We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elizabeth Fried. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elizabeth below.

Elizabeth, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. The first dollar you earn in a new endeavor is always special. We’d love to hear about how you got your first client that wasn’t a friend or family.
In the acting/modeling field I subscribed to a service that matches me with all available opportunities. I used Backstage.com, Casting Frontier, LA Casting and Actors Access. I also joined San Diego Actors FB Group

Elizabeth, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I began as a compensation manager for Nationwide Financial Services and then transitioned to Compensation Consulting for 20 years. To be effective in that role one needs to understand different business functions, performance management, leadership skills, etc. This led to nearly another 20 years of executive coaching. What set me apart is the that I ask questions on a deep business level that most coaches don’t even know to ask. I cut through the noise and am affectionately known to my clients as the no-nonsense “heat seeking missile.”

As part of my re-Wirement I wanted to do service, so about 5 years ago, I began doing pro bono work with the special operations military: Navy SEALs, Marine Raiders, Delta Force, Green Berets, Army Rangers, etc. through a formalized program developed by The Honor Foundation. I help them transition from military to the civilian workforce and am instrumental with helping them explore their options. I have a wide range of connections at the top levels of organizations and I spend time arranging for them to have conversations with high level executives. This is my heart work, and perhaps the most gratifying work I have done.

I stopped marketing my executive coaching services but will take referrals on one or two full-service clients a year if the project interests me. I am also offering two partial scholarships to those individuals who want and need help but cannot personally afford my service and their organizations will not financially support their development. I listen to their story and determine if they qualify for this gift. Over the past several years, I have given 4 scholarships to worthy candidates. I am grateful that I have both the financial ability and time to offer this.

As I mentioned, with more time available, I can pursue the acting/modeling gigs and be very selective about what I do.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I thought I wanted to do compensation consulting, yet I surprised myself to learn that I was very creative and a terrific marketer. I loved the idea of developing passive income, so I would look for pains in the market, create a product, (in this case various types of boutique compensation research studies and surveys that the national consulting firms didn’t want to invest in and ultimately purchased from me). Then I became very adept at writing press releases and promoted my work in such places as professional journals/trade magazines and the national press. My work has been quoted seven times in the Wall Street Journal and also received recognition in USA Today, The New York Times and Chicago Tribune to name a few.

I applied this concept of marketing and promotion when I began doing executive coaching so that I could sell third party vendor training programs to corporations. This created continuous six figure sales with clients that required very little effort from me once the product was sold.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I tend to be a loner and enjoy my alone time. I worked a lot and I wish that I would have spent more time connecting on a personal level with colleagues and other interesting people. It just seemed I didn’t have the time. That was not smart. I think I could have been even more successful if I had leveraged my connections. I am grateful that I can enjoy colleagues more these days and offer help.

Contact Info:

• Website: two: www.executivecoachingfirms.com and www.elizabethfried.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/Elizabeth.Fried
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethfried

Image Credits
Ann Landstrom