Believe It: The One Book Every Coach Should Read to Inspire Their Clients

A story with lessons aplenty for turning weaknesses into strengths for meaningful personal growth

Believe It by Jamie Kern Lima is the success story that every coach (scratch that, every person) should read. It shows that no matter where you start, no matter whatever obstacles you may face, no matter what you look like or where you came from, it’s possible to succeed beyond your wildest dreams

Sure, we’ll run into some old friends like limiting beliefs and self-doubt, but Jamie leaves them in the rearview mirror.

Introducing the IT Girl

The first time I came across Jamie Kern Lima was when she was on my TV screen, her rosacea fully on display. She was red-faced and standing under the hot lights of the QVC studios when she announced that she was about to begin applying some concealer. 

I didn’t see what the big deal was, but I’m a bit of a makeup obsessive so I had to see where this was going. That said, I’m not a babe in the woods when it comes to hyped-up products and their promises so I didn’t have high hopes. 

But . . . there was something very endearing about Jamie’s vulnerability and I gave her serious props for appearing on national television without makeup. She was your confidante who knew your deepest, darkest secrets and wouldn’t judge you for them. Your ride-or-die friend who would never hesitate to show up when you needed her.  

It was just a bonus when the concealer she was selling actually stayed put. Her redness was now imperceptible . . . and a new makeup star was ascending.

Jamie was so successful that the company she founded, IT Cosmetics, ended up becoming one of the biggest-selling luxury makeup brands of all time and she sold it for $1.2 billion to L’Oreal. This was the same company that she started in her living room when she couldn’t find a concealer that delivered when it came to covering up the rosacea with which she had struggled  her whole life.

Gumption? Yeah, this girl had it in spades. 

If you’re a coach who is looking to inspire others, then this book should be part of your library. While there may be familiar lessons, knowing Jamie’s personal journey and the way she reflects upon how it led to her success is invaluable.

Turning Shame Into Power

QVC wasn’t Jamie’s first time on television. In fact, it was during her start as a fledgling news reporter that the seed for IT Cosmetics was planted. While appearing on camera under those boiling lights, Jamie’s makeup would simply melt away, revealing her inflamed and reddened skin. 

It caused her tremendous embarrassment to have her condition revealed while she was in the middle of reporting the local news. Her befuddled co-workers would point out what was happening to her which led to another kind of shame. People were noticing her skin, not her capability as a reporter.

No matter what products Jamie tried (and she tried everything!) to conceal her rosacea, it was never enough. The products never fulfilled their claims to be long-lasting or it was like wearing a mask. There had to be something out there that could not only hide her rosacea but also help her regain her confidence back. It didn’t help that the marketing images she was seeing were full of unattainable perfection that often led regular women to believe that their own beauty was lacking.

Maybe it was time to change the conversation around beauty and maybe she was just the woman to do it.

But she had no background in beauty and had struggled with her own self-worth as a larger-sized woman. How could she possibly create a revolutionary product and convince the invite-only world of beauty that she was the one to sell it?

So begins our hero’s journey.

Visualizing Her Success

“No.”

“No.” 

“No, no, no.” 

“Heck no!”

When IT Cosmetics was getting off the ground, Jamie heard a constant stream of “No.” That included every major department store, Sephora, and Ulta.  Even QVC said no the first time. Yet, they did come around eventually.

When Jamie finally did get her shot at QVC, she took the opportunity to envision what success might look like. She flew out to the QVC studios days before she was to go on air and sat in a rental car in the parking lot. She planned out everything she was going to say and do during her time slot and approached it as if she were an Olympic athlete working their way through their paces in their mind. 

I don’t want to spoil it, but she medaled to say the very least.

Listening To Her Gut

Absolutely no one thought that appearing bare-faced on camera would be a good idea. Jamie was unknown, unproven, and unpolished as far as the beauty community was concerned. Yet, she knew deep in her gut that showing the audience firsthand exactly what her product could do was the only way to truly reach them. 

Everyone told her that doing so would be career suicide, but Jamie did what she knew she had to do. She showed up authentically and got her message across to millions of people nationwide. It wasn’t just about selling her product. Jamie wanted women everywhere to know that each one of them was beautiful in their own way. They didn’t have to change to fit anyone else’s definition of beauty. They were enough. 

That’s not to say Jamie wasn’t terrified to put herself out there like that. She found the courage and wanted to help other women find theirs too.

Helping Others Find Their Courage

Just because you’re a coach doesn’t mean that your voice doesn’t shake anymore. Chances are you were once in the same place that your client is now until you found the courage to change what was holding you back. Now, they’re looking to you for guidance. Being your authentic self for others is a way to give them strength and reassurance just like Jamie did for her customers.

It can be daunting and take every last bit of energy to help others to step fully into their power. You’re left with little energy to keep the communication going with your clients or you don’t have the time to give your website the boost it needs to attract the people looking for someone like you.

I’m here to be the extra pair of hands you need to build your business and reach the people to whom you know you can be of service. Copywriting has endless ways of helping you speak to the world so they know where to find you to heal and empower themselves.