 Hi, I'm George Cao and today I'm here with one of my clients, Eric Ben-Soussan. He is a member of my client group MasterHeart, and I'm just excited to share share him with all of you and for him to share some of the lessons he's learned in his business, growing his relationship coaching business. Eric, great to have you here. Well, thank you for having me. It's always exciting to be with you and to be in conversation with you. Yeah, yeah, it's you have so much to offer in terms of both your relationship wisdom, but also just what you've learned in your business growth. So let me first read to everybody your short bio and then we'll get into some of the business lessons. Okay, so Eric is a relationship coach. He helps individuals work on the most important relationship, the one they have with themselves. He believes in personal power and responsibility for your own happiness. He also helps people to overcome and heal the emotional challenges of any of the relationships that they have been part of. He works with individuals and couples. And so Eric, actually I want to clarify for everybody here. When people say relationship coaching, of course, it's, you know, romantic relationships is one of the big ones that you help people with. But you also help people with relationships. It sounds like if somebody has a challenge with like their mother, you know. Yeah, absolutely. Right? Or with their boss, right? Yeah, absolutely. It can be all kind of relationship. It can be trust issues. It can be with a colleague at work. It can be most of the time that's true when people think about relationship. They think about a relationship with a partner, which is most of the time that. But you know, relationship is everything and everywhere. So it's also relationship with money, relationship with my business, relationship with how you deal with challenges in life. It's everything is about relationship. Yeah. Yeah. And but just to make it more memorable for people, I would say that definitely, you know, romantic relationships are big ones, right? That's what you coach people on a lot. Whether they are wanting to get into one or whether they are having a hard time within a romantic relationship or in their marriage, or that they are recovering from the breakup of one. Yes, absolutely. You know, you have a really unique store that I'm gonna be sure you get to tell later. But let's start with the business lessons because a lot of the people watching this are wanting to build their own business and you've learned a lot in the years of doing this. And there's so much we can talk about, but I'll let you kind of start with wherever you want to start with and we'll go. Yeah, absolutely. Well, the first thing I want to say, it's a roller coaster. If there is up and there is down, which is great because when it's up, you build your confidence and when it's down, you question yourself about how you can improve that and what's yeah, what is the work that you do and how can you do better? So one of the biggest lessons that I learned working with you and being in your master half group was really learning from me about how to structure my business and to have a framework because I'm a very intuitive person. So so far I have been in my business. I've been doing like being in the floor, you know, being just intuitive. Oh, I should do that. Or maybe I should do that. Great. But when I started to work with you, I started to understand that it was really important for me and my growth to have some structure. So I wouldn't say it was easy for me because I'm the kind of person who liked the big vision. I don't like to go into details. I like to be inspired. So for me, it was really a learning curve because I really had to to sit down and say, okay, how am I going to structure my business? What is my framework? What is it that I'm offering to my client? Who is my ideal client? You know, I never thought about that and I never wanted to to go there because I was telling myself, well, the more broad it is, the better it is. When in fact, when you are very clear and very inspired by who you serve and the people you serve, they come to you easily effortless, which is one of the one of my biggest lessons. Also, it's about that. So also, you really helped me to focus on what is my framework? What is it that I can offer to clients? And how can I explain that to my clients? Be very clear and be very specific. And how do I market myself when I know all about that? When I put all put together all my framework and all the structure how I market myself? So I went from what do I think people need? Then what yeah, what do I think they need from? What do they think they need? Which is very different, you know? Because I can talk about my business and I can say, you know, my experience is that I have been in that. So I I think my clients will need that and then being open and flexible. I have learned to recognize that some of my clients they don't they need they think they need something else probably at the end of the day. It's the same thing but it's really important to that your message can fit with what your audience think they might need. So that that was one of the the biggest lessons. Wow. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, also the structure because you know, so the first time I saw your calendar, I completely freaked out. I said, oh, this is not for me. I can do that. So I was just laughing with myself and I said, okay, this is okay, this is this is what George is doing, but I can't do that. So, you know, sometimes you tell yourself stories, you know and overall because I have been very consistent and really showing up in master half group and just being in the conversation all the time and being open to learn something at one point I said, well, maybe I need to learn something from that and maybe I need to try something else because I get some clients but I could get more clients. So there is maybe something that I can tweak and I started to to use my calendar. I started to be more intentional about what I want to do. I started to be more structure, you know, so there is still some improvements but just from the few tweaks that I did and of course, I don't have like a calendar like you have. I have my own rhythm but so it took me a while to find my own rhythm, but now that I see that my own rhythm works for me I can show up and I can be consistent in using that structure. So yeah, that's one of the biggest lessons for me. Wonderful. Wow. You said a lot here that that we can unpack and I want to touch on a few of these things. A lot of people here, you know, hear the word framework and sometimes I talk about that but it might be confusing for people and I'd love for you to talk about give us an example of what you mean when you say you clarified your framework so that you can be clear about your marketing message to and your content as well. Absolutely. Some example, some picture of your framework so that you can see what theirs might be. Absolutely. So my framework is, let's say my client is at a point A and they want to be at a point B. So how am I going to guide them or help them to go from A to B? So of course, I can be very intuitive and I just coach people. Great. But then if I learn how to structure my work and I learn how to, for example, let's talk about someone who's going through a breakup. So one of the first things that they need, they need to accept the situation. They need to stop resisting about the situation. So one of my, in my framework, acceptance is one part. So when they accept what it is and they stop resisting, so then there is another part of my framework which goes to, okay, now that I accept my situation, how about I'm going to feel whatever I have to feel. So feel the pain, feel the hurt, feel whatever I feel, you know, but just feel. So I go from one point to another to another. So then it's acceptance, then it's feeling first, then it's about healing, then it's about forgiveness, then it's about, you know, so I can go on and on. So that's the framework. That's the framework, you know. And now it's funny because I'm going to start an online group coaching. And the first thing I thought about that, I said, oh, okay, I need to sit down and write the framework of that online coaching. So one year ago, I wouldn't even think about that. I would just go for it and I would just prepare my group coaching and that's it. But now I know that it's important for me to have this framework, to have the structure. I know where I want to go. I know how I can help people. And it's a win-win for everyone, me and my clients. Yeah. Does it make sense, George? Totally, totally. I love your example and, you know, this is something that I talk about in my book, Authentic Kind of Marketing, but it's this, you know, in the beginning, you don't have to come up with a framework right away. You're kind of new to your field. But as you work with people, as you create some content, you'll start to eventually start recognizing the patterns of, oh, yeah, my clients seem to always go through these particular issues. And from those issues, you can see, okay, let's group these issues together and then start the framework, start to be created. So the other thing you talked about that was important was you went from thinking about what you believe the clients need to understanding what they feel they need, right? So give us an example of that. Like if you can think of an example of, okay, what I thought my market, my ideal clients wanted was this. But as I got to know them and got to observe, you know, their responses to me and their questions, then I realized this. So yeah, give us some idea there. Yeah, maybe the one example that I can give you is I thought everyone would, were going through a breakup, for example, would be ready to just jump into coaching, okay? I thought about that. When in fact, it's not about that. They need to reach a point where they feel so stuck, so overwhelmed that they start to think there might be another way. And I don't have to struggle alone. So if I know that, I can market myself and I can talk about this moment in their life where they feel hopeless and where they feel I'm so stuck and so overwhelmed and so in pain, that I'm missing there is something else, but what it is. Is that a good example for you? Yeah, that's definitely. And how did you come to that realization? Did you? Yeah, so I've been more an observer about what's going on. So I've been more asking questions to my existing clients and to old clients and I started to do some market research, which I wouldn't have been doing if I didn't learn how to do that in the group with you and with some other member in the group. So I make sure every month I do some market research. So I just ask people, do you have any issues in relationship? Some group on Facebook or my friends or friends of friends. And I just say, okay, would you like to have a conversation with me? And then I will ask them, okay, what is your issue? What do you think you need? And I will ask a few very specific questions and I will learn from that. I will learn what this thing they need. I will learn where either they feel stuck or not or either they feel they need help or not. And when is the time they need help? So yeah, I would really recommend to anyone to do market research because it's a unique way of getting some insights from the audience. Yeah, even on the website, I learned with you that I can have the best website and I can love my website, but sometimes it just doesn't serve my audience. So I need to learn from them what they think and what they need. And when they get to my website, what is the feeling they have? Does it have the right content for them? Does it have the right question, the right answers? You know, so it's a work in progress. I'm tweaking, I'm always tweaking everything, the framework, the structure, the website. I'm always tweaking everything along the way. That is so important, what you just said, because a lot of business owners think that they need to perfect the system and to perfect their marketing and then go out there and get clients, customers, etc. No. And what you've just said is really, I think, hope everybody watching this will really take a moment to reflect on this. Eric has just named the true journey of a business person and a business. It's constant learning and adaptation to the learning, experimentation to find some more learning, etc. And actually, this is a great example that you, from your experimentation, you did change your niche, I guess, or at least how you describe yourself. Do you want to talk about that? Sure, absolutely. Yeah. So one and a half year ago, I was only focusing on divorce coaching. So I was really helping people going through the emotional breakup. So it was a very narrow audience. And I came to realize that a lot of people don't know anything about divorce coaching. If someone goes through a breakup or through a divorce, they think about counseling, they think about therapy. So there is a lot of education to do around that. So I started to stop trying to get clients, but see what kind of clients would get to me. And then suddenly when I set an intention about that, I had different kinds of clients coming to me. So just clients coming to me just to have, because they have personal trust issues, for example, or people, young men come to me say, I want my ex back. So people coming to me about I'm having difficulties in my couple. Can you help me do that? So I thought, oh, okay. So I can help people more than I do right now. So I totally rebranded my business. And now it's called healing relationship, because I believe that everything we do and everything we learn in relationship, it's about healing ourself and about understanding the relationship that we have with ourself. So yeah, so I totally rebranded it. So the result of that is absolutely amazing, because I have more people coming to me without me going to get them. So it's just wonderful. In result of that, I get more clients. So it's good for my business. It's good for my state of mind, for my confidence, for everything, right? Yeah, that's amazing. That's so great. And I hope everyone watching this will go to your website to see your new website and to see how you do it, because I think you have an effective structure for a website as well. You know, we gave you feedback and things inside the group, and I think that was great to kind of get the group's mind on that. So as we wrap up, and we have a few more minutes left, I want to focus on people knowing what you do for your clients, who should be coming to and work with you. Of course, you've told some stories, but tell us more about your offerings and who it's really best for and how people get started working with you. Yes, absolutely. So the thing is, the core of my work is I have a tagline that says, the relationship you have with yourself sets the tone for every relationship you have. And I believe in that. So I believe in personal power and I believe in the responsibility of your own happiness. So people can work with me when they are ready to recognize that they don't have to be dependent on a relationship, but they can create their own happiness. So whether they're not in a relationship or whether they're in a relationship. So I will help them to strengthen the relationship they have with themselves. So understanding their personal dynamics, understanding their patterns, and understanding what they believe in. And from that place, I will create more awareness for them to make new choices. And when you make new choices, of course, you change your experience. And when you change your experience, well, then you attract different kind of situation whether you're in a relationship or not. So that's the main work that I do. And so I work with individuals. I work with couples. And yeah. And I love it. That's awesome. I'm very passionate about relationships. Yeah. And so how do people work with you? You have one-to-one, like let's say somebody watching is like, you know, I really would love to spend some time with Eric and work with them. Tell us about that. Yes. So mainly I work one-to-one with people, okay, and with couples. So it's mostly online. I'm based in Vancouver, Canada, but my clients are all over the world. And I will start next month's online group coaching, which we'd call Healing Personal Relationship. So it's for people who maybe cannot afford to be like in a one-to-one session, but can have a place, a safe place, where they can build awareness, where they can improve relationship, communication skills, and they also have a support from a group so they can learn from each other. And I'm very excited to start that because I really do believe in group coaching. I do believe that we can learn more from others. So I'm very excited about that, yeah. Yeah, that's awesome. So those watching, if you're interested in spending some time with Eric and working through your own relationships with others, but also with yourself, you have those options. You got the one-to-one and then upcoming is the group, if you prefer that. So Eric, anything else you want to say before we go? I mean, thank you. You've shared a lot of useful tidbits and gave us a break. I just want to thank you for that. You have been able to create a wonderful community of heart-minded people. And we all do our business with so much authenticity, which I love it, and which was one of the things that I loved when I met you. It's because I was so overwhelmed with all the marketing tricks and manipulation that I was thinking, oh, okay, maybe this is not for me. Maybe I should start something else. So when I met you, I felt, oh my God. So there are other people going through the same thing that I'm going through, and we're going to learn from each other, and I'm going to learn from them. And all the people in your group, which I love, is some are beginners, some are experts, some are intermediate. I still consider myself a beginner, but so you always have someone to relate. So you always have someone to have a conversation with. And there is a wonderful support from each other, and I just love that, yeah. Wow, thank you, Eric. It's really a blessing to have you in the group and just to know you and be able to spend some time with you. So thank you, and I'll be sure to put the link in the notes of the video to your Facebook page, your website, and I hope folks who are enjoying Eric's presence will reach out and spend some time with you, Eric. Thank you so much, Eric. Bye. Bye for now.