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Tired of your expertise staying hidden? "Writing & Influence," hosted by Elaine Acker, features interviews with accomplished writers and empowers business executives to confidently unleash their thought leadership through compelling content. Discover how to trust your instincts, silence your inner critic, and publish content that truly showcases your unique value. Each episode is packed with actionable insights to help you build your influence and grow your business using the power of words. Ready to turn your expertise into impact? Learn how to transform your knowledge into a powerful content strategy that leads to real results—all with the help from Elaine and her guests!
Ep13_ScottBallard
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Elaine Acker: [00:00:00] Welcome everybody. Today's guest is someone who has built a life and a business around helping people step into their purpose with courage and with clarity. Scott Ballard is a leadership coach, entrepreneur, and I would say an all around encourager who's been helping everyone from CEOs to NFL players find breakthrough after breakthrough.
Now, Scott was a kid with dyslexia, so once upon a time, he believed he was not capable of publishing a book, but he did [00:01:00] it and it's called The Biggest Disability is a Bad Attitude. Why They call Me The Confidence Coach and How I can Help You. So we'll touch on on Scott's book a little bit later today.
And along the way, Scott discovered his superpower, which is encouragement, and he's used that gift to help others see their own brilliance and move forward with confidence. Whether they're growing a business or navigating big life decisions are stepping into leadership. And now, I experienced this myself when I was at Grow 2025.
Scott was offering complimentary coaching sessions and I jumped in. I wasn't gonna miss that, and that one hour was a game changer for me because it reminded me just how much I love teaching, writing, and even though I've been focused on digital courses, I also realized that I wanted to offer live workshops again.
So now that's back [00:02:00] on my priority list, and that's because of Scott. So let's jump into today's conversation with the one and only Scott Ballard.
Scott Ballard: Thank you. I am so excited to be here and to have this conversation and we have so much to talk about 'cause we haven't had a lot of conversations since the event 'cause we've all been busy. But it is my pleasure and I'm just excited to be on this today and to have this conversation. You. You're like, I feel like I've known you my whole life, and so this makes it really easy for me.
Elaine Acker: So Scott, you've worked with a bunch of CEOs and athletes and entrepreneurs, so people from all walks of life, but in your experience, when people come to you, what is this one thing that they all have in common?
Scott Ballard: They all have in common this misunderstanding or not an awareness about the fear [00:03:00] that has crept in, that has held them back from the thing that they're most passionate about or they most love to do or to be. This happens in a lot of different ways, but that's with everybody there is that thing.
And so, I talk a lot about. Identifying fears. And then once we do that, then I talk about what's the truth or what is the thing that you're most passionate about? What's your vision? What's your mission? And we had this conversation and it's, it's really fascinating when you start to get rid of the fear or address it or become more courageous. Then it shows up. You get clarity and this thing that you love and you want to do and, you're gonna create such great value around. And so that's where a lot of the conversation starts. is, is around that. I.
Elaine Acker: Yeah, and it's funny that you brought up fear right away because sometimes when I'm working with somebody on a book project I end up guiding them [00:04:00] through sort of getting beyond that fear factor because they may be fearful that they will fail. They, that they won't, they'll start and they won't finish their book.
Maybe fear of the visibility. All of a sudden they're gonna be in the spotlight, front and center are just thinking that they're not enough. So I find that people probably like postponing their ideas and goals and things. When you're coaching. I find that they have lots of reasons that they think they should postpone that book idea, even though I think their voice deserves to be heard and have to show them what kind of an impact they can have on others.
So tell me more specifically, how are you helping them shift from that fear into courage to take the next steps?
Scott Ballard: Yeah, so this is what's fascinating doing this for 20 plus years is, if I can get somebody to be honest with themselves about what the fear is, then I can ask them [00:05:00] the question, what's the truth about that fear? But we find the truth by looking back in their life. Because they've overcome, they've been courageous and confident before.
So I take them back to a point where they felt courageous in the past, and then we just bring it to the situation today, or the project or the business or whatever. So we borrow courage and confidence in the past. Bring it to today, to this project, this idea, and then I just, I have people, you know this.
I have people stand up and say it out loud. I'm courageous, I'm confident, and this is why. And this is who I am and this is why I can do it. So when they hear themselves and they touch to the back of their life, to the other part of their life, and they bring that forward, it all connects. And then they start taking action because they're like, oh, okay, well that fear's not that big. And I can take a step and I can take another step. And all we're trying to do [00:06:00] is to take baby steps every day.
That's really what we want to do, and it's like a muscle, it builds. When we're courageous and we keep being courageous, then we get stronger in that and we can move forward and we can do things we never thought were possible.
Like write a book,
Elaine Acker: like write a book.
You know, one of the things that I heard from a lot of people who attended Grow and had a chance to sit down with you, you were talking about people kind of standing up and borrowing that courage from past. Events, and I heard over and over again that those conversations really helped make some big shifts for people.
And it was funny because just like in our conversation, I think the thing that shifted for me was when you. You know, when I blurted out all of a sudden, you know, I was doing workshops and you said, where did that come from? That wasn't on the radar. And now here it is, but you had me stand up and start to, if you were leading a workshop, what would it look like?
And [00:07:00] because I've had experience, teaching, writing at the college level, hosting workshops. You know, being a session breakout kind of thing. I have some experience with that and I was able to kind of shift gears and shift into that mode. So I could say, from my own experience that was a really helpful way to get refocused on the things that I would really like to do.
Scott Ballard: Yeah, sometimes we have to sell ourself first on an idea or a concept or a business project that we want to. The first sell really needs to be to myself before I take it to the world or a customer or whatever. And part of standing up is being serious and committed to what you're saying. And when you do that out loud, you hear yourself, you're standing up.
It sticks with people. And it's a beautiful way to create a transformation for somebody's [00:08:00] life. Whatever that may be. Yeah.
Elaine Acker: Well, and speaking of transformations, you know, I've heard you talk about your own business. You kind of started at the kitchen table with a hundred dollars or so. And no real industry experience, I suppose, in the coaching part itself, but you've experienced that same transformation that you're now giving to others.
So what were those mindset shifts and some of the practical steps that helped you, go from this idea and into the impact, especially in those early days?
Scott Ballard: Yeah. Well, I went back to different other parts of my life because I had not been successful in business yet, but I was very successful in sports. Growing up I was very successful in leading. Whenever there'd be a group of people or somebody would have a gathering or whatever, I would always end up being the lead.
I'm like, why is everybody like, you need to lead this thing? And I'm like, ah, I'm [00:09:00] not really. So I, I went back to different parts of my life where I had success or I made progress for myself and I borrowed those pieces and I brought them forward.
And what I found was there was more there than I realized. You know, just for example, in high school sports, you know, I played on a team in a state where we were number one in the state, my junior and senior year. And, just how much I learned about, what that meant and the impact and what my role was in that as a leader, as somebody that actually was a coach on the floor.
So. Yeah, I just pulled from all those things. I'll tell you what, I pulled it from this idea of convincing my wife of, we just celebrated 44 years to marry me and to follow my crazy dreams. And like, you know, she's a brilliant woman. You've met her. I mean, like, she's the brains of everything that we've done. But I had to look back at that and go, okay, I can be convincing [00:10:00] if I need to be, I can be. And so, yeah, I looked at all of those things and I just kept bringing them forward and bringing them into this situation. And they fit, you know, most of them
fit really good and it's a beautiful way to live. We get afraid when we solely focus on the future, the uncertainty of what's ahead of us. And the way you stop that is you look back at the certain things that have happened in your life. And then you bring 'em into the moment and you live into that, and you make that day, that moment, that event, that book, you make that focus on that and not on the things we can't control that are in the future, Right.
Because nobody knows what tomorrow's going to be. So why would I let that so impact me? But man, people [00:11:00] really let them, they get what I call stuckness. Because they're so in the future, they get stuck in the present and they can't move because there's so much uncertainty out there. And I wanna shake them and say, look back to the certain things that you've done in your life and bring 'em to today, and what's the certain thing we can bring into today? What can you know that you know, that you know that you can do and be, and how you can show up today? I love that personally. When somebody, I can help somebody do that, you can just see it on their person. They relax. There's a calmness physically, you can see it happen.
And to me, that's why I have the best job in the world. When I get to see people have those moments, I'm like. Wow, I get to do this. And you know, it's hard to find people nowadays that really feel like they get to do the work that they get to do, and [00:12:00] I'm really fortunate there.
Elaine Acker: Well, and I can speak on behalf of a lot of people when I say we're really glad you do what you do every day and appreciate the effects that you're having, the ripple effects that you're having in the world. So, you know, kind of thinking about impact and words, which of course leads me right back to books.
Talk about creating your book because you did this thing, you created this business, and then you wrote this book. Tell me about your book.
Scott Ballard: there's a lot I could say there, and I don't want to get super emotional, but being somebody and you, you know, that you're a writer, you're all these things that I am not in, in the sense of, you know, but going back to being severely dyslexic in the 1960s. The school system, God bless 'em.
They, there was no training, there was no, they didn't know what was wrong with me.
And so reading and writing [00:13:00] has always been a really big challenge in my life. I've done a lot of things and I've been very fortunate to be able to do a lot of things and get a lot of help and have experts in, in, in all of that. But writing a book for me, and you'll laugh at this 'cause you're an author and you do all this kinda stuff, but I am like the last person on the planet. That I would've ever believed, I would've ever even wrote a book, let alone think about, let alone even entertain the thought for a second, because writing and reading was such an epic challenge. So I was in this group of people that were coaches and we met quarterly and we'd meet down in LA and there was about 20 of us in the room. And we'd just talk about coaching and helping people and serving them and supporting them. And one time I was sitting there and a guy was sitting across the table from me. His name was Michael. He goes, what are you [00:14:00] doing for lunch? And I go, well, I'm gonna walk. I'm just gonna, get a good walk in to clear my mind. He goes, well, can I come with you? And I go, great. Yeah, that's fine. So we start walking and, he said, well, tell me your story he was genius.
He's like, you, he asked the right question. He said, tell me your story. And I go, really? You wanna know my story? You know, and he goes, yeah. So I told him how hard it was. I was suicidal at seven years of age. I tried to kill myself. My dear mom and grandmother, you know, had to lobby against doctors and school systems to get help and all these things, I told 'em the whole story and I told 'em I flunked out three colleges and I passed out of high school because I was so good in sports. They just kind of, I mean, in my small town it was kinda, it's terrible to say, but they're like, yeah, you can go.
And I was never a trouble in school. So I tell the whole story and he goes, you need to write a book. I told him the story of, you know, failing business 10 times, then finding a business and then going nationwide. And he goes, you need to write a [00:15:00] book. People need to hear this. And I go, Michael, I'm severely dyslexic. Like you could tell me to serve a 10 year prison sentence and would probably more lean towards that than to write a book.
And he goes, no. He goes, think of how many people you could help. Think of how many people you could inspire. Think of how many people you could give hope to think of how many people could take some of that and then put it into their life. And I didn't see him again for three months. And he, and the same thing again.
Then he started emailing. Then he would call me and he goes, he goes, you need to do this. And so I told Ale, would you know her? And she goes, babe. When she uses the vape thing, I like, okay, I'm in trouble because she's like, she goes, I talked to Michael and I think you really need to do this. Like this is important. And I said, oh, I don't, I just really don't think so. And she goes, do it for the other people. [00:16:00] Do it for the, the people out in the world that
have struggled the way you do it for them. And that was, that was the turning point for me. When she said, do it for them. Then all of a sudden kind of the walls came down. I reached out to Michael and I said, okay. I was like, I'll do it, but I, I don't know how to, like whatever. And he goes, well, no, this is what I do, and. Anyway, long story short, it was actually very cathartic. It was actually almost like therapy.
It was actually a great gift to myself.
Elaine Acker: Yeah.
Scott Ballard: Now, I've gotten a lot of people, a lot of people have enjoyed it and taken a lot from it, but I think my takeaway to your question is sometimes you need to write the book for ourself. I don't know if that's ever happened to you, but. That's kind of what it ended up being. And then it's had a life of its own after that, obviously. But I [00:17:00] still, today people come up to me and they say, well, you're an author and, and my first thought is no. I never lead with it. Like when I give talks or, or, you know, at conferences or I never talk about being an author. I just did a group of 200 last Wednesday.
I never mentioned it. But it's done more, not only for me, but it's done more for total strangers than I could have hoped or believed. And so at the end of my life, that's gonna be something I'm gonna look back and go, I am so thankful that Michael was persistent, that orle. She made me think about it differently, and that really is one of the things in my adult life, one of my top three accomplishments, and it's not a best teller, it's not any of the, I don't mean in that sense, but I mean in the sense of [00:18:00] if you would've told me in fifth grade that I would write a book. You can't believe how farfetched of a dream that would be for a kid like me. And so it's a epic accomplishment in the sense of where I was and the journey I've been on. And it's also helped me to help other people when they're at that point and they're trying to go, oh, do I really want to commit to doing this?
And I'm like, well, I can share my story and here are the other things I never saw that have come out of that beautiful experience.
Elaine Acker: And I love that, there's always this unlocking of future opportunities and things that you could never have foreseen otherwise, and that's such a beautiful thing.
Scott Ballard: Yeah.
Elaine Acker: Now with your dyslexia, are you a reader? Do you like audio books or are you a [00:19:00] reader at all?
Scott Ballard: Now this is I'll, I'll give you the short version.
I'm a bit of a read aholic because for so long I. I mean, it was so hard. I would get a page done. I would just be kind of worn out mentally, my eyes because of the focus problem or dyslexia and all, all the things. So it's almost like I'm trying to compensate. I have seven books sitting right here that I'm either reading or a part of it, or I, I'm going to read. I've, bookstores are not good for me because I can spend a lot of time in a bookstore. It is that thing that you didn't think you could ever have,
Elaine Acker: Yeah.
Scott Ballard: you know what I mean?
Like, and, and for me, books are that, in fact, I have books I haven't read yet. I just like them. Which I know for, for somebody that's always been able to read [00:20:00] and write and do all that, it doesn't mean anything. But I'm like. This is kind of my thing. And so,
Elaine Acker: Well, behind me is kind of my little reading nook, and I've got several of these books are things that I've collected that are signed. So I have to tell you, I have to add your book to my collection, but you have to sign it for me.
Scott Ballard: do you realize how crazy that sounds to me? You're an author, you're a writer, you're a professional writer for you. Uh, that's why I'm saying that this is what the book is. It continues to stretch me and give back to me because I took the risk. I said yes when I was like, oh, man, what have I just said yes to? I remember the next day. I kind of broke out in a cold sweat. I was like, what did I just do? And it wasn't free. I mean, it was a significant investment. And I was
like, I have to cancel this [00:21:00] because you go, and then I breathe and I calm down on Alina, talk to me.
She goes, no, it may take longer. It may be need, you know, you may need other, but we're committed. We're gonna do this. And it got easier over the, I think, four or five months, six months of it, but the first month was really uncomfortable.
Elaine Acker: Yeah.
New muscles.
Scott Ballard: knew muscles. Exactly. Yeah. But a great life experience.
Elaine Acker: yeah, I love that you did it and that you've become a reader after having had that little piece missing for so long. So, and now that I know that you read all these books and, and you've really dug into it, is there any way you can narrow it down to the top two or three business books that have really influenced your journey?
Scott Ballard: Well, I'll, tell you one. My last company that [00:22:00] we took from our kitchen table to 42 states and the third largest seller of that product in the country. There was one book that was given to me by a client of ours, and it was the E-Myth. Now,
Elaine Acker: yeah.
Scott Ballard: some people don't remember that that's going way back, but that book took me from like. Took me from, from basically an elementary understanding of business to being able to look at something and go. I could scale this to a multimillion dollar op operation just with that book alone. And what I loved about that book is he told, it was in a story form, it was an actual story of a business owner and, and that whole journey. And that really spoke to me because I had failed in 10 businesses in my twenties and early thirties, 10 in a [00:23:00] row. And then Arlene would say, what did you learn and what do you do next time? Then, so when I got that book right at the beginning of the, the 11th business, the one that grew so much, it was kind of like a guidebook to me. And it really resonated with me because it was, it was done in a story, it wasn't done in formulas or strategy so much, but it was like you, I felt like I knew the guy that owned the, the little cafe, I could smell the dough. I don't know. It just, for me, it just was like, wow, okay. I'm not crazy. I have this thought. Well, he's had that thought, you know? And that was really super powerful. Me in that, in that sense. And then I joined a group and some of your people know the Strategic Coach. So, It's a big it was really big in the insurance industry. It's everywhere now, but back in the day, they had a lot, lot of people in our industry joined that.
And Dan [00:24:00] Sullivan is a brilliant thinker, still is today. Anything that he has written about a way of thinking about your thinking is one of his thoughts and I have all his books, is, is so good because we realize that 80% of business results are not results happens in how we think about it. And so that's why a lot of the work I do is, is I ask people all the time, what are you thinking when that happened?
Or when this is going on, or when you think about that or you want to do a live seminar and you wanna teach people in New
York how to write a, like I, I think that's where you get the most. Progress or breakthroughs or transformation for people is if you can help them be aware of their thinking and then help them go where the thinking's actually gonna work for them instead of against them. And we don't realize, [00:25:00] if we don't think about our thinking, it immediately defaults to working against you. And so we have to then bring it forward and go, okay, how can I make this supercomputer work for me? And yeah, I love that. He, he's brilliant and yeah, I'm gonna get myself in trouble here, but I have a guy that's a client of mine that you'll be so proud of me. He has this great, it's called 40 Strategies. His name is Carl Cox. I got him to write a book 'cause of my own book writing, and his book is done amazingly well. And his book is, is phenomenal and his insight of, of how to strategize and scale a business. Yeah, I, I'm, now I'm thinking of a bunch of people.
I don't, I don't, I don't wanna overwhelm people.
Elaine Acker: you know, I just love books and it's because, especially those people that are holding back, but there's [00:26:00] somebody out there that's gonna resonate with that individual and that personality more than anything else. You know, any anybody else. And
when we get out of our own way and allow our knowledge and experience and lessons kind of come through it, it can make all the difference in someone else's life.
And I just think that's huge.
Scott Ballard: You know, I think you're actually in the business of changing people's lives via the writers that you help write their books,
Elaine Acker: Hmm. That feels really
Scott Ballard: and I don't know that there's anything more valuable.
Elaine Acker: Mm-hmm.
Scott Ballard: I have books that I've read 20 times.
Elaine Acker: Me too.
Scott Ballard: Because it, it so speaks to me. Now, they're not all business books. I'm talking about all books.
Elaine Acker: Mm-hmm.
Scott Ballard: a all book reader. I don't, I'm not one of these business people that will only read a business book. I believe [00:27:00] there's a full person we need to serve all that. But I think that is in essence, the way I understand you and what you're doing. And know your heart about it. I think that's what you're doing. You're changing the world by helping people write the book that changes the individual, which then creates the ripple effect that changes the
whole world for better. And I applaud you. I applaud you for doing that at where you're at in life and realizing you can change the world by doing it this way. I saw your heart there in Galveston, and I'm like, we've gotta get that heart out in there and we've gotta put people in front of her so they catch that, right?
Elaine Acker: Wow. I thank you for that and I love that vision. For it. And that feels very true to where I am in terms of [00:28:00] wanting to give back and wanting to encourage people and give them the confidence they need to write the book and unlock the next phase, the new opportunities, whatever comes next.
That might be a good time to talk about, one of the things I wanted to ask you about was joy, because you talked about finding joy in this journey. So for people who maybe they've been a leader for a long time. They've been in business for a long time. Maybe they've had 10 failed businesses.
What do you do to continue to find joy in this journey when you're so often just in the grind?
Scott Ballard: Yeah. So, you know, the first obvious answer is gratitude, right?
That's the first, obvious way to think about that, but. Joy. It's interesting. Now you're gonna, it's gonna be hard for me to condense what I wanna say here because joy's really become a big thing in our [00:29:00] practice in the last year or two. We can start with gratitude, but to attach yourself to joy. Joy is not an outward thing that happens to me. Joy is an inward decision I make moment by moment. So being happy most of the time happens to me, right? But being joyful is, I woke up this morning, our granddaughter's staying with it.
She's three years old, being joyful as her. Running in with her 85 pound Labradoodle and jumping on the bat and going, good morning, papa. That's A joy now that I can use all day long. No matter what comes at me, I can go back and embrace that joy, right? Because that's internal, that that's a, a thing of love and kindness and mercy and grace and all those things.
And so joy is a choice that I have to make. And most of the time it's a decision between joy or [00:30:00] fear or anxiety or stress or shame. So I have to be aware what I'm choosing and I choose to, to choose Joyce. So when I was in Galveston with you and all of your people, what I kept saying to myself in between each one, and you'll love this lane.
Like you'll, you'll understand. 'cause you, you are biggest proponent of people coming to see me in between each one. This is what I did. I'm gonna let you my secret out. I am embracing joy for this next person so I can be the best version of myself to serve them so that they may experience their own joy and transformation in this next hour. And I would say that out loud in the room by myself. In between you guys coming down and all that was going on. Orle doing all that she was doing so that I could get back. And so when you walked in the room or whoever it was, I could be present and I could come from that joy 'cause I performed the highest. And performance [00:31:00] maybe is a, a tough word, but I perform the best to serve people if I'm already in joy. Because then it's kind of effortless. You know, people say, well, how did you do 32 in two days? We'll say all these. I was like, well, it's full of joy. I just, I felt more joyful at the end, at the beginning, but I have to choose that because I. Stress will come in there anxiousness, fear, doubt, shame you know, thoughts of imposter syndrome, what are you doing thinking you can coach these people. You don't even know the, like, I have all that and then I insert joy. And my joy was, gosh, I just had the greatest conversation with you. And so the
next person walks in and it's like they don't have a chance. We had such a thing, and a lot of that was your openness, your willingness to walk in and do that, that it just creates its own momentum of joy.
Elaine Acker: Mm-hmm.
Scott Ballard: And by Friday night at [00:32:00] Catherine House, I was kind of like, I didn't really sleep that night. I mean, we stayed with them and I, I was like, it was hard to sleep.
And then we spent the day, you know, with Catherine Ryan debriefing from. And it was kinda like I maybe slept seven or eight hours during that whole conference. And,
Elaine Acker: Wow.
Scott Ballard: But because Joy was my constant choice, I had energy, I could be about you because I felt really good about where I was at.
Elaine Acker: Yeah.
Scott Ballard: Right? I, I,
Elaine Acker: I thought that was amazing.
Scott Ballard: Is powerful.
Elaine Acker: through that many people and sustain that kind of energy and groundedness and attention for the next person that walked in.
Scott Ballard: Yes.
And actually, it got easier as it went along. Even through Friday night, you know, and everybody that was there and all [00:33:00] that was going on, it got easier. And then Saturday with me and Catherine and Ryan and Orle, I mean, that was five hours and that was just so, there was such a connection and there was so much wisdom that had been drawn and there was so much to celebrate and there was so much learning because we are in the state of joy. When your mind is in the state of joy, it's at its optimum performance. I know a lot about the brain 'cause I have all kinds of weird brain stuff. So I've studied, I've gone to brain experts, all this stuff like joy is like the ultimate endorphins for your brain. So when we can step into that, not acting, but we can just be there, it's amazing what can happen. And you know, like I told Catherine at the end of Saturday and we, we left and we went up to Austin for a couple days, but I said to her, I [00:34:00] said, Gino, I'm just so grateful for the opportunity you, you have given us. For your people and you know, the joy, this, this, this, and I can always go back to that. If I have
bad days, I have difficult things. I mean, I'm human just like everybody, but I can instantly go to our conversation. I go like, I can just see her with people in Manhattan at the hotel and she's doing her thing. And I would fly in and go, I just want to sit on the sidelines and like, and just be amazed like, wow, she's flying. I just, to me, I think that's what the world's missing is how we honor and respect and joyfully celebrate and see the brilliance in others and, and support it and, and be there for them. That's what changes everything. And I don't, I, you can't [00:35:00] overdo that. I've never.
I've tried to push the boundaries and I'm like, well, nope, I'm still going. I'm not a young person. I mean, I was born in 59, so I in a lot of ways feel much younger today than I did 20 years ago. Not in the sense of years, but in the sense of when you're doing what I think you're made to do. I told somebody that I did a podcast the other day. I said, I haven't worked in 20 years. And the guy kinda looked at me because he didn't really know me. He was just interviewing me and he was like, what? That doesn't make any sense. And he kind of got a little, and I was like, no, let me explain. I get to do this
Elaine Acker: Yeah.
Scott Ballard: and I get to be with people like you. So it's all good.
Elaine Acker: Wow. And I always love spending time with people like you, and I'm sure there's a lot of people who are listening who are going to be wondering how they get to spend time with somebody like you. So where should people find you?
Scott Ballard: Well, we're we, we do have a website, which [00:36:00] I don't. My contact information's on there and, and you know, my wife, which is the CEO of our company, not me. She's, she's the boss, the owner. She orchestrates all of that. You know that, I mean,
you, you saw that, and so I. Yeah, I just go and serve and support and do where, where the door is open. We do a lot of our stuff.
Initially, no obligation. We don't charge when we believe that serving people deeply, at least three or four times is actually the best for them and for us to know whether or not. There's something more long-term that we wanna do as a trusted advisor for them or a coach or whatever. And that's worked really well. And then we know them and they know us and we're, you know, somebody said the other day, well, everybody's a coach. [00:37:00] And I go, absolutely. And I said, I used to worry about that. And then what I've realized coaching so many people now is I'm the only one that coaches like I coach.
Elaine Acker: You are
Scott Ballard: I have no program process.
I have, I have nothing 'cause I never know what's going to happen. But I've become so bold now in my joy to say, in the next 15 minutes, your life is gonna change. And it does over and over and over. And that's out of joy, that's out of courage. That's out of. We're just so fortunate. We have partners like Catherine that have amazing people.
We do a lot of these conferences now where we just go and serve the people that are at the conference and then whatever happens, happens. But if you do that, and you know this, I mean, you're this person, it all good stuff comes out of that. And we've been privileged, we've been able to. [00:38:00] Some amazing people that I would've
never thought would've wanted to or been excited to. And you know, Catherine's one of those people when we met her, you know, she had a tiny group.
Literally it was, it was on life support. then we met her and I got to start coaching her, and I was like, she's a world changer. This is global, what you're doing. And you know, now I think there's 13 or 14 groups. There's a couple more that, you know, she's doing her event in London next month. And I'm not, I'm the least surprised person. I mean, I know who she is in here, right? So,
Elaine Acker: It's exciting to be part of that with other people that
Scott Ballard: oh yeah.
Elaine Acker: have big dreams and are willing to take action to get there.
Scott Ballard: We need that. You, we need each other. And we've kind of fallen into, we don't need each other. We desperately do more now than ever in my [00:39:00] life. I've never, the number one struggle for entrepreneurs, business owners, CEOs, whatever you want, is loneliness. That,
because when we feel alone, fear has a much bigger impact on what we do or do not do. But when we're together, like at Grow 25, like the things that people have done out of that, you know, people have sent me emails, videos, all it's crazy because they were together and they felt courageous and they felt good and they collaborated, which we're doing, and you were gracious enough to say, let's do this.
And I love doing these things.
It's a
Elaine Acker: I love getting the word out, so I appreciate you being with me today.
Scott Ballard: Yeah. Oh no. It's a blessing for me. It's a blessing. You were the biggest instigator to us overbooking the calendar to the point of we didn't know we were [00:40:00] gonna make it to the after party 'cause people were landing up outside the door. I was like, we need to talk to a lady about.
Elaine Acker: I got excited. I wanted people to know about it
Scott Ballard: they didn't, I think we didn't get to everybody, but that's okay. There'll be a next time and, we'll do that for sure.
Elaine Acker: Well, thank you Scott. As we wrap up, do you have any parting words for us? Anything else you wanna say?
Scott Ballard: Yeah. Yeah. Everything you want, everything we all want is on the other side of our fear.
Elaine Acker: Hmm.
Scott Ballard: It really is. I know that sounds over simple, but if you really think about that and step into that you can create this life, this business it's all there for you. It's all there for you. Yeah.
Elaine Acker: Thank you again for being here and I will look forward to more conversations very
Scott Ballard: We'll do it. I'm gonna hold you to that.
[00:41:00]