Some people run to risk. Some people run away from risk. Only if you run to risk can you hope to some day gain its rewards. Running from risk saves you from feeling the sting of disappointment but it teaches you nothing and it rarely results in rewards.

If you want to advance in your life or in your business while avoiding as many risks as possible, hire a coach.

I have found the most satisfying experience in life is that of trying something new, whether it’s large or small, and achieving it. All of those little achievements build on one another and have the potential of leading to ultimate success. Google or YouTube are fabulous “coaches” for some of the smaller things we want to learn, such as how to use a certain tool or learning how to play a new song on your favorite instrument.

More complicated skills to learn involve communications and performance. Do you know that there are at least nine forms of communication? Face-to-face, handwritten, text, email, constant messaging, body language, silent communication, sensory perception, and the arts. And performance involves what you see and also what you don’t see, called inspired performance.

We can save a lot of time, money and heartache if we master these communication skills. For example, in business one bad hire will cost a company upwards of $15,000, which represents 30% of an individual’s expected first year earnings. An inspired performance brought my company a seven-figure multi-year assignment, and many smaller assignments over the years.

Visit outfluence.com/coaching to learn how a small investment in coaching can change your life and benefit your business. Don’t run away from risk and lose opportunity. Rather, run toward a coach who will help you capitalize on opportunity by building skills and sharing experience.