When a Setback Becomes a Comeback
In 2011, Teresa Ray was five years into owning her own coaching, training, and consulting business. A big fan of John Maxwell, she was using his books to teach leadership lessons to her clients and even passed out a few copies. So, when she received an email notifying her that John was building a team, she was immediately ready to join. “At first, I just wanted to learn from John. I had one mission: meet him, thank him, and learn from him.”
“When you’re alone or a small business, it can be difficult.” She says. While she knew she was a talented coach, she was also aware that she needed to grow herself in other areas in order to sustain her success. “No one has the entire package. A great coach doesn’t make a great accountant, contract proposal writer, business owner, etc. We have to know the areas we can grow in while maintaining a growth plan for our strengths.” Teresa began delving into the abundance of resources the John Maxwell Team provided.
Almost immediately, she realized that the team would give her more than she’d expected. “I suddenly had a team of mentors and team members. We helped, grew, supported, cheered, and celebrated each other.” While she’d always felt connected to John, she hadn’t realized that there were thousands of people like her who shared her passion for living a life of significance. “All of it surprised me and blessed me simultaneously.”
As she began forging deeper connections with her peers, she discovered a new level of support when her business fell apart. “I lost everything. That’s not an exaggeration. I was raking in a huge six figure paycheck and then I got comfortable, stopped feeding the pipeline, missed the cues that I needed to in order to make a shift, and suddenly, I had zero income.” At a low point, she began to seek the wisdom of fellow team members to help her through. She learned that failure happens to everyone, at one point or another, and that as long as you continue to grow through your experiences, you’ll always win in the end. “I learned my lessons,” she says. “I proudly wear those scars and I’ve kept climbing the mountain.”
As a founding member of the John Maxwell Team, Teresa believes that everyone has a God-given purpose and, as long as you maintain focus and continue to grow, you can always live out your dream. “I’m living proof that you can do this. You can follow your dreams and have tremendous success!”
If you want to follow your dreams, and achieve success through the John Maxwell Team right alongside Teresa, click here to speak to one of our program coordinators and begin your journey today!