After 28 years in manufacturing and supply chain roles in the US Army and Fortune 500 companies, I started my coaching company in 2012. I chose ActionCOACH because of the simplicity and scope of the ActionCOACH toolkit and the community of other coaches around the world who continue to push the industry forward into the future. I co-founded ActionCOACH of Madison, LLC in 2014 which grew to include ActionCOACH Dane County, LLC and ActionCOACH Milwaukee #1, LLC. In October of 2023, Beth and I became sole owners of ActionCOACH Milwaukee #1, LLC. We’ve grown our business by using our own ActionCOACH tools and processes. I’m a member of the ActionCOACH Global Hall of Fame, and a multiple award-winning coach. When I’m not working, you can find me on a golf course somewhere or at Disney World.
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By Mike McKay
From Operator to Owner: Build a Business that Works Without You
Blog Summary: Most business owners can’t step away for 30 days because the company depends too heavily on them. This blog explains the shift from operator to owner and why building systems and a capable team is essential for a business that can run without constant founder involvement. If you stepped away from your business for 30 days, with
Transition From Doing to Delegating. Are You in the Messy Middle?
Are you finding it increasingly difficult to juggle multiple responsibilities in your business? Have you reached a point where your workload is growing faster than your ability to manage it? If so, you’re experiencing what many entrepreneurs refer to as the “messy middle”. The critical juncture where the shift from being a doer to being a leader happens.
What Does It Really Mean To Be A Better Leader?
Have you ever wondered what it truly means to be a better leader? Many people throw around the term, but the reality behind effective leadership might surprise you. Great leaders aren’t born. They are created through experience, learning, and personal development. Leadership, properly used, affects every aspect of management and has a significant impact on the people around you.
Nobody Buys From a Company. They Buy From Whoever Remembered Their Name. That’s Relationship Marketing.
You can run every ad in the world and still lose to the guy down the street who remembers his customers’ kids’ names. That’s relationship marketing summarized in one sentence, and it works the same whether you’re selling forklift parts to a plant manager or selling boots to people who want dry feet. Relationship marketing is not a new strategy.
Selling Isn’t Something You Do TO People
Most sales training makes it sound like selling is some kind of combat. Outmaneuver the prospect. Overcome their objections. Get them to yes before they know what hit them. That’s how you end up with used car people and why everybody’s stomach tightens up the second a salesperson walks over. You all have a version of that guy in your
How to Improve Profit Margins Without Hurting Growth
Margin is the last of the 5 Ways. That’s not an accident. It’s a specific number that tells you the truth about your business. Not how busy you are, not how big your revenue number is, but the amount you actually get to keep. Growing revenue and sacrificing margin is just working harder for the same paycheck, or worse. Good
Do You Own a Business Or a Job?
Quitting your old job doesn’t mean you don’t have a boss. It just means you fired the old boss and hired yourself instead. You have the same, or worse, hours, more stress, and probably worse benefits. The terms “self-employed” and “business owner” get used interchangeably. But they’re not even close. Self-employed means you’re the business. Take vacation? Revenue stops. Sick
Stop Chasing Leads. Start Squeezing More Out of the Sale You Already Made.
Everybody wants more leads. It’s the first lever business owners reach for, every time, because it feels like growth. New name, new number, new opportunity. But leads are the most expensive way to grow revenue. There’s a simpler, cheaper lever sitting right in front of you, and most owners never touch it: average dollar sale. Average dollar sale is just
Stop Chasing New Customers at the Expense of Growth
Number of Transactions is one of the 5 Ways. It’s also the one most owners ignore. Because new customers feel exciting. The thrill of the chase and all that. Getting another sale from someone who already bought from you feels boring by comparison. So, owners pour money into ads and lead gen, and they leave existing customers alone after the
How to Improve Conversion Rates: Process, Scripts, and Targeted Lead Generation
Most businesses don’t have a well thought out conversion process. They rely on charm, memory, and daily mood to close deals. That leads to a conversion rate that bounces all over the place and is generally low. Fix your process, document it, give your team scripts, and stop wasting money on leads that were never going to buy. That’s the