Alex Moscow
Most of us have our own personal struggles, but few have gone through a level of transformative growth as drastic as Alex J. Moscow, CEO and founder of Congruent Coach. Alex’s organization teaches coaches and entrepreneurs how to build successful businesses without sacrificing time, health or enjoyment in life.
Life before congruence
Alex has one of the highest success rates in the business coaching industry, but life once looked very different for the young entrepreneur. Born with a severe stutter, Alex wanted nothing more than to fit in and be accepted. His self-doubt and lack of confidence hit a low point when in college that he resorted to selling drugs in an effort to feel appreciated by his peers.
Before long, Alex became a prolific drug dealer at his college. And while he enjoyed his newfound popularity, his social success was short-lasting. After a serious run-in with the law, Alex came face to face with a court hearing that could have forged a very different path for him. “One morning, the DEA shattered my bedroom window and arrested me. I was afraid that my whole life would be taken away from me. I wasn’t selling drugs for the money. I just wanted people to like me. But when I was given a second chance, I started to view life differently. Sitting in a jail cell will give you a lot of time to think, and I realized that all of my limitations were actually self imposed. I started to take 100% responsibility for my life.”
Even though his parents provided a loving, supportive environment to grow up in, Alex never felt good enough about who he was. They encouraged him to be the best version of himself and he committed to doing whatever it takes to create a meaningful life. He continuously broke through the limitations that plagued him.
He made a $109,000 sale in consulting services for marketing when he was just 21, and then went on to help Ted McGrath, a business coach, help build a multi-million dollar coaching and seminar organization from the ground up in just four years.
It seemed like he was creating the life that he wanted, but constant 95-hour work weeks eventually burnt him out. “I never truly got to enjoy life. My early success was actually a prison that I created, thinking I had to pay my dues to have the lifestyle I desired. Money helps you solve more problems, but it’s not going to help you solve the problems that live inside of you.”
The light bulb moment
He realized that if you’re an entrepreneur, you’re going to work hard. However, if you’re doing what you love, it doesn’t feel like work. The actual grind and the burnout happens when the other areas of your life aren’t fulfilled: when you’re not spending time with your family, not focusing on your health, and not having fun.
Alex explains, “Your vision is everything. Think about the life that you truly want, and determine how your business is the vehicle to get you there.”
He used this epiphany to say goodbye to the grind, and build a 7-figure business that teaches this exact message of how to build a business without the hustle or burnout.
To accomplish this, Alex says you have to direct your energy in the right way. “As an entrepreneur, you are your most valuable asset, and the most valuable resource in the organization. My advice on building a business is that you have to work hard on smart things. Each person’s strategy needs to be customized based on their current situation, resources and skills, and it’s different for everybody. Slowing down to focus on what’s most important for the business to scale actually speeds up your growth, and makes it sustainable so you’re not building a house of cards.”
Attracting the Right Audience
Alex Moscow
To attract the right audience, Alex shares one simple piece of advice. “If you’re not working with your dream clients, you’re getting exactly what you ask for. The right clients make everything easier in business. One of the worst things you can do if you’re not working with them is to do more marketing. You’re amplifying your message to an audience you already don’t want. You need to craft your message to speak to your ideal client, in the way that they want to be spoken to. So many marketing experts are going to tell you it’s not your fault, that it’s a marketing tactic. The truth is sometimes it is. Lies make us feel at ease. I tell the truth. From a business perspective, the truth will always outsell any tactics.”
Alex believes that when you undersell your value proposition, you’ll attract the wrong type of client time and time again. Clients who try to haggle you or devalue your working relationship.
Alex explains, “The first thing we look at is our client’s messaging. Most entrepreneurs are not working with their ideal dream clients, which means there’s something in their marketing that attracts clients that are less than perfect. Most entrepreneurs want to change the world. The sad reality is that few ever do. If you want to change the world, you need to know how to change one person. Then change a small group, then a larger group. That’s why we get really clear and work on understanding who the top 5% of our client’s market is. The idea is to craft their messaging to attract the top 5%. It all starts with the right messaging to the right segment of your audience to work with the best clients possible.”
Have fun while building your business
Alex Moscow
Alex believes that the final piece of the puzzle in achieving congruence is enjoying life and having fun. “Fun is one of my highest values. I rarely do things that aren’t fun. This is how I built my business, and I think it’s one of the most underutilized energies as an entrepreneur. It’s an infectious energy that people want to follow. You’ll be able to make more sales and show up as a more powerful leader in all areas of your life if you’re having more fun. Clients and team members will stick around for the long term. If there’s two competitors but it’s clear they’ll have more fun with you, who will the client go with?”
His message is clear: put time towards enjoyment for life, because your business will be similarly nourished.
Be Congruent
Alex has seen others in the coaching industry fake it until they make it time and time again, but no matter what industry you’re in there are no shortcuts: inauthenticity doesn’t cut it. “I’ve been in this industry for 11 years. I see so many people pretend to be happy on social media and paint this perfect picture. But behind the scenes, you start to realize that oftentimes who people are on stage or online are not who they are in real life. Congruent Coach is a stand to encourage the opposite: it’s about being the same person, wherever you go.”
Unrealistic goals can set you apart
Alex asserts that, “Results don’t take time. They take courage.” He believes in creating a big vision that pulls you out of bed every morning. He believes you should set aspirational goals and take smart, strategic actions to achieve the most success. “Creating your dream life is not realistic to most people. I’m an unrealistic person. I’m unrealistic about what people can achieve. That’s how I built a million dollar business, teaching entrepreneurs how to speak and how to sell while battling my own personal challenges. People are too realistic. That’s exactly why they don’t have the life they want.”
Alex maintains that if you want something different in your life, you need to become the version of you that thinks, strategizes and acts differently. You need to believe it before it even happens. Most people will think it’s not possible. Your mission is to show the world that it is.
Source by www.forbes.com