early, I'll drink my coffee, I read a few chapters of the Bible and then I journal about my day, about what I've read, just anything to get kind of the thoughts that aren't related to my business down on paper so that then my brain is kind of free and open to get started for the day. And I'm not, I'm not 1 of those people that's like, Oh, if you're not up by 4:30, then you've missed the best part of the day. Like I get up when I'm ready to get up, like when my body's ready I get going. I never rush myself to start at a certain time unless I have an appointment, but I generally don't book any appointments before 8:30 anyway because for me I need to be performing at my prime in order to work with people. And I know that I don't work at my best if I'm feeling rushed to do something or if I haven't had time to get my workout in, have my breakfast, do my morning routine. So for me, it's that kind of golden hour or 90 minutes in the morning to just set myself up for success for the rest of the day.

10:47 - Gresham Haekless

I love that hack. And so now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget, and this could be a word of wisdom or piece of advice. It might be something you would tell a client, or if you hopped into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

11:01 - Gems Collins

It's going to get rough. It's not always going to be plane sailing and people who tell you that there are 7 secrets to success or the 1 thing that you need to do every day as none of that exists. So there are going to be times when it gets really tough and you'll want to quit or you'll wonder why you started in the first place. But the 1 thing that I believe will get you through any of those challenging situations is the why behind what you do. So why did you start your business in the first place? And I don't mean to impact more people or to make money or to do this, but you know, why in terms of the legacy that you want to leave behind, the people that you want to make an impact on. For me, it was to make my husband proud. And then I'm currently pregnant. So it's showing, you know, my child what it looks like to be a successful entrepreneur. So it's the why, the internal why, not the external why. And that's going to be the thing that gets you from like, okay, I don't want to show up today. Or I don't want to do this thing or nobody's listening to me or I'm not seeing the revenue that I used to see when you have those moments, having a really strong why is going to be what gets you through.

12:02 - Gresham Haekless

Yeah, that's so powerful. And definitely, thank you. Congratulations in advance on the new edition. Thank you. And it reminded me so much. I saw this meme, I think it was, and it was a guy who was doing push-ups. And he was saying, I wanted to quit until I looked over and saw who was watching. And it was like his son that was looking at him. And that legacy piece that you touched on is so huge because I think that as it says in the 7 halves of highly effective people, you really wanna begin with an end in mind. If you understand and say, this is what I want my legacy to be. It allows you to get through those rocky moments, get through those great moments as well too, to understand these are the things that I need to do in order to fulfill the legacy that I want to have.

12:41 - Gems Collins

Yeah, exactly. It's not necessarily just about what you want to do, but it's about, like you say, the legacy, the impact that you want to leave behind afterward. Yeah, it's so important.

12:48 - Gresham Haekless

Absolutely, absolutely. And so now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on this show. So Jims, what does being a CEO mean to you?

12:59 - Gems Collins

To me, it means having the freedom and flexibility to do what I want whenever I want, but knowing that I'm having a positive impact on everybody that I serve, whether they become a client or they're just somebody that's part of my network. It's having the ability to share who I am with my people, to have a positive impact on their lives, and to be able to do it from wherever I am in the world, whatever I'm doing at any point in time.

13:22 - Gresham Haekless

I love that. I love how it ties in with how you guys started as well too in being a military spouse and having that ability to again, be able to be anywhere in the world. But again, I think so many times we forget the impact that we have. Obviously, we sometimes see it in the clients that we work with, but a lot of times we forget in podcasts that we're on or words that we speak to people and how that kind of creates that domino effect, not just in our lives, but also in their lives. And it goes on and on.

13:48 - Gems Collins

Exactly. And I think seeing it as more than just an opportunity to make money, it's an opportunity to change lives. And for me, that big, you know, there was a big shift when it was a client isn't an opportunity to pay bills. A client is an opportunity to change someone's world and improve, you know, their life and improve what they're doing in business or in life, whatever it is. And I think having that mindset and that frame of mind just changes it from being something that I have to do to make money to something that I love to do because I want to change lives and impact people.

14:15 - Gresham Haekless

Yeah, absolutely. It starts to definitely become a calling, not just something you have to do with something you get to do that you're appreciative of getting the opportunity to kind of do that on a day-to-day basis. Exactly. Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, Jims, I truly appreciate that perspective and I appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you can let our readers and listeners know, and of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things you're working on. Thank you, yeah. I mean, I think, like I say, always have a strong why. And if there's anybody listening who, you know, you listen to this podcast and you read the newsletter and you're ingesting all the great information that's been put out there, but you haven't started your business yet, just go for it. Like there's no reason not to.

You'll fall down, but you'll learn and I encourage you to continue failing because the only way that you're going to get better is to learn from the mistakes that you make, the things that didn't work so you can make them work next time. So don't be fearful. Fear is just something that is in your mind right now. It's not a real thing. So just take that first step because somebody, multiple people out there need what it is that you have and you're doing them a disservice by not doing what it is that you were born to do. So take that first step and get started. And if business coaching online course creation is something that you need help with, then please do reach out. The best place to find me is my website, which is just www.GemsCollins.com. I also spend a lot of time on Instagram and I'm just at Gems Collins and that's Gems but with a Gresham.

15:39 - Gresham Haekless

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome. And we'll definitely have the links and information in the show notes as well too. But definitely fear is false evidence appearing real. And if we remind ourselves of that, and just as you said, like a lot of times we don't realize when we start something we will fall, I almost always think of the little kid that can't walk. And when the kid falls down, No 1 says, hey, maybe walking isn't for you. Maybe that's not your thing. The kid gets up and does it over and over again until we're now adults and we're walking around and running around and doing all types of phenomenal things. So I think it's something we need to remind ourselves of. So I definitely appreciate that reminder and I hope you have a great rest of the day.

16:17 - Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.