Graeme Scott

Throughout my sporting career I’ve always had coaches. In professional sport, having the right coaching support for the gym, on-pitch performance, and technical development is what allows you to reach the next level. But interestingly, I had never really applied that same thinking to business.

When I founded my company, I realised that as a founder you can sometimes feel like you’re on an island. Everything ultimately lands on you. If there are problems, decisions to make, or mistakes within the team, the responsibility sits with you.

I started to see how valuable it would be to have an external sounding board, someone neutral who could challenge my thinking and ask the direct questions that people close to you often won’t.

I found Michael through a friend of mine who had worked with him previously. He told me how much he had gained from the experience and said that, based on what he saw me building, I would benefit from speaking with him as well. We arranged an initial consultation and it became clear quite quickly that we would work well together.

What stood out immediately was the directness of his approach. As Michael describes it himself, it’s a no-nonsense style. He asks questions that force you to think differently. Sometimes they’re questions you might not necessarily want to answer, but that’s exactly why they’re valuable.

Another thing that resonated with me was his mindset around winning. When you play sport at a high level, winning becomes a habit. Surrounding yourself with people who think that way pushes you to raise your own standards.

Through working with Michael, I became far more efficient in how I structured my day. Initially I was working very long hours, but after implementing some changes I was able to achieve the same amount of work in a shorter period of time.

During the period we worked together, the business doubled the revenue we had generated in the previous three months. On top of that, it felt like we had laid the foundations for a much stronger year ahead.

It wasn’t just the business results that improved. The team became happier and more efficient as well. Because Michael has worked with many entrepreneurs before, it was helpful to draw on his experience when thinking about how to structure the team and avoid some of the common mistakes founders make.

One unexpected benefit was how it affected my day-to-day life. I simply became happier overall. When you feel more focused and in control of the direction you’re heading in, everything else tends to improve as well.

From a financial perspective, the return on investment was very clear. Revenue increased significantly and the business became more efficient. But beyond that, the improvement in overall enjoyment of life was just as valuable.

Michael as a coach is very direct. If you say you’re going to do something and you don’t do it, he will ask strong questions about why. At the same time, you know it comes from a place where he genuinely wants you to succeed.

If you’re serious about improving and willing to answer difficult questions, I would strongly recommend working with him. In my case, it made a significant difference both in my business and in my day-to-day life.