Podcast is also available on the versions below:
Get Notified Of Future Episodes on Apple Podcasts | Spotify
What does it take to grow a consulting practice beyond the work you deliver every week?
In this episode of The Jane Anderson Show, I sat down with Renée Giarrusso, a leadership, communication and mindset expert and the author of Gift Mindset. The conversation is part of a series with people from my Women With Influence community and people I have worked with and mentored. The aim was to go under the bonnet of her practice.
Renée spent 12 years in corporate before she started her own practice, nearly 16 years before we spoke. She shares how her message has evolved, why she chose a publisher for her latest book, and what she changed when parts of her practice were not working.
What I valued most was her honesty. She talks openly about overthinking, about the trap of nurturing the wrong relationships, and about what she is still learning.
Note: Renée refers to “this year” as 2021, so the figures and timing she mentions reflect that point in her practice.
From Corporate Leadership to Her Own Practice
Renée had 12 years in corporate, in a variety of senior leadership, sales and marketing roles. Along the way she discovered how much she loved technical development and coaching, and she began running many of the trainings. It became the favourite part of what she did.
Leaving was uncomfortable. She had the safe cocoon of the corporate world, but she knew her big why. It is still a big part of her purpose today: making workplaces better places to work.
She applies what she has seen across a diverse range of clients to leaders and teams who want to grow. She is not their manager. They are there because they want to grow.
How Renée’s Practice Evolved Without Losing Its Message
Renée describes herself as a “high to medium change person”. Every three to three and a half years her message stays the same, but she has new content and new ideas. She says that keeps her happy.
Limitless Leadership and Gift Mindset become one message
Limitless Leadership is the name of one of Renée’s programs and brands. A Limitless Leader, she explains, keeps learning: unlearning, rethinking, relearning and refreshing.
What she realised is that the foundation of all the enablers and tools is self-leadership and mindset. Gift Mindset has since become part of her Limitless Leaders programs. She sees a Gift Mindset culture and Limitless Leaders and teams as one thing: connection, collaboration, openness, sharing and growing each other, whatever role you are in.
I put it to her that this is a challenge many consultants face. It is easy to say, “I’m in the leadership space, so I’ll stay there.” Renée’s practice has kept its leadership identity while its thinking has moved towards cultures that embrace a Gift Mindset.
She offered a useful way to see it. Leadership is like a movie title: a big word people understand. Underneath it sit communication, motivation and mindset. To Renée, mindset is foundational, so she amplified her work there.
Three ways the practice delivers its message
Renée describes three parts to her business:
Coaching: one-on-one and group coaching, with some contract coaches who help her scale.
Transformational workshops: for leaders and teams, from presenting and mindset to enabling leaders to lead, not manage, and to create future leaders.
Speaking: the third way she delivers her message.
Books, publications and podcasts support the message across all three. She works with leaders at all levels, including mid-tier leaders, and with their teams. Her team programs focus on collaboration, understanding, motivation and connecting.
Between April 2020 and what she thinks was June 2021, she delivered about 190 virtual sessions.
Self-Published or Publisher? What Changed With Gift Mindset
Renée has written three books: Limitless Leadership, a collaborative book on leaders of influence, and Gift Mindset. She calls Gift Mindset her big book and her legacy book. She is proud of it because it is helping a lot of people.
At its heart, she says, it is about a trait we all need in life and leadership: being open to unwrapping the gifts in challenges and successes, and sharing them.
Why she chose a publisher this time
I asked about the biggest difference between publishing Limitless Leadership herself and going with a publisher for Gift Mindset. Her first answer: there is no right or wrong. You have to feel and know your strategy.
A publisher approached her about Limitless Leadership. She did not know much about the difference then and says she was not ready. She does not regret self-publishing it.
With Gift Mindset, she felt the book was bigger. She wanted distribution through bookstores and airports, and global scale. There is also an audio book. Her publisher and the team have been very supportive, helping with promotion, marketing and ideas. But a big part of it, she says, is the distribution. Limitless Leadership got into three stores she walked into with a box of books. Gift Mindset has global reach.
The message decides the market
The message mattered too. Gift Mindset has a very broad market. It sits under motivation, leadership, career, personal development and personal growth. Limitless Leadership would probably have sat under leadership alone.
I suggested that this often happens when you elevate your message and decide it is time to amplify your practice. Renée said I had hit the nail on the head.
What the publicity added
The publicity around Gift Mindset was a lot of work, Renée says, but they will do it again. It included radio, TV, newspapers and magazines. It helped her create a lot of intellectual property and get her message out.
What Mentoring Helped Her Sharpen
By this point in our conversation I wanted to know what had worked best from the methodology I teach: expert influence, leads from the stage, newsletter distribution, building the tribe and community, and social media content and lead generation.
Renée said the advice had been “absolute gold”. As with anything, she added, some things she has embraced and some she is not ready for. Here is what she highlighted.
Narrow down and go back to the basics
A big thing she credits our work with is helping her narrow down and go back to the basics. Recently we talked through some things that were not working. Her words: “I was overthinking it.” The answer was to go back to basics and make sure she had the right tribe.
Positioning and self-worth
The importance of positioning was another big lesson. So was “really understanding my self-worth and having currency around that.”
If this is a challenge you recognise, Melissa Lithgow shares her pricing and positioning lessons in another episode of the show.
Always get something back when you speak
When many of us start out speaking, Renée says, we do a lot of “busking”. She learned to make sure she gets something back. That might be people to add to her list, or the chance to go into a client for a further conversation. She always has something to offer as a bit of a hook, while staying in service and keeping an abundance mentality.
For more on speaking with a clear offer, listen to Lois Creamer on speaker positioning.
Ask for help, and let your support change
Renée has always found it hard to ask for help because she is so focused on helping others. She says the answer is having the right support around you, and being open to that support changing. Too often we assume the amazing people around us are permanent.
She had written about this that day. Her support network has almost flipped in the last two years. There were no fallouts, just different priorities attracting different people.
Dr Michelle Gibbings makes a similar point about support in her conversation on building a practice that lasts.
Build the Tribe That Hires You
Building the tribe was another key lesson for Renée. She referred to the 15 and the 150 I talk about, and said the 15 has changed a lot for her.
When you deliver a lot, you can build great relationships with participants. The trap is that you may not be nurturing the right relationships, the ones outside the workshop. Renée speaks to HR and the other people she is meant to, and those relationships are strong. But many participants also reach out. So she has a tribe of the people she delivers to. As I had mentioned, she also needs a tribe of the people who bring her in.
Participants are not always buyers
This is one of the most common things I see. A consultant tells me they have lots of people on their database. I ask where they came from, and the answer is often: they were participants in a workshop.
That is lovely, but it is a long-term relationship. It might be five or ten years before those people are in a role with any influence over a buying decision. They are still worth keeping on your list. If you later go to the public market with one-day workshops, for example, particularly once you are past the half-million revenue mark and have the positioning and leverage, that list becomes useful.
It is also an easy trap, because it feels good. They love you, and you are in service. Renée agreed. She said her biggest learning in the three months before we spoke was to get more strategic, because it is easy to deliver to the user and forget to ask who else you should be talking to.
Ask who else you should be talking to
Years ago, Renée asked someone, “Who would you refer me to?” They named a person in another organisation. That person became her biggest client.
For Renée, it can simply be a direct question about who else you should be talking to.
The visibility you lose when you deliver virtually
Renée raised a gap she had realised only recently. In an office, clients run sessions in training rooms, and HR or the CEO may walk in. Virtually, you do not have that networking, or almost business development.
You might run a four, five or six hour program, run it again two weeks later, and coach in between. You are not necessarily in front of the decision makers regularly. Renée says, “I reckon there’s something in that.”
I added that you are not visible in the corridors or the tea room. Renée said consultants, trainers, coaches and speakers miss those informal conversations too.
Renée’s Advice for Consultants Who Want to Elevate Their Practice
I asked what Renée would say to someone a year or two into their practice who looks at her and thinks, “I want to create something like that,” whether that is a big-scale book or work with household-name organisations. Her advice came in three parts.
Know your purpose and the problem you want to solve
It starts with knowing your purpose and motivation, Renée says. When someone tells her they are leaving to earn a certain amount and not have a boss, she believes they will not be successful. Her question is: what problem do you want to solve? Start there, and use that motivation to fuel you forward.
She listens for what she calls towards and away language. “I don’t want a boss, I don’t want a salary, I don’t want to go into the city” is away language. Her response is simple: what do you want? If you cannot answer that, she says, you are not ready.
Do what lights you up
Running a practice is clunky and wobbly, Renée says, and we all know it. Her advice is to do what lights you up. Do not go into something just because you are good at it. Go into something you are good at and enjoy.
She tells me she would not have got through the pandemic if she did not love delivery, connecting, making a difference and seeing people grow.
I agreed. It is easy to start a practice because you do not want to go into the city for work. You have to really love it.
Let your purpose evolve
Here is the big tip: be open to your trajectory and purpose slightly changing. Renée’s did. At the start, hers was about growing others. Now it is bigger. If she had a one-liner, it would be making workplaces better places to work, and helping people realise and achieve what is possible. She could not have said that in those words ten years ago. It is broad, but everything she does fits under it.
She believes workplaces are broken and that this has been under the surface for about 10 years. She calls the so-called great resignation the great rejuvenation, or the big awakening, and thinks it is amazing. Good workplaces will go to the next level. The ones that are not there need to do some work. Recent upheaval, she says, has exposed the elephant in the room.
Workplaces and practices with big, real purposes that they adhere to congruently will get through, Renée believes, because their vision is their boss.
Renée’s Vision for Her Practice
When I asked about her dream practice, Renée said she is very big picture and creative. In five years she sees the Gift Mindset as part of workplace cultures all over the world. She says she can actually see it.
She sees herself with a bigger team and moving more towards a business model, running the 12 gifts, which she also calls the 12 skills of a Gift Mindset. She also sees more collaboration across businesses and industries, which she feels is missing.
Asked when she would retire, she said she never will. She has so much to do and so much to share, and she feels she is on the tip of it. I think she is just warming up too.
Where to Find Renée and the Gift Mindset Resources
Renée directs listeners to her website, reneegiarrusso.com. Under resources you can choose what to read, watch or listen to, and the Limitless Leaders Podcast is there.
At giftmindset.com, she says you can download infographics, posters and interviews for free. There are also audio book resources. If you get Gift Mindset on audio, you can download walkthrough worksheets to work through the audio book.
About Renée Giarrusso
Renée Giarrusso is a communication, leadership and mindset expert, the founder of RG Dynamics, a Melbourne-based consultancy, and the host of the Limitless Leaders Podcast. She is the author of Gift Mindset. According to the book’s website, its 12 gifts are growth, resilience, empathy, forgiveness, change, courage, curiosity, optimism, connection, contribution, gratitude and re-energising.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Gift Mindset?
Renée Giarrusso describes it as being open to unwrapping the gifts in challenges and successes, and sharing them. Gift Mindset is the title of her book, and she calls it her legacy book. Its 12 gifts are listed on the book’s website.
Should a consultant self-publish a book or use a publisher?
Renée says there is no right or wrong. You need to know your strategy. She self-published Limitless Leadership because she was not ready for a publisher. She chose a publisher for Gift Mindset to gain distribution through bookstores and airports, global reach and marketing support.
Why aren’t workshop participants always your buyers?
Participants often love your work but may not hold a buying role for five or ten years, as I explain in the episode. Renée says you need a tribe of the people who bring you in, as well as the people you deliver to.
How do you ask for referrals as a consultant?
Ask a direct question. Years ago, Renée asked someone who they would refer her to. They named a person in another organisation, who became her biggest client.
What do you do when virtual delivery keeps you away from decision makers?
Renée does not prescribe a fix. She names the gap: without office corridors and training rooms, consultants miss informal business development. Separately, she says her biggest recent learning was to get more strategic about who else she should be talking to.
How do you know if you are ready to start a consulting practice?
Renée starts with purpose. Know what problem you want to solve and what you want, not only what you want to leave behind. If you cannot answer what you want, she says, you are not ready. She also advises doing work you are good at and enjoy.
Can your purpose change as your practice grows?
Yes. Renée says to be open to your purpose slightly changing. Hers began as growing others and is now making workplaces better places to work and helping people realise and achieve what is possible.
Conclusion
If you are asking how to grow a consulting practice, Renée Giarrusso’s answer in this conversation is less about doing more and more about choosing well. Keep your message steady. Pick the publishing path that suits your strategy. Go back to the basics when something is not working. Know your worth, and build the tribe that actually hires you.
Her starting point is purpose. Know the problem you want to solve, do work that lights you up, and stay open to your purpose growing as you do.
Work With Jane Anderson
If Renée’s story resonated with you, here are some ways to take the next step:
Women With Influence: Join a community of B2B women consultants, coaches and advisors building world-class practices.
Grow With Influence: Work with Jane on conviction, communication and commerciality, the framework behind a practice that grows by design.
Toolkit scorecards: Take a free three-minute scorecard to see where your personal brand, marketing and sales may be holding your practice back.
Book a call: Not sure where to start? Talk with Jane about which next step fits your practice.
Key Takeaways from Today’s Episode:
-
In this segment, Jane Anderson introduces her podcast, "The Jane Anderson Brand New Show," targeting experts seeking greater impact, influence, and income for their businesses and careers. She welcomes Renee, expressing her excitement to host her as part of a special series dedicated to interviewing individuals from the Women with Influence community or those mentored by Jane. Jane acknowledges Renee's generosity in joining the podcast, particularly to discuss her practice and recent book launch. Renee expresses her enthusiasm for the opportunity to share insights.
-
Renee recounts her transition from a 12-year corporate career in various senior leadership and sales roles to establishing ReneeGiarusso.com, focusing on leadership development and coaching. Her passion for coaching emerged during her corporate tenure, leading her to start her consulting practice nearly 16 years ago. She emphasizes her mission of making workplaces better by applying her diverse knowledge and experience to support leaders and teams' growth. Renee reflects on her practice's evolution, characterized by a high to medium change cycle every three to three and a half years, driven by her commitment to continuous learning and innovation.
-
Jane acknowledges Renee's journey, noting her authored books, including "Limitless Leaders" and her recent release, "Gift Mindset." Renee describes "Gift Mindset" as her legacy book, focused on helping individuals uncover and share the gifts within challenges and successes. They discuss the evolution of Renee's practice from a leadership-centric focus to integrating the Gift Mindset philosophy, emphasizing self-leadership and mindset as foundational elements. Renee elaborates on her practice's three arms: coaching, transformational workshops, and speaking engagements, along with her diverse content creation endeavors.
-
The conversation shifts to Renee's publishing journey, comparing her self-published book, "Limitless Leaders," with her publisher-backed release, "Gift Mindset." Renee highlights the enhanced distribution and promotional support offered by her publisher for "Gift Mindset," facilitating global reach and exposure across various media platforms. Jane explores the role of PR agencies in amplifying Renee's message, particularly in securing media coverage and expanding her book's marketability. Renee emphasizes the importance of aligning the book's message with its target market and leveraging publishing strategies to elevate her practice's visibility and impact. They discuss the strategic evolution of Renee's practice, enabled by deliberate efforts in content creation, community building, and thought leadership dissemination.
-
Renee expresses gratitude for Jane's invaluable advice, emphasizing its transformative impact on her practice. She highlights the importance of Jane's guidance in simplifying complex issues, particularly in revisiting fundamental strategies and identifying the right target audience. Renee underscores the significance of positioning, self-worth realization, and the cultivation of an abundance mentality in her practice's growth journey. She acknowledges the challenge of seeking help despite her inclination towards aiding others, recognizing the value of strategic support networks and adaptability to evolving circumstances.
-
Renee reflects on the nuances of tribe building, noting Jane's teachings on the 15 and 150 concepts and their application in fostering meaningful connections beyond workshop participants. She shares insights into the networking challenges posed by the virtual landscape, highlighting the absence of casual interactions and corridor discussions inherent in physical workplaces. Renee emphasizes the need for strategic networking approaches to engage decision-makers effectively, particularly in the absence of traditional face-to-face interactions.
-
Jane commends Renee's remarkable work ethic and energy, prompting Renee to discuss the foundational principles driving her practice's success. Renee emphasizes the significance of purpose-driven entrepreneurship, advising aspiring practitioners to align their motivations with problem-solving objectives. She underscores the importance of pursuing endeavors that genuinely inspire and energize, cautioning against purely circumstantial career decisions. Renee shares her personal evolution in defining her practice's purpose, highlighting the broader mission of making workplaces more conducive to growth and fulfillment.
-
Renee envisions a future where the Gift Mindset philosophy permeates workplace cultures worldwide, envisioning collaborative endeavors across industries to foster holistic growth and development. She anticipates transitioning towards a scalable business model centered on disseminating the 12 skills of a Gift Mindset. Renee emphasizes the importance of collaborative innovation and boundary-crossing initiatives in realizing her vision for a more interconnected and purpose-driven professional landscape. She reflects on the transformative potential of purpose-driven leadership in navigating and overcoming contemporary workplace challenges.
-
Renee expresses her fervent dedication to her work, emphasizing her perpetual commitment to sharing and contributing. She acknowledges the ongoing evolution of her practice and anticipates the vast potential ahead, indicating a sense of being on the brink of significant breakthroughs. Jane echoes this sentiment, affirming Renee's trajectory and the pivotal moment of growth she currently occupies. They underscore the value of Renee's insights amid this dynamic phase, encouraging listeners to engage with her resources and follow her journey for further inspiration and guidance.
-
Renee directs listeners to her website, reneegeruso.com, and the Gift Mindset platform, highlighting a wealth of resources available for exploration. These include podcasts, infographics, posters, interviews, and audio book resources, aimed at facilitating personal and professional growth. Jane reiterates the importance of accessing Renee's materials for valuable insights into practice development and consulting endeavors. They commend Renee for her generosity in sharing knowledge and anticipate her continued influence in the global professional landscape.
-
Jane expresses gratitude for Renee's invaluable contributions during the discussion, summarizing key takeaways for listeners. She emphasizes the significance of strategic positioning, self-worth realization, and community building in shaping successful consulting practices. Jane highlights Renee's impressive portfolio of collaborations with renowned brands and underscores the wealth of insights gleaned from her experiences. They express anticipation for Renee's future achievements and extend appreciation for her participation in the dialogue.
Full Show Transcript:
-
[Speaker 2] (0:09 - 1:04)
Hi there, my name is Jane Anderson and this is the Jane Anderson Brand New Show. It's the podcast for experts who want to have greater impact, influence and income for their businesses and careers. Hi there and welcome Renee, thank you so much for jumping on today.
I am beyond thrilled to have you on the podcast today. I know I've been on the podcast before, but what I really wanted to do today was you've been so generous in agreeing to jump on today because we're part of a special series at the moment where I'm interviewing some of the people, particularly in our Women with Influence community or the people that I've worked with and mentored to be able to build their practices. But I want to be able to tap in at the moment, particularly because you've launched your book, and we have talked previously about that, but today's a real under the bonnet, if you like, in your practice.
So thanks again for jumping on, Renee.
-
[Speaker 1] (1:04 - 1:11)
Amazing. I've been looking forward to this and thanks for having me and I'm honoured to be able to share some things.
[Speaker 2] (1:12 - 1:38)
Thanks so much. So Renee, most of the people who will be watching this or listening to this, women who have their own consulting practices, thinking about being able to either grow it, work with large organisations or perhaps they've been trying to work with large organisations and they're struggling to kind of get to grow. Can you tell us a little bit about your practice, how you sort of started and what made you get into, you know, building ReneeGiarusso.com?
[Speaker 1] (1:38 - 2:59)
Yeah, I had 12 years in corporate and, you know, a variety of senior leadership and sales and marketing roles and I absolutely loved the technical development, the coaching, started running a lot of the Mars University trainings and just knew I had a passion and energy and gift for it. It became the favourite part of what I did. So that's 16, nearly 16 years ago, wow, and I look back now and it was a really uncomfortable journey leaving because I had the safe cocoon of the corporate world and I just knew my big why, and it's still a big part of my why, really making workplaces better places to work and applying my knowledge, experience and what I've seen across, you know, such a diverse array of clients to leaders and teams, not because I'm their manager, but because they want to grow. And that led me on a journey that's been quite an evolution.
I'm a high to medium change person in what I do. So sort of every three to three and a half years, my message doesn't change, but I always have new content, new ideas. So I think I'll always be happy because I'm satisfying that.
[Speaker 2] (2:59 - 3:26)
Yeah, well, you've come on a massive journey, Renee. Like if you come from just looking at some of the things even behind you, you know, you've got a bunch of incredible books there. You've written three books.
So you've written, you wrote Limitless Leaders and then you wrote a collaboration, which is around leaders of influence. And now are you happy to tell us a bit about the new book that you've done, particularly Gift Mindset, yeah?
[Speaker 1] (3:26 - 3:55)
Yeah, Gift Mindset. And I think all the books or, you know, writing I've done for years has led to Gift Mindset. Gift Mindset's my big book.
Yes, my legacy book. And it is a book I do feel really proud of because it's helping a lot of people. And, you know, it's all about, I think, a trait that all of us in life or leadership need, and that is being open to unwrap the gifts in challenges and successes and share them.
[Speaker 2] (3:55 - 4:29)
Right. So you just made a really interesting comment, because this is, you know, for particularly for women, there's some men who will listen to this as well. But I'm thinking about the women who are starting a practice.
So you started out with your leadership programs, wrote a leaders book specifically around that. Then you've sort of elevated into another, it's not really another message, but it's an elevated version of your leadership message and stepping into Gift Mindset. Does that mean you still run the same programs or does it, like, how does that work?
[Speaker 1] (4:30 - 5:28)
Yeah, good question. So Limitless Leadership, I think, was all around. That's the name of the program.
It's one of our sort of brands, so to speak. And I think, look, if I think of a Limitless Leader, it's a leader that learns, so they think, relearns, sorry, unlearns, so they rethink and relearn, so they refresh. And I think what I really realized was there's so many enablers and tools that make up a Limitless Leader, but the foundation of all of it is self-leadership and mindset.
And Gift Mindset has become part of the Limitless Leaders programs. But I really believe that creating a Gift Mindset culture and having Limitless Leaders and teams is all one, if that makes sense. All about connection, collaboration, being open, sharing and growing each other, really, no matter what role you're in.
[Speaker 2] (5:28 - 6:14)
Yeah, OK, so what I'm hearing, Renee, is that you've you started in this space and I think this is one of the challenges sometimes for if you're having your own practice and consulting is that you go, it's really easy to sort of go, oh, I'm in the leadership space, I'll stay in the leadership space. But what you've done is you've gone, yes, I'm that and I'm also. So your practice has really evolved into you're not losing the leadership identity or anything like that.
It's continued to evolve your thinking, which is around being able to not just shift from leaders, but to cultures that embrace a Limitless Leaders mindset, but also a Gift Mindset as a cultural norm, if you like.
[Speaker 1] (6:14 - 6:34)
Spot on, I think leadership's like the movie title, I was saying this the other day to someone, leadership's, you know, it's a big word, people understand it. But under that, you have communication, you have motivation, you have mindset. And to me, mindset's foundational.
So I really amplified the work around that.
[Speaker 2] (6:34 - 6:35)
Yeah.
[Speaker 1] (6:35 - 6:56)
And it's applicable to anyone in any role. But we predominantly work with mid-tiers, leaders at all levels and their teams and programs, obviously for leaders. And then we have our team programs, which are more around collaboration, understanding, motivation and connecting.
[Speaker 2] (6:58 - 7:22)
So can you tell us a bit, Renee, like I'm thinking about, you know, and you would know this from when you started your practice, like sometimes you look at people's practices and you're like, well, does that mean you are a leadership executive coach or then you've got different, you've got these resources. So you deliver workshops and training and that's virtual plus face-to-face, because you've been in Victoria and Melbourne for the last two years, yeah?
[Speaker 1] (7:23 - 8:25)
Yeah, 190 virtual sessions between April 2020 and I think June this year, 2021. So, yeah, so three parts to the business, really. So we have a coaching arm, so one-on-one and group coaching.
And I do have some contract coaches that help out to scale things. Transformational workshops, which, you know, I love. And we work with leaders and teams, you know, from presenting and mindset to really enabling leaders to lead, not manage and create future leaders.
That's sort of our special source. And then we have the speaking side. So they're the three ways we deliver our message.
And then obviously, as you know, being an amazing author, authoring, you know, publications, podcasts and things like that. Yeah, that shouldn't be the all. They're sort of the all that support the message across those other modes of delivery.
[Speaker 2] (8:25 - 8:41)
Got it. And so when you created your Limitless Leaders book, that was self-published. And then with the gift mindset, you decided to go with a publisher.
What has been the biggest difference in those two things for you and your practice? Yeah, it's a good question.
[Speaker 1] (8:41 - 9:23)
And the anthology in the middle. So, you know me, all about diversity. I didn't think of that.
It is quite different. I think there's no right or wrong. You've got to feel and know your strategy.
Limitless Leaders, I was approached to publish with a publisher. But I, to be honest, didn't know a lot about the difference. I wasn't ready.
And I don't regret not publishing that through a publisher. With gift mindset, I just felt it was bigger. I wanted distribution through bookstores, airports, global scale.
We've done an audio book. And I just found and I've been...
[Speaker 2] (9:23 - 9:34)
Hold on one sec. Is that mic, is that making a funny sound for you? No, I'm getting some kind of, I don't know what it is.
It sounds like there's a mic floating around. You haven't got a mic floating around anywhere?
[Speaker 1] (9:35 - 9:39)
No. Are you all right? Is that better?
No, I haven't moved.
[Speaker 2] (9:39 - 9:44)
It sounds like something's moving or anyway. I don't know. It happened once and then it's happened a couple of times.
But anyway.
[Speaker 1] (9:46 - 9:47)
Yeah, I can't hear anything.
[Speaker 2] (9:47 - 9:49)
Can't hear? All right. That's okay.
[Speaker 1] (9:50 - 9:51)
Let's edit that bit out.
[Speaker 2] (9:52 - 9:52)
That's right.
[Speaker 1] (9:54 - 10:16)
Yeah, so I've been very fortunate to have a very supportive publisher and her team's been very supportive. That's why I went with them. So, yeah, you get a lot of support as in, you know, they help promote market, give you ideas.
But a big part of it is the distribution.
[Speaker 2] (10:17 - 10:17)
Right.
[Speaker 1] (10:17 - 10:43)
Limitless Leadership, I got into three stores that I walked into with a box of books. Whereas GIF Mindset, it's got a global reach. Yes.
And obviously we did, as you know, publicity with that, which was a lot of work, but we'll do that again. That's definitely helped me write a lot of IP and get the message out there. You know, radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, all that sort of thing.
[Speaker 2] (10:43 - 11:15)
So just to clarify for those who are listening or watching, is that means that you've worked with a PR agency to encourage, to go, okay, because they've got the relationships with all those, whether it's TV, whether it's the CEO magazine, whether it's heading into the Today Show, a financial review, the age, all those things, is that quite often when you're elevating up into this bigger message that you've got, is that, there we go, okay, now it's time to amplify in your practice. So that's a really key, sorry, go ahead.
[Speaker 1] (11:15 - 11:48)
No, I was just going to say, you hit the nail on the head. I think the message of your book almost like whether you go self-published or not. So Limitless Leadership, I couldn't say that in some of the shops, maybe that GIF Mindset in, GIF Mindset's got a very broad market, as you know.
Yes. It's under motivation, leadership, career, personal development, personal growth, whereas Limitless Leadership would have probably only been under leadership.
[Speaker 2] (11:48 - 12:42)
Yeah, okay. So, and being able to elevate your message like that, like your practices had to have been around for some time. You've got good clients you've been working with, all that sort of thing.
It's really, it's sort of easy to go up and think, oh, I'll go for that big message in that big market. Like you've done, you spent a long time in your own practice building up to that point. What are some of the things, we're talking about some of the things that you've implemented.
We talk about the expert influence and methodology, so things like the leads from the stage, we talk about newsletter distribution, we talk about building the tribe and building the community. We talk about social media content, lead gen, all those types of things. If you had to think about the things that you've worked on, particularly over the last couple of years with implementing that, what have been some of the things that have worked particularly well for you, Renee?
[Speaker 1] (12:43 - 13:34)
Where do I start? Your advice has been absolute gold, and there's so many things that I've gleaned from you. And like with anything, some things you've embraced, some you're not ready for.
A big thing that you've really helped me sort of solidify is narrow down, go back to the basics. I think we do that at the start of a practice or a business, then we get sewing service and attention out. Yeah.
And I'm happy to share recently, we had an amazing chat about some things that weren't working and it was literally, I was overthinking it. It was just going back to the basics and making sure I have the right tribe. Yeah.
I reach a lot of people, but it's a super highway, who's in the service line that I should be targeting. Yes. Something else, there's so many things, importance of positioning.
[Speaker 2] (13:34 - 13:35)
Right.
[Speaker 1] (13:35 - 13:49)
Has been a big thing that I've learnt through you. And I think really understanding my self-worth and having currency around that. So, a lot of us, when we start out with speaking, we do a lot of busk outs.
[Speaker 2] (13:49 - 13:49)
Yes.
[Speaker 1] (13:50 - 14:22)
And you really taught me that, get something back, whether it's people to add to your list, whether it's getting to go into a client and have a further chat, that always have something to offer as a bit of a hook, just being in service and having that abundance mentality. Yeah. Something else, you asking for help.
I always, always, once I had an issue with it, but I'm so attention out helping people that I find it hard to ask for help.
[Speaker 2] (14:23 - 14:23)
Yeah.
[Speaker 1] (14:23 - 14:43)
And I've learnt through you and all the methodologies you just outlined. It's about that and being, having the right support around you. Yes.
And being open to that support changing. Right. Too often we can go, we're with some amazing people and that's permanent.
[Speaker 2] (14:43 - 14:43)
Yes.
[Speaker 1] (14:44 - 14:44)
Changes.
[Speaker 2] (14:44 - 14:45)
Yeah.
[Speaker 1] (14:45 - 14:50)
I wrote something on this today. My support network has almost flipped in the last two years.
[Speaker 2] (14:50 - 14:51)
Really?
[Speaker 1] (14:51 - 14:56)
No fallouts, just different priorities, attracting different people.
[Speaker 2] (14:56 - 14:57)
Yeah.
[Speaker 1] (14:58 - 15:27)
Really important and another, probably another key thing is around building the tribe. You talk about the 15, the 150, the 15's changed a lot for me. The 150, I think when you're listening or watching and you're delivering a lot, I think sometimes you can actually build such great relationships with participants.
Yes. That you're not nurturing maybe the right relationships.
[Speaker 2] (15:28 - 15:28)
Yes.
[Speaker 1] (15:29 - 15:31)
They're not in the workshop, so to speak.
[Speaker 2] (15:32 - 15:32)
Yeah.
[Speaker 1] (15:32 - 15:57)
It's so easy to fall into that trap. I've fallen into that. Obviously I speak to HR and all the people I'm supposed to and have great relationships with them, but to the point where a lot of participants reach out.
So it's almost like you have a tribe of the people you deliver to, but like you've mentioned, you need that tribe of the people that bring you in for your services.
[Speaker 2] (15:59 - 16:16)
Yeah. It's funny you say that because that's quite often one of the most common things that comes up is, and even from a marketing perspective is, you go, oh yeah, I've got all these people on my database and I'll go, okay, so where are they from? Oh, they were participants in the workshop.
[Speaker 1] (16:17 - 16:17)
Yeah.
[Speaker 2] (16:17 - 16:53)
Yeah. That's lovely, but they're a long-term one because that might take another 10 years or five years before they're in a role or even have any influence over buying decision. Still great to have them on your list because if you're going public market, you may decide, okay, I'm gonna run one day workshops or whatever it might be, particularly once you've got past that 500,000 in revenue type space and the positioning and the leverage.
But you're spot on. It's so easy to fall into that trap. It is.
Because it's addictive, right? Because they love you. And you're in the service.
[Speaker 1] (16:53 - 18:13)
I love it. I love that. Yeah.
It's probably been the biggest learning in the last three months leading up to us chatting today is making sure that you really get a bit more strategic because it's easy to deliver a service or a product to the actual user, so to speak. Yes. And forget about who else should I be talking to?
And it can simply be, I look back years ago and I just said to someone, who would you refer me to? And they said, I'd refer you to this person in another organisation. And they became my biggest client.
Now, if I hadn't asked that, and I think too with virtual world, when you're in an office running stuff, a lot of clients run things in their training rooms or HR or the CEO will walk in. Virtually, you don't have that. And this is something I realised recently.
Right. You don't have that networking and almost business development because you're not in the office. Yes, that's right.
Running a four, five, six hour programme, then you run it two weeks later, whatever, do the coaching in between. Yes. Not necessarily in front of the decision makers regularly.
I reckon there's something in that.
[Speaker 2] (18:14 - 18:28)
Yeah. Yeah, because you're not, they're going, yep, can you deliver this? And you're doing the debrief or whatever.
You're not visible walking through the corridors or in the tea room grabbing a drink or and you're running to this person or it's whatever.
[Speaker 1] (18:28 - 18:37)
The cooler conversations people are missing, but as practice or as consultants, trainers, coaches, speakers, we're missing that too. That's right.
[Speaker 2] (18:38 - 19:46)
It's so true. So if we think, if you think about someone, if they're sitting here, like they're in awe of you because you have created an extraordinary practice, you have, you are one of the hardest working experts that I know. You constantly, and you have this incredible energy that you just don't seem to be able to, it just seems to be endless, this energy that you have.
And it takes a lot of energy to run a practice. If someone was sitting here listening to you Renee, and if they're, let's say, they say where your practice was say 12 months ago, or even before you created the gift mindset, like they might be say a year or two in their practice and they're looking at you and saying, I wanna be able to do something like that. I'd love to create something that's like a big scale book like that.
-
I'd love to work with you. I mean, some of these organizations that you've worked with are pretty incredible and big household names. What advice would you have for them if they're trying to work out how to elevate their practice?
[Speaker 1] (19:47 - 20:52)
Yeah, I think it starts with knowing your purpose and motivation. Okay. Anyone that comes to me and there's been a bit of a light, I'm gonna leave and do this because I wanna earn this and I don't wanna have a boss.
I know straight away they're not gonna be successful. So know your why. What is it?
What problem? I always say, what problem do you wanna solve? Start with that.
And use the motivation to fuel you forward. The other thing I think that I know, and I know it's probably kept you going too Jane, because it's clunky, it's wobbly. We all know that running a practice.
Something I say all the time is do what lights you up. No, don't go into something just because you're good at it. Go into something that you're good at, that you enjoy.
Because I can tell you hand on heart, I wouldn't have got through the pandemic if I didn't love delivery, love connecting, love making a difference, love seeing people grow. There's no way. Right.
[Speaker 2] (20:52 - 21:09)
That's so valuable, Renee, because it's so easy to just go, oh, I'm gonna do this because it means I get, I don't have to go into the city for my job, but you've gotta really love it, yeah?
[Speaker 1] (21:09 - 21:47)
You've gotta have purpose. So the towards and away from language, you hear it a mile away. Oh, I wanna go into my own business because I don't want a boss and I don't want a salary and I don't wanna go into the city.
What do you want? And if you can't answer that, what do you want? What do you want?
If you can't answer that, you're not ready. Yes. I think know your purpose, use what lights you up, your motivation to fuel that purpose.
Right. And be open, this is a big tip, be open to that trajectory and that purpose slightly changing. Right.
That's important.
[Speaker 2] (21:47 - 21:55)
Yeah, okay. Because, and what do you think happens, Renee? Like when, is that something that happened to you?
Your purpose evolved and changed?
[Speaker 1] (21:55 - 22:16)
Yeah, it did. I think mine was a bit at the start, it was about growing others, but now it's bigger. It's making, if I had a one liner, it's making workplaces better places to work.
Right. And helping people realize and achieve what's possible. Right.
I couldn't have said that 10 years ago.
[Speaker 2] (22:17 - 22:17)
Really?
[Speaker 1] (22:18 - 22:51)
No, not in those words. And that's very broad, but everything I do fits under that. Okay.
I think, workplaces are broken. We know that, right? We know great resignation, I'm calling it the great rejuvenation, the big awakening.
I think it's amazing. Yeah. Good workplaces will just go to the next level.
The ones that aren't need to do some work. Yes. And I think this has been, this whole, this has been under the surface, I reckon for 10 years.
[Speaker 2] (22:51 - 22:52)
Yeah.
[Speaker 1] (22:52 - 23:00)
We've had this sort of earthquake. Yes. We have one in Melbourne this year.
And it's exposed the elephant in the room.
[Speaker 2] (23:01 - 23:01)
Yeah.
[Speaker 1] (23:02 - 23:16)
And I think the workplaces that have big purposes and real purposes that they're congruently adhering to and practices and businesses that do, will get through this because their vision is their boss.
[Speaker 2] (23:17 - 23:20)
Yeah. That's the whole Richard Branson.
[Speaker 1] (23:20 - 23:20)
Yeah.
[Speaker 2] (23:21 - 23:43)
You've got that vision that just pulls you. Yeah. Renee, what if, what's your vision for your practice?
You know, where to from here? So you've achieved all this incredible success and you know, you have this book on this great publishing deal. And you know, what is that dream practice and what does the future look like for you?
[Speaker 1] (23:44 - 24:47)
My dream practice will be, and it's, I have to say, when I thought about this question, because I am, you know, me, I'm very big picture and very creative. So I saw, you don't know what, you don't want to know what I first saw, but I see in the next five years, the gift mindset being part of workplace cultures all over the world. I see that.
I actually can see it. And I see myself and a bigger team. I think I'll go more to a business model.
Right. Running the 12 gifts, the 12 skills of a gift mindset. I see collaboration, not just in businesses, across businesses and industries that's missing.
So lots of bubble hopping. Yes. That's what I'd love to see.
I feel, someone asked me the other day, what would I, when do I want to retire? What would I do? I will never retire.
No, I don't think you will either. Yeah, I just, I just have so much to do.
[Speaker 2] (24:48 - 24:48)
Yeah.
[Speaker 1] (24:48 - 24:53)
And so much to share. And I just feel I'm on the tip of it, to be honest.
[Speaker 2] (24:53 - 25:30)
I think you're just warming up too. You've been so open and so generous with sharing with us, Renee, you know, your journey and being able to, particularly you're at a really, really big tipping point in your practice. To be able to speak with you at this time, where there's so much evolving and changing.
For those who, if you want to reach out and follow Renee, you want to follow her gift mindset work, jump on, grab the book. Renee, you've got some resources as well that people could jump on and get. Where would you like people to go to reach out to you?
[Speaker 1] (25:30 - 26:05)
Yeah, probably reneegeruso.com. If you go to resources, we've got, you can go through what you want to read, watch or listen to. Yes.
And the Limitless Leaders podcast is there. Yeah. And giftmindset.com.
We have infographics and posters and interviews you can download for free and also audio book resources. So if you end up getting the gift mindset on audio, you can download walkthrough worksheets. So you can work through the audio book as well.
[Speaker 2] (26:05 - 26:57)
Got it. Okay. Awesome.
We'll jump on. If you haven't caught up with Renee and followed her stuff, make sure you reach out and follow. I think she shared some really valuable stuff today around being able to get your practice and to be able to step into that consulting space, to be able to work with the organisations.
You have a look at some of the brands that Renee has worked with and some key messages taking away today are really narrowing down, get your positioning right and you talked a lot about, just knowing your self-worth and what currency you're working with and that community and tribe mindset to be able to build your practice. So lots of valuable, super valuable insights today, Renee. Thanks so much for being on and we can't wait to have you back when you've achieved global domination.
Thanks, Rebecca. Thanks, Jane. Thanks so much.
Thanks for coming on.
