Mark Jennings: From Corporate Operations Director to £1 Million in Sales

Turning corporate experience into business ownership

After 15 years in senior operational roles, Mark Jennings had built an impressive career managing large-scale distribution and warehouse operations for some of the UK’s best-known brands, including Tesco, Argos and Nestlé.

In the 18 months before joining ActionCOACH UK, Mark worked as an interim Operations Director, overseeing Marks & Spencer’s e-commerce operation and managing logistics for Republic Clothing.

He had extensive experience of running complex operations, leading teams and improving business performance. But his next move would take him in a new direction: building a business of his own and helping other business owners achieve their ambitions.

For Mark, becoming an ActionCOACH UK franchise partner offered the opportunity to combine his corporate experience with a more flexible, independent and rewarding career.

Why ActionCOACH UK?

Mark first discovered ActionCOACH through after meeting the master licensees at the time, he quickly began to understand the potential of business coaching.

“I quickly began to warm to the idea of running my own business and working with other business owners,” he explains.

Before making his decision, Mark undertook thorough due diligence. He spoke with existing coaches and their clients, attended events and explored the franchise model to understand what building an ActionCOACH business would involve.

Having spent much of his career in large corporate organisations, he also recognised the importance of having a strong support network as he moved into business ownership.

“I had always been in a corporate environment, with other people around me, and I felt the way that ActionCOACH was structured meant that I would have a good support network and community to be working alongside, as much or as little as I needed.”

The combination of an established franchise system, practical training and an international community of coaches gave Mark the confidence to take the next step.

Getting started with the right training and support

In July 2011, Mark travelled to Las Vegas to complete his ActionCOACH training.

Having worked for major international businesses, he was accustomed to high-quality corporate training programmes. Even so, the ActionCOACH experience made a lasting impression.

“Having worked in blue-chip companies like PepsiCo, I was used to a lot of blue-chip learning. I thought the quality of the training and the context in which the training was being given, to support me in starting and growing the business, was some of the best I’ve ever had.”

While some of the operational concepts were familiar, Mark found the personal development, sales and marketing elements particularly valuable. These were areas that would prove essential as he developed his own business.

He launched his ActionCOACH business the day after returning from training.

Just as important as the initial learning was the support he received in putting it into practice. Neil and Sally visited his home to help him get set up, point him towards the right resources and ensure he had what he needed to get started.

Mark also received daily calls from Sally for around three months, helping him stay focused, identify priorities and make the most of the franchise's systems and materials.

This combination of training, practical guidance and ongoing support helped him navigate the challenges of launching a business and turn his learning into action.

Building a business from the ground up

Mark approached business development with the same focus and determination he had brought to his corporate career.

He began using a telemarketing service to generate appointments, made the most of his existing professional network and started having conversations with business owners about the benefits of coaching.

He also delivered ActionCOACH 6-Steps Seminars, introducing local business owners to the principles of building a stronger, more profitable business.

Looking back, he believes he could have started running the seminars sooner. Nevertheless, his willingness to test different approaches and build relationships helped establish a strong foundation for growth.

Mark set himself ambitious revenue targets from the outset. His goal was to generate £125,000 in his first full year and reach £250,000 annually by his third year.

His results demonstrated significant progress:

• Year one: approximately £70,000 in revenue.
• Year two: approximately £150,000 in revenue.
• Year three: approximately £210,000 in revenue.

Although he fell short of his initial targets, the business was growing year on year, and Mark was building the skills and confidence needed to take it further.

Then came a milestone that would have seemed unimaginable when he first started.

Mark explains:

“A couple of months ago, I noticed in my KPIs that my sales revenue topped £1 million. If you’d have told me five years ago, having never sold anything other than a second-hand car and a motorbike, that this would be the case, I’d never have believed it.”

For Mark, reaching £1 million in sales was evidence of just how far he had come, both professionally and personally.

His journey showed that a successful career in corporate operations could provide a valuable foundation for entrepreneurship, even when the skills required to sell, market and grow a business were initially unfamiliar.

Helping business owners achieve extraordinary results

For Mark, the greatest reward of business coaching is seeing the difference it makes to the people he works with.

One client, who ran a double-glazing and conservatory business, was heavily involved in the daily running of the company. Inconsistencies in the sales process, avoidable errors and limited visibility of financial performance were affecting the business's ability to operate efficiently and profitably.

Together, Mark and the business owner began addressing these challenges systematically.

They introduced a more consistent sales process, helping the team improve the accuracy of what they sold and the margins they achieved. Additional checking procedures reduced measuring errors and ensured the business was no longer relying on a single individual to catch mistakes.

As the processes improved, the company gained greater control over its margins and developed more predictable cash flow.

Mark also helped the owner introduce a sales manager, freeing him from some of the day-to-day responsibilities and allowing him to focus on business development and the future direction of the company.

The results were significant.

The business achieved a reported 200% increase in net profits, while the owner received the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award at the Business Excellence Forum.

Since then, the owner has purchased the premises he previously rented, acquired the neighbouring property to rent out and begun exploring opportunities to acquire complementary businesses.

But perhaps the most meaningful outcome has been the change in his lifestyle.

According to Mark, the owner now believes he could take six months away from the business without negatively affecting its performance. He also spends a day each week with his newborn son.

For Mark, this is what effective business coaching is all about: helping owners create commercially successful businesses that give them greater freedom, more opportunities and more time for the people who matter most.

Building a business around life, not the other way around

Mark's own experience of business ownership has brought many of the same benefits he helps his clients achieve.

One of the biggest differences is the freedom to decide how he spends his time.

“I love the freedom of not having anyone else managing my diary. I generally coach three days a week and then get to decide what I want to do the other two days, either downtime or working on things like marketing.”

Rather than being tied to a traditional corporate schedule, Mark can organise his working week around his priorities. He has the flexibility to focus on growing his business while making time for his family, personal interests and new challenges.

As a husband and father of two, that flexibility is particularly important.

He has been able to support his wife in starting her own business and take his daughter horse riding, enjoying experiences that a demanding corporate career might otherwise have made difficult.

“I’ve even been able to help my wife start her own business, and the flexibility my business offers means I can take my daughter horse riding and watch her doing stuff that a lot of parents miss out on.”

Mark has also retained his passion for travel and adventure. He and his wife are planning a trip to Australia, while a family skiing holiday is another goal.

Outside work, he is pursuing a personal ambition to cycle the 100 highest peaks in the Alps, having already completed around half of them.

His experience reflects an important principle of the ActionCOACH UK approach: business success should support the life you want to live, rather than consume it.

What's next? Growing beyond coaching

Having built a successful ActionCOACH business, Mark is looking towards the next stage of his entrepreneurial journey.

He continues to work alongside other local ActionCOACH coaches, collaborating to make the most of the brand, their collective experience and the opportunities available to their clients.

He also plans to use the revenue generated by his coaching business to invest in or become involved with other businesses that he can help develop and grow.

His background in operations, combined with his experience of business coaching, gives him a valuable perspective on how companies can improve their systems, strengthen their teams and achieve sustainable growth.

For Mark, becoming an ActionCOACH UK franchise partner has opened up opportunities that extend well beyond his original career plans. He has built a business of his own, developed new commercial skills, helped other entrepreneurs transform their companies and gained greater control over his time.

Your next chapter could start here

Mark Jennings' journey demonstrates that you don't need to come from a sales or coaching background to build a successful ActionCOACH UK franchise business.

His experience in corporate operations gave him a strong foundation, but it was the training, systems, support and willingness to develop new skills that helped him turn that experience into a new career.

By combining his knowledge of business operations with a passion for helping others succeed, Mark has created a business that delivers both professional satisfaction and personal freedom.

If you have experience in business, leadership or management and want to put your skills to work in a new way, an ActionCOACH UK franchise could offer the opportunity to build a business with purpose.

You could help other business owners improve their performance, develop stronger teams and create businesses that work without them, while building a rewarding future for yourself and your family.

Ready to explore the possibilities?

Watch our overview video to discover more about becoming an ActionCOACH UK franchise partner.