The Early Years of Growth Without a Clear Direction
For the first five years, we were figuring things out. Ricky and I built up the business and gradually expanded our team, adding employees and navigating the ins and outs of HR, marketing, finance, and more. However, there was something missing—a different perspective, someone to challenge our assumptions and push us to think bigger.
We relied solely on each other to solve issues and make critical decisions, which limited our potential to see beyond our current scope.
Our Coaching Journey and New Direction
Our coaching journey started in 2012 with Paul Thomas, who helped us build a strong foundation in the discipline of coaching. We worked with Paul over three years, developing a strong focus on delivery, sharpening our approach and creating a foundation for growth. His guidance helped us make coaching a core element of our business journey.
After our time with Paul, we partnered with Nic Rixon and Roderick Cameron of SGFE. Through this collaboration, we focused on building robust systems and processes, setting clear performance metrics that would support sustainable growth. Over three or four years, their insights helped us implement essential structures to improve Push’s operational efficiency and measurement.
Most recently, we worked with Robert Craven, an expert in the agency sector, who brought specialised knowledge tailored to our industry. Each of these coaches provided us with unique tools and perspectives, enabling us to address specific growth challenges and move forward with clarity and purpose.
The Importance of Coaching in Business
Reflecting on our journey, it’s surprising how few small businesses, whether digital agencies or otherwise, invest in coaching. Coaches have been instrumental for us—not only in offering guidance but in challenging our thinking and inspiring new ideas.
Today, I can't imagine running our business without the support of coaches. In fact, having multiple coaches involved provides diverse perspectives and keeps us on our toes, helping us continually improve and navigate complex business decisions.
Focusing on Our Strengths and Discovering New Clarity
Perhaps the most significant breakthrough came with our first coach's guidance: identifying and doubling down on what we excelled at. With newfound clarity, we understood our strengths and honed in on paid advertising. This intense focus on our core competency transformed our business and set us on a rapid growth trajectory.
Our journey from a business "muddling along" to a focused, high-growth company highlights the transformative power of coaching and the value of knowing where your strengths lie. Looking back, it's clear that the support, insights, and challenges from our coaches were critical in defining our success.
