An Interview With Tamsen

How did you come to create the VMA Strategic Business Growth Process?

It all started in my twenties.

I was given the nickname ‘Tam with A Plan’ by a friend and work colleague (no prizes for guessing why!), and that name has since followed me throughout my career and my life!

The truth is, my planning began way before my twenties though, and whilst it did always result in the outcomes I planned, it did not always result in the outcomes I wanted.  That’s because in my naivety, I was misguided by goals which were based on what I thought would bring me success, rather than what I genuinely desired.

My personal journey has seen me pursue “success” to the detriment of my health and happiness, and it was managing to plan myself ‘successfully’ into being unwell and miserable, in my twenties, that resulted in what has become a fascination (and some would say an obsession!), with what it is specifically that enables people to create outcomes that they truly desire.

Throughout my career, I have trained in HR and Business, Psychology and Hypnosis, NLP and coaching.  I have also worked with literally thousands of people in the capacity of a leader, a mentor, a therapist and a business coach.  Each one of those people has taught me more about what enables success than anything I’ve learnt in a classroom, or read in a book.

What I have observed is that when people fail to achieve the outcomes they want in their business, it’s because of what I describe as a ‘tension’ between what’s going on in their head in terms of what they want and how they think and feel and what they’re doing in reality.  And what I have learned is that success in any area of life, including business, comes as a result of aligning our ‘internal activity’ with our ‘external activity’.  What I mean by that is that when you get what’s going on in your head and what you’re actually doing working together in tandem (rather than in conflict!), that’s when you create the results you really want.

And that is the basis VMA.

Who are your clients exactly?

I work with business owners who are highly skilled at the specific ‘thing’ that they do, who are already somewhat successful, and who have the desire and the drive to grow their business, but who lack either the know-how, the belief, or the resources to do so and who recognise that building a business on your own is not only difficult, but unnecessary and that it’s essential to invest in guidance and support – if you want to grow..

I have worked with many different types of small businesses, from Life Coaches and Business Coaches, most types of Therapists, Marketing Consultants and Business Consultants, Accountants, Bookkeepers, Personal Trainers and Yoga Teachers, to Social Media Consultants, Photographers, Lawyers, Wedding Planners, Nutritionists, Image Consultants, Trainers, Mentors, Web designers, Virtual Assistants, Event Planners, Copywriters, Dentists and even Timber and Damp specialists!

As you can see, the industry and business type is irrelevant – it’s the type of business owner that matters most in terms of a good fit.

What if my profession is not listed above?

Having worked with hundreds of small business owners in a wide variety of industries, it is highly likely that I have worked with people in your field.  However, if I haven’t, then this could be an advantage for you.

The chances are that most people in your field are doing very similar activities to each other in order to attract business and to move their business forward.  What my current and former clients find most helpful is the fresh perspective that I bring to their business and the introduction of ideas and resources that they’ve not used or even heard of before.  Because of this, they stand out in an overcrowded marketplace which helps with their client attraction and business growth.

What separates you from the average business coach?

Well, firstly, I am not a business coach, although it is true that I do utilise coaching as a one of a number of tools to enable my clients to get great results.

Coaching is a set of skills that enable the coach to observe and analyse attitude and behaviour in order to enable the client to gain an objective perspective.  It involves exploring wants, needs, thought processes, motivations and skills and helping the client to identify their own solutions, as well as set goals and activities to achieve them.

It is not essential for a business coach to have run a business, or to have any previous knowledge of the individual’s area of expertise, industry, or product for them to do a good job as their value is defined by their ability to guide and support their client in identifying the areas for development and routes to solutions.

Whilst there is clearly immense value in this approach, I believe there is even more value in working with someone who both built and run successful businesses and who has demonstrated that they have what it takes to succeed. Someone who can support you and guide you, but who can also short cut the process, with advice and direction.

Anyone with this accolade will have experienced many failings, as well as successes and it is their ability to turn a failing into a success that makes their input into your business so valuable.  That’s the value I bring to my clients and it’s what separates me from your average business coach.

What type of person do you work best with and what is expected of me?

I have created my offering specifically for business owners who are highly skilled at the specific ‘thing’ that they do, who have a good product and who have created some success of their own and who have the passion and the drive to grow their business, but who lack the know-how (simply because they’ve not done it before), or the belief, or the resources to do so.

I am personally very passionate about what I do and I am highly results driven, so naturally, I work best with business owners who are also passionate and driven.  I have spent many, many years (and lots of money!) learning and developing what I know and teach and that’s why I choose to work with people who are keen to listen, to learn and to take action!

Once we have made the decision to work together, my clients can be assured of my 100% commitment to their success.  In return, they are expected to trust in both myself, and in the process I take them through.  They are expected to ‘show-up’ on time and to be fully engaged in each session, to embrace self-responsibility and to do the work.

For what type of business owner does VMA NOT work?

As I have said, I am incredibly results driven, which is why I tend to attract people who are serious about getting results in their business.  It’s also why I select clients to work with who I feel confident will implement what they learn – and therefore get results!  For this reason, my approach does not work well for people who are not in a position (whether financially or psychologically) to do the work.

Chronic sceptics, or those who are just not ready to embrace a radical change in the way they do things in their business are not going to get results and therefore I will not agree to work with them. Equally, if they are in financial crisis, then I would say that the time is not quite right for them to embark on working with me. 

This is simply because in my experience, these factors tend to get in the way of doing the work necessary and therefore getting the results they want.

Does it really work?

Yes! Yes it really does.  When you align what you want and why with what you believe, think and feel, and how you act with the activities that you do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, you cannot fail to succeed.

What can I expect?

You can expect to:

• Create a VISION for your business that leverages both what you want and why, so that you are inspired and motivated to make happen
• Master the inner game of MINDSET, eliminating the fears and excuses that are currently sabotaging your success and instead conditioning yourself for the specific success you want to create
• Develop and demonstrate the BEHAVIOURS necessary to inspire confidence in your ideal client, so that they WANT to work with you
• Break your vision down into incremental goals, and create a plan of action, with accountability measures that DRIVES your activity so that you make it happen
• Create greater visibility and build your reputation both online and off, positioning yourself in a way that ATTRACTS the people and opportunities that will make your vision reality
• Hone your message, and your messaging methods, so that you reach your IDEAL clients in large numbers
• Create new routes to market and new products and programmes that APPEAL to your ideal clients
• Turn leads into clients with a conversational sales approach and without feeling ‘ICKY’ (technical term!)
• Manage your time and your clients more effectively so that you can serve more clients and make more MONEY
• Do more of what you LOVE (and less of what you don’t), so that you enjoy being in business for yourself!

Can I talk to one of your clients about working with you?

Yes, absolutely!  You can read what some of my clients have said here and if you feel particularly drawn to one person, feel free to contact them.

How quickly can I expect results?

VMA is by nature an incremental process and so the results you get will be dependent on both the position your are starting in and the extent to which the you engage with the process and do the work.  If you prioritise it and dedicate the time and energy required, then you can expect to see some improved results relatively quickly.

Virtually every client, has reported movement forwards within a month or so and significant movement forward within the first three months.  By movement forward, I mean more clarity, enhanced confidence, greater congruency, increased efficiency and in effect more leads, clients, time and money.

How can I ensure that I get results fast and maximise on doing this work?

Commit 100% to the process.  Make it priority.

Allocate the time, dedicate the energy and complete the activities in their entirety.  VMA is incredibly powerful, and each stage builds on the stage before, creating essential momentum.  It is essential therefore that you keep focused on the process and accept that you get out what you put in.

All of my clients who have diligently worked through every step of VMA have moved forwards significantly in their business in much less time that they were doing on their own:  attracting more leads, converting more clients, doing more of what they love (and less of what they don’t), and making more money in the process.

Will I recover the investment I put into this coaching program?

You absolutely will if you follow the process and implement the advice given.  Many of my clients are very excited when they tell me that they have covered their investment, often within a few short months.

Remember that VMA is a stretagic approach to building the business that you want and it’s also about building foundations, which means that once you have addressed everything that plays a part in the creation of business success, you can build a business where you do the work you want to do, with the clients you want to work with, charging the fees you are worthy of charging and repetitively.  Once you achieve that, it is logical that you will make over 10 times your investment in the years to come.

Based on what I’ve read, I know I am your ideal client, and feel I’d like to explore working with you.  What are my options for getting started?

Firstly, congratulations!!  I can’t wait to talk to you about this and to find out whether or not we are a good fit!

Book in for your FREE 30 minute Strategy Session HERE

Speak soon!