Boston Blake
Boston Blake is a Life and Career coach.
If your business could have a mascot, what would it be and why?
I think an elephant would make a good mascot for Mythic Coaching. Specifically an elephant wearing a broken chain around her ankle. Elephants are among the most majestic, powerful creatures on the planet, and humans tame them by chaining them to a post when they are young.
A baby elephant will struggle and fight for their freedom, injuring herself in her attempts to break the chain, but eventually she gives up. As an adult, the same elephant, many times larger and stronger, can be bound by the same chain that was used to subdue her when she was young. Though she could easily break free, she doesn’t even try because she remembers the pain and frustration of fighting against it in her youth.
This is an apt metaphor for the human experience. The human spirit is magnificently powerful, but we are conditioned as children to remain small. We are taught to believe in limitations that are really lies. Most people go their whole lives and never try to break the chain that is no more than a thread because they fear the pain of it–and so they never get to experience their own power.
The elephant with the broken chain serves as a reminder that we have more power than we realize, and that limiting beliefs and cultural indoctrination that once bound us are breakable when we’re ready to step into our power. That’s what Mythic Coaching is for.
What strategies do you employ to maintain a healthy work-life balance while running your own business?
Meditation is essential. 20 minutes, twice a day. It supports my life in countless ways, but it especially helps me stay attuned to the simple wonder of being alive.
To manage my time, I also use a color-coded calendar with different colors for each of four areas: health and fitness, career, relationships, and spirituality. I try to maintain a color balance for each week. I also do my best to design my activities so that they serve multiple areas. For example, a hike with friends serves fitness and relationships.
When faced with unexpected detours on your business path, how do you pivot with grace and resilience, showing fellow women entrepreneurs the way forward?
Well, for one thing, I never expect the road to be straight. Even the idea that there is a path for an entrepreneur is kind of absurd to me. For us, there is no such thing as an ordinary day. I set my goals for the quarter, and then I start to move toward them. But I take life as it comes and I do my best to embrace it. The people, opportunities, challenges, and detours. That’s the adventure! That’s LIFE!
Paths are for someone who is content days that all look the same–predictable tasks and challenges that are familiar and repetitive. I understand that some people–maybe even most people–prefer that, but nothing about it appeals to me. I also consider such a path dangerous. Because life will inevitably throw something at you that is new, bigger, and scarier than what you’ve faced. And people who have a predictable loop are ill-equipped for such a challenge.
So when something unexpected occurs, I approach it with gratitude and curiosity. I choose to see it as a gift and I try to learn what it’s here to teach me.
How do you measure the success of your business beyond financial metrics, such as customer satisfaction or community engagement?
I check in with my clients every three months to take stock of their progress. For me, success it the degree to which they take responsibility for their own decisions, actions, growth, and learning as they move toward their goals.
The ultimate measure of success for me is a referral. Since my client list is confidential and conversations can be sensitive, referrals are a demonstration of deep trust.
Can you share a memorable moment where you witnessed significant growth or transformation in your business, illustrating the impact of your services/products?
I spent a lot of time and money learning about marketing, especially social media marketing. The topic was fascinating and I loved learning the systems and software–but something felt wrong to me. The bar for ethics in marketing is terribly low.
Psychologically manipulative tactics like meaningless countdown timers and attempts to hack people’s subconscious to force decision-making are ethically abhorrent to me. Marketing funnels that dehumanize people by reducing them to numbers and percentages does not align with my values.
That’s when I realized that my work is all about empowering people–and these tactics undermine people’s personal sovereignty. This observation resonated with my clients and colleagues. I decided to stop thinking in terms of marketing, but instead in terms of art and creativity.
I don’t market, sell, or get clients. I create and share content–podcasts, videos, articles, and webinars– and invite people to experience my work through workshops and one-on-one coaching. And before someone commits to a one-on-one coaching engagement, I ask them to get very clear about it. Are they all in, or would it be better to wait?
The result was more engaged clients, if possibly fewer of them. Clients who had made a powerful decision up front were more likely to continue to make powerful decisions and stand by them. To learn and grow from them. It was a game-changer and has made my work more satisfying and effective.
What role do you believe mentorship plays in the success of small businesses, and how have mentors influenced your own entrepreneurial journey?
I’m always working with more experienced mentor coaches. It’s great to try what others have tried and see whether it works for me too. Experiencing other styles and techniques not only helps me grow my own skills, but it also helps me develop my own style and recognize what is unique and special about my approach.
Some mentor coaches I’ve worked with are tough and hardcore. Others are dazzling and inspiring. My style is adventurous, deep, and reflective.
What’s your work all about, and how does it make a difference in the world?
My work is about helping people remember that life is a gift and a privilege. We are not here merely to survive. Life is not in money or things or accomplishment. Life can be a playful game or a grand adventure. Our culture would have us believe that our value lies in doing the work it wants us to do. I’m here to remind people the world’s opinion has nothing to do with their innate value. What we do with our lives can be an expression of our own deepest values, and living a life of personal dignity, authenticity, and integrity can transform us, our communities, and the broader world.
Get in touch with him:
https://www.youtube.com/@BostonBlake
https://medium.com/@bostonblake
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bostonblake/
https://www.facebook.com/mythiccoaching
https://www.instagram.com/boston.blake/