Leveraging over 25 years working directly with business leaders in 17 countries, Connie Osterholt has synthesized her experience as a senior executive, strategy coach and mentor to high-net-worth business CEO’s, owners and executives in 10+ industries, public/private board members, and successful entrepreneurs.
She has been consistently focused on the power of feminine and masculine energy in negotiations, networks, and the nuanced areas of business leadership.
Connie worked for Tony Robbins for 25 years and she was the head of leadership programs, as well as a speaker and facilitator of 5 of his core programs. She was also involved in training and coach management, and she was a platinum coach who worked with top clients.
Additionally, Connie has a Ph.D. in Psychoneurology.
Her entire career has been based on understanding teams and individuals She has studied their behaviors, personalities, and mindsets to help them be more successful, happy, and fulfilled.
Connie is an expert at recognizing patterns that work and patterns that need to be upgraded. Through training and teaching, she makes difficult concepts easy. Connie also understands that communication and clarity are power, so she diversifies communication depending on individual personalized and behavioral preferences.
She creates raving fans in any team by providing an environment where people love to strive for excellence. Connie coaches teams and individuals by honing in on the underlying core issues and turning things around.
For more details, visit her LinkedIn here.
Here we sit down with Connie to learn a bit more about her journey as a strategy coach.
Q. Tell us a little more about your journey as an entrepreneur – how did you get started? What inspired you?
Connie: I started my journey as an entrepreneur about 30 years ago. Before that, I was a school teacher. I taught physical education and it was fun because I was always busy and moving. However, working in a school is very limited because you’re restricted by a system and you can’t do much outside their curriculum.
I wanted more, so I decided to quit my job and start my journey as an entrepreneur with trepidation but a lot of determination. When I started, I had several clients from America and it pushed me to always deliver and be my best.
I went from a 9 to 5 to working 24/7 because that’s how it is in the beginning, and during challenging times, like COVID. As an entrepreneur, you’re on your own and you can’t count on anybody else to execute your vision, until you developped your team. I’ve always wanted to be my own boss and do things my own way, so I’ve never been afraid of hard work. I love what I do, so it comes kind of easy!
Q. What are your long-term goals in business? Paint a vision for the future
Connie: I have been coaching for 30 years and I’m pretty good at it. When you’re smart and you focus on educating yourself, learning, and growing, you can get a deep understanding of your craft and how to help other people. My long-term business goal is to keep on expanding my reach.
I started to set up a company with colleagues, one in Australia and one in Europe. I’ve trained them and taught them what I can do, but they also bring their expertise to the table. I want us to create masterminds and high level coaching, coming from a global perspective and how to stay agile in a fast changing world and share our knowledge through videos or even create a library. The goal is to reach more and more people while growing a profitable business.
Q. What motivates you?
Connie: Helping people see the possibilities they have in life is one of my biggest sources of motivation. We all go through many different things and it defines who we are. Sometimes, it leads us to create a mindset that only holds us back from achieving what we want to achieve. I love working with people and helping them change that mindset and provide insight so they can transform their lives.
Q. What business-related book has inspired you the most, or, what is your favourite book?
Connie: I am a voracious reader, so I have a couple of favorites, but the one that comes to mind is Influence: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdini. It helps you understand the psychology of persuasion and how it works.
There’s another book, Corporate lifecycles by Ichak Adesis and it helped me understand the stages a company goes through. It gave me a lot of insight into the issues that come with every stage and how they’re a part of the normal growth and challenges of a company.
Q. What strategies do you use to optimize your performance or mindset?
Connie: I’m very much into growth, so I study a lot and that has helped me optimize my performance and mindset. I’ve learned that you don’t have to just sit and accept the things that come your way.
Though there are some things you can’t control, you can control the way you react and the level of influence external things have on you. I’ve taught myself to be proactive instead of reactive, which has helped me be more strategic about everything, including my work.
Q. If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?
Connie: I would name it “There’s Always a Way.” Because it’s true, there’s always a way. You just have to find it. Not everything is going to go your way and sometimes tragic things will happen. Sometimes those things stop us in our tracks. Though it’s important to process those kinds of experiences, we shouldn’t get stuck on them.
We can find a way out of anything, not just in business, but also in every aspect of life. You owe it to yourself and the world to find your way out of the dark and get to where you need to go. Learn from the things that happen to you, the good and the bad. For example, if your business is going down, there’s a lot you can learn from that so you don’t repeat the same mistakes in the future. There’s always a way to move forward.
Q. What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made?
Connie: Investing in myself and my education is one of the most worthwhile investments I’ve ever made. A lot of my money has gone into education and ways to grow, and I’ve gotten an amazing return on investment.
I started studying late in life and now I have a Ph.D. but it’s not about the Ph.D., it’s about everything it has allowed me to do to help other people. I’ve invested in a wide variety of courses as well and learned from masterminds like Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra, Robert Dilts and others who have helped me advance in my own path.
I’ve also invested in understanding myself and the patterns that rule me. We all have patterns and we must be aware of them to identify the ones that are no longer working for us so we can change them or get rid of them. Not just in business, but in every other aspect of life. So, investing in my self-improvement and education has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.
Q. Where do you see the future in your niche/industry 3-5 years from now?
Connie: I love my industry and I work with my own spiritual, relationship, and business coaches. They provide perspective and I learn a lot working with them. I can see my profession becoming more popular as more people become less reluctant to seek the help they need to stay on the right track and accomplish their goals.
Coaches exist to help us be the best versions of ourselves, improve our relationships with our families and communities, and thrive in business. Having a professional to turn to for advice is something we all need, so I can see my profession becoming bigger and more important.
Q. What is your ‘one-sentence’ piece of advice you’d like to give to someone who wants to become an entrepreneur, coach, or business owner?
Connie: I can’t summarize it in one sentence, but I would say entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted. You go through a lot of ups and downs, so you have to create a strong mindset and have strong values and beliefs. This will allow you to keep growing.
I would also say it’s important to know what you’re pursuing. What is your end goal? What do you want out of being an entrepreneur? What are the benefits and disadvantages? These are very important things to consider and journaling helped me a lot, so I recommend it.
Growing a business is a long-term project, so you will work a lot, especially in the beginning. That means you’ll have to make sacrifices and it’s important to understand the consequences of becoming an entrepreneur before you go into it.
To keep up to date with Connie and her journey, connect with her on LinkedIn.