Rupert Hine: Turned Crisis Management into a Coaching Career

From veterinary medicine to business coaching

After years of managing livestock disease outbreaks, including BSE and Foot and Mouth disease, former vet Rupert Hine had developed a talent for navigating complex challenges. He had always enjoyed working with animals, but over time, he discovered that the most rewarding part of his career was helping people find solutions, develop their skills and make a difference.

In September 2018, Rupert launched his ActionCOACH UK business in Kinross, Scotland. Just over a year later, the COVID-19 pandemic presented businesses with unprecedented challenges. Rupert could not have predicted how valuable his experience in crisis management would become, helping local business owners adapt, survive and find opportunities in uncertain times.

“Ironically, I originally got into veterinary medicine as I thought I would enjoy working with animals more than people. However, the more I worked as a vet, the more I realised that I loved the human relationship element of the job.

“As I started managing more people, and it became more my responsibility to find solutions and to implement change with teams, I realised management was the path I wanted to go down. To this day, helping people develop and make a huge difference to their lives is what really gives me pleasure in my career.”

Finding the right franchise opportunity

In 2018, Rupert was ready for a new professional challenge. An introductory phone call from ActionCOACH prompted him to explore the possibility of running his own business and moving away from veterinary medicine.

Initially, he was sceptical. The culture, sense of teamwork and potential job satisfaction described by the franchisor and existing franchise partners sounded almost too good to be true.

“The call from ActionCOACH really piqued my interest. To be honest, everything I heard from the franchisor and franchise partners seemed too good to be true: the brand culture, the job satisfaction, the sense of team support and so much more.

“As someone who has always been rational in my approach to life and business decisions, I took my time deciding whether the franchise was for me. I researched the company extensively during this period to see if I could find any faults, but the more I looked, the more reasons I found to seriously consider ActionCOACH as my next career choice.”

Rupert's research culminated in a discovery day in July 2018. Meeting the people behind the franchise helped him understand how its values translated into everyday working relationships.

“On the day, I kept waiting to hear what the catch was, but all the stories I heard were of a culture that I really wanted to be a part of. During my career I’ve worked with world-class scientists and high-performance government officials, and yet the ethos I was introduced to at ActionCOACH was mind blowing.

“Their 14 Points of Culture are phenomenal and the fact that everyone lives by them is so powerful.”

The experience convinced Rupert that ActionCOACH UK offered the combination of purpose, professional development and community he was looking for. He committed to the franchise, with training beginning in September 2018.

Building a business through relationships

Rupert found the initial training hugely rewarding, particularly because he was joined by two other franchise partners launching their businesses in Scotland. Developing alongside them created relationships that continued beyond training, with the group collaborating on coaching and group sessions.

After completing his training, Rupert followed advice from fellow ActionCOACH Andrew Kureishy and began by offering his coaching skills to someone he already knew. Fortunately, his sister was looking for support with her marine education company, giving Rupert an opportunity to put his new knowledge into practice.

“This has been a really fruitful enterprise for me and my sister, and I continue to coach her to this day.”

He also began networking through BNI, gradually building his client base through referrals and relationships with local business owners.

Although Rupert had plenty of experience speaking in front of groups as a vet, networking initially pushed him outside his comfort zone. He soon recognised that building genuine connections suited his personality and became a central part of his marketing strategy.

“I also started working with the business networking group BNI and through that network I began to organically grow my client base. I had a lot of experience talking in front of groups as a vet, however BNI felt out of my comfort zone initially. That soon changed and it remains at the core of my marketing activity today.

“Building relationships and finding clients through networking suits me as I have always preferred connecting with people on a human level before working with them.”

Rather than trying to implement every available marketing strategy at once, Rupert took advice from other ActionCOACH UK franchise partners and concentrated on a small number of approaches that worked for him. This allowed him to build momentum while continuing to develop his coaching and business development skills.

Helping businesses navigate a crisis

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, businesses faced sudden disruption and uncertainty. For Rupert, his previous experience managing disease outbreaks gave him a valuable perspective on the challenges unfolding around him.

He understood the importance of making difficult decisions with incomplete information, responding to rapidly changing circumstances and helping people remain focused on what they could control.

“I felt quite at home during the pandemic. My unique experience in dealing with disease outbreaks as a vet meant I understood the decisions the government had to make. It meant I could keep my clients grounded and coach them to make the pivots needed to survive a fast-changing business environment.

“I continued to coach virtually during this period, offering gifted sessions to business owners. It was incredibly fulfilling to make a difference to the local community.”

By continuing to support clients remotely and offering additional help to local businesses, Rupert was able to maintain relationships and help business owners work through an exceptionally difficult period.

His approach reflected the qualities he had developed throughout his veterinary career: staying calm under pressure, assessing the situation and helping people take practical steps forward.

Growing a business that makes a difference

Rupert's commitment to his clients and his community helped his coaching business grow significantly. In the period following the pandemic, he reported that his client base had reached three times its previous size.

He credits both his experience in veterinary medicine and the support available through ActionCOACH UK's network for helping him respond effectively to the challenges faced by local businesses.

“Since the pandemic my client base has grown to three times the size. I feel blessed with the experience and mindset which my previous career has offered me. In fact, combined with the amazing support on offer from ActionCOACH’s global and UK support teams, I felt completely in my element as I worked with my local business community to help companies survive and thrive.

“During this period, my client Scotia Cabins won a BizX award for Best Business Growth. It’s just one example of the accomplishments I’ve been able to support my clients to achieve. To see that I’m helping to change people’s lives day-to-day is fulfilling to say the least.”

Looking ahead, Rupert planned to expand his team and create an office in the grounds of his home as part of his vision for a boutique business coaching practice. He also wanted to continue growing his one-to-one coaching services while reaching more business owners through group coaching.

His ambition was not simply to grow a larger business. It was to build a practice that reflected his strengths, delivered meaningful results for clients and gave him the freedom to choose how he worked.

Finding a better work-life balance

One of the most significant changes Rupert experienced after joining ActionCOACH UK was greater control over his time.

Veterinary work had often involved being on call, making it difficult to separate professional responsibilities from personal interests. Business coaching gave Rupert the opportunity to organise his working life differently while continuing to help others.

Outside work, one of his greatest passions is motorsport. His interest began at university, when he worked with the Hot Air Balloon Club simply because it gave him an opportunity to repair its Land Rover.

Since then, he has travelled internationally to operate a motorsport rescue unit at rallying and cross-country events. He also enjoys restoring vehicles, including a former Royal Air Force six-wheeled Pinzgauer.

“Coming from the veterinary profession where being on call is an expected part of your life, I love the fact I now have the freedom and spare time to restore vehicles like my current project, the former Royal Air Force six-wheeler Pinzgauer!”

For Rupert, this freedom is an important part of what makes business ownership rewarding. He can continue developing a successful coaching practice while making space for the interests that have mattered to him for years.

Rupert’s advice for future franchise partners

Having experienced the value of the ActionCOACH UK community first-hand, Rupert encourages anyone considering the opportunity to make full use of the support available.

“There is so much support available from ActionCOACH, not just the UK Support Team but the whole network of franchise partners across the UK and globally. Take the time to tap into what’s available and then select those that will help on each step of your journey.

“I would love to attend every MasterCLASS. They are all phenomenal, but I now prioritise those on coaching as I feel they are most beneficial to me right now.”

His experience highlights the importance of remaining open to learning, building relationships with other franchise partners and choosing the resources that best support each stage of business development.

Turn your experience into a fulfilling new career

Rupert's journey demonstrates how skills developed in one profession can become the foundation for an entirely new career. His experience in veterinary medicine, people management and crisis response has helped him become a business coach who supports local companies through challenges and towards new opportunities.

With the training, systems and community offered by ActionCOACH UK, Rupert has built a business that allows him to help others succeed while making more time for his own interests.

Could business coaching be your next career move?

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