There is nothing to fear…

...but fear itself."

These powerful words, now iconized as part of the American vernacular and spirit, were delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during his first inaugural address on March 4, 1933.

FDR's wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, was an equally powerful orator... inspiring generations with her timeless wisdom and insight.  Like FDR, the First Lady also spoke about fear:

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face."

So... let me see if I have this straight:  do we stop to look at fear itself, so as to overcome our fear of fear?  Or, do we stop to look at that which we fear?

Perhaps both have value.

And... perhaps both are relevant to an obstacle (or opportunity?) that all of us who choose to become ICF-certified coaches will face:

Mentor Coaching

What makes mentor coaching challenging – even fear-inducing – for many of us?

Well... thinking back on my own experience,...

 Whatever the topic, we can all look back on situations in our lives about which we were uncertain at the time...  

... challenges that we didn't know how to face.

... circumstances that we didn't know whether we could overcome.

… possibilities that jeopardized the “status quo” in some way.

And, even with the inevitable failures that all of us will experience along our respectful journeys, we usually emerge from these challenges with renewed confidence, a deeper understanding of our own capabilities, and valuable lessons that we can apply to our future endeavors.

As coaches, we even intentionally tap into our clients' 'history of struggles and successes.'  

How so?

Imagine this -- or, better yet, reflect back on when a client came to you describing a challenging and unfamiliar situation they were facing.  It could be almost anything -- the birth of a child, a new management role, a marathon, a job layoff, choosing to end a relationship, etc.  At some point in the coaching sessio...

A brand community is only as valuable as the work you put into it or provide. Meaning you can't expect the community to do the work for you at all times. You must put work into it first to gain the amazing benefits brand communities return. Strong communities share your messages across many different avenues, starting with their closest friends and family, ultimately increasing your brand awareness, recognition, and credibility.

Here are six community building strategies to learn and how they can grow your business:

1. Incorporate Customer Feedback 

When you receive any feedback from a customer, whether email, in the community, or otherwise, use that information in the community. If it's positive feedback, call out the customer in the group and thank them. How you respond to negative feedback demonstrates how you will make it better or change something you do. This shows your customers you are listening.

2. Respond to Product Reviews

If someone gives you a review, don't just ignor...

Communities keep your ideal audience all in one place, making it easier to communicate, market, engage and motivate them to buy your products, use your services, and consume your content. All of this together shows you why communities are a valuable marketing tool and business strategy to adopt if you want to grow your business. Plus, having a brand-centered community is fun too. And who doesnít want to have a little fun while making money?

The following are the top five crucial reasons to build a brand community:

To Increase Brand Awareness and Recognition

Building a community increases brand awareness and recognition by capturing your audience into a smaller captive unit that you can send information to easier than if theyíre all out in the wild. For example, you might have to run an advertisement to capture someone to learn about your new product, but your audience in the community will know about it simply due to being part of the community.

To Engage and Interact with Your Tar...