In Episode 172 of the Wealth On Any Income podcast, host Rennie Gabriel sits down with Milana Leshchinsky, a seven-figure business coach, author, and creator of Coaching Genie. Milana shares her inspiring journey from leaving a music teaching career to building a successful coaching business that empowers coaches, speakers, and consultants to create innovative programs that stand out in their niches. She discusses her unique approach to business growth, the lessons learned from her own challenges, and her commitment to helping others find simplicity and success in their work. Milana also highlights her philanthropic efforts to support Ukraine, demonstrating how business and purpose can align for greater impact.
In this episode, Rennie and Milana cover:
Here are topic blurbs based on the timestamps from the transcript:
00:00 – Introduction
Rennie introduces the episode and guest Milana Leshchinsky, highlighting her achievements and the impact of her work.
02:30 – Milana’s Journey from Music Teacher to Entrepreneur
Milana discusses her career shift from teaching music to becoming an entrepreneur, and how her background in web design led to her entry into the coaching industry.
05:10 – The Birth of Coaching and Telesummits
Milana shares how she accidentally entered the coaching world and created the Telesummit concept, which revolutionized how coaches reached their audiences.
07:50 – Helping Coaches Stand Out with Innovative Programs
Milana explains how she now helps coaches and experts create unique programs, products, and tools to become seen as trailblazers in their niches.
11:00 – Philanthropy and Giving Back to Ukraine
Milana talks about her recent philanthropic work, supporting Ukraine through a card deck project that raises funds for medical aid professionals and other causes.
14:00 – The Meaning of Simplicity in Business
Rennie and Milana discuss her program "Simplicity Business Growth Experience" and the lessons learned when the name didn't resonate with her audience. Milana explains her shift in approach to simplifying business models in a way that aligns with clients' natural abilities.
18:20 – The Concept of "Failure" in Business
Milana discusses her philosophy of not viewing challenges as failures but as learning experiences. She explains how she adapted after a program didn't sell as expected and how she turned that into valuable insight for future projects.
22:00 – Coaching Genie: Revolutionizing the Client Experience
Milana introduces Coaching Genie, the platform she developed for coaches and experts to create immersive, high-quality client experiences beyond just content delivery.
26:30 – High-Ticket Programs and Stepping Outside Comfort Zones
Milana talks about her experience with high-ticket programs, why they’ve been outside her comfort zone, and how she’s stepping into offering higher-value, transformative programs for visionary entrepreneurs.
30:00 – Free Resource for Coaches and Experts
Milana offers a free resource on her website, providing eight ways to become the most desirable coach or expert in your field, and how to attract clients with ease.
32:20 – Closing Remarks and Call to Action
Rennie wraps up the episode and directs listeners to Milana’s website for more information on her resources and Coaching Genie platform.
"I’ve never actually said the word failure in my life or in my business, as if there is no other way, there’s no other solution, there’s no other path. There’s always another path." – Milana Leshchinsky
To learn more about Milana Leshinsky, please visit: www.milana.com.
If you'd like to know how books, movies, and society programs you to be poor, and what the cure is, visit wealthonanyincome.com/TEDx. You'll hear Rennie's TEDx talk and can request a free 27-page Roadmap to Complete Financial Choice™ and receive a weekly email with tips, techniques, or inspiration around your business or money.
AND if you'd like to see how you can increase your wealth and donate to the causes that touch your heart. Please check out our affordable program ‘Wealth with Purpose’.
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[Rennie Gabriel]
Hi folks, welcome to episode 172 of the Wealth on Any Income podcast. This is where we talk about your money, tips, business techniques, attitudes, information, and provide inspiration around your business and your money. I'm your host, Rennie Gabriel. In past episodes, we spoke about how to understand the numbers from your business, how to measure the level of pleasure based on where you spend your money, how to track your money in five to ten seconds, what determines how close you are to complete financial choice, and how to run your business without being in your business. Last time, we had Michael Whitehouse, a guy who knows a guy. If you want to know about networking the right way, you need to listen to our last podcast.
Today, we have as our guest, Milana Leshchinsky. Milana is the author of Coaching Millions and Simplicity Entrepreneurship. She is the originator and creator of the Telesummit concept.
She is the creator of Coaching Genie software and the coach behind 100 plus coaching programs. 24 years ago, she walked away from a music teaching career and launched a business that would allow her to work from home and be a mom to her two children. And Milana is one of the few people in the online space to create a seven-figure business.
Not six figures, but seven figures. Milana, welcome to the Wealth on Any Income podcast.
[Milana Leshinsky]
Thank you, Rennie. It's a pleasure to be here.
[Rennie Gabriel]
And it's such a pleasure for me to have you on the show. Well, tell me more about the work that you do and why you teach coaches and experts.
[Milana Leshinsky]
Well, that's a great question. I fell into working with coaches, speakers, consultants, authors, healers. I think we like to kind of bring all of those specialties together.
I fell into it by accident because I was working as a web designer. Because between being a musician and starting my business, I was also a web designer. And as I was looking for a business to start so I could stay home with my kids, I decided that, you know, I'm doing this at my job.
I might as well offer these services to people outside of my work. And started having a few clients. It was 2000, 2001.
Internet was new. I was the only person who understood the internet at my company, which was my last job. And so a lot of people were clueless.
And I was this young, bright-eyed web developer who said that she could create websites and put you online. And yeah, people would say yes to me. And so I started putting myself out there online.
And these people called coaches started contacting me. And I didn't know anything about coaching at that time. But I was intrigued because coach after coach would contact me by referral.
And so I started exploring this whole idea of coaching industry. And as it turned out, it was a great market for me because I ultimately became a coach, a business coach. It really feeds my soul who likes to teach, inspire, share, encourage, facilitate, all of those things that coaches do.
And so what I do now is I teach coaches how to create their own innovative coaching programs, products, and tools so that they could really stand out in the market and stop being the cookie-cutter kind of coach. And so that they can become seen as trailblazers in their niches and get clients with more ease.
[Rennie Gabriel]
Thank you, Milana. And I remember because we first met because of a program that you created with a partner that I enrolled in that taught me how to do it. And that was, gosh, probably over 14 years ago.
[Milana Leshinsky]
2015, so I would say maybe 11, 12 years ago.
[Rennie Gabriel]
Yeah, that's about when it was because I think you'd only done it for maybe a year before I met you.
[Milana Leshinsky]
Okay, okay, yes. I was there for three years and it was at that time and maybe to this day the largest online community for coaches.
[Rennie Gabriel]
And that very well could be.
[Milana Leshinsky]
Yeah.
[Rennie Gabriel]
And it wouldn't surprise me at all because that's what you do. You create big things.
[Milana Leshinsky]
Big things but also solutions because it came out as a solution to a problem that we all saw and there was no solution at that time for that problem.
[Rennie Gabriel]
Absolutely. I mean, that's like when you created the Coaching Genie. We're going to get into that in a little bit.
But as you know, I donate 100% of the profits from the work I do to animal and veteran charities. And I know you're also philanthropic because of your background with Ukraine. Tell me about the charity work that you do or the philanthropic work you do.
[Milana Leshinsky]
And in all fairness, I just started, I just got into it a this year because I was watching my friend who lives in Ukraine. We've been chatting for the last two and a half years since the war started. I'm sending her some money, some cash here and there, trying to figure out what else I can do.
Do you want to come here? Can I help you? What else can I do?
And then I start noticing that she was posting pictures, beautiful photographs of flowers, museums, botanical gardens in Ukraine, like major cities like Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa. And I was so confused because in my mind there's a war going on. There's a tragedy.
And you're taking photographs of flowers. How is it possible? And what I started seeing is that she's a very positive person, somebody you want by your side if you're down, if you are seeing circumstances very tragic and out of your control.
You want somebody like her next to you because she's very uplifting and encouraging. And I thought, I want to bring those beautiful pictures to a wider audience. And with my marketing experience and my audience, I felt like, let me try to do that.
So we co-created a card deck. It's called heartofukraineproject.com. The card deck is available for sale.
A portion of the money is going to her. A portion of the money is going to Leleka, which is an organization in Ukraine that supports medical aid professionals who save lives of Ukrainian soldiers and their families that they left behind. So Leleka means stork in Ukrainian, by the way.
So it's a beautiful organization. And she was the one who recommended it. And so that's who we chose to support.
And we just ran a promotion for this card deck. And I'm very excited to be sending the money to her organization.
[Rennie Gabriel]
Yeah, I've already gotten my cards. Yes, you did. They are beautiful.
So you've got the photo on one side and wonderful, inspiring quotes on the other side. And they are gorgeous.
[Milana Leshinsky]
And the quotes came, it was definitely a collaborative work because she would send me some quotes that she was trying, you know, we were trying to come up with something that would inspire people and encourage people, not only who were interested in Ukraine, but also people who are going through difficult circumstances in their lives. I needed some encouragement. I needed to hear words like, you know, of not giving up, that this is the time to fight.
And there's just a lot of interesting quotes that I had never encountered before. So it was an educational experience. The quotes come from both Ukrainian authors and from names all over the world that would just uplift you and put you in a whole different mindset just when you need it.
So it is a massive collaboration between us and the world, so to speak, but also an effort to support Ukraine.
[Rennie Gabriel]
Great. Now, let's get to some hard questions. This is a two-part question.
The first is, what would you say was your biggest failure in business, and what was the insight you gained from it?
[Milana Leshinsky]
No, I never used the word failure because as a program that I created didn't really sell, I don't see it as a failure. I see it as, oh, that's why it didn't sell. I'm exploring the reasons why it hasn't.
And I also may not see it right away, but then I see it a few years later when I have gained enough perspective and space and time away from it, like, what was I thinking kind of thing.
[Rennie Gabriel]
I want to interrupt you from the standpoint of, in a way, it's a trick question, because I want to hear if the person I'm interviewing actually looks at failures versus challenges. And just like many of the guests I have on the show, you have learning experiences, you have challenges, you don't have failures.
[Milana Leshinsky]
Well, I feel like it wouldn't be a failure if I failed and then said, okay, that's it then. But I've never actually said that in my life or in my business, that's it then, as if there is no other way, there's no other solution, there's no other path. There's always another path.
[Rennie Gabriel]
What insight did you gain from the challenge that you had?
[Milana Leshinsky]
Yes, so one of my programs, actually, I had a partnership with somebody 10 years ago. We split up, we went our each way, our own way. And for about a couple of months, I was twiddling my thumbs in an armchair in my kitchen and wondering, am I still an entrepreneur if I don't have a business?
Because I sold everything. I didn't have a business, I didn't have partners, I didn't have products or upcoming promotions or launches or events, nothing, just nothing. Am I still an entrepreneur?
So I was questioning that. And then I decided to create a program that at that time felt like it was the right step for me. And so I created a program.
It was actually called Simplicity Business Growth Experience. You might remember me creating it. I knew what I wanted to do.
And I knew that it would be a breakthrough program. But the name didn't resonate with people. Because when people heard the word simplicity, no matter what I said about it, they still believe that simplicity means small, small business, small income, small life, small effort, plain small.
So that word to me was the only way that I saw being able to name my program. Because to me, simplicity meant, Einstein says everything should be as simple as possible. If you can't explain it simply enough, you don't understand.
But the question that nobody ever answered is, what is simple? And so I started digging deeper. And I realized that kind of come to the realization that simple is when it's simple to you.
When it's simple to you, and not simple to me doesn't mean it's not simple. It just means it's very subjective. And it's simple, it becomes simple when it's fully aligned with your natural abilities, your super skills, your, your skill set.
Basically, that's when it's simple to you. Because as I created this program, I was still running virtual summit product launches. And my clients looked at me and said, wait a minute.
This is not simplicity. Launches are not simplicity. Summits are not simplicity.
And I thought, well, yes, they are to me. Because I love doing them. I know how to do them.
I enjoy it. I get into my creative mode. So it's simple to me because it feeds off of my natural abilities and my skill set.
So it doesn't matter. It didn't matter. I explained it to people, they didn't get it.
And my program technically failed because I only got 12 people into the program versus, you know, 50 to 100 to 300 people that I would normally get. But here's the thing. It doesn't matter what I called it.
So I learned that the word is a word and you can't really change its meaning without significant education campaign, right? This is what people see it as. This is what they believe.
And it's a waste of time to try and convince them otherwise. But what I've done is created these phenomenal tools and systems that I'm actually launching under a different name this year because they will help people discern, figure out which projects are for them and which are not. What marketing strategy is for them and which is not.
What business model they should be building and what business model they should avoid. So I created all these tools to help people simplify their business so that when they simplify, they can then accelerate their efforts and make more money. I'm just not calling simplicity anymore.
So that was my biggest failure notch. And the dots are connecting because I'm still using these tools for myself and my clients and my program.
[Rennie Gabriel]
And that makes so much sense in terms of, you know, not trying to fight the tide of what people believe the word simplicity means. But let's talk about, well, I mean, actually, I think you've covered what the goals are of what you're creating, because people will understand what is right for them, which is absolutely crucial. So, you know, our time is coming to an end.
So I want to ask maybe one or two more questions, but people I know who listen to this will want to be able to get a hold of you. Is there some valuable free resource that you can direct them to that would, one, provide more value and allow them to connect to you?
[Milana Leshinsky]
Absolutely. Well, I've just developed a new resource because I'm sort of rebranding, repositioning. But if you go to milana.com, my main website, you'll find a really awesome resource. It kind of summarizes my 24 years in business. That actually helps you become the most desirable coach or expert in your niche so that everybody wants to work with you. How do you do that?
So I'm giving you eight ways to become the most desirable coach or expert in your field so that finding clients and attracting clients becomes just an extension of everything you do.
[Rennie Gabriel]
Beautiful. And so I'll have www.milana.com in the show notes. Is there any forward slash I should use?
[Milana Leshinsky]
Nope. Just the homepage. You'll see right away.
[Rennie Gabriel]
Okay, terrific. Milana, tell me more about Coaching Genie.
[Milana Leshinsky]
Well, Coaching Genie is a platform for coaches, creators, experts who are interested in creating a phenomenal client experience, especially if you run group programs. Because you're, you know, when we talk about coaching programs, it's not just weekly meetings as a lot of coaches lead them. This is not, it does not make a highly valuable coaching program.
You actually want to focus on that client transformation and transformation happens between the calls, between the sessions. So all that stuff behind the scenes that you do, encouraging, motivating, connecting, supporting your clients between the sessions, Coaching Genie allows you to do that. You know, I have been doing group coaching programs for 15 years, and I've always piecemealed it from different tools.
And I did a lot of things manually. And so when I started looking for a system, I couldn't find anything. There were course builders, CRM systems, but they all focused on content delivery.
And we know that when you work with clients, content is not enough. They want the experience, the access, the connections, the intimacy between you and them, between, you know, the clients in the group. And so that's what Coaching Genie does.
It just gives you a container, the space to build that full immersion experience. So not only your clients will get more results and transformation, but you can actually double or triple what you're charging for your program. So that's what Coaching Genie allows you to do.
[Rennie Gabriel]
Terrific. I mean, when the client benefits and the person delivering the content benefits, it's a win-win for everybody. Thank you, Milana.
And so I think I have one more question I can ask. And what's the one question I should have asked you that would give some great value to those who are listening or watching on YouTube?
[Milana Leshinsky]
I think a great timing for this question for me would be what has been your outside your comfort zone and how are you growing into it, into this area. And for me, outside of my comfort zone, it's high-ticket programs. In all the years, 24 years that I've been in business, I have maybe made two high-ticket offers and I shook in my boots every time I did that.
Either because I didn't love what I was selling or because I didn't believe in myself or didn't feel like I wanted to deliver it. The first time ever this year, I'm actually putting together something that it's not so much that it's going to be a higher ticket than everything else I've ever sold, but it's going to be my life's work in a single program, in a mastermind program, a program for visionary entrepreneurs, creators, coaches who like to create innovative products, programs, tools, systems so that they can position themselves as thought leaders and trailblazers. Because once you position yourself that way, everything becomes simple in your business. And I can't wait to share that with people, bring a group of coaches, experts, visionary entrepreneurs together who are excited about creating something unique and innovative in their industry.
[Rennie Gabriel]
Fabulous. Milana, thank you for being on the Wealth on Any Income show. Thanks for having me, Rennie.
And to those who are listening or watching on YouTube, if you'd like to know how books, movies, and society programs you to be poor and what the cure is, then log on to wealthonanyincome.com forward slash TEDx. You'll hear my TEDx talk and can request the free nine-step roadmap to complete financial choice and philanthropy and receive an email once or twice a month with tips, techniques, or inspiration around your business or your money. And if you'd like to see how you can increase your wealth and donate to the causes that touch your heart, please check out our affordable program Wealth with Purpose.
To my listeners and viewers, thank you for tuning in. You can listen to the Wealth on Any Income program on your favorite platform and please rate, review, and subscribe. Until next time, be prosperous.
Bye-bye for now.