Interview with Greg Clowminzer

by Tami Magaro

Q. What are the top things entrepreneurs generally struggle with?

Close to 90% of entrepreneurs I talk to self-diagnose themselves as having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). They struggle to stay focused, keep clear priorities and follow through. It’s one of the biggest struggles. Entrepreneurs have one great idea after another. They are very creative and resourceful. Unfortunately, without focus these ideas are just a lot of great ideas never manifested. Removing distraction is very important. Entrepreneurs learn through talking so it’s important to provide a really safe place for them to articulate and verbalize their ideas so they can learn to synthesize.

Q. Do you use social media to market yourself?

Social media is relatively new. I’ve been using social media more in the last 6 months and will continue to make it apart of my marketing strategy. I started with YouTube a few years ago. The first videos were created to explain my work in meditation retreats; to explain what the retreats were and the benefit someone might get from participating. I share coaching information and more recently, share tricks and tactics on social media e.g. Google ranking. I love creating ‘how to’ videos. I find them to be really valuable. I have a Fan page on Facebook. I’m on LinkedIn and Twitter. I have a fairly large following. What is interesting about Twitter once you’ve amassed a large following, what I would call ‘social influence’ you can bring more attention to your efforts e.g. video, blogs and guide people to what I’m up to. I converted my website onto WordPress which I highly recommend. It provides real value as I’m able to track it.

Q. What are daily/weekly exercises for entrepreneurs?

I ask all my clients to complete a ‘coaching call prep form’ before we speak each week. The prep form is a list, reporting on what you’ve accomplished since we last spoke. So there’s a record of what is actually getting done. I also ask what they intended to do but didn’t get done. There’s built in accountability. What are the challenges and problems they are currently facing? What opportunities are currently showing? We generally tease out an assignment based on our conversation. A really great weekly exercise for entrepreneurs is just planning their week in advance. Asking yourself, what are three to five things I want to get accomplished next week that would really forward my business?

Q. What type of workshops do you provide?

I offer a monthly ‘communicating and relating’ dyad workshop. It’s a practice where people are taught how to fully self-reflect, go within and share whatever comes up. So for example, if you and I were sitting down across from one another, I might ask you a question to build a relationship between us. I might say, “Tell me something you’d like to tell me.” You may think, what do I want to tell Greg? Maybe you want to share how much you really appreciate this interview today. I say, “Thank you.” Then, you give me the same question back. I might share with you that I’m noticing I’m getting an appetite and am thinking about what I want to have for lunch today. As simple as it sounds, there is something that happens over this self-reflection and self-disclosure, people actually improve their ability to communicate and relate to one another. People learn to self-reflect and communicate what arises. It’s a really powerful practice. People fall in love with themselves, because they have a deeper understanding of who they are and who other people are. The world becomes a better place. I offer an intense three-day version of this workshop twice a year. This is a residential retreat. It’s a formal setting like a Zen retreat. We get up early and practice dyad communication practice over and over and over again throughout the three days. We practice walking and sitting meditation and…good food! It’s like learning yoga or martial arts, every time you practice you self-correct and improve your technique. It’s a simple technique that gets refined over time with practice. I teach people how to refine the practice. It’s a life changing process.

Greg Clowminzer is both a successful entrepreneur and life coach. He is a passionate truth-seeker, known as the “Zen Coach” he brings self-realization and spiritual teaching to a successful business and life coaching practice. An avid writer, you can find online coaching tips published on “Daily Wisdom.” To subscribe to Daily Wisdom, send a blank email to: DailyWisdom-on@letters.webvalence.com.