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To succeed in business, you need to have the confidence to make tough calls, the discipline to stick to your guns, yet the knowledge to know when to take a different route. That's where people like Jerome Shore come in. "The biggest issue blocking people's paths is the fear of failure," says Shore, co-founder of The Coaching Clinic in Toronto. "In fact, that's often the only issue."

Shore teaches executives how to conquer doubts, eliminate distractions, and be more productive, both at work and at home. Shore honed his mentoring skills during an advertising career, dealing with heavyweight clients that included Coca-Cola, American Express and General Foods. His work-based philosophy — 'working intelligence' - trains execs to "do more of the right stuff and less of the wrong."

Mr. Shore was here to discuss how achieve your goals, break bad habits and overcome other work-related stresses. To join the conversation, please click here

Noel Hulsman, globeandmail.com, writes: Hi Jerome, thank you so much for joining us today. One of the first things that most successful entrepreneurs say, when asked how they made it in business, is that they were prepared to take risks, and despite doubts that they, or others may have had, they persevered. I know that overcoming the fear of failure is one of the most common issues you address in your clinic. I look forward to reading your thoughts on the subject this afternoon. On that note, I will turn it over to the readers.

Paul Quinnell from Calgary writes: My coaching business is one in which I feel technically capable. I am also acting on my business plan. My fear is about risking. I'm acutely aware that I'm the 'risk' due to my lack of financial intelligence (investing, buying real estate, etc.). It's knowledge and experience that builds confidence and success. I would welcome a mentor as a guide, but that notwithstanding, what resources would you recommend for me to become more savvy?

Jerome Shore writes: Hi Paul. Firstly, to the degree you are a Financial Subject Matter Expert as a coach, it's important to actually believe you're know more than your clients. I imagine you do almost all of the time. So you ought not to be the 'risk' in reality. So the first resource is the belief you know what you're talking about.

Secondly, whether being an Financial SME is necessary or not in your coaching business, coaches do many other things. I generally think that as a coach I'm helping my clients 'polish' and 'sort' many skills they have. I've determined more than 25 elements of coaching that I use as any time. Some of these are; radar, beacon, confrontation, helping hand, director, gardener, weeder, mirror, patience, cheerleader, optimist and others. It's knowing that I can use many of these elements when I'm coaching that gives me confidence. The second resource is a variety of techniques.

Thirdly, make 'persistence' a resource for yourself. Figure out what you really do to make money and set aside time to be doing that early every day. In my work the thing I really do to make money is 'start and cultivate relationships with people who can write me a cheque'.

Harry Schmidt from near Shanghai, China writes: I lecture student at this large university how to become successful 'business women/men'; that their speak. To first think of what growth business will suit them in the future. Then research as best as they can how much or how big the market will be. Write a business plan not only for potential investors, but for themselves as well. Stick to it, and not get sidetracked by other quick moneymaking deals, and hence abandon their discipline. Don't take money out of the business for two years.
What can you add to that?

Jerome Shore writes: I really like the part about not getting sidetracked. I feel a lot of people let new ideas divert them because they are afraid to work through some tension or fear in their own business. I've always noticed that my most successful clients are ones who are rather narrow focused just doing more and more of the same that's working for them.

I also think it's why the most successful people are not the smartest but rather are those that are content to keep focused. If you are too smart you need or want the diversions to interest you. So what I would add is to 'learn from diversions'. That means that usually you must recognize when you're on or starting a diversion and then just stop and go back to what you're supposed to be doing. A coach can be really helpful here.

Robert Baril from Canada writes: I am in my mid-40's and have always wanted to start my own business. Now, it seems that this will happen. I have the financial means, time and knowledge to do this but the timing seems a concern to me with the U.S. going into a recession. What is your advise to someone that wants to start a business during a recession period?

Jerome Shore writes: It's a good time to start, since other people will hesitate and if you don't wait you get a head start. I worked on Merrill Lynch's advertising in the 70's and one thing they did was to keep advertising during the downturns in the market while their competition hunkered down. It served Merrill Lynch very well when things turned around.

The other thing to remember is that a recession is a small thing relative to the whole. The world economy is probably 200 or 300% larger that it was in 1980. If it goes down 1% or 2% in the next year it's still awfully huge.

Your business idea has plenty of market to chase after. Just do it.

Jason Knell from Canada writes: Assuming the fear of failure is all that is standing in your path, how do you overcome it?

Jerome Shore writes: Break whatever you have to do into a formula of baby steps that you can do. Since almost all business is really about profiting from a variety of relationships it's really a fear of rejection in some way.

Another idea if you know who you fear being rejected by, hire someone to approach those people. Think of all the different kinds of people who handle these roles; recruiters, distributors, sales agents, secretaries, virtual assistants etc.

Or maybe design what you have to do to get it done electronically. And to some degree advertising was invented for salespeople who had a fear of rejection.

Michael Daren from Toronto writes: Hi jerome, Please tell me how to wean oneself from daily income generating activities into longer term strategic ones without lowering one's immediate income?

Jerome Shore writes: Hi Michael. Have a plan to be looking backward from success which includes evolution [as opposed to revolution; burning bridges for example].

Start with a pretty good idea of what success will look like in three years. That is describe the optimal situation and differences that you want. Then describe what the journey will look like in two years [as you begin the third year]. Then from that point look back one more year to what your situation will be in one year and now, devise some steps that will get you to your one year milestone. You could divide this first year into monthly or quarterly steps. So you start with the elements of your plan that will get you to your first milestone and that's all you focus on. It's like a long golf hole. You're working backward from the green continually trying to get your ball into the right position in preparation for the next shot. Of course, as you know, anything else is easier than golf.

This is very different from the way most people handle their job. They feel that if they just go to work everyday and do a good job that day, the universe will provide the satisfactions, raises and promotions they want. Actually to be really successful your plan must be worked backwards not forwards.

Craig Taylor from Toronto writes: I have been self-employed for 15 years and own a successful home based marketing agency. Over the past few years our client list has grown and so has the workload. With 4 school aged children, maintaining the household and running the business, I am at a breaking point. I work with free-lancers who provide copywriting, photography, media advice and technical programming as well as a part-time art director. I do my own book keeping, IT etc. I need to determine a way to delegate the work more evenly or add more people to the equation. I am looking at hiring a book-keeper - not sure what else to do to lighten the load. Your suggestions to save my sanity would be appreciated.

Jerome Shore writes: You know you need to delegate out everything that can be done cheaper than your hourly rate or better than you can do it. So, for sure you need to move out bookkeeping, IT, etc. Also tour a few Virtual Assistant sites to see what services they offer. They might be able to do some things you're not aware you can farm out. For example you could engage a VA to find you a bookkeeper, IT person etc. and save time there.

The quantum leap idea in self-employment is to get rid of clients that are profitable so you can focus on clients and prospects that are more profitable. So assuming you don't have any unprofitable clients make a list of your clients on a scale that combines profitability by hour and satisfaction. Then either fire the bottom third or half or find other marketing consultants for them [where you might retain some of the profits as a referral fee]. Then use your time to find more clients like the ones you didn't jettison. Do this in an evolutionary way, i.e. slowly so as not to reduce your income too precipitously.

Noel Hulsman, globeandmail.com, writes: Jerome, we've got well over our hour. Lots of great questions and really insightful responses. Thank you very much. Have a great weekend.