I’d already written a book but when I started writing a second book I got a little lost with working and not having the discipline to get done what needed to be done.

And I thought, you know what: I’ve worked with a lot of coaches in different areas of my business, so why not with my writing as well?

I wasn’t definitely looking for a book coach, at the start.

I’d written 50,000 words, but it felt more like I’d written a course. It didn't feel like a book. It didn’t really have a start and finish; it was missing something, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. Then, while I was chatting to a couple of people in my mastermind group, someone suggested a coach—and literally about two days later, I was on a call with Vicky.

I don’t know whether I’m a rare client or not, but I don’t really worry about the cash as long as I get the value I want and need. I had more reservations about having the time to do the work, as I’d already sat on this book for about six months and done nothing with it because I didn’t have time.

The biggest challenge for me was going to be actually having the weekly sessions and then getting the work done.

I understand the value a good coach brings

I felt straight away from speaking to Vicky that this was right. 

This was what I needed to give me a kick up the backside and get finished. But actually, I say get finished—we ended up starting the whole thing again. And here we are, with the book I wanted to write.

I understand the value of what a coach brings—a good coach—and Vicky is a good coach. Oftentimes I could be on a call for 10 minutes and just say, ‘I’ve got what I need now. That’s it.’

Consistency is crucial

Consistency is really important. I love the catch-up on Zoom every week. And Vicky’s advice is great and also quite simple: she’s thorough and explains things really well. The key thing for me is: you don’t know what you don't know.

I might be thinking of something in a certain way, then Vicky puts the reader’s slant on it and with just a few tweaks it’s where it needs to be—and it always flows better. I think that experience of being able to put yourself in the reader’s position and be objective is really quite rare.

The way Vicky thinks about the structure and the flow of the book as a whole makes a big difference.

Post-call notes are really useful

Not many coaches provide you with notes afterwards, but Vicky does. I’ve found that really useful as a refresh because I tend to have my call on a Friday and then I sit on the book until Monday. I’ve got a pattern for my own writing and this works really well for me. Sometimes I can just go through the notes Vicky sends through and it almost brings me back to the call—which means I can get started really quickly.

I kind of know what I need to say cause I’m dumping ideas and thoughts out of my own brain, but there’s often just too much of it. I think the bullet points, the notes I get after each call, bring me back into what I should be focusing on.

Accountability: I like to get things done

If you're paying money, you’re going to turn up to a call every week. I am someone who likes to get things done so if I say I'm going to do something, I want to make sure I do it—and a little bit more if I can. The accountability is really important.

Obviously, a lot of this is down to me because I’m sure some people would turn up to the call and go over the same things again, then not hit their targets the next week. I’ve been there myself in the past. But having someone who’s invested in your book and success is very motivating.

Walking the walk

Vicky isn’t only a book coach; she actively writes her own books as well as ghostwriting for other clients. So she’s doing what she’s teaching.

Which is very valuable.

She’s completely invested

A big benefit of Moxie Coaching is Vicky herself: just her approach to life. She’s always happy and positive.

I don’t know whether she’s ever had a bad morning before we’ve had our call, but I don’t ever feel that. I can tell she’s completely invested in making sure that session is a good one for me, and I get what I need from it.

I know where to send people who are ready to write their books

If it’s the right person, I’d definitely send them to Vicky. I know people who are keen to write books, but I know they’re not ready yet. The minute they are, obviously I know where to send them. Many of them are my coaching clients as well.

I found Vicky through my friend Lisa. When I mentioned my book, Lisa said, “Oh, why don’t you speak to Vicky Fraser?” Lisa and I are in the same mastermind group, and I read Lisa’s book on recruitment, which was cool.

Lisa introduced us via LinkedIn—and as soon as we connected, I saw a post by Vicky saying that she was looking to fill a coaching slot. She was looking for one more client and the timing was perfect.

I reached out and said, “I'll take the slot, don’t worry about the call, let’s just get started.” Recommendations are really important. If someone recommends you and then you have a great experience, you can’t really  go wrong.

People who are part of your success

I might embarrass Vicky a little, but I think as you’re building your business, you meet people along the way who form part of that journey. I’ve got my business coach, who I’ve worked with for nine years, the accountant I’ve been with for nine years, and various mastermind groups that help make me successful. I’d include Vicky as one of those people as well.

They say you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with. When you’ve got a coach of any sort, or mentor, if you connect with people, you have to be quite open and vulnerable about yourself and your imperfections and the things you’re not so good at.

I think Vicky is pretty special in that sense. She’s one of the people I’d call on if I need to achieve something in my business. I’d think: I need my business coach, my accountant, and I need Vicky. There’s about five or six people I would pull together and we could make anything work. I think she’s one of those people.

She’s authentic. I know she’s got jobs to do, I know she’s got a business to run, I know she needs to sell her services to people—but I feel like we’re very similar in the sense that there’s a real integrity about what she does.

When you’ve got people like that in your world, you’ve got to keep close to those people. So let’s hope she doesn’t get too busy in the future because I’ve got lots to write.