Jackie Zach
January 25, 2024
In this Make More Work Less episode, Jackie Zach introduces a new series with Mike McKay called A Diary of a Fast-Growing Company. Jackie shares her excitement about the company’s rapid growth and reflects on how much things have changed since she joined three years ago. She and Mike plan to discuss the journey of leading a fast-growing business, using the six steps they apply at ActionCOACH. This episode focuses on “destination mastery,” the first of these steps, which involves setting a clear and ambitious vision for the future.
Mike talks about his journey from a solo coach to leading a full coaching firm, highlighting a transformative experience when he and co-leader Susan set a $100 million goal after attending a personal growth master class. Mike shares how challenging yet motivating this goal has been for both him and the team, pushing them to grow, delegate, and specialize. Through his experiences, he emphasizes the importance of setting goals that stretch one’s capabilities, as goals that feel achievable often become just “to-do” lists. As he and Jackie discuss, growth not only drives the leaders but also inspires and challenges the entire team, fueling collective growth toward their ambitious vision.
Want to become a fast-growing company and a great leader? Take advantage of a complimentary business strategy session to discover the opportunities in your business! http://makemoreworkless.actioncoach.com/mmwl-diag-and-questions/
Podcast Transcript:
Jackie Zach: Welcome back to Make More Work Less! I’m Jackie Zach, here with Mike McKay, our fearless leader. I’m excited about this series of episodes because, as a fast-growing company, we’ve come a long way since I joined nearly three years ago. It’s a whole new level now, and I thought it’d be insightful to talk about your journey as a leader, Mike—how you’ve evolved and helped lead us to where we are.
We’re calling this series “A Diary of a Fast-Growing Company,” and we’ll go through the six steps we use at ActionCOACH. We’ll start with the first step: mastery, which covers four areas—destination, time, delivery, and financial mastery. Today, we’re focusing on destination mastery. Mike, how long have you been an ActionCOACH now?
Mike McKay: Ten years in May.
Jackie: Great. So, from starting as a solo coach to now leading an innovative team, how did you go from there to here? And where do you envision us going?
Mike: That’s a long answer, for sure!
Jackie: Let’s start with the decision to transition from being a solo coach to leading a firm.
Mike: When I began, I mistakenly thought of it more like a job. I’d recently been fired after telling my boss he was, well, not very smart—definitely not recommended if you want to keep a job! But I’d been coached by David Herdlinger for a couple of years and liked the leadership style, so I decided to become a coach myself. Despite David’s initial attempts to dissuade me, I eventually bought a franchise license.
Initially, I struggled—no clients until December after starting in July. I realized I work best in a team, and Susan Thompson and I, who were sharing office space, found we both wanted more than solo coaching roles. So, in 2014, we merged our businesses and set an ambitious goal: building a $5 million coaching firm—something no one else had achieved.
Later, at a personal growth masterclass with Brad Sugars, he pushed us to go bigger, urging us to set a $100 million goal. That goal required us to grow and change in ways we couldn’t yet imagine. It was both exhilarating and intimidating, but we committed to making it happen.
Since then, we’ve grown significantly, added team members, expanded our marketing, and hired a fractional chief marketing officer. Every step has required us to become better leaders, which aligns with our core philosophy: Be x Do = Have—meaning we need to evolve both personally and as a business to reach our goals. Fast growth is a wild ride, but it’s always exciting.
Jackie: What’s been your biggest learning as a leader so far?
Mike: Learning to let go—both of tasks and of control. I’ve written about the “law of the lid,” which is the idea that a company’s growth is limited by the leader’s abilities. For instance, I’m not a natural marketer, so when we outsourced marketing, things improved. As the company grew, we hired marketing staff but realized I couldn’t manage them effectively, so I delegated that responsibility. The bigger we get, the more specialized expertise we need.
Jackie: And you always say a business can only grow to the level of its leaders, right?
Mike: Yes, and specifically to the level of a leader’s weakest skill.
Jackie: It’s crucial for leaders—whether owners or not—to keep learning and adapting, or they risk holding the company back. Without growth, not only do you stagnate, but you might even regress.
Speaking of destination mastery, you and Susan have never wavered on that $100 million goal. It’s remained our destination since the beginning.
Mike: Yes. I was just talking to someone today, saying that we’ll either achieve something remarkable or have a spectacular failure. Our clients, too, are inspired by seeing us pursue this goal, and it’s motivating them to grow as well. Leading by example has always been important to us.
Jackie: Any final thoughts on destination mastery?
Mike: Go bigger. One of our biggest takeaways from Brad was that if a goal feels too achievable, it’s not really a goal—it’s just a to-do list. Truly impactful goals should push you beyond what you know how to do.
Jackie: Exactly, and that goal is both thrilling and a bit scary. It pushes us all to grow and creates opportunities we might not have considered before. So, for all of you listening, remember that as you grow, your team will grow with you.
Until next time, Mike.
Mike: Go kick some ass.