Hands down, one of the best ways to boost your credibility as a coach is to host your own live events. They’re a chance for you to show off your expertise, provide social proof (your guest speakers will do that for you), and get your name in front of more potential clients and customers.

So what’s holding you back?

Well, if you’re like most people (including me when I first started facilitating my own events), it’s fear. Fear of not being able to attract speakers. Fear of not being able to sell enough tickets and talking to no one. Fear of just putting yourself out there and saying, “I’m hosting an event” (cue possible criticism - including from myself with the “who do you think you are’s…”)…

Here’s a secret that helped me get over some of my initial fear. Your event does not have to be a 300-person affair. Yep, you read that right. Your event doesn’t have to be huge…Sure, you can have aspirations of that (and you really should), but that’s not where you begin. You begin with a small, intimate venue that holds less than 50 people.

I regularly host events where the capacity of the room I use is 40 or less (and I LOVE it)!

Think about it. If you only have to sell 50 tickets, there’s a lot less pressure to perform. You’ll have lower out-of-pocket expenses, fewer people to please, and less equipment to worry about.

But you still have all the benefits of being able to say, “I’m hosting an event.”

Plus, this live event will lay the groundwork for future events. Because you’ve got the experience, it will be much easier to add live group coaching or mastermind components to your top-dollar coaching programs. You’ll have a lot less worry over managing all the pieces and parts, simply because you’ve “been there, done that” on more than one occasion.

Live events can take many forms, too, so don’t think you have to commit yourself to a multi-day, multi-speaker conference. Your first event might be a local Meetup, or a half-day workshop held at your favorite conference center, (or in a conference room at a Library for free), or even a free mastermind session tacked on to a larger event you’re attending. The point is to get your feet wet and pave the way for bigger and better events down the road.

So while you’re planning your event, keep these points in mind:

Promote and talk up your event as if it’s the biggest thing in your industry. Don’t lie, of course, but do be energetic and positive about it.
Get testimonials from attendees, and do it while you’re at the event. Don’t wait until they get home, because we are forgetful creatures.
Take notes. What worked, what didn’t, what could have been improved?
Keep it simple. Don’t try to host a multi-day, multi-room event for your first time out. Put that on your “someday” list instead.

But the most important point about your first live event? Just do it. Step outside your comfort zone and enter the world of event hosts.

Even though I’d been facilitating events for over a decade, I’ll tell you that I still feel the fear, and do it anyways…

Once you commit to your event, plan and execute it, you’ll find that your coaching credibility increases exponentially.

And if you’re desiring to begin to host your live events (and actually not feel like an imposter, and have the strategy make a profit), shoot me a message… I’d love to see if you’re a fit for my Major I.M.P.A.C.T. Coaching Accelerator where I teach you the in’s and out’s of a successful small event (that can yield a big profit).

Cheers, beautiful one…you’ve got this!

xoxo

-Charity

PS-comment below and let me know that you are ready to dive in (even if you’re afraid) and host your own live event)!