Matthew Atkin: From Black Watch Captain to Business Coach

After serving in the Army, building a successful livestock business and navigating the highs and lows of several commercial ventures, Matthew Atkin had gained a wealth of experience in leadership, business management and resilience. But when he began looking for his next opportunity, he wanted to put that experience to work in a different way.

Having joined ActionCOACH UK in 2009, Matthew found a business that allowed him to draw on his entrepreneurial background while helping other business owners achieve lasting success. From supporting a veterinary practice to grow its turnover and profitability to creating a flexible working life of his own, Matthew has built a coaching business that combines commercial results with personal fulfilment.

From military service to entrepreneurship

Matthew spent the first three and a half years of his working life serving in The Black Watch. After completing a degree in agriculture, he attended Sandhurst and joined the Army as a post-graduate short-service officer. His service included mechanised infantry duties with the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR), as well as a six-month tour in Belfast. He left the Army as a Captain in January 1984, aged 26.

“I joined the Army straight after completing a degree in agriculture. I was therefore a post-graduate short-service officer. I left the Army in January 1984, aged 26, and took five months out to ride a Harley around the USA.”

After returning to civilian life, Matthew found work as a farm manager in Nottinghamshire. However, his long-term ambition was to run his own farming business. With his wife, Catherine, working to cover the household bills, he took the plunge in 1987 and established a livestock enterprise.

Livestock was a practical choice. Unlike arable farming, which can take a year or more to generate income, pigs offered a more regular flow of revenue, making it easier to meet the demands of business finance.

“I had always wanted to start my own farming business, so while my wife Catherine worked to pay the bills, in 1987 I began my own livestock business. I went into livestock because I needed to borrow money to fund the new business. The bank expects to be paid before you pay yourself and, as arable farming takes at least a year to generate an income, it had to be livestock.

“I chose pigs because every sow is an economic unit to herself! We started with 125 sows and, after 16 years, were producing 600 pigs a week, employing a team of people and contracting a number of local farmers to grow young stock.”

Over the following 16 years, Matthew developed the operation into a substantial business. But the early 2000s brought challenges that would fundamentally change its future.

The 2000 outbreak of swine fever and the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease crisis had a devastating effect on the UK farming industry. Although Matthew’s farm did not suffer either disease directly, a new, off-site high-genetic-merit herd fell within a restricted zone. The restrictions prevented him from moving or selling the animals, and he received no compensation for the consequential losses.

“It was in the early 2000s that I felt I was losing control of some key areas of the business. As a country, we suffered from the ingress of swine fever in 2000 and, in 2001, foot-and-mouth disease hit the UK.

“Whilst our farm didn’t get either disease, it spelled disaster for our business because we had started a brand-new, off-site high-genetic-merit herd that fell within a restricted zone. We could neither move nor sell the animals, and we did not receive compensation for the consequential loss.”

The experience prompted Matthew to reconsider his future in farming and explore new opportunities.

A varied business career

After leaving agriculture, Matthew helped a friend establish the operations of a silicon-chip design business. When its operations moved to the United States, he moved into another venture, joining a friend as a director and investor in a new-build garden centre, farm shop and restaurant.

Matthew managed the garden centre's construction before becoming its Managing Director. When a third partner decided to move on, the search for a replacement investor led to an unexpected outcome: a buyer who wanted to acquire the entire complex.

In 2007, Matthew turned his attention to small-scale property development. The work earned an award recognising his contribution to the built heritage of East Yorkshire, but the timing proved difficult. The collapse of Northern Rock in 2007 and Lehman Brothers in 2008 contributed to a financial crisis that hit the property market hard.

“Next, in 2007, I went into some small-scale property development and won an award for our ‘contribution to the built heritage of East Yorkshire’. However, it was the worst possible timing, with the crash of Northern Rock that autumn, followed by Lehman Brothers going down the following year. It was the perfect storm and illustrated wonderfully the impact of timing on everything we do.”

Alongside these ventures, Matthew was also running a small finance company. By this stage, he had accumulated extensive experience across business ownership, investment, operations and management. He was ready to explore a new opportunity that would allow him to apply those skills in a different way.

Finding ActionCOACH UK

That opportunity came when Matthew received a call from ActionCOACH. The franchise's established systems, training and support appealed to him, and he could see how his varied business background might translate into coaching.

In June 2009, he travelled to Las Vegas for an intensive 10-day training programme. It was a demanding introduction to a new profession, requiring him to turn years of practical experience into a structured approach to helping other people run their businesses.

“That’s when I got a call from ActionCOACH UK. I learned about their tried-and-tested system and support structure, and I thought my experience would work well with the franchise. So, in June 2009, I went to ActionCOACH training in Las Vegas for an initial 10 days.

“It was extremely challenging and intensive, and I came away with my head boiling. You are given a huge amount of information, and you need to convert that into the practical reality of being a good business coach.”

Matthew launched his ActionCOACH UK business across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in August 2009. While his background had equipped him with negotiation and commercial skills, he quickly realised that sales and marketing were areas where he needed to develop.

His previous businesses had operated in markets where products could be sold at prevailing commodity prices or properties marketed for offers. Attracting coaching clients required a different approach.

“In August 2009, I launched my ActionCOACH UK business in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. I was slow in getting to grips with sales and marketing. Whilst I had negotiation experience as a farmer, I did not have marketing experience. Farm commodities sell in any volume at a given price, and property is put onto the market for offers.

“The support from our franchisor in this area has improved exponentially in the last three years. Few military people have sales and marketing experience, but at ActionCOACH UK the education is provided, and all you need is the will and application to succeed.”

For Matthew, the franchise offered a way to build on his existing strengths while learning the additional skills needed to establish a successful coaching business.

Building a rewarding business

Matthew initially worked from home, later taking flexible office space closer to his clients. Over time, he developed a consistent growth trajectory, with the business recording year-on-year growth for seven consecutive years, according to his account at the time.

One of the attractions of business coaching was the difference between a service-based business and the asset-heavy ventures he had previously operated. Farming and property development often required significant capital and could expose owners to risks beyond their control. Coaching offered a different business model, with the potential to generate income without the same level of physical assets.

“Initially, I worked from home but later took on office space on a flexible basis near my clients. The business has grown year on year consistently for seven consecutive years. Part of the attraction of ActionCOACH UK was that it’s a cash-generative business whereas, previously, I had always been involved in asset-heavy businesses. Farmers live poor but die rich. I valued that most highly at that stage of my career, and it remains true today.”

Matthew’s coaching arrangements vary according to each client's needs. Some clients require an hour of support each month, while others benefit from a full day in the business alongside weekly contact.

At the time of his account, he was working with 10 clients, generating an income comparable to what he had earned in previous roles. Just as importantly, he had more control over how he structured his working week.

“I have a variety of client needs that vary from meeting for one hour a month to my being in their business for a full day a month, plus weekly contact in between. I have 10 clients, which generates an income that matches anything I’ve ever had before.

“Livestock farming and the Army can be 24/7, and the beauty about ActionCOACH UK is you can make it what you want. Some coaches work a full five-day week and others choose less.”

As his business became more established, Matthew began moving towards a four-day working week, giving himself more time to focus on managing his own financial future.

He also sees business coaching as an opportunity for ongoing learning. The experience of helping clients manage their businesses has reinforced his belief that people should take an active role in managing the wealth they create, rather than leaving it entirely to others.

“I’m gravitating towards a four-day work week, spending more time managing our own future. People bust a gut to make money and then spend very little time managing it afterwards. They abandon it to others and hope it works in stocks, property or a pension.

“We’re in a position as coaches to learn about how to manage our assets and money more wisely. One of the options is that you can still buy another business and grow it whilst being an Action Coach.”

Helping businesses achieve meaningful growth

For Matthew, financial rewards are only one part of the appeal. The opportunity to help business owners transform their companies and their own roles within them has become a defining feature of his work.

One of his long-standing clients is a veterinary clinic he had been coaching for five years at the time of the original account. During that period, the business recorded substantial improvements in turnover, profitability and value, while expanding its team.

“The rewards aren’t just in the form of income for me. I enjoy helping business owners transform. I’ve been working with a veterinary clinic for five years. It has grown by 75% in gross turnover terms and now employs 35 people.

“To grow the business, you’ve got to take market share in a crowded marketplace. While supermarkets get excited by a 1.5% increase in market share, you can see why we are so pleased with the growth of this business! Profits are up by 380% and the value of the business is up by 500%.”

The results, as Matthew describes them, reflect more than financial growth. Coaching has helped the owner move from focusing primarily on her professional work as a vet to taking a more strategic role in running the business.

“Profitability is important as it gives you the cash to invest in great people and systems, but it also allows the business owner to draw money from the business to enjoy life. The owner used to be a vet who happened to run a business; now she is a businesswoman who happens to run a veterinary clinic.

“She’s currently using some of the profit to upgrade the clinic to hospital status, but the real value comes with having a business that she can sell at the time she decides to retire or take on a new challenge.”

For Matthew, helping an owner build a profitable, well-run and potentially saleable business is one of the most satisfying aspects of coaching. It gives clients more choices about their future, while creating opportunities to invest in their teams, systems and long-term success.

His own experience has taught him that success depends on more than hard work. The right timing, sound business decisions, effective systems and access to practical support can all make a difference.

“ActionCOACH UK is a great business to be in once you are established. You need to be willing to invest time in training and lifelong learning, but you buy the systems and support that you need to succeed.”

Could business coaching be your next chapter?

Matthew’s journey from Army Captain to farmer, entrepreneur and business coach demonstrates how experience gained in one career can become the foundation for another. Through ActionCOACH UK, he has found a way to use his knowledge to help other business owners achieve stronger results, while building a business that gives him greater control over his time and future.

If you have enjoyed success in your career or sport, love learning and developing yourself, and get a buzz from helping others succeed, an ActionCOACH UK franchise could be an opportunity worth exploring.

Could an ActionCOACH UK franchise be your next career move?

If you have business experience and want to help other people succeed while building a business of your own, discover more about the ActionCOACH UK franchise opportunity.

Discover how an ActionCOACH UK franchise could help you build a business with purpose, flexibility and the support of an established coaching community.