Rod Fuller: From Business Setbacks to Building a Successful Coaching Business

Turning difficult experiences into a new direction

Rod Fuller had seen first-hand what can happen when a business struggles. Throughout his career, he had worked with companies at very different stages, from those achieving impressive growth to organisations facing serious financial difficulties.

After experiencing the collapse of a business he worked for, Rod decided to take a different direction. He wanted to use his experience to help other business owners avoid similar situations and build stronger, more successful businesses.

Today, Rod runs ActionCOACH Mansfield, where he has built a successful coaching business and helped almost 100 local businesses through coaching, seminars and events in the past year alone.

His decision to join ActionCOACH UK was influenced by conversations with his brother-in-law, Jeff Gosling, who was already an ActionCOACH UK franchise partner.

“During my career, I worked with businesses at both ends of the spectrum, both thriving companies and those on the verge of collapse. In 2010, I provided key support to an engineering company, taking them from the fear of running out of cash in 13 weeks to a success.

“But, seven years later, I witnessed a company in stark contrast, being left in a sticky situation when the company went into liquidation. It was a learning curve, but it didn’t discourage me from moving on to the next challenge.

“When considering what to do next, I thought of conversations with my brother-in-law, Jeff Gosling, who is an ActionCOACH. The proven model had such an impact on his life, personally and professionally, I knew it was the best option to help me implement significant change for the good of my local community.”

Rod and his wife, Gail, attended a discovery day to find out more about the franchise before beginning their due diligence. They then took a month-long trip to New Zealand to consider the opportunity properly.

It was while relaxing on a beach in the sunshine that Rod made his decision.

He turned to Gail and said: “We’re going to do this!”

Taking the first steps with ActionCOACH UK

Rod returned home just before Christmas 2018 and was awarded his ActionCOACH UK franchise. After a well-earned break, he began his training at ActionCOACH University at the end of January 2019.

The training gave him the practical coaching skills and business knowledge needed to get started, but Rod also found the personal development element particularly valuable.

“I loved the training. It was intense; they took me out of my comfort zone, but it was an amazing learning experience. I built a strong camaraderie with other franchise partners who I’m still in contact with every few weeks even to this day.

“For me, the invaluable part was learning not just about how to coach, but what kind of coach I wanted to be, what I wanted my role to be in my new business and what I could do day-to-day to achieve this.

“Since day one, the lessons I learnt from ActionCOACH are just as powerful from a personal development point of view as they are for the coaching aspect.”

Rod officially launched ActionCOACH Mansfield in March 2019. Although he had the training and resources behind him, he understood that building a successful business would require time, effort and a willingness to establish himself in a new community.

Building a business in a new territory

One of Rod's biggest challenges was that his chosen territory was in a part of the country where he had no existing network or established business contacts.

He knew he would need to build relationships from the ground up, learning about the local business community and understanding the challenges facing business owners in the area.

“I invested in a territory that was an entirely new area of the country to me. It was a challenge I was ready to take on. I knew I would have to spend a fair amount of time establishing a base and getting to know the people around me as I didn’t have a circle of influence that I could call upon for easy enquiries.

“I had to go out and make connections with local businesses, discovering the major players and what made them tick.”

Rod also spent time planning how he would introduce business coaching to the area, including identifying suitable venues for seminars and considering how best to reach potential clients.

That early preparation helped him secure his first client quickly and gave him the confidence to keep building.

“That planning paid off as I signed my first client quickly. This only increased my determination as I became eager to help more clients. For me, it has always been about creating meaningful contacts and supporting my local business community.”

Reaching new levels of business growth

Since launching in 2019, Rod has continued to grow his coaching business. By 2022, he had doubled his clientele and increased his peak monthly turnover from £13,000 to £20,000.

Through his coaching work, seminars and events, he was estimated to have helped almost 100 businesses in the previous year.

Despite reaching new levels of success, Rod remains committed to developing his own skills and learning from others across the ActionCOACH UK network.

“Despite reaching a new level of success, I’m still learning every day as a coach. I’ve found as I develop, even more opportunities are offered to me.

“Due to reaching my peak turnover of £20,000, I was invited to a monthly one-hour coaching session with ActionCOACH’s global founder, Brad Sugars. It’s been invaluable to gain his insight and it’s proof that although the support from ActionCOACH has always been at a very high level, it never stops evolving for you as a franchise partner.”

For Rod, business growth is only part of the picture. He also places considerable importance on the feedback he receives from the people he coaches.

Following the release of the annual client survey results, he was awarded Best Client Ratings for the Central Midlands region.

His Client Advocacy Score was 100 out of a possible 100, reflecting exceptionally positive feedback from his clients.

“For me, the real testament to my success lies in how valuable my clients view my coaching to be. This year, following the release of the annual client survey results, I was awarded the accolade of Best Client Ratings for the Central Midlands region.

“The results showed that my Client Advocacy Score index was 100 out of a possible 100, indicating my clients are completely satisfied with the coaching I provide. As an individual who became a coach to help business owners in my community, this was an immensely meaningful achievement.”

Creating a business that works around life

Growing ActionCOACH Mansfield has also given Rod the opportunity to create a better balance between work and personal life.

He has introduced additional time off for his team, with the business taking at least one Friday off each month so everyone has more time to spend with family and friends.

The flexibility of the coaching model has also allowed Rod to spend more time with his family overseas.

After the pandemic prevented him from visiting New Zealand for four years, he was able to return and spend time with relatives.

“I’m proud to say that not only have I reached new heights professionally, but my work-life balance is better than ever before. My firm now takes at least one Friday off per month to ensure everyone has some extra time to spend with their loved ones.

“Last summer, I was able to take a trip to New Zealand to see my family who I hadn’t seen in four years due to the pandemic. Due to the flexibility of the ActionCOACH model, I was able to coach for the first two weeks and take the second two weeks off as holiday, something that simply wouldn’t have been possible in most businesses.”

For Rod, being able to continue supporting clients while having greater control over his time is one of the most valuable parts of running his own coaching business.

Supporting other coaches and planning for the future

Rod has no intention of slowing down just yet. His ambition over the following three years was to double the size of his firm and recruit at least one additional coach.

Doing so would allow him to spend less time managing the day-to-day operation and more time working on the business, developing its future direction and creating further opportunities.

He also wants to continue supporting other ActionCOACH UK franchise partners.

The regular coaching calls led by UK Performance Director James Vincent provide an opportunity for coaches to share knowledge, discuss challenges and learn from one another.

“I also want to continue helping my fellow coaches. Our UK Performance Director, James Vincent, runs coaching calls every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday which are the perfect opportunity to do this as we meet as a network, supporting each other and sharing knowledge.

“I know that as long as I continue to support my clients and my ActionCOACH colleagues, there’s no limit to what I can achieve.”

Why Rod chose an ActionCOACH UK franchise

Rod's journey demonstrates how a difficult experience in business can lead to a completely different career direction.

Having seen the consequences of poor business performance first-hand, he wanted to help other owners build stronger companies and create more secure futures.

Joining ActionCOACH UK gave him the opportunity to turn that ambition into a business of his own. Through the training, proven model and ongoing support of the franchise network, he has built a successful coaching practice while making a meaningful contribution to his local business community.

His advice is to make the most of the opportunities and support available through the franchise, stay committed to developing as a coach and invest time in building relationships with local businesses.

For Rod, success has come from putting those principles into practice and continuing to learn along the way.

Could you build a business helping others succeed?

You may have spent years working in business, managing teams or helping organisations overcome challenges. That experience could provide a valuable starting point for a career in business coaching.

An ActionCOACH UK franchise gives you the opportunity to build your own business, work with business owners across your local area and develop the skills to help them improve their performance.

Interested in becoming an ActionCOACH UK franchise partner?

Find out more about the opportunity and take the first step towards building your own business coaching practice.

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