We were lucky to catch up with LaVondilyn Watson San Kitts recently and have shared our conversation below.
LaVondilyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers
I had written an e-book the year before, and I didn’t really set out to write it. One of my friends, who was going through a difficult season, had asked me the question: How do I get through this? So, I began emailing her – and that email became an ebook called, By Faith… 8 Steps of Faith to Make it Through the Tough Times. I wrote it, laid it out, never published it.
A year later, I felt this tug, this sense of urgency to not only publish it, but have it laid out and printed into a physical product. I didn’t understand it at the time (and those who know me know I have a very disobedient spirit. True rebel, LOL). I questioned God why, but I did exactly as I felt He was telling me to do. I self-published it.
The next year, I sent a proposal to what was at the time the largest subscription service for Christian women, to feature this little inspirational book in one of their monthly subscription boxes. They said yes, and pre-ordered 5k copies. Wow! I was excited and jumping for joy!
But, little did I know, that was just the beginning. Then, the crazy happened…
A few weeks later, my liason with the subscription service sent me another email. It basically read something like this: “We all, as a team, read your book. We’d now like to order 9,500 copies, and we’re adding it to our holiday box, our biggest shipment of the year.”
Holy smokes!
My printer couldn’t handle that volume, or meet that demand in time. I had to find a printer who could fulfill with the same quality, but faster. Well, I didn’t have a relationship with the printer I found, so they wouldn’t print the books upfront. So, then, I had to find an investor. It was stressful and overwhelming – but it was also exciting and amazing! I couldn’t let such an awesome opportunity go, so I began praying and asking! An angel investor, who believed in me, and loved the book, paid up-front for the almost 10k run. *insert tears*
The book was featured in their largest box the next year, and virtually overnight, my self-published book was in the hands of 9,500 women of faith. It was a big payday for my business, but more importantly, many of those same readers are now apart of my coaching community, and have read all of my subsequent books. That opportunity was a blessing I was not expecting. It blessed my life. It blessed my business! So, incredibly humbling to see God at work in my business.
To this day, that little book is still my top-seller. It has sold over 28K copies from my personal website. CRAZY!
LaVondilyn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I like to say that I became a coach “accidentally”. It was certainly not my plan. In 2008, I was building a speaking platform. At the time, I had published a local magazine in Charleston, SC. That magazine had opened doors to radio and television, which both opened doors to speaking engagements. So, I was on the speaking circuit, so to speak. I was traveling and speaking at women’s brunches and conferences, helping women to deepen their faith, and uncover their purpose in life.
After one particular talk at a church in North Carolina, a woman said to me at the back of the room, “I need your help, Will you coach me?” I had no idea what she even meant! I told her I was an author and speaker, not a coach – I shared the upcoming workshop I was hosting, sold her a book, and prayed with her. But, “will you coach me” never left me. I knew it was divine…
2 weeks later, I met a woman who was the VP of a Coaching Certification company, and I knew it wasn’t an accident. I got certified as a Life & Executive Coach Practitioner, and as they say, the rest is history…
I didn’t know that coaching would be my sweet spot, that it would use all of my spiritual gifts and natural skills. I didn’t know that it would end up being the thing that brought me so much joy and fulfillment. It transformed my life and my income. It has allowed me to serve women in ways unimaginable! Some of my clients have been with me for a decade or more! I have seen them go from “I know I am called to build a business but I don’t know exactly what” to authors, podcasters, speakers, small business owners, and coaches themselves. It has been a beautiful, humbling, and surprising journey! Now, 19 years into this business, my clients’ success is my greatest reward. I am most proud of them – the faith they have to step out and build the visions that keep them up at night! Nothing is more rewarding to me than to see these women of faith serving and growing, lighting up the marketplace for the glory of God!
What sets me apart from other coaches? I have answered that question the exact same way for nearly 2 decades: I take action. In fact, FIA in “That FIA Coach” means “Faith is ACTION”! I don’t deliberate, I don’t stall, I don’t keep praying about what I know God has told me to do. I move…and quickly. When He tells me to write the book, I write it. When He tells me to create the course, I create it. When He prompts me to make the connection, I make it. I don’t hesitate. And, that alone, I believe has created the success I have experienced over the years. Obedience. And, He has led me to some amazing places!
My advice for any entrepreneur or creative reading this article: move forward in faith! When you feel a tugging, when you get an idea, when you see an opportunity or open door, pursue with reckless abandon! Don’t succumb to fear, or procrastination, hesitation, doubt – all of the things designed to keep you small. Reach way down deep, and find the courage and faith to build the vision that keeps you up at night. I know it’s scary, but you can do it. You are not alone! God is with you, and if you allow Him to, He will take you places you never imagined.
My business has evolved over time. I started as a publishing company with a magazine for women of faith. Then, that grew into an author and speaker for women of faith. Then, coaching became my most favorite thing in this world to do (outside of worship, of course!). Coaching opened the doors to podcasting, which I love, as well. So, in 19 years, this coaching practice has evolved tremendously. Now, I spend most of my time coaching and writing, but change is coming, once again. I am multi-lingual, so I am now preparing to build a global platform that will serve women of faith all over this world.
Know this, the only constant is change. Be willing to go where God leads you! Listen for promptings and when you feel that sense of urgency, follow it! You may not be prepared all the time, and some opportunities are completely unexpected – that’s ok, it’s apart of the growth process! You have to test your legs, take risks (sometimes calculated, sometimes not!). You may just find yourself in what we call “the sweet spot” – that intersection where your gifts and skills meet His will for your life. It’s a beautiful place to be! And, most of the time, it wasn’t planned or even imagined.
At Clemson University (Go Tigers!) I majored in French & International Trade, with a Double Major in Spanish. I had NO idea life would lead me here. It wasn’t planned, but it’s so fulfilling and rewarding, I wouldn’t change it for the world! So, keep your eyes, ears, and options open. Don’t limit yourself, and certainly don’t limit God. He is full of surprises!
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
I will never forget the day. I had agreed to hop in the hot seat on a live call with one of my coaches. Now, mind you, I am very familiar with the “hot seat”, I am just usually on the other side of it. That day, I was excited and nervous, but I wanted to be coached. I was in a place in business where things were great, but I was overwhelmed, busier than I wanted to be, but grateful for a full practice. You know that place – on the edge of burnout, but unwilling to voice it because you have so much to be grateful for? It’s a blessing to get there, right?
Well, I hop on this call and there are hundreds of spectators, and my coaches start coaching me. One of them asks, “LaVondilyn, what do you really want?” Quietly, I sit with it for a minute. And, as I begin to describe what I really wanted, a knot forms at the pit of my stomach. We go back-and-forth, she’s challenging me, I am dreaming aloud. Almost 40 minutes go by. At the end of this process, on paper, my coaching program looks and sounds totally different. And, now, I have a decision to make. Do I keep doing what I am doing now, or do I build what they just pulled out of me?
At the time, I was coaching 1:1, doing group coaching programs, podcasting, traveling for speaking engagements, hosting workshops, and writing and publishing books. I was doing all the things. And, as much as I loved it all, I was tired. My plate was full to capacity. So, I decided to build what they had just pulled out of me.
I basically set my entire business on fire.
I was horrified. I didn’t know what would come of it all, and I didn’t know how my community of entrepreneurs, who had been with me for many, many years, would respond to the changes. I didn’t know much…except that it felt right. So, I closed out all my offers, and, in two months, combined everything I had, and everything I knew about business, and built ONE program – an online business school for entrepreneurs of faith. I did. I put all of my eggs in one basket.
And, it worked! To date, it has been one of the best decisions I could have ever made. It doubled my income, and gave me my time back – time I could spend with my husband, and my siblings. Time I used to teach a local Bible study, and connect more with my friends, and church family. I am so grateful for that hot seat experience! I am constantly telling my coaches how that ONE call changed my business!
Was it easy? Nope. My dining room table was a nightmare for 2 months – I literally condensed the last 12 years of business into 12 weeks of coaching. It was hard, and there were days I cried, days I doubted I was doing the right thing, days I was sure and super excited. It was a crazy, emotional rollercoaster. But, those are the moments that dreams are made of! Moments that stretch you, and challenge you, and force you to believe in ways you never have. It’s so worth it. It was worth it for me…and it was worth it for every woman who enrolled in FBS3, my 12-week faith-based business school. For 4 years – through a pandemic – I coached the women enrolled, and it was life-changing for all of us!
For this, and many reasons, I am huge fan of taking risks, of trying new things, of getting out of your comfort zone and doing what seems impossible. How else will you know if you can walk on water, if you never get out of the boat?
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I woke up around 6am on my birthday this year. Mind you, I am NOT a morning person, so I wasn’t very happy about it. But, it was my birthday, so I was even more excited to start my morning with gratitude for yet another year. I wasn’t expecting to hear the word “retirement” in my spirit. I felt so strongly, though, that this journey as “That FIA Coach” was coming to an end. After almost 20 years of building this ever-changing coaching practice, I felt strongly like it was time to prepare for NEW.
I remember thinking to myself, “What will I do now?”. I felt confusion, and fear, and overwhelm. I began to question many things – my identity, being one of them. Although I know who I am in Christ, I identified so deeply as “that FIA Coach” – I am a faith-based life and business coach down to my core. And, I have loved every minute of it! But, what if God calls me to something different? What if this season is ending, this chapter is closing. I was going through so much emotionally!
What if God closes a door that you aren’t ready to walk away from? A relationship or marriage, a professional partnership, a job or career, a business? What do you do?
You call your pastor and cry your eyes out. You get your support system praying with and for you. You emotionally eat and start working out to manage the stress. You sit by the beach and find your calm. You pray, around the clock. Well, that’s what I did. And, I did that for months.
Now, nearly 7 months later, I have come to peace with this transition, and I am actually looking forward to a lighter schedule, time to travel with my husband, time to get more involved in my church here in Colorado. Things are changing, and changing fast! As I prepare to walk away from coaching as I know it, I am excited about the new doors that are opening. I am still unsure and unclear about exactly where I am headed, but I know I will be able to use my language skills. I know that whatever is next – maybe missions, or teaching, or church planting, or global consulting – will be exactly what God wants of me in this season of life. And, in true form, it will be rewarding and satisfying, and fulfilling, and full of service.
When you have to pivot – in life or business – it’s ok to feel fear. It’s ok to question. You have to do your best to navigate the unknown, traverse the new. But, don’t shrink. Don’t stay stuck because you’re afraid to let go. The same Power that brought you through the last seasons of life or business will bring you through the new! The same success you had before – in the midst of all the trials and tribulation – you will have going forward. You have to learn to trust. There is a greatness inside of you what will never change! You can, and you will. I can, and I will. He can, and He will.
Pivots are just that – they are simply turns toward something new. They are not the end. Get excited, and stay ready.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thatFIAcoach.com
- Instagram: @lavondilyn @thatFIAcoach
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lavondilyn | www.facebook.com/thatFIAcoach
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/lavondilyn
- Youtube: @thatFIAcoach