The Ambitious Coach Lab

Designing a Life You Love: How Intentional Living Fuels a Thriving Coaching Practice - Amanda Barkey

• Cam Lawson • Season 1 • Episode 15

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 49:54

What does it look like to build a thriving coaching practice while helping leadership teams implement real discipline and accountability?

In this episode, Cam sits down with Amanda Barkey, an EOS Implementer, to talk about her journey into business coaching and what it takes to guide leadership teams through meaningful change. Amanda shares how her entrepreneurial background led her to discover EOS and step into the role of implementer, helping leadership teams gain clarity, accountability, and traction. They discuss the importance of community among coaches, the role of mentorship and continuous learning, and how coaches grow their practices while staying focused on delivering real results for their clients.

Biography

Amanda Barkey is a Certified EOS Implementer who works with entrepreneurial leadership teams to bring clarity, accountability, and execution discipline into their organizations. After discovering EOS through her own entrepreneurial journey, she built a coaching practice dedicated to helping companies implement EOS tools and strengthen their leadership teams, with a passion for mentorship, community, and helping leaders turn vision into measurable results.

Links

Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-barkey-409908107/ 

Learn more about Amanda's work with EOS: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/amanda-barkey/

Buy "Who Is the Architect of Your Life" by Scott Rusnak: https://scottrusnak.com/buy-the-book

Giant Worldwide assessment link: https://getstarted.giantos.com/store/5-voices

Use code AC20 for 20% off Ninety: https://ninety.io

Join our free LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/16297012/ 


SPEAKER_00

Welcome to the Ambitious Coach Lab, powered by Nike. I'm your host, Dr. Cam Lawson. Each week we explore the real tactics, tough conversations, and breakthrough moments that drive coaching success. Let's jump into today's episode. All right, friends. Well, we've got Amanda Barkey with us today. She is a certified EOS implementer, just a legend in the community, uh, and just uh just a badass woman that does all sorts of awesome things, running nonprofits, running a full house, and and somehow having time to do EOS as well. So I am super excited to dive in and just learn more about her, her background, and just how she runs her practice. So welcome to the show, Amanda.

SPEAKER_01

Thanks, Cam. It's a pleasure to be here. I'm excited.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, well, to kind of kick things off, let's just hear a little bit about how you got into the EOS world because you have a little bit of a unique experience, but I think somewhat similar to some others of you got introduced to it in a company. But tell us a little bit about your background, how you became an implementer.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, sure. So I'll go all the way back to the beginning. And um, I'm a first-generation born Canadian. My grandparents were all political refugees, my parents are immigrants. I did not grow up in an entrepreneurial family. I didn't really have that modeled for me as uh a young child. I just I was growing up in an immigrant family. We're just trying to make ends meet. Uh, I met and married my husband, who I swear came out of the womb with a business plan. So we've been living um an entrepreneurial life together for the last two decades. Um, and uh it's just been the best like thing ever. We, this is definitely the life that I've been meant to live, but um it's definitely had its ups and downs. It's been a roller coaster. So um neither of us graduated with an MBA. Uh, we're just gritty entrepreneurs, we throw things at the wall, see what sticks. And we moved down to the States uh to start our business. We own a business called Soccer Shots. And I also had four kids in five years in the startup years of our business. So just to make things a little harder on ourselves, why not?

SPEAKER_00

Why not? Right.

SPEAKER_01

Um so yeah, we, you know, we didn't know what we didn't know. We were learning from our mistakes. We were growing by our reputation. We were just really trying to like figure things out and um we were going along to get along and putting out a lot of fires, pulling our hair out. I swear there was like a track in the backyard where we would take turns walking laps, just trying to like, it was like our kind of our think tank time where we were just trying to figure out like what the heck to do next. Um and we, yeah, well, like I said, we didn't know what we didn't know. We couldn't quite put our finger on it, but we knew that there was a better and easier way to run a business, just didn't know what it was. And then uh we were in Soccer Shots is a franchise. So we own six franchises here in Southern California, which we've owned for 15 years. Three years ago, we expanded to Oahu, Hawaii. We own two franchises over there. Um, we've owned the Miami franchise at one point. We've been doing this for a while. And so in those early years, um, we were in this franchise community. And the fortunate thing about being in a franchise community is you have this um, you know, board of advisors or this like group of the this group that's doing life the same as you in different parts of the country, and you're able to bounce things off of each other and form um, you know, masterminds and that type of thing. So we were doing that kind of stuff really early on. And uh there was a guy who was leading that mastermind that we were a part of within our franchise community. His name's Tim O'Neill. He's actually an EOS implementer now, based out of Ohio, salt of the earth, greatest guy. And he gave us the book Traction. So that changed our life forever. When he handed us that book, um, and we read it. My husband read it two times in 11 days. Um it was like that light bulb moment. Like we were just like, this is it. This is the better and easier way to run a business. So we started implementing the tools and disciplines in our business, experienced exponential growth, broke through ceilings that we never imagined that we'd break through. Um, and you know, Gino created EOS to give entrepreneurs freedom. And that's what it did. It just gave us freedom to live our life by design, to be intentional, to um, you know, to get real about our priorities and what we want. And um, yeah, I have five children, three businesses. I run a nonprofit, I love to travel. And a lot of times people ask me, like, how do you do it all? And I just tell them EOS. It's as simple as that. I use it in every business, in my family life, in my personal life. It has profoundly changed my life, both personally and professionally. So um I jumped in with both feet a few years ago, became a professional EOS implementer, uh, and I haven't looked back. It's just been my life's most fulfilling and rewarding work. And yeah, now I'm a certified implementer. Um, have over a hundred sessions under my belt, and I'm just rocking and rolling, and I love it.

SPEAKER_00

That's awesome. Yeah, it's it's so funny to hear people's EOS story because I feel like I have it's testable theory, but more often than not, it's somebody was in a peer group or they met with somebody and they get handed a copy of traction. It's just so crazy to me how influential that book is. And then it opens up the door and you start to realize, man, there is a better way, or there is, you know, light at the end of the tunnel or whatever. So it's it's fascinating hearing you see that. So tell me a little bit about I mean, what led you to want to pull the trigger to be an implementer? Because that's not for everybody, right? To become a business coach and help out, like a lot of people get that freedom and they just want to continue living in the organization. But what led you to want to pull the trigger and become an implementer?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you know, so at this point, all of my children were school aged. In a previous life, I was a stay-at-home homeschool mom. So I was a homeschool mom of all these kiddos. And uh after COVID, they all went back to school full-time to public school. And I didn't have a seat on the leadership team. I wasn't on the accountability chart. I'm sitting in the owner's box. And so it kind of was um this time in my life that was that it was a turning point, or like there's there, it really felt like there was um a new chapter, a new page being turned, right? And um we I actually had kind of it was like a little bit of an intervention moment with um my husband, who's my business partner and also the visionary in our business, and our rock star integrator. She's like our third wheel affectionately. We're kind of like a thruple, not in a weird way, but I give it us, like we just we're thick as thieves, and she's been our integrator for a decade. And so she knows us really well. And um, we did so we're we're repentant reformed self-implementers. And so we did kind of like our Mickey Mouse DIY version of an annual. It was like looking back, it's it was kind of a joke, but we did that, and it actually was on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which was yesterday. So that was it's a it's like kind of an anniversary day for me. So the next day, which is today, this is the anniversary of the intervention.

SPEAKER_00

Nice.

SPEAKER_01

Um she and so our integrator Nancy and Job and my husband, visionary of our business, they we were out for brunch and we were kind of debriefing uh about the annual. And they were like, look, Amanda, like you're sitting in the owner's box, kids are all going to school full time. Um, you know, you what are you gonna do with your life? You've got some time on your hands. And and I'm not the kind of like, you know, PTA, tennis with the girls, mimosa brunch kind of mom. Like that's not who I am. And so I had some business ideas kind of floating around, and uh, you know, I'm really I'm I'm pretty savvy with social media, marketing, all that kind of stuff. And so I was like, maybe I go back to school and like take a course, go do that, follow that passion, or go down this road or that. Um and and then they suggested becoming an implementer, and I was like, what the heck is that? And so they were like, well, they're like a coach of the EOS tools, and you know them like the back of your hand. You love this stuff, it changed our life, you're super passionate about it. So why don't you try it out and go do that? And um, like I said, I was a homeschool mom, and so I am a teacher at heart. And um, like within my soccer shots business, you know, I've mentored and coached um many, many uh young people throughout the years. And so I have experience in leadership development, and so it kind of just felt like, you know, the world, all of my worlds are colliding and the stars aligned, and this is like the perfect opportunity and the perfect moment for me. So that's how I jumped in with both feet. It was just kind of it, it was that perfect storm or that perfect moment in time. And so um I hopped on a webinar the very next day, learned what an implementer was, said hell yeah, jumped in with both feet. And I was at boot camp 17 days later.

SPEAKER_00

Wow.

SPEAKER_01

And yeah, I was total fish out of water.

SPEAKER_00

Going for it.

SPEAKER_01

Totally went like just jumped right in and went for it. And it's just, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. So that's how it all came around.

SPEAKER_00

How cool. So now hundreds over a hundred sessions in. Like, what's next? Like, what does it look like going forward? Like, what are some of the growth goals you have for your practice going into? I know we're recording this at the beginning of 2025, but like, what is this, what does it look like this year for you and into the next?

SPEAKER_01

Well, 500 sessions, a thousand sessions, like I'm in it. I'm in it for the long haul. Um, so I'm just, you know, I the one of the things that I love the most about EOS, the EOS community, US worldwide, um, the implementer community is this growth mindset and that we've never arrived. We're on this path to mastery. And um, that has been one of the greatest joys for me on this journey is being surrounded by those types of people and having those type of people push me and really hold my feet to the fire. And I think that I've learned and accomplished more in the last three years than I have in the last 30 years. So um I'm just gonna keep doing that. It's serving me well. And um, yeah, and I just every year I just have, you know, my my capacity grows and my goals grow and I my practice grows. And I'm just I love living my EOS life. Like I came into this gig living my EOS life. And for um your listeners who don't know what that is, it's doing what you love with people you love, making a huge impact, being compensated appropriately with time for other passions. And if I can say every single day that I'm living a five out of five EOS life, I'm I'm golden, right? And so I'm gonna keep doing that. Um, and part of that, a big part of that, is serving my clients and working with people who are also striving to live that EOS life. And it's just, it's so fun and it's so rewarding, so fulfilling. And so I just hope that I keep getting more and more opportunities to do that more and more.

SPEAKER_00

That community comes up so much, you know. I mean, not even just guests that I've interviewed on this show that are implementers, but just talking to quite a few. I mean, that that community aspect is such a critical part because you have that. I love the way you put it, that growth mindset where you have people that are surrounded by you, that are peers, that have the same goals and mindsets and are what I would call ambitious. And you know, that are going after things that they've set out to do, and and then you have that support structure around you, and not just from, hey, I'm dealing with this issue, what do you have to say into that? Because that is totally valuable, but I think it is deeper than you have that. There's something about when you've got everybody's kind of rowing in the same direction, you're just gonna go further as an individual because you're part of that. And so I love that you bring that up because I think that is something to think about as a business coach that is looking into something. I mean, you can go out and do it on your own, you can absolutely do that. You may have experiences that you can go in, but there's something about a community that is very valuable, it's very special. But let's talk a little bit about just, I mean, you have a lot that you manage, right? I mean, you got a full house, you've got businesses, a nonprofit, and your EOS practice. Like, talk about some strategies on how you manage all of that and like how the I'm sure time management is a critical part of that, but talk a little bit about just how you are able to execute on a high level with all of the responsibilities you have.

SPEAKER_01

Well, one thing that serves me and my husband and my family really well is getting really intentional about designing our life. Uh, there's an expert EOS implementer in our community that I'm dear is a dear friend of mine, and he's a mentor of mine named Scott Rusnak. He wrote a book all about getting intentional, getting really clear on what you want and designing your life, being the architect of your life, because if you don't design your life, someone else will do it for you. And so we've really leaned into that. And speaking of the beginning of the year, um every year at the beginning of the year, we sit down and we create a master calendar. We get all of our priorities for the entire year onto the calendar. And that stuff like, you know, our kids' school performances, family vacations, conferences. Um, my husband and I are big soccer fans, and we have seasons tickets to LAFC. So we get all the home games on the calendar, like the stuff that's really important to us, we get on there. Those are our priorities. And then we see what we have left, what what is our capacity to then work and to do the do the things that we need to do, you know? Um, but getting our getting really clear about what we want and getting those priorities on the calendar has served us really well so that we can live the life that we want and um live it to the fullest and be at our best for the people that we're showing up for. So that has been really critical for us and um helps us to get more uh out of life because um, yeah, time blocking and getting really clear and um and getting your priorities dialed in so that you know exactly what time you have available for people is really important. So that's one thing that we do that I think is really critical. And then beyond that, you know, like we're using EOS tools in our family life. So we have a family VTO, we have family core values, we do um family, we're we're on a in a 90-day world with our family, with our quarterlies and our annuals. And um, and so we're running a pretty tight ship. Like, um, so I think that that helps as well.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's you know, it's I was just at a an event for in uh I'm in Greenville, South Carolina, and one of the the local implementers here, Andrew Geisel, was running, and he was talking about how his family they run, you know, their own L10s as a family and have their own personal VTO. And I I guess I've I had thought about that. I've read EOS Life, but it just hit me like this is actually very applicable, and you can get into that 90-day world on a personal level that it's just it was like opened my eyes to a whole new possibility of things of the way to utilize EOS and whatnot. So, but on, I mean, from your your practice specifically, like let's talk a little bit about maybe, I mean, obviously from a systems or framework standpoint, you're you're going in and you're teaching the EOS model. But what are some of the other tools that you utilize from, I mean, even from a CRM if you use that, or other like tool sets that you utilize to really manage your practice at a high level?

SPEAKER_01

Mm-hmm. Well, so as far as practice management, I have a rock star um EA. She helps me. Um, she's I hired her through Efficient Aid. Her name's Ellie. She's shout out Ellie, she's the best. And I couldn't do anything that I do without her. So she really manages all that stuff. Like she does all of my invoicing, she does my QuickBooks, she manages everything in my CRM. And so that's all I've delegated that stuff to her. Um, and so yeah, certainly we use tools to help us to keep everything organized. But um, shout out Ellie, she handles all that for me. Uh and I'm so thankful.

SPEAKER_00

When did you know? Like, let's dialogue on that, because this is actually a fascinating concept for me. When did you pull the trigger on hiring Ellie? And what were some of the, I want to say warning signs, but like what that's just where my brain goes. But like, what led you to go down that route where it was like, oh my gosh, I need to hire somebody? Like, talk through your your thought process there.

SPEAKER_01

I think, you know, I always keep my ear to the ground and I I don't, I'm a big fan of um, you know, standing on the shoulders of giants and like, let's not reinvent the wheel here. So I was listening to a lot of implementers who knew a thing or two and taking their advice and taking it to heart. And so I got the advice from a handful of implementers that around what once my practice grew to about five clients, that's the time to start thinking about getting someone to come in to help you at some level, whether it's um in-person assistant, uh an executive assistant that's you know, virtual or remote or whatever, figure that out, but get get the help that you need. Think start thinking at that point. Like once you get to 10 clients, you're it's too late, you know. Um, so because you know, there is also you have to think there's an onboarding process. There's, you know, um uh it took us about six months to really get comfortable with each other and and to understand each other's needs and points of view and commun, you know, learn how to communicate best with each other and all that stuff. So um, so I started thinking about that around that point in time when my practice grew to five. And then I brought her on pretty quickly. I didn't hesitate. I am a high fact finder, but I'm married to a 10 quick start. So I feel like that sometimes influences my decision making and my ability to just um, you know, go with something and take a risk. And so um it felt it felt like the right time for me. And I just went by what other people were sort of saying like was an industry standard or a recommendation. And then when I did get to 10 clients, we uh were on the same page, we were familiar with each other and my practice was growing, and then I was able to increase her scope of work. Um, and so we've grown together as my practice has grown. So I would say like sooner rather than later is probably the time. Um, thank thankfully and fortunately I didn't wait until it was like too late or till there were fires to put out, or you know, I was in encountering bumps in the road.

SPEAKER_00

So that's really I feel like really sound advice because I I could understand when you get to a certain point, I think it's easy to five, 10, that's just easy. We can wrap our brains around that. But I think that does make sense. I mean, when you get to 10, 10 clients, I mean, not that that's necessarily full load, but I mean that's a lot. Like there's a lot of moving parts at that point. And then trying to take time off to be able to get somebody. I mean, you I think you said six months before you really got into like kind of understanding one another. So, I mean, there's a six-month window. So you definitely want to do that when you have a little bit more capacity. So that's that's really, really sound advice. What talk a little like talk a little bit about just striking the balance of, and and you may utilize Ellie in this a little bit, but kind of managing your current client load and then the business development motion. Those are some of the core competencies of what we believe business development is absolutely something you have to get good at as a business coach. But talk a little bit about how you balance that time to make sure you're taking care of your clients, but also onboarding it and getting new ones.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I kind of, you know, I know every implementer is different, our capacity is different, everyone's 100% looks different, right? So for me, it took a lot of like feeling it out. Um, I my first year, my rookie year, I think like I was just, I didn't know what I didn't know. And I was like, let's just feel this out as I how does this feel, right? Like when I I really took stock and and I think this is something that people miss, and not just as an EOS implementer, as a business coach, but like just in any industry, in any job or in any position you have, really taking time, and we call them clarity breaks, but stepping away from your day-to-day and taking stock in how things feel, right? And um, you know, I looked at it like how did how did last week feel to me, right? Like I had two sessions. How did that feel? Or how did uh how did it feel two weeks ago when I had five session days in a row? Um, or how did that feel when I had no session days, right? Like I'm I'm trying to see over The course of a of a quarter, of a month, of a week, of a day, like kind of distilling it. And it's funny because that's what we do with EOS, right? We distill that vision. And I kind of took the same approach with my time, my capacity, my life, and really took stock in how I felt. What, where was my energy? What did I have capacity for outside of my work? Um, where was I able to show up for people and for myself? And where where was I able to inject some self-care time? All of that. And so for me, I really I look at my life and I'm like, okay, I really like to use Mondays as a biz dev day, right? Like to do all my biz dev development, my business development on one day, stack my calls, get that all out of the way on Monday so I know what I need to work on for the rest of the week. I like to do sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those are my the days that I'm like on fire. Um, and then Wednesday, I like to have a buffer day and I like to do mom stuff. Um, you know, I want to take my kids to the dentist or run around and do returns and be at their like school performances or what have you. And then Friday, I like to have a buffer day or do 90s. Um so I do a little bit more business development. Um, usually people are happy around Fridays. It's almost the weekend. And so um, some someone once told me there's like a psychological element there where people will say yes to 90s more on Fridays. I don't know if that's true. But that's kind of like that's how I like to structure my week. And that feels really good to me. Like once I get to the weekend, I'm feeling grounded and balanced and accomplished and productive and efficient and effective. And so that's I don't know if that answers your question.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, no, that's great. I and on the business development side of things, because uh you alluded to it earlier, where you you have some passion for the social media, and I I think you're killing it in the social media game. I mean I've if you want a good follower, follow Amanda on on LinkedIn and and on Instagram, I think you have too, and some of the others, but like um, but talk a little bit about because there are different business development, I'm just calling levers, right? Where you have different things, whether it's events or webinars or social media. Like, what is your combination or your secret sauce if you want to share that? Like, can you talk a little bit about what you found that works and and kind of leaning into that?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you know, I kind of do a little bit of everything. Like I love doing talks. So I probably uh do on average a talk every month. So whether I'm hosting it, co-hosting it, showing up and providing content. Um, so I'm doing those types of events or workshops uh pretty regularly. Um I'm also um uh EO sponsor for EO Orange County and EO Inland Empire. And I'm going to those events and networking and talking with other entrepreneurs, helping them, leaning into our core values. One of our core values is help first. Um, and so, you know, I I think that a big component for me of my business development uh is really just showing up and helping people, genuinely helping them without expecting anything in return. Um, that really goes a long way. And uh an implementer in my early days told me, you know what, Amanda, this is a marathon, not a sprint. And so I always remind myself of that as I'm showing up for people. Um and I and I do genuinely care about people and I'm rooting for them and I'm showing up for them without an expecting anything in return. Obviously, you hope that something comes around. Um, and and I think that's just how life is. Like if you put good out into the world, it comes back to you. And so I kind of look at this like I'm a farmer, right? And so you can't go out into your field and just scatter um corn all over the ground and then come out the next day with a boiling pot of water expecting to eat corn on the cop. That's not how it works, right? So you're planting seeds and you do that in the in the form of showing up and helping people. And then later on down the road, it bears fruit. And that might not always look like how you expect either, right? I've had a lot of really interesting opportunities and surprises that have popped up because of connections or um, you know, things that have I've I've done or have experienced or come across in the planting stage of the game. So things do come around, and especially if you have, you know, the right intention and the right heart, then um, if you're planting those seeds and you're doing it with the right motivation, then it will bear fruit eventually. Um, so just gotta trust the process and stick with it and keep going, one foot in front of the other.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, you know, it's funny you say that because I was having a conversation with uh Tyler Smith. I don't know, uh, but he and I were talking, and at the end of the day, uh there's not really uh a magic bean, if you will, for business development. It's getting out there, like you said, getting out there, showing up and leading with that. How can I help you? What can I do to make your business just a little bit better? And then I think there is that aspect of reciprocation where it's almost like people feel, oh man, you helped me out, you know, let me let me come back to you for wisdom, or whether they feel like they need they not that they owe you something, but there is something about like, man, I want to make sure I take care of you because you took care of me, that kind of thing. So there's something to be said about just the discipline of getting out there on a regular basis, whether that's through LinkedIn, whether that's through events, whether that's through peer group, whatever it is, getting that flywheel going, and pretty soon it's running on its own. So do you utilize any kind of, I'm gonna call them trusted partner networks or just strategic partnerships that you have with whether that's uh, you know, agencies or financial, I mean other that kind of play in the same lane but not quite doing the same work that you do. Do you play into any of that where you have almost referral partners?

SPEAKER_01

For sure. Yep. I mean, you guys for sure. 90 has been a huge um, you know, a partner of mine that we've been able to come together and um in mutually beneficial areas, like help each other. And um I just hosted an event in Hawaii uh last month, the month before. I w hosted one in November, actually, one in September. So it's been a few months. But 90 sponsored and provided swag bags and all kinds of cool stuff. And um, yeah, and so uh that's been great to give 90 exposure in a market that they're not necessarily, you know, having so any exposure in or much exposure, and then for myself as well to be able to provide that as a value add at the event that I was hosting for my guests. Um, those types of things are always really fun, especially, you know, we see I see a lot of these what we'll call them strategic partners, like, but they're friends, my friends. See, I see you all at things like the EOS conference or different summits or and and events and and conventions that we're at. And so it's been really exciting to form those um, those friendships and those relationships with like-minded individuals of organizations that serve the same target market type of client that I do. Um, organizations like 90, trainual, Titus, you know, the list goes on. And I've met some really lovely people and and people like you said earlier, like that are rowing in the same direction, right? Like we're all um, we have very similar missions and we're doing uh we're serving similar clientele. And so to be able to like rise together is a really beautiful thing. And I really uh it's one of the greatest joys of this work that I get to do. Um, I I just it's the it's all about the people. Like um, you know, whether I'm meeting prospective clients, I'm serving my current clients, I'm working with strategic partners, or you know, I'm coming together with uh colleagues, with other implementers and um learning and growing together. Like it's just the that's what that's what it's all about is the people.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it makes it it makes work more fun when you have people that, like you said, like we're rowing in the same direction or just have that same common goal, right? We're coming in, we want to make businesses better. When you have that mindset, it makes things so much more fun. And then you can find that call it the stack of partners or whatever that you have that are gonna, it's a mutually beneficial since I don't like that term, but like I think in this sense it it does make sense where it's just we all have the same common goal and let's work towards that for the end goal of being able to help the business become better, you know. And so I'm I'm I'm fascinated on one thing um specifically, uh the dynamic of just the work-life balance with partnering in a company where you're working with your husband, and then also as an implementer, like talk through that dynamic because there may be other coaches that are doing that. I even have a little consulting thing with my dad, and so there's you know, just there's unique benefits and and just sometimes challenges with those things. Cooks can you talk a little bit about how you are strategic and how you balance that?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, well, I have to say right off the bat, it's not for everyone. So um, you know, I think like I my husband and I don't know any different. We've always we've been partners together in everything right from the jump, from day one, from the day we met. We've been partners in life, in business, in love, in family, in all of it. So we we obviously work really well together. We're great partners, and um it works for us. I think that we recognize or see immature versions of ourselves in the early years of partnering in all of these things, and now a more mature version. And so it's definitely easier now that we have more self-awareness. We've done a lot of work, a lot of inner work. We've I mean, I have a notes app on my phone, a page of every single you ask me whatever assessment, I'll I have my answer. I know who I am, and I know who my partner is. We've done all of these assessments and we talk about our results. We talk about um, you know, our communication styles, our personalities, our um, you know, the way that we're wired, how we operate, we really understand each other. And so I think that that understanding, that awareness has really served us well. Like in the early years when we didn't know as much about each other, um, there were a lot more, there was a lot more miscommunication, a lot more confusion, a lot more chaos. So um awareness, self-awareness, know thyself to lead thyself, right? And then when you're with a partner, whether it's in business or in marriage or whatever, um, it just it serves you well to know the other person and to know yourself and to be able to um to adjust accordingly. And so I think assessments have been like a key thing for us in being able to work together well. And then also we've learned a lot about family business. Um, it can be a really tricky thing. And in in the experiences that I've gone through in my own life, it's been able to serve me to know how to better serve my family business clients. Um, so that experience has been invaluable. There's an implementer in the community named Sarah B. Stern. She's kind of the family business guru, and she taught us about the three-table model, comes from Harvard, and it's about family business and just having a seat at, you know, the three different tables and really being clear about where you sit and what your accountabilities are and expectations, keeping those clear. Um, that's actually really been helpful for us in having early conversations with our children. They're still preteens and teenagers, but um, you know, at some point we're thinking one or some or all will end up in one or some or all of our businesses. And so we are having those conversations with them and um helping them to understand themselves and each other and where they fit.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that it's it goes into like the accountability chart in in the EOS, you know, understanding your roles and responsibilities within whether you're playing a small role or a really, really big role. So yeah, and then I love that you oh go ahead.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, Brene Brown says clear is kind. And I always I have that rolling around in the back of my head, right? And so all of this is designed to provide clarity. And um, and I think clear is kind. So um we just are always striving for that.

SPEAKER_00

And I love the the aspect, even from a outside of a family business type relationships, but the assessments, I think that is such a beneficial thing, regardless of whether you're working with your significant other or another family member, but just understanding yourself because I I mean, even at 90, you know, we take the Colby, we do a form of the Myers Briggs, even a form of Enneagram, we've done predictive index, I've done work, you know, work all these different tests, and it has helped me understand my tendencies. Each one of them provides a unique lens at looking at yourself. And I think that's such a valuable thing as a business coach because what that's gonna do is that's gonna allow you to understand how you receive and give information in the session room in your business development. You can kind of understand what you need to tap into. So, I mean, are there specific tests? I mean, it sounds like you've done all of them, but are there specific ones that you feel like have helped you as a business coach specifically?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you know, so obviously with uh EOS worldwide, we teach Colby. That's like the assessment that that's our go-to. Um, that really has helped me understand um my my hardwiring, like uh my cognitive uh abilities. Um, but there's a really great assessment. I'm trying to see if I have the book at my fingertips, but I think someone may have taken it, borrowed it from my library. But there's this organization called Giant Worldwide, and there is an assessment called the Five Voices. And it is, you know, there's there the Myers Briggs, I've done that. That's a great assessment, but Five Voices takes all of those letter combinations and essentially breaks those down into five voices. So there's the pioneer, the connector, the guardian, the nurturer, and the creative. And so you will fall into one of those categories, and it's about communication. And so understanding how those different types of people best receive communication and how they will give you communication. Um, and so understanding on a team the voice order, who has the strongest voice, who has the quietest voice, um, allowing people to talk um in a different order than maybe where they're sitting at the table because of their voice order, um, or even like understanding the intention behind something. For instance, like a guardian might sound like a devil's advocate, but they're really coming from a place of trying to protect, um, they'll protect like the the company or the organization's money like it's their own, right? And so they're gonna question spending in a way that some people might feel like is like a little too much, but really they're just doing it because of how they're wired. And um, and so it's interesting understanding those different uh personalities and their voices and how to better communicate with each other where the intent is behind what they're saying or what they're doing. And so that's helped us a lot, not just in um not just for me in my business. We we've used it in my own business, but in my relationship with my husband in and out of our business. And then also um in my in the session room with my clients, you know, understanding how the team is engaging with each other because of their communication style.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's so good. Well, man, thank you so much for for coming on. I always like to ask guests uh two questions. It's been around for a little while, you know it's coming. But um first one is if you had to go back and with all the knowledge and experiences that you've gained over a hundred plus sessions of being an implementer, what advice would you give rookie Amanda as you're first starting out, green as could be? What would you tell yourself?

SPEAKER_01

You know, I think I touched on it earlier, but just trust the process. Um, I I have been fortunate to become very good friends with a lot of implementers in the community, and I've gotten a lot of really great sound advice. And and everybody has, you know, I I take everybody's has their own experience. They've been on their own journey, right? And so they're they have their own perspective. Um, fortunately, within the US worldwide community, we're very aligned and we're all, you know, we're teaching the same tools, we're coming from the same place, we have the same objectives. Um, but we all have our own lived experience. And so I'm taking bits and pieces from um the wealth of knowledge that I have access to, these world-class coaches. But one common thread has been trust the process. You know, just keep your head to the ground, keep doing the work, just keep going. And and don't give up and trust the process, and it'll all it'll come out in the wash, right? And and I've watched that happen. Like everything they say is gonna happen. As long as I've stuck to what I'm supposed to be doing, it happens. And so um it's pro it's been proven. Uh, but trust the process. I think I would just, and I've reminded myself that throughout the journey, but if I could go back and just tell myself, like, no, really, just trust the process, it's all gonna work out. Um, I I would have saved a lot of heartache and anxiety, sleepless nights, etc.

SPEAKER_00

Hindsight is uh is 2020, they say.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00

No, that's that's good. I think there's so many. I mean, it it can be we we almost call it the the first stage when you're first is survival. You know, you're just trying to get those first couple clients and make like is this decision the right decision? And so I think there's something to be said about that. Just trust the process, put the work in, get into the motions of getting into doing the right things and doing the right things for practice management and getting into the motions of business development and trust that those things will start and that flywheel will kick in eventually. And I think you're you're a walking testament to the success that that happens as you trust the process. So, and then the second question I always like to ask is what's a lesson you're in the middle of learning right now? You can be as open and vulnerable as you want, but I always like to just get on a more personal level.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you know, um I think like right now is a you caught me at a really interesting time because I would say the last six months of my life have been the hardest six months of my adult life. Um I I have been knocked down um in every regard. I've been completely depleted emotionally, mentally, and physically. I broke my kneecap in half and had to recover from that. My dog escaped from our backyard, unfortunately got hit by a car and unexpectedly died. Um, I lost half my clients for um a myriad of reasons. Um we we had our office broken into and everything was stolen, and then my employees didn't want to come back to work. They didn't feel safe, and I had to go through that with them and navigate that. And so just a lot of um struggle. Like there are a lot of things happening to me, you know, like and and I think that when there are things that are outside of our control that are happening to us, uh, can get really uh it's it's really hard to stay on track with your plan or with what you you what you've envisioned, or you know, things don't play out necessarily. What what do they say? There's a saying like we make plans and God laughs, right? Like so I've I've experienced that to the utmost degree over the last six months. Um, and so I think what I'm learning uh is just to hold my expectation of an outcome very loosely, you know, go all in, put all your effort towards something, show up, keep going, but be very um like open to what the possibility of an outcome could be. It might turn out differently than you thought or imagined. Um, but that's okay. Like it's gonna be okay in one way or another. Like I really believe that things aren't just happening to us, they're happening for us. And so I've been striving to see. That in the things that have been happening to me over the past six months that have honestly been very depleting, right? Like it's depleted my energy and my capacity and um my ability to show up in the way that I would like to. Um, but I keep showing up and um and I'm seeing now, you know, like you said, hindsight is a beautiful thing, and um, and I'm seeing now the purpose in that pain. Um, so that's what I'm going through right now. That's the lesson that I'm learning. And I would just encourage anyone who's going through anything challenging um to just really keep going, stick with it and and try to see it, try to look at that stuff as something that's happening or some things that are happening for you and not just to you, because when you can maintain that perspective, um, then you know, you can come out of it on the other side stronger, better, more resilient. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Well, thank you for sharing that. I I appreciate you being vulnerable and um, I'm sorry about all those things, but I think your call it testimony, whatever, is uh inspiring uh to see you find that. I was uh talking to uh another guest and he said um uh a mentor, I think it was a mentor of his had told, be indifferent to the outcome.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And I love that because that's exactly what you're saying. It's just it's making your plans, going after that, putting your heart and soul into it, but then understanding that what happens happens. And so I think when you have that, not that it makes things easier, but it does, it gives you just a little bit less of a hey, it you know, it it whatever happens is is what's gonna what's meant to happen.

SPEAKER_01

And somehow Yeah, I got a tattoo recently and um it says, I'm greater than my highs and lows. And so keeping that perspective, not just in the hard times or when things bad things are happening to you or perceived bad things, but even when, you know, you're at the top of the mountain or you feel like you're at the top of the mountain, um, really maintaining that perspective because you know, we're greater than the than our highs and our lows. So yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I've got the I've got the same one right here. I don't know if you can see it, but oh cool, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

We're tattoos.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, there you go. It's something, you know, it's it's an easy conversation starter. Even my four-year-old son, he'll come up and be like, what is what does that mean? You know, and you just get to tell, like, God's greater than my ups and downs or mountains and valleys, you know, whatever you want to call it. But it's just that reminder that that we're not the summation of whatever we're going through. It's so much greater than that. So I I appreciate you sharing that and and uh being open. And I appreciate this conversation. If people want to get in touch with you, maybe they want to learn more about your practice and some of the things you've talked about today, or maybe they are a client. How what's the best place to get in touch with you?

SPEAKER_01

Sure, and absolutely no problem. I'm an open book. So anytime that you want to hear um open and honest, I'm your girl. Um, and and with that being said, I'm all over the place. Uh I'm an open book and I'm open and honest everywhere. So I'm on Instagram, I'm on LinkedIn, I'm I have a microsite, I have a family website. You can find me, just put it in the Googler or wherever you search for things, Amanda Barkey EOS. And I'm out there, my phone number is out there, my email address is out there, but Amanda.barkey at eosworldwide.com. Uh, reach out to me there. And uh that is what Ellie manages, and you'll for sure get an answer because she's on top of things. But yeah, I'm all over the place. Anyone can find me anywhere. Just Google Amanda Barkey at and EOS and you'll find me.

SPEAKER_00

I love it. Yes. And if you aren't following, be sure to follow on all the platforms because Amanda's cranking out some awesome content. So thank you again for coming on and and sharing your wisdom and your experiences. I know I have benefited from it. I appreciate you and have loved seeing the success you've had, and I'm excited to see the success you'll continue to have. So, and if you're an ambitious coach like Amanda and you want to learn more, feel free to reach out. Email is cam at 90.io. That's the full word 90.io. Would love to be able to talk with you about some of the things Amanda's talked about, how she's been intentional about building her practice or some of the other things. If you're struggling with business development, that is what we do at 90. We help coaches like Amanda build their practice and hopefully become more ambitious coaches because we believe a healthy business coaching ecosystem leads to a healthy business ecosystem. So I appreciate Amanda again. And uh, we will link out to some of the things that she's referenced, some of the books she's mentioned in the show notes, and we'll also link out some of the contact info for Amanda as well. So thanks for listening. Take care. That's it for today's episode of the Ambitious Coach Lab. My hope is that something here helps you sharpen your craft and keep building a coaching practice you're proud of. Before we wrap, a quick thank you to our sponsor, 90. If you're coaching leadership teams, having your clients run their entire world in 90 truly elevates your work. Vision, rocks, scorecards, issues, it all lives in one centralized place. The clarity keeps your clients aligned between sections and makes every conversation you have with them more focused and more impactful. I've used 90 with over 500 leadership teams, and I can tell you it makes great companies better and great coaches even more effective. Feel free to use promo code AC20 for 20% off. Again, that's AC20 for 20% off. Thanks for hanging out with me today. I'm Cam. Cheering on as you grow your ambitious coaching practice. We'll see you next time.