Written by: Maxwell Nee, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
COVID put a hold on Marieke’s old way of life, but one simple decision brought her life-changing progress in the blink of an eye...
Marieke Egan has one of the coolest jobs in the world.
As an Antarctic expedition leader, she has spent years leading tourists into some of the
wildest, most remote corners of our planet.
Then COVID happened. The tourism industry was on hold – indefinitely.
The world went into hibernation, and she had no idea how long it would be before she sailed again.
Marieke suddenly found herself searching for a satisfying, enriching new venture. One that would fulfill her in the same way her old job did.
As an expedition leader, Marieke took high-performing teams and high-end guests on exciting physical journeys on ships all over the world.
The idea evolved to use the skills she had built over a lifetime, to lead people on journeys of the mind, heart, and soul. Combining her team leadership and development experience with her background as a trained psychologist with seven years working with autistic children, Marieke knew she had a unique set of emotional and clinical skills. These could help many more people live bigger, stronger, happier lives. Coaching – becoming a life coach – was going to be the next leg of the journey.
After a decade of life on the road, living on every continent for months at a time, Marieke knew a thing or two about facing fears and doing it anyway and getting outside of her comfort zones so many times.
“I wasn’t the only one who realized they had to reinvent themselves to make a living.” So, she swapped life on the high seas for a new life helping people navigate the distressing waters of anxiety, depression, and addiction – then rebuilding their mindset so they can free themselves, live fearlessly and with confidence.
She took her time figuring out what her next steps would be, and a lot of soul-searching took place. “People aren’t going to knock on my door, so what do I do now?”
She put herself through months of training on coaching. Created content. Built a website. Saw her inbox flooded with free eBooks. And registered for one free webinar after the next.
She ticked ALL the ‘must-tick’ boxes from many coaching gurus. The result was overwhelm and confusion. “One person says this, the other says that I knew I had a lot to give, but I just didn’t know how to get it out there.”
There was just one problem. None of this was telling her how to reach and attract clients.
A chance encounter with High-Performing Coach (HPC) on Facebook made Marieke realise she could reach people, she could be an in-demand life coach, and make the massive impact with people she desired. “What Ryan (Mathie – HPC’s founder) was writing about really resonated with me.”
As soon as she signed up for our Free-2-Hour Workshop, Marieke says she felt at home with HPC’s values and strategies. “I felt like I was already in the right place… and I decided to book a breakthrough call with Tina Brigley.” Most ‘breakthrough calls’ feel like sales calls, but this one was very different. Our goal on every call is to deliver real, deep breakthroughs, so coaches can walk away clearer about their business – regardless of whether they decide to work with us. It was no different for Marieke. “I think within seconds I was in tears talking to Tina and saying ‘I have no idea what I’m doing – I feel lost!’.” As is often the case, a ‘breakdown’ led to a breakthrough. One that gave Marieke a valuable insight into how and why her future clients would want to work with her, and why she needed to invest in HPC’s LAUNCH program.
“To invest in yourself can feel really scary… But if I don’t invest in myself now and ONCE AGAIN step outside of my comfort zone – who else is going to invest in me?!”
The ‘Will I get a return on this investment?’ fear Marieke felt when it was time to pull out her credit card and invest in HPC is a moment she now shares with her own
potential clients.
Her ability to relate to her potential clients, and help them realise she’s been in their shoes and got amazing results through coaching, calms their nerves and gets them excited about working with her.
“I was having clients who were ready to step out of life, but are now flourishing,” Marieke says.
“Some quite intense situations sometimes, and now the transformations that I’m seeing, and the feedback I’ve been receiving – it’s like HOLY MOLY! That’s impossible! and I’m so humbled when I get that feedback.”
Marieke says enrolling in LAUNCH was like pressing the fast-forward button on her coaching career. It triggered wave after wave of mindset shifts and empowered her to use her skills to transform her clients’ lives.
“I finally felt like I was receiving the tools and guidance and coaching I needed to reach clients… I soaked it up like a sponge. It was a masterclass in coaching.”
She says experiencing how HPC delivered powerful transformations in herself and other coaches informed how she works with her own clients today.
“Observing the way that you (Tina Brigley) and Ryan and Max coach people – you’re all magnificent coaches – and I learned so much from that…
Within 3 weeks of starting “LAUNCH”, Marieke had her first client – an exhilarating experience. “Suddenly I felt like this person’s life and her transformation was in my hands… and now I get to show up and have to be there for them.”
Since that first client, Marieke’s business and reputation grew quickly, going from zero clients to $25,000 in just her first six months. Far more importantly, she is delivering LIFE-SAVING transformations to her clients.
“A client messaged me on WhatsApp the other day… she was talking to a friend about the coaching and about me, and she said ‘Marieke really, truly saved my life!’
“I thought because I got out of my way and I got out of my limiting beliefs, I was able to help her do the same and when you look at it like that – like paying it forward – it’s an incredibly rewarding journey.”
For any new coach who doubts their ability to deliver breakthroughs and be the leader and confidant their clients need, she has this advice.
“Step into your courage. You can’t wait for confidence to happen – you need to go and get it. BEING a coach is where you build your confidence.’’
“After the first few times, I already felt WAY more confident, because I could see I was already having a great impact. I am amazed and honoured to be a part of my clients’ transformation. But I also know that I helped them find their new direction. Several have said to me, It’s the best investment I’ve made in my life.”
Today, armed with her life experience, bulletproof confidence, and the tools to succeed from our LAUNCH program, Marieke has a deeply enriching and satisfying coaching business and helps her clients become the happiest and best versions of themselves. Your road to building a successful business, and serving more people than you thought possible starts with booking your own breakthrough call. Don’t worry – our call is unlike any you’ve been on before.
No pressure. No hype. No obligations. It’s simply an opportunity to find out a little bit more about your business and give you some free advice about what’s holding you back, and how you can overcome that.
Whether we work together after that is entirely up to you – but I’d love the chance to meet you before you decide.
Maxwell Nee, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Maxwell Nee is a Co-founder & Head of Growth at High Performing Coach – a 7-figure business in a saturated industry, which grew 300% during the COVID-19 Lockdown selling out online events. Maxwell started selling tickets for events when I was 16, generating $3,000, with zero marketing budget. To date, with his team, he sold out 8 live events in the 12 months during the crisis, helping thousands of coaches to build their businesses during huge uncertainty. They partnered with influencers such as Marisa Peer, Daniel Priestley, Harville Hendrix & Helen Hunt (17 times Oprah guest speaker). From quitting his corporate job, being hit with bankruptcy after his first investment fell flat, to sleeping on a friend's couch and selling his Bose Bluetooth Speakers to get by – Maxwell a unique and powerful understanding of what it really takes to succeed.
