The Power of Storytelling: How to Get Promoted, Not Overlooked with Priya Sam

In this episode of Career Coaching Secrets, host Kevin Yee sits down with Priya Sam, founder of Unleash Your Voice and a former TV journalist turned storytelling coach. Priya shares her inspiring journey from the newsroom to the tech world to launching her thriving coaching business. She helps professionals, especially women, use storytelling to build confidence, advocate for themselves, and advance their careers. Learn about her Power Story Framework, the art of turning pivotal life moments into career-elevating narratives, and how mindset can change everything.

You can find her on:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyasam/
https://www.instagram.com/priyasam
https://priyasam.com/

Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:00

The coach that I worked with, that I've been working with for the last six months, she encouraged me to raise my prices. So I raised my prices. And then March came around and I like I remember I looked at my bank account and I was like, why is there so much money in here? I I know how many people I signed up last month. That shouldn't equal. And I was trying to figure out I was like, oh my gosh, I raised my prices. I forgot. And because I just believed so much in what I was offering, that on those sales calls, I was showing up with confidence and belief in my prices, and people were buying.

Davis Nguyen 0:36

Welcome to Career Coaching Secrets, the podcast where we talk with successful career coaches on how they built their success and the hard lessons they learned along the way. My name is Davis Wynne, and I'm the founder of Purple Circle, where we help career coaches scale their business to $100,000 years, $100,000 months, and even $100,000 weeks. Before Purple Circle, I've grown several seven and eight figure career coaching businesses myself and have been a consultant at two career coaching businesses that are doing over $100 million each. Whether you're an established coach or building your practice for the first time, you'll discover the secrets to elevating your coaching business.

Kevin 1:07

Welcome to Career Coaching Secrets Podcast. I'm Kevin, and today we are joined by Priya Sam. She is the founder of Unleash Your Voice, been in the coaching industry for three plus years, also known as a story architect. Priya, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Thanks so much for having me, Kevin.

Kevin 1:27

Yeah. You know, when I was checking out your LinkedIn, you wrote, like, you're you're so big on stories. And so I have to ask you your origin story. I want the lore, the beginning. How did you get into coaching and like what made you want to turn into a business?

SPEAKER_01 1:44

I think probably like most of your guests, I've had such a winding path to get here. I think if you would have told me, you know, 10 years ago this is what you're going to do, I would have been like, what are you talking about? Like, huh? But really, like my origin story is as a journalist. I studied uh television journalism in my undergrad and or broadcast journalism, I guess, radio and TV. And then I did my master's in investigative journalism. And I, from like when I was a teenager, was like, I'm gonna be a news reporter and news anchor. That's like that's my career goal. And I did that. I was a morning show host, a news anchor, I did some reporting, and I loved the storytelling part of it. And one of the things that really drew me to journalism was this opportunity to elevate underrepresented groups, to give people who didn't have a voice, a platform. And so that was something that that really drove me. And I loved storytelling as a craft. How do you tell those stories that compel audiences to take action or that really make a difference in someone's life? And while I loved that part of it, I experienced a lot of challenges behind the scenes in TV. There was um a lot of sexism, a lot of racism, a lot of discrimination. And I think I really just tried to force myself to push through it and deal with it for the first five years or so. And then I realized like I have to make a decision right now about my future. I have to decide if I'm gonna prioritize my mental health. And I decided to do that. So I left TV and I started working in tech. And this, it took me about a year, I should say, too, to make that pivot. It was not easy because I, for one, had to figure out my story. Like, how am I going to tell the story of my career and the skill set I have to offer to people in a completely different industry? So it took me a while to kind of nail that part of it. And then eventually I got hired for a job which was called a solutions consultant in the tech world. So basically, I was a product expert who worked with the sales team and I would do presentations and lead discovery calls with potential clients. And so it was a great way to bring my storytelling and presentation skills into a completely new space. And also I found a great work environment where it was valued and appreciated, and it gave me some space to really focus on my mental health and, you know, go to therapy and kind of find my own confidence again. So then I worked at a couple of tech companies and I just kept looking for another opportunity to use storytelling. I'm I used it every day in my presentations and in sales, but that passion I had in journalism for how do I use this to help people to have a voice, you know, it I was kind of always searching for that other opportunity. And then I just had a couple of aha moments when, so first of all, I was at a networking event. Um, that I worked at a the last tech company I worked at was Salesforce. And I was at a networking event, I an internal event with, you know, all like a bunch of executives. And I had like really honed in on what is the story I'm telling to the executives I'm meeting today? What is my goal for this year? And how am I communicating that via my story? So I'm walking around the room, you know, like really focused on doing this. And then I look around and I start to see some of my colleagues who are just shrinking back, not like trying to avoid these conversations at all costs. And these are like accomplished, high performers. And then later, you know, the in the months that followed, I'm like, why isn't so-and-so getting any opportunities? Why isn't so-and-so getting more visibility? And I was just like, it's because they're not selling themselves. They're not telling their stories, they're not leveraging the stories they have to get the opportunities they deserve. So that led me to do a free workshop for the first one I did was for the women's group at Salesforce on how to use your story to advocate for yourself in the workplace. And that first workshop, so many people reached out after and they were like, this is so valuable. I'm gonna use this. One woman reached out to me, I think it was two or three months after the workshop and said, I just used the story I built in your workshop to get a promotion that I was passed over for last year. And that's when I realized like I need, I need to do something more with it. So that's really how I ended up pursuing coaching.

Kevin 6:15

That's so interesting. Because, like, I think you and I see the importance of storytelling and all that. But I think a lot of people feel like it's this esoteric, like woo-woo type of thing. But it's really interesting. Like, it's for me, I feel like it's a meta-skill. It enhances every other skill if you have strong storytelling. Like you mentioned with sales, probably marketing, your workshop as well. And so, like, what I'm really curious about is like, okay, so you jump into coaching, you have this like background in tech and journalism. How did you kind of decide like who you want to help and the problems that you help them with? Like, I love to hear the story behind that.

SPEAKER_01 6:56

Yeah, I and you know, I think I did what a lot of coaches do in the beginning, where I was like, I can help anyone. And I didn't want to do that thing that everyone tells you to do, which is find your niche. So when I got really thoughtful about that, I decided to focus on women, especially because there is a unique set of challenges that women face in the corporate world. And because I had faced them myself, I felt like I was best equipped to focus on women. So I have a group program now that is exclusively for women, but then I still do work with men one-on-one because the reality is like storytelling can benefit ever anyone, right? So I would say in my group program, it's mostly women who are individual contributors in the corporate world or like early managers, and they're ready for the next step. And sometimes the next step is a promotion, sometimes it's a raise, sometimes it's a job at another company. Some of them are making career pivots, but they're really at that a pivotal moment in their career. Most of them are about, I would say around like eight to 15 years into their careers, and they're really ready to take that next step. And then on the one-on-one side, I work more with executives and leaders on building out their personal brands using storytelling. So building stories for, you know, like LinkedIn posts and content and then speaking on keynotes and on panels and events. And while I do a lot of like building the stories you're sharing with others, I also do a lot of what's the story you're telling yourself? And especially for anyone who's struggling with confidence, that story you're telling yourself is really, really important. So I think I actually went back to my journalism roots when I was trying to decide what to focus on and thought, you know, it's it's really those those underrepresented groups, like people who are struggling to find their place in the world, like that's and to find their voice, that's what I'm really passionate about.

Kevin 8:59

There's so much here that I want to dive into. I really the thing that really caught my eye though, what or that made my ears perk up, were the stories that you tell yourself. And this is like the inner work. I remember R uh Rami Seti, he's uh the guy from I Will Teach You Be Rich. He always like I went to his conference back in like 2017, long time ago. But I remember he was like, those are the most important stories because those affect our actions, those are our beliefs, and you mentioned things like confidence and stuff. But one of the other things I want really want to ask you about is like you mentioned challenges with women in the corporate world. And for someone who's I'm not a woman, right? But like for someone who's who hasn't gone through that, can you highlight some of the challenges that women go through that probably like us men like are unaware of?

SPEAKER_01 9:52

Yeah, absolutely. One of the biggest ones, like women are often told, you know, just put your head down and work hard. And, you know, you'll you'll get recognized eventually. And what that does does is it discourages women from advocating for themselves. And that's why a lot of women in corporate experience burnout, because they've been fed this message of, oh, if I just keep working harder, then I'm gonna get, you know, I'll get the promotion, I'll get the raise. And like the reality is that just doesn't happen. Like you're in fact, your hard work actually can keep you stuck in the place that you're in because you become the person who just gets everything done and who doesn't ask for anything. So why would you get, why would your boss want to promote you or give you a raise when they're like, hey, this person's great at what they do now. They make my life easier, and they're not asking for anything. So, like, let's, why am I gonna disrupt this cycle? I mean, if you have a good manager, they're not going to do that. But let's let's be honest, like, that doesn't always happen. So that's definitely something that happens a lot. This put your head down, work hard, and then, you know, there's this lack of advocating for yourself. So that's a that's definitely a huge challenge. The other challenge is this confidence piece. And I think, you know, women have also been fed this message of you have to do it all and you have to do it all perfectly. And so we tend to get really focused on what we're not doing and this like gap instead of focusing on our strengths. And you know, I'll give you an example. Somebody does like a really great presentation, they get all this positive feedback. And then after one person says, Oh, um, hey, um, this this one statistic, um, I think it's a little off. Like, I think it's it's it's 65%, not 82%. You may want to look into that. And all that woman is thinking about after is, oh my gosh, I got that statistic wrong. And it's like nothing else matters, and then it's like it can spiral into, oh, I'm not good with numbers. I'm not, and all of a sudden there's this story you start to tell yourself that impacts your confidence. So yeah, so those are just a couple of the challenges that I would say I experience, I hear from a lot of women. And then there's also this widespread fear of coming across as boastful or arrogant. And just the thought that something you say will make someone think that about you, it often holds a lot of women back from talking about their success, accomplishments, and and the value they're bringing to the table.

Kevin 12:23

By holding that back too, what are some things that you kind of notice? Like I can assume like kind of feelings of resentment and things like that, but what are things that you notice?

SPEAKER_01 12:33

Yeah, definitely it like sell a lot of self-doubt. And then I think there's also this comparison game that starts where instead of again really focusing on what your strengths are, you start to focus on what you don't have. So-and-so is an excellent presenter. I'm not very good at that. But maybe you're actually you have really strong technical skills, you know? And but it's like you forget about what you're good at. I actually um had a really interesting experience with this when I was making that pivot from TV to tech. And I found out I had a friend at the company I was interviewing at, and she said to me, I think I done maybe done the first screening interview, and she said, just want you to know that there's an internal candidate in this uh interview process. And I was like, Okay, well, like I have no chance. I have zero tech experience. Like, obviously, this person has institutional knowledge, they've worked in tech for a long time. And then, but then I thought about it and I'm like, wait a minute, but that person doesn't have TV experience. They don't have the presentation skills that I have. So I need to actually not even try to compete with them on the tech side because I can't. And I just need to get hyper focused on what I'm bringing to the table, what sets me apart, because that's what's going to land me this job. And then, and I got the job over her. And the reason I got the job is because I did that, because I sold my presentation skills and that executive presence I was bringing so well that they they were very clear on what set me apart and what I was bringing to the table. And this is what I have to focus on with a lot of my clients because they I hear that a lot. Yeah, but this person on my team is really good at this. And I think I need to work on that. And it's like nobody can be the best at everything. But if you get super focused on what you're already good at and what you love and just really blowing that out of the water, that can really help you to stand out.

Kevin 14:39

Reminds me of this famous quote by Rockefeller competition is a sin. And it highlights that so perfectly, that story that you said.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Yes.

Kevin 14:48

Yeah. And so, like, okay, now that I have an idea of kind of like who you help, some of the symptoms that people are going through, the challenges. I love to talk about the marketing part of your business. Like, so how are people finding out about you? Like, what kind of marketing are you doing? Like, I would love to hear that.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

Yeah. So most of my leads definitely come from social media. So I use LinkedIn and Instagram primarily. I just started doing some ads, like meta ads. But what I do right now is I every month I do a free masterclass called the Power Story Playbook Masterclass. And I teach one of my key frameworks there, which is the Power Story Framework. And that I find is really helpful because the work I'm doing is um, you know, there are other people who do storytelling, but everyone does it a little differently. And I find when people can have that hour-long experience in the masterclass where they actually see how you build a story and then hear stories of how people are using it in real life to advance their careers, that's that's become really powerful. So marketing-wise, I kind of drive everything towards the masterclass. And so all of my ads and everything are really aimed at giving people the invite and making sure that they are they know about the masterclass and then to get them in the room.

Kevin 16:08

Yeah, that's awesome that you do like intro events and stuff like that. That's awesome. How did you learn the whole ads thing? Like, I don't hear a lot of coaches talk about ads, so I would love to hear that. How you what made you like explore that?

SPEAKER_01 16:21

Yeah, actually, I I learned about it from my own coach because yeah, I had really kind of yeah, I definitely wasn't something I had really thought about either. But when I was thinking about growing my business, what I realized is I need to get more people into my masterclass because it's it it converts very well. But I'm just not organically, you know, sending DMs, posting on social media. I'm just, I'm not really getting over like a hundred people or so every month in this master class. So how can I increase that reach? And so my coach actually suggested because she had she had benefited from doing that herself using meta ads. So yeah, so that's how I found out about it. And it was really helpful, of course, to hear her own success story. So that's really what compelled me to look into that avenue.

Kevin 17:09

That's really that's so interesting. Brilliant. Okay, so people are joining your masterclass, you're running ads, you're in masterclass, you're on LinkedIn, IG, and all that. And so, like, okay, people are are raising their hands or like, yeah, I work with Priya, right? Like, and so what does a coach, you kind of uh alluded to it earlier. You said that you have a group program, some 101s, but what do these like coaching engagements kind of look like? Yeah, I would love to hear about that.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

Yes, yes. Okay, so the group program is called the Unleash Program. And the reason it's called that is because everyone has these stories in them. They just need to unleash them. And um, that was actually the first offering I ever built before one-on-one. So I kind of um I feel like a lot of people start one-on-one and then go group. I started with the group program. Um, so definitely it's like my baby, I would say. I love like, I mean, I like one-on-one too, but I just love the magic that happens when a group of people do this work together. Yeah. So all of my engagements start with an exercise uh called the turning point exercise. And what happens here is everyone goes through and makes a list of their biggest life turning points, personal and professional. And I feel like that's my coaching persona. And then my journalist persona comes in and asks a thousand questions about all the turning points, all the ins and outs, because it's so rare that anyone sits down and just reflects on their whole lives, you know, and those like key pivotal moments that, you know, where you made a big decision or something happened that changed the trajectory of your career or your life. And I find when people do that, what comes out of it is you start to see patterns. So, really, even if whether you're building, you know, stories for interviews or you're a leader who's building stories for keynotes, you really need to have these foundational pieces of your personal brand so that everything feels cohesive. So, from those turning points, I build out with my clients core differentiators. And these are things that really set you apart, but they're not basic. So, like, I feel like when people hear this, they're like, oh yeah, uh collaboration, adaptability, resilience. Like, no, these are elevated, sophisticated differentiators. So, one of my clients, for example, recently, she's a visual designer, but she started her career or her education in science. And so we're doing this deep dive exercise. I'm asking her all these questions, and then she said something about a science degree, and I was like, oh, like what tell me more about that. I don't see that like anywhere in any of your notes. I don't think we've talked about it. And she's like, Oh, I'm kind of embarrassed about it, to be honest, because I started studying design and then I went and got this science degree. And then, you know, by the end of it, I realized I didn't even want to pursue science. I wanted to go back to design. So then I got a second degree in design, and I so kind of hate talking about it because I feel like I never used it. And I was like, okay, but like, how do you think it impacts the work you do now? And she's like, well, you know, a lot of people in design are creatives, and she's like, I am too, but I also have the science background, so I'm very methodical in the way I approach design and projects. And I was like, that is your differentiator. So the differentiator we built out for her is to bring scientific precision and limitless creativity to my craft. So those are like the differentiators that I'm working on with my clients. So things that are actually really unique and really set you apart. And now it's like that's on her LinkedIn bio. That's how she starts her cover letters, that's how she positions herself in her resume. In her tell me about yourself in a job interview, it starts there. So that like it's just so powerful to actually do that work. So all of my coaching engagements, like that's a really big part of building that foundation is what are these key differentiators? And then from there, I work with them to build a power story bank. So these are like typically 10 to 12 key stories that you're going to use going forward, whether you're interviewing for jobs or you're speaking on panels or at events or even networking. And I have a few frameworks that I use for those. So some of your listeners might are probably familiar with the star interview framework, for example. So I have um what I call the power star framework. So it's the star framework, but I layer on top of it my power story framework. So it really just elevates the storytelling while still using, you know, that structure that we all know works in interviews.

Kevin 21:50

That's so interesting. Yeah, because I think one of the most overwhelming parts too, like probably why it's good to have a coach to walk you through. This is because if you were telling me, like, hey Kevin, just collect your like most powerful, like your turning points and stuff. I'm thinking, oh my god, there's just so much that I've gone through in my life. I don't want to do this. I'm gonna go like do Netflix or do something else, you know?

SPEAKER_01 22:16

Totally.

Kevin 22:17

Yeah. And so I think it really helps having like a coach like that just to kind of help you walk through and identify those patterns too. And yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:25

Yes. And like one of the great things that happens in a group environment, because most people don't think their own story is interesting, right? So, like when somebody else says to you, Wow, you did that, like that's incredible. I want to know more about that. Then you all of a sudden you you see your own story differently. And so I totally agree with you. When you can do this work with other people, it's helpful because you get that outside perspective. I mean, there's an accountability piece of like, okay, I have to do this. And then you also get that outside perspective on somebody else telling you what's valuable about your story. And I even as a coach use this for myself. Like when I'm doing workshops or speaking at events, I listen for after what do people remember? Like when someone says to me, Oh, I love that story about that you told about your career pivot, or I love that story you told about your family. I'm always taking notes on that because those are the things that it's like the next presentation, you want to really focus on that, right? Or the next, you know, maybe it's even like in your discovery calls if you're a coach. Like the things that people are like, oh, wow, that really stands out to me. Like, make note of that because that it's really helpful in knowing what to focus on going forward.

Kevin 23:38

Yeah, it's really interesting. And it's not only what people say too, like if you have the recordings of people's face, they like lean in and stuff. You know, this kind of work. Uh, so I have like really great comedian friends, and they like they record the audience too in their sets, and they're like, they have their whole own metrics. It's like laughs per like minute or something like that. It's really funny. They have metrics for like stand-up comedy, which is really, really interesting as well.

SPEAKER_01 24:06

I had no idea. That's so interesting. But that makes sense. You're right. Like those body language cues, and of course, like the actual laughter, but even like you said, the leaning in, uh, that like it does. It's really, really helpful.

Kevin 24:18

Yeah. Now, I do want to talk about something. Like, I would love your advice on this because one, you have experiencing kind of like sales. And second thing, when we think like like I was talking about before, storytelling is kind of like a meta skill, right? It enhances all these skills, but when you talk to business owners or companies, they're like sales marketing, those are like important to me. And so, what are your thoughts about pricing, like things like storytelling, um, being a story architect and all that? Obviously, you don't have to give any hard numbers, but do you base it off your time? Do you base it off the amount of effort? Do you base is it value-based? There's so many different pricing models. So, how do you go about thinking about like pricing your services?

SPEAKER_01 25:02

Yeah. So I love when people come in and they have a specific goal that they're working towards because then there's like, you know, especially if someone says, I'm trying to get a raise, I'm trying to get a promotion, I'm trying to land my first multi-six figure salary, then it's like, okay, great. I mean, we then we can we can really tie the work we're doing to the outcome that they're going to achieve. Yeah. So, and then when I think about, I mean, I I've definitely been, especially with a one-on-one work, I mean, I priced it a little lower when I was starting because I was still kind of figuring out what I'm offering here. But now that I see the results people are getting, like, that's told me to like that's showed me I can increase the rate there. So I I would say like for people who are trying to get raises promotions, that's great, really like tangible. They can, you can tie the program to the outcome they're going to get. For things like personal branding, it can be a little more challenging. So, in those areas, I mean, especially as you're growing your career, you're really like for leaders and executives, they really have to be able to see that value they're getting in terms of recognition, like being seen as an industry expert, a leader in the industry, which in turn will lead to bigger opportunities down the road. But it's not as like right away you're gonna get you're getting that razor or promotion or new job.

Kevin 26:26

So I guess in your sales process during discovery, I'm pretty sure that they kind of like express these things during discovery and then, okay, that's really interesting.

SPEAKER_01 26:36

Yeah, definitely. So really honing in on the challenges they're facing and their goals in that, you know, like I guess in in any discovery, but but for me, I'm I am looking for those tangible things that we can tie to rather than just a general, oh, I'm gonna teach you how to tell stories, right? It's like, okay, you're we're building your 10 to 12 power stories, we're building your cord differentiators, we're updating your like LinkedIn profile and bio so that recruiters can find you or so that event organizers can find you so you get more speaking opportunities. So I do find like, especially, you know, with something like storytelling, which can come like if people don't know anything about it, can come across as being like a fluffy skill. Yeah. You really need those tangible elements to tie into.

Kevin 27:24

Yeah, we really uh Priya, I need to work with you to increase my laughs per minute for my stand-up comedy, right? But yes. No, but you bring up a really, really good point. Like the way that you're like speaking reminds me of this um this author. His name is uh Blair Enns, and he has this book called Price and Creativity, and it's and he's doing the exact same things that you're talking about. It's like trying to price anchor that's something that's a little bit more tangible or val like having them like express what it means to them and tying it to some sort of number or outcome as well. So yeah. I do want to switch gears here for a second. So we talked about kind of like how people find you, your different offerings, how you get paid. I'm curious about your future goals because you said you started this business about three years ago. Was it three years ago now? Are you three years now? Okay. I guess where do you want this coaching business taken in the next few years? Do you have like desires to scale? Do you want to hire people? Do you have secret dreams no one knows about? Like, I don't want to love it.

SPEAKER_01 28:32

Yeah, you know, it's so interesting because I quit my full-time job in February of 2024. So about a year and a half ago. And the first year, I think like most people, even though I'd had the business for, you know, over a year before that, it was it was very much a side hustle. And that first year after I quit was like just like survive, right? And I, you know, I had a saved up a cushion for that first year, but I really felt like, okay, I have 12 months to see if I actually have something here that I can turn into a a bigger business. And so that year was just about like honestly making any money, just any money and really figuring out the offering piece and like who who am I serving and what am I offering? Because I mentioned earlier, you know, at the beginning, I was like, like what most people do, I can I can help anyone. So now that I've, you know, this year now has just been extraordinary and like the growth has been exponential. And my goal when I left my full-time job was I want to replace my tax salary by year three. And I'm doing that now in in in this year now. Yes, like I will do that by the end of this year. I'm on track to do that. So that's amazing. So it's only in the last few months that I've really started thinking, like felt like I had the space to think about what's next. So I think for me, I think about the number of people I want to be able to help. So I would love in the next three years to hit like 500 people have having gone through my programs. Now that I have the group and the one-on-one, I actually am thinking to add a digital-only option. Being accessible and offering services that are accessible has always been a priority for me. And so I would love to offer, yeah, digital only. Um, one of the things I started doing this year also is uh doing some free presentations, yeah, for especially for women's groups. So I've gone to a few uh organizations and um and done that. So that's been helpful. And to be honest, it also helps I also generate leads often from those. So I'm I'm going in free and offering information to everyone. And some people who who do have the ability to access my services than they do after too. So I I think about growing in in terms of the number of people I can help. Another part of that is like speaking on stages and doing more keynotes and presentations on bigger stages. So I love the idea of doing that. And then yeah, like I mean, I definitely I hope in the next three years I I want to get to that million dollar, I want to have that first seven-figure year.

Kevin 31:07

I love that. That's really interesting. Now, as you're reflecting on like this because we're talking about your season of your life and your business, and it's kind of crazy like what you've done in just like 1.5 years, uh, going full-time, I guess. One of the things that I'm really curious about are what are kind of some of the challenges that you're also noticing right now, too? Like maybe some of the things that people outside can't really see looking in. Kind of cares if you're open to sharing some of those things.

SPEAKER_01 31:38

Yeah, of course. Well, right now I really wish I could clone myself. Because I would say, so one of the things I just started offering one-on-one coaching in March. And one of the things that I would say to anyone who's like early in their business is like, if you're doing a one-on-one package, like, so mine has 10 sessions in it, like put those 10 sessions in the calendar right away. So it's like, hey, we're meeting every other Tuesday at 3 p.m. or whatever it might be. Because what I did was you have 10 sessions, and like I in my mind, I'm like, oh, I'm these are busy executives. I'll give them flexibility to book when they want to. And then what happened is all of a sudden I have like, you know, 10 clients and some of them haven't booked a session in a few months. And now I'm like, wait, your contract's up, though. It's like a six-month contract. So now at the end of the year, I'm like, have like, you know, 30 one-on-one sessions. I need to like finish by the end of the year. So I've definitely learned that lesson. And now anytime someone signs up with me, it's like the sessions go in the calendar. I think I also didn't understand my capacity and what I should set that capacity at for one-on-one. So that was another big lesson. And I think uh to be honest, right now, I'm I don't have great work-life balance. Like I've kind of put myself in this position where I'm working a lot and that's I'm actively planning to not do that next year. But I think that that's the biggest challenge right now. I I bit off a little bit more than I can chew and maybe didn't have um some of the structure in place I needed for how I was setting up some of my programs.

Kevin 33:14

I can tell that you really love your work quite a bit. Like you wouldn't be doing all this work if you didn't love it. But I also wonder, too, has the thought of hiring other coaches ever crossed your mind, or do you like being like hands-on, like a hands-on uh business owner?

SPEAKER_01 33:31

So I've thought about it. I just hired someone full-time to do like the of the marketing and admin side of the equation. Um, and to be honest, I have like I just have had a hard time letting go of things because I think, especially as a coach, you are your brand. So like I don't want someone just doing my social media, for example. I'm like, I need to like be part of this process. So the letting go of things has been hard for me, even though I logically see I need to do that. So, for example, now, like the the person I hired to do the digital marketing, like, yes, she's editing my social media content, but I'm still involved, like I in the ideation, in the approval process. And that's felt like a good, like safe and like comfortable way for me to transition there. The coaching piece, letting go of that and like um trusting someone else to deliver the same experience that I'm delivering. I want to be there. And I think like I'm going to have to get to that point probably next year. But yeah, like I feel anxious about that, about that right now. Yeah. It's like it's like that control part of me that's like, yeah. And I think I just feel like, you know, I'm holding myself obviously to a really high standard, but it's just so important to me that people are having that white glove experience and and really feeling like they're getting everything that they paid for.

Kevin 34:55

Yeah. Thanks for sharing all that. And you mentioned something that strikes me too, is like you said that you made your first hire. And that actually leads me to this next segment, which is my segment. This is what I was talking about earlier. Um, I love to play a game with you, Priya, if you're open to it.

SPEAKER_02 35:12

Yeah, it's a good idea.

Kevin 35:12

This historical game, funny enough, that I learned from Matthew Dix, who I was talking about before. Okay. But as you know, a lot of business owners and entrepreneurs, right? They invest in things like coaching, training, marketing, team members, a lot of different things, right? And so um, have you ever heard of this game? First, uh, first, last, best, worst. Well, okay, don't worry. I'm gonna prompt you a phrase and you tell me the first thing that comes to mind. And if there's a story, you can just riff off of that too.

SPEAKER_02 35:40

Okay, great.

Kevin 35:42

All right. First business investment you remember making ever.

SPEAKER_01 35:46

Yeah, I invested in a coach, and this was when I was still working full-time. And um, I just like randomly met her at an event. Like it wasn't even a coaching event, it was like a speaking competition. And yeah, she helped me design my first group program, and it was a $10,000, $10,000 investment. And so which which was big, but you to be honest, it didn't feel as scary at the time because I had a full-time job still. I think the investments I've made after, like after I quit my full-time job, those have been scary. But that was my first one. Last business investment in a marketing team to do the Facebook ads or the meta ads.

Kevin 36:23

Okay. Best business investment you made.

SPEAKER_01 36:27

The coach that I worked with that I've been working with for the last six months, best investment ever.

Kevin 36:32

What made it so good?

SPEAKER_01 36:34

Yeah. She, I would say it was almost the opposite of me in a lot of ways. And she pushed me to do all of the things that I was resisting, especially mindfulness work. So one of the first things she said to me when we started working together is um, I'm creating a custom meditation for you, and you're gonna listen to it every day for the next 21 days. And I was like, I signed up for strategy, like what? And I honestly, all of last year, anytime someone would be like mindfulness mindset, I was like, uh no, I zero interest, just give me the strategy. And wow, I was missing out. So I was like, you know what? I signed up for this coach, and my brother's an entrepreneur as well. And one of the things he said to me is when you invest in coaching, you better do every single thing that person tells you to do. Otherwise, like you're wasting your money. And you can't say if a program worked or not if you didn't do what they told you to do. So I really had that in the back of my mind. I'm like, okay, you know what? I'm gonna just do this. And I did it. And then I leaned into all of her mindset work. And the next month, I started, yeah, I started working with her in January. The next month, she encouraged me to raise my prices. So I raised my prices. And then March came around and I like, I remember, I looked at my bank account and I was like, why is there so much money in here? I I know how many people I signed up last month. That shouldn't equal. And I was trying to figure out I was like, oh my gosh, I raised my prices. I forgot. And because I just believed so much in what I was offering, that on those sales calls, I was showing up with confidence and belief in my prices and people were buying. And so that's when I it just really clicked for me. I'm like, I get it now. I get why this mindset work is not just about what you're doing in that moment. It literally changes the way you show up everywhere. And that was such a game changer for me. And I honestly, my business has really skyrocketed since I started doing that work.

Kevin 38:36

That's so amazing. Yeah, I think I feel like mindset and mindfulness and like learning how to emotionally regulate, it's very underrated skills because people don't realize that if you're a bad business owner, and especially if you have a team and you're always reactive, those are you're just you're just gonna drive your business in the ground. So it's so great during that experience as well. Last prompt. Worst business investment that you kind of wish you got your money back from.

SPEAKER_01 39:06

Hmm. I have a couple that are coming to mind.

Kevin 39:11

By the way, you don't have to name names.

SPEAKER_01 39:12

Um Yeah, no, I I would say um one of the masterminds I invested in earlier on, it was just too big of an investment. And in a group where um everyone else was quite a bit further ahead of me, which I thought would be inspiring for me. And it was. Um, but also people were so far past where I was as someone who was just starting out. And I think the coach also just was more excited to work with people who were a little further along. So yeah, that was that was a tough one for me because it was a such a significant investment, too. And I felt like I should have asked more questions about the results. And because I got really, really pulled in by her social media presence and like the results I was seeing there. And um I think I made a really emotional decision.

Kevin 40:07

Do you feel like it was the right solution at the wrong time or just the wrong solution altogether?

SPEAKER_01 40:13

Good question, actually. Because yeah, I feel like now maybe that that could have been a an I I wouldn't go back to it because one of the other things was I didn't feel like the coach had a great understanding of my ideal client. So, but yeah, I think if I had made that investment, like let's say now or even next year, I think I could have appreciated it more or gotten more value out of it.

Kevin 40:38

This leads me to my next question, too. As you're sharing these stories, I'm sure certain memories are prompting your head, right? And so, how has your decision-making process changed in what to invest in and what not to invest in, if at all? It seems like it has, but yeah. Don't want to assume.

SPEAKER_01 40:55

No, I definitely I really have to push myself to make more data-driven decisions. Are you familiar with Clifton strengths? Okay. So that was one of the things I did in my um in my the mastermind I was in this year. And one of my learnings from it is one of my top strengths was being futuristic. So I love like talking about the future, but don't love talking about the past. And I one of the qualities that was lowest for me was one called context, which is basically like going back and looking at things and then making decisions with context and data. And but also one of my other strengths is achiever. And so the achiever in me is like, I don't like being bad at anything. I need to fix this problem that I have. So I then I like I started going back through all of my data and I was like, oh my gosh, like I have so many learnings here that I need to be using to make decisions. So, for example, that's when I learned, hey, my masterclass is converting so well. Why am I trying to like force these other things that aren't working? Why don't I just double down on this masterclass and try to get more people there since it's already working well? So yes, like now I definitely, when I'm making decisions, I'm like, okay, I know how I feel, I know the emotion, but what's the data? Like, what are the numbers? What is like I need to pull back the emotion and like center the data and the context in um in making those final decisions? So definitely I make decisions business-wise and honestly, even personally, so differently from those learnings.

Kevin 42:33

Final segment with you. It's called overrated, underrated. And so as a business owner, you've probably gotten a lot of advice. Some of it good, some of it bad, some of it solicited, probably a lot of it unsolicited. So, what's the most overrated piece of business advice that you've gotten so far and most underrated?

SPEAKER_01 42:52

Okay. Overrated.

Kevin 42:54

First thing that comes to mind.

SPEAKER_01 42:56

You know, I don't okay, I just think I see a lot of posts on social media that are like, oh, you just have to go for it. And like, it doesn't matter if you like go into debt or all of this stuff to follow your dreams. And I just don't think that's true. Like for me, I don't first of all, I don't think that's realistic for a lot of people, right? To just like put things on your credit card and like it's not comfortable for everyone. So like for me, I'm like, I think that's I just think that's overrated. I think that's bad advice. I think a lot of people who do that end up going back to their corporate jobs because like obviously they're financially stretched. And so, like for me, I always like what worked for me was just like saving up enough that I could be comfortable for a certain period of time. And so I think like that when I see that kind of advice, I just I don't like it. It makes like I think it, I think it's overrated. I think it doesn't work for everyone. And then underrated. Yes. You know, like I think it's keep it simple. I think that when I started out, I'm like, oh, I have to have all these offers. I have to have like all of these different, you know, avenues for for bringing in business. And the more I've stripped it down and simplified, and now it's like the two things. And, you know, you know, I do some like speaking and and workshops in this sort of like third bucket, but I think that's underrated. And I do remember a lot of people saying that to me in the beginning, like just keep it simple, just focus on one thing, like maybe it's one offer. And yeah, I think that now I think that's such great advice.

Kevin 44:28

Yeah, it just simplifies a lot of different things. Yeah, that's so amazing. Great advice. Last thing. Hardest question of the night, Priya or day over there. How can people find you and connect with you?

SPEAKER_01 44:43

Yeah, so um I'm on Instagram at Priya Sam, and you can find me on LinkedIn, Priya Sam as well. And yeah, if you like heard me on this podcast, send me a message, like let me know what stood out to you. I always just love hearing from people after uh after I do interviews.

Kevin 44:59

Also, if people are interested in your workshops, how do they find out about them?

SPEAKER_01 45:04

Yeah, so I I usually have the link in my bio. You can register for the like the next upcoming masterclass. And then on my website for you know, anyone who's looking for services more for like conferences or events or at their workplace, I do have a list of the workshops I offer on my website, which is Pre SM.

Kevin 45:22

I love it. Priya, there's just like so much I got from this uh You know, it's really nice. This podcast was really nice because I love uh things like storytelling. Honestly, I could just have a solo like cast on just like talking about storytelling, but it was really kind of cool seeing the transformation of this going from a side thing to a full-blown like thing. And I'm so happy that you're on track this year to surpass your old tech uh tech stuff. And also you're a master storyteller, like you're really I can tell you're really passionate about it, but you also are a great practitioner, even when we were playing the storytelling games. Like I had found myself like getting pulled in. So I just want to say there is just so much power in storytelling. So thank you for coming on today and just really sharing the stories about like the impact of stories. And thank you for so generously giving your wisdom to the audience as well. So thank you again, Priya. I really appreciate you.

SPEAKER_01 46:22

Thank you so much for having me, Kevin. I feel like I could talk to you all day, and I really appreciate your thoughtful question. So thank you.

Davis Nguyen 46:29

That's it for this episode of Career Coaching Secrets. If you enjoyed this conversation, you can subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you're listening to this episode to catch future episodes. This podcast was brought to you by Purple Circle, where we help career coaches scale their business to $100,000 years, $100,000 months, or even $100,000 weeks, all without burning out and making sure that you're making the impact and having the life that you want. To learn more about our community and how we can help you, visit join purplecircle.com.