Read what some of the business owners we work with have to say… 

"In 6 months, our turnover had increased by 33%. Working with John has completely transformed our business.

Whilst he has enabled us to analyse and take steps to really drive the business, the impact has not just been on the business. We now have time to step back and evaluate our personal goals too.

Take the plunge – it is the best thing that has happened to us and we’d recommend it to anyone!"

Luke Drewery & Pete Hewes, Owners, Know Media

"Working with ActionCOACH has turned me from being ‘someone who owns a coffee shop’ into an ‘Award winning business owner’.
John helped me to see that through implementing systems and procedures and getting the right team behind me, I can confidently work on my business instead of in it."

Nic Till, Owner, Riverhead Coffee

"Before working with John, my business lacked direction and goals. With John’s advice and support, we have smashed our targets and now have aspirational goals in place.
We have a future and financial security now!"

Simon Jeffrey, MD, Techie Monkey Computer Recycling Ltd

"When John first engaged with me, I backed off but quickly learned that he knew what he was talking about and made sense. He holds me to account and sets me weekly challenges which then impacts on the business. He has made me want to develop myself personally and this has impacted both the business and my life. He is a really great guy and working with him has surpassed all expectations."

Thomas Perks, Director, Ground Support Services Ltd

"My first workshop with John inspired me to think bigger, and think about what could be. Talking through my business progress with John made me realise I was doing better than I thought, giving me the confidence to apply for the Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce New Business Award 2019, of which I was thrilled to be a finalist. I am now taking part in the 90 day planning workshops which have been helping me develop as a business and plan the future growth of Hats & Tiaras."

Isabel Wallis, Business Owner, Hats & Tiaras

"The importance of setting goals
Thank you so much for your support with planning. I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it incredibly useful. Getting a few goals down in that level of detail feels really empowering and a lot more real now! I will definitely be recommending this session to my members."

Nicky Thomas, MD, The Growth Community

"Working with John and ActionCOACH has been a great learning experience, helping to improve our business systems, strategy and management. John always knows the right questions to ask in order to help you get the best out of yourself. He's got a great way of looking at problems and working with you to help you find the right solution. He pushes you to think bigger and further than you might otherwise do alone."

Liam O'Leary, MD, Laser Red

"I've attended both the face to face and on-line 90 day planning sessions and both have their advantages. At the recent on-line session we had a small group and were able to bounce ideas off each other. It made me think about my business and how I can grow it rather than just surviving through this difficult time. It changed my way of thinking and my biggest learning was about the 5 ways numbers and what a difference an increase of just 10% can make to a business."

Pippa Mell, Owner, Diamond Office Support

John has given us a lot of advice about what to do in business. Instead of focussing just on money in the bank and stock on the shelves, we now have a better understanding of our numbers and can make more informed decisions. We've got systems in place and practices that we work with daily that have had a big impact on improving the business. One of the things that coaching has had on me personally is to reduce my stress levels but the biggest thing regarding the business is that I now have a goal and endgame that there wasn't before.

Richard and Michelle Smith, Owner, The Shoe Room

When we started coaching the first focus was on our direction and once we understood what needed to be done and why, taking these steps really started to make an impact on the business. John has a real ability to stretch our minds and to think bigger. Often, we unconsciously self-cap our goals and John is really good at stretching us.

From out starting point, we had managed to grow to consistently achieving £100,000 per year but we knew there was another level we wanted to reach. Coaching has brought rapid growth and within 6 months of coaching we were turning over £1.5 million and we continue to grow rapidly month by month. This has been a huge growth journey for us as a team and as a business and a key part of managing that was by focusing on the systems. The business actually runs easier than it did back in the early days because of the impact coaching has had.

The growth journey and rapid development has opened our eyes to more potential as a company and as individuals. I now have a clear vision of what the company should look like and clear plans to achieve it.

Dean Johnson, Co founder, Hewlett & Co

John holds you accountable for everything and constantly pushes and challenges you so whatever goal you set initially are stretched. When we started working with him we thought we could do 24 weddings a year but we were very quickly pushed towards 36 and even 40 weddings! Particularly through lockdown our business has been massively affected but Johns continued to be there every single step and has always being at the end of the phone for support.

Before we started coaching with John, we had a turnover of just under £200,000 but we are on track for £500,000 for each of the next two years, even though the pandemic has resulted in the business being closed for nearly a year. This success is as a direct result from coaching and being pushed and challenged.

Hazel Wheatley, MD, Hirst Priory

We were taking on work with no direction and it was becoming overwhelming. Work was coming in but I was going home from work every day exhausted after working long hours and trying to do everything myself.

The impact of coaching has been huge. We are now in our own offices and have recruitment systems, payroll system and a very clear structure where everyone knows what they need to do, I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without coaching.

We always come away from group coaching with new ideas and fresh excitement for the business. We leave with a clear plan of what we need to do over the next week or two and this really drives us on as John will hold us to account at the next session.

Jo Hicks, Director, No Worries Cleaning

From a turnover of £1.9 million in 2019 we achieved £3.2 million in 2020.

All the way through, John has been very supportive and has always been there for us. We value his opinion highly. If you are looking to improve your business or even just improve yourself, he’s the guy to talk to.

Despite te global pandemic, achieving 68% growth in 2020 was somewhat of a record year for the business but even so, we are already planning to stretch our goals for next year. John helps us focus our minds on what we want to achieve and we have lots of exciting plans and are looking to make it another record year with the team and with John’s help.

Melanie Tillett, Co Founder, Tilletts Clothing

John has helped me in a number or ways both professionally and personally particularly with mindset - he provides a stong sounding board for whatever life throws at you.

Since starting coaching with John, we have gone from having just an idea to actually having a business that works. In our coaching, we have weekly 1:1 sessions but have also done 90 day planning and a 5 year long term planning session too. We have gone from having a few ideas that would take me through the week, to where I can now see what I will be doing in the next 90 days and so can my team.

Without John, I wouldn't have been able to grow the business as we have over the past 12 months and the plan for the next 5 years wouldn't exist.

Ben Smith, Director, Tutela Networks

It is an absolute joy having sessions where my ability and experience is complemented and lifted by someone who has such credibility. He brings his own business experience to bare in a very tangible and accessible way.

The impact on how we run the business has been profound. We are now much more structured and more focussed in tactical and long-term planning, and our internal reporting processes have improved dramatically. We are in a position where investments have been made in processes and people for long term growth and we have a better focus on aligning our long-term business goals with our personal aspirational goals. Our self-belief has definitely increased and I am much better informed.

Having that 3rd party with even more experience on everything you need to run a business, brings immense value.

Jonathan and Ann Cozens, Directors, IT Services

In my very first meeting with John, he very professionally and skilfully analysed both my business and me as an individual. I am a natural cynic with stubborn pride that makes it difficult for me to let people in and accept help. He read me like a book and immediately enabled me to be able to lay out and forensically examine whether, with the input of an experienced coach, I could successfully build my empire. I was weary of trying to explain the complex, exceptionally niche web of ideas that to most people appeared incoherent. John listened, he questioned, and he challenged with a logic and insight that refreshed my own confidence and belief in what I was saying.

As a coach he doesn't make the decisions for the business, but he facilitates and prompts the essential mental calculations and shifts that help me clarify my thoughts and then put into action the conclusions.

At present the business is in a much stronger position than when I started working with John. It is more stable, coherent in purpose and has a clarity of focus. By the end of the year, we were 10% up on previous years and in the first quarter of the current year we have already achieved 95% of the previous full year’s turnover. This stability, coherence and clarity has enabled us to present ourselves extremely positively and engage in two new projects that will take the business in to a whole new level. One is development of a new product for an international client that will increase our turnover by a factor of 10, and the other is the acquisition of a highly specialised niche product manufacturing business that will take us not only into new sectors but will provide a substantial new client base and increased margins in our existing sector. Our target to reach £10 million turnover is highly likely to be an underestimation with the successful conclusion of these two deals alone.

John saw the potential and without his vision, belief and tailored expertise to guide the development process of the business and me as an individual, we would never have got off the ground.

Kevin Wheatley, Ambispace

"We have now been working with John McHale and his team from Action Coach exactly 2 years to the day, and what a difference it has made. From thinking why on earth would we need a business coach, to why on earth didn’t we have a business coach. The change in our business is outstanding and the connections we have gained through Action Coach are just amazing. We most certainly would not be at a point where we are now if it were not for the team. We thank John, Nicola and everyone else in the background for their guidance, tuition and more importantly their friendship, for without this business can be a lonely place".

Nichola & Jason Threadgold, Owners, Jason Threadgold Funeral Directors

We have been working with John now for nearly 2 years now and the difference in the business is massive! Not only have the financials improved, but our focus, drive, knowledge and enthusiasm has grown too, allowing for us to set and work towards clear goals and a bigger mission! We have doubled our work force whilst working with John and have recently won an award at BizX too, we can’t wait to see what the next 2 years have in store for us

Emma & Tom Bell, Owners, TWB Electrical Ltd

We have worked with John for 6 months and we can honestly say, we wish we’d found him years ago.

Our business is at the beginning of its third year, having just had the most successful quarter so far. It is no exaggeration to say that we would not have achieved these results if we were not working with John.

From the outset John took the time to get to know our business. He challenges us and holds us accountable, all whilst providing unwavering support. John does not provide one size fits all coaching. He is committed to truly bespoke advice which means that the businesses he works with quickly excel in their industry sectors.

On a personal level, John has supported our directors during one of the biggest challenges that they have faced both professionally and personally. He has done so with compassion, understanding and empathy. Nothing is too much trouble for John. He will always find the time to work through our challenges and celebrate our successes.

John’s approach goes far beyond a business arrangement. John is a trusted advisor and a member of our team that we just couldn’t do without. The thing that really stands John apart from other coaches is that he really cares for the businesses that he works with. His humility means that people quickly feel at ease in John’s company. Few people have the ability to work with professionalism whilst maintaining a modest and approachable nature. John is one of those people and we would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone in our professional network and beyond.

Law Firm, MD, Yorkshire