One foot in the present, one foot in the future. (Grit & Glamor: Epi.13)
Having one foot in the future helps you to walk in the right direction in the present, towards your best future. Trust the universe!
Previously:
The author attends a seminar on female entrepreneurship and is impressed by the speaker’s strategic thinking and dedication to personal growth. Reflecting on their own success and growth at the Shibuya store, they recall how the Christmas tree contest and display plans strengthened relationships with staff and building management. In the new year, the store saw an astonishing increase in customer numbers, and with the evolution of the blog, expectations for further success grew. No one knew yet that the introduction of the “Popular Blog Ranking” banner would lead to future breakthroughs.
6.4 Meeting Coaches and the Aura of Success
I was greatly influenced by the seminar “Accelerated Success” and its author, Mr. D. I also discovered the blog of Mr. D’s female secretary, Ms. M, through the popular blog ranking and started following it. It was through her blog that I learned about a seminar titled “Accelerated Success through Coaching.”
Previously, in my former job, I had been handed a book about coaching by Mr. A, the head of the Human Resources Development Department. Since then, I had been conscious of incorporating coaching into my communication with subordinates. As a result, I noticed an increase in the overall morale of the store. Given this, I was surprised to learn that Mr. D would be hosting a seminar specifically for coaches.
Back in 2005, the term “coaching” was still unfamiliar to many in Japan. However, when I arrived at the seminar venue, I was surprised and excited to see that many attendees were already working as coaches, most of whom were in their 40s or older.
The seminar was held in a spacious conference room, and I was fortunate to be seated in the third row from the front, allowing me to listen to Mr. D’s talk from a close distance. This was a precious opportunity to feel a personal connection with him.
Until then, I had thought of coaching as a technique for bosses to use with their subordinates. However, during this seminar, I learned that it is not just that — it is also an essential skill for supporting people who are considering a career change or those in positions where they do not receive direct instructions, such as company presidents, to help them succeed. I realized that a coach is someone who helps change a person’s perspective through questioning and that coaching, which I had considered a business skill, is actually a skill applicable to all aspects of life.
Moreover, many of the seminar participants were already certified coaches, and there was a lecture on how to become a popular coach. The first step was to clearly define what kind of coach you are and to find your USP (Unique Selling Proposition). Next, it was important to specifically identify who your clients are — who would be the target of your coaching.
At that time, not many people had started blogs by January 2005, but in the era of the internet, blogs, as a free tool for individuals to share information, were advised as a very effective means to demonstrate one’s USP.
The seminar lasted about two hours, but it was such an enjoyable time that I forgot how quickly time passed. After the seminar, I gathered the courage to introduce myself to Mr. D while getting his autograph in my “Insight Notebook.” It was a moment when I felt success up close, and his aura was dazzling.
6.5 SHIBUYA and NEW YORK Connected by Blog
In late January, there was a TV interview introducing a shopping mall, and our Shibuya store was featured. Riding this wave of success, we sold 24 spring knit items in one day, and the lamb leather jackets were also well received. February is a quiet season in the apparel industry, falling between winter and spring, but I continued to update the blog daily, reporting on popular spring items. As a result, many regular customers visited the store specifically to check out the new items, even amid winter. Customers who had already done their shopping during the VIP sale in mid-December found their purchasing desire rekindled by February.
I took a winter vacation in late February and traveled to New York with my sister. During that time, I asked the staff to update the blog and thought about whether I could update it myself from there. Here is a real-time post I made from New York:
*****
February 24, 2005
BLOG FROM NY
It’s currently 10:30 PM. Today was our second day in New York. I found an internet cafe, so I am writing this diary. Unfortunately, I couldn’t upload any images, so I’m sharing the precious Ground Zero photos that I sent to the staff yesterday for them to upload.
On the first day, we strolled from Lower Manhattan to SOHO. It’s been three years since I last visited Manhattan. Ground Zero still bears many scars from the terrorist attacks. The empty space in the photo is the site of the World Trade Center, which was completely destroyed. The condition remains almost unchanged from when I visited three years ago, with no progress on the construction. It’s a heartbreaking place, with some buildings still partially collapsed from the impact. That evening, I reunited with a friend studying in New York, and we had dinner at a Japanese izakaya. She lives in the Village, close to SOHO, and her rent is 120,000 yen! I was surprised that it’s even more expensive than my place in central Tokyo, despite the old building. I was greatly indebted to her, spending time together until the next day’s lunch.
I’ll share more from New York if I get the chance to write another diary.
*****
I continued to update the blog daily by uploading only text from my mobile phone and sending photos to the store’s PC for the staff to upload. As a result, February’s sales were also very strong, and our store was recognized as the top performer among all 60 stores in the shopping mall compared to the previous year! The company as a whole was doing well, but the Shibuya store, in particular, stood out with remarkable results.
Due to the popularity of the New York travelogue, I continued the series in March as a reflection on the trip. Since other staff members also took winter vacations, we organized a giveaway of New York and Hawaii souvenirs, receiving many entries from blog readers.
In addition to introducing new products in the blog, we also started sharing information about the people working in the store. As a result, customers who had previously hesitated to enter the store commented that it had become more approachable. With its glass façade, high ceilings, futuristic interior, and numerous mannequins, the store, while maintaining its welcoming atmosphere, grew along with the blog and all of us.
6.6 Signs of the Future
In March, Mr. D held another timely seminar, this time on blogging. One of the most memorable lessons was the importance of branding your blog and the mindset of striving to be №1. The seminar also highlighted how Ken Honda, the author of “Happy Millionaire” with his unique USP of “Semi-Retirement for Parenting” and “Happy Millionaire,” and Yutaka Kanai, a charismatic hairstylist, successfully became industry leaders by honing their USPs.
Additionally, I learned that a blog is not just a place for advertising but should be written sincerely for potential customers. This seminar made the image of how people become charismatic and establish themselves as №1 in their field clearer. It was a very intense seminar.
March is also my birth month, so I naturally felt more energetic and took action. I finally attended an orientation session for an online school that offers a three-year coaching course. The first coaching seminar in Japan was held in 1999, marking the start of a shift from directive leadership to question-based leadership.
During the orientation, we were lectured on the definition, purpose, and three principles of coaching, as well as on the expected income for coaches and the process of obtaining certification. When a slide with “50,000 yen per month as a side job” caught my eye, I thought, “This isn’t bad.”
At the orientation, a woman sitting next to me suddenly started talking to me. “I love the position of vice president and work on nurturing presidents. Let’s go out for a meal sometime!” she said with a big smile, her deep eyes hinting at her keen insight and strong presence. She felt that she needed coaching skills, which is why she attended the orientation. When I heard that the coaching training program cost 570,000 yen, I wasn’t seriously considering taking it, but I began to think it might be worth considering.
Around that time, I discovered the blog of a woman in her 40s, Ms. M, who was running a business combining coaching and fashion, on Rakuten’s blog. I felt as if she was someone ahead of me in my future, and I gathered the courage to send her a message through the blog’s messaging button, asking, “Could we meet?” To my surprise, she agreed. I believe it was my own blogging that created this connection.
During lunch at a restaurant inside a department store in West Tokyo, I asked Ms. M, “Where did you learn coaching?” To my amazement, she had attended the exact program I had participated in the orientation for. Given the limited options for learning coaching back then, I felt a sense of synchronicity in this coincidence.
As I listened to Ms. M talk about her business and was asked questions, I found myself saying, “Alright, I’ll sign up.” I had never made such a significant personal investment of 570,000 yen before. However, at that time, I had some money saved up and decided to make this expense as a 30th birthday gift to myself.
With trembling hands, I pressed the sign-up button. My hands were shaking, undoubtedly from the thrill of anticipation for the future!
