Tim Hill: From Tennis Coaching to Business Coaching

For Tim Hill, becoming General Manager of ActionCOACH Truro meant taking his coaching experience into an entirely new environment. After spending much of his career working in high-performance tennis, he had never heard of ActionCOACH UK until he came across the business on LinkedIn.

The opportunity caught his attention. It offered a chance to use the skills he had developed in sport while taking on a new challenge in business coaching.

Tim launched in September 2020, becoming the first person globally to take on ActionCOACH UK’s new General Manager model. Since then, he has built a coaching practice supporting 35 business owners, earned recognition among the top 30 coaches worldwide and developed a team around him.

From tennis courts to talent development

Tim began his career coaching tennis at his local club in Cornwall. What started as a way to share his enthusiasm for the sport soon developed into a career focused on identifying and developing talent.

“I started out coaching tennis at my local club in Cornwall,” said Tim. “Back then, it was just about sharing my love for the game with others; but I quickly realised I had a knack for spotting and developing talent.”

That ability led him to British Tennis, where he became a scout and performance coach for under-10 players.

“It was an amazing role. I loved it! Seeing the kids develop was really incredible. Some have gone on to become household names, like Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper, which is even more rewarding.”

His career progressed to London, where he took responsibility for talent development across the South East of England. The role involved much more than working directly with players. Tim was helping build systems, support other coaches and create the structures needed to identify and develop promising talent.

After several years, he moved to Australia and began coaching tennis coaches. This brought a different perspective to his work.

“It was a big step, but it was such an amazing experience,” he added. “It wasn’t about players anymore. I had to help coaches realise there was far more to their careers than tennis coaching. They were, in essence, business owners and needed to be taught how to perform in those environments.”

That experience would prove useful in his next career move.

Finding a new direction with ActionCOACH UK

Tim returned to the UK in 2019 and set up a recruitment business helping tennis coaches find opportunities in Australia. The timing was difficult, with COVID arriving just as the business was getting started.

“It was tough to take, but it also pushed me to start thinking about where else my skills could take me.”

He came across ActionCOACH UK on LinkedIn. The connection between his coaching background and the work of a business coach was clear, although moving into a different sector still felt like a significant step.

“My skillset matched, but it still felt like a leap into the unknown for me,” said Tim. “My whole network was based around tennis, so stepping into business coaching was going to be a completely new challenge.”

Tim joined as the first person to take on ActionCOACH UK’s new General Manager model. The approach involved managing and growing corporate coaching businesses in vacant franchise territories, while testing and embedding new ideas that could potentially be introduced across the wider franchise network.

“I saw it as a brilliant opportunity to prove the model could work and to shape how it might look for others in the future.”

The initial training made a strong impression. Tim describes it as an intensive introduction to the knowledge and skills needed to begin coaching business owners.

“It was like doing a university degree in two weeks. The amount of learning was huge, but I felt like it was giving me a really strong foundation to start building my confidence and put me in a good place to secure my first clients.”

Building a coaching business during COVID

Launching in September 2020 meant Tim had to establish his business during a period of considerable uncertainty. Fortunately, his experience living and working in Australia meant online communication was already familiar.

“I’d lived in Australia for years, so Zoom was second nature to me. To get those first clients, it was all about reaching out, showing up and learning by doing. Nothing fancy, just persistence.”

As the business developed, Tim continued to rely on the training and support available through ActionCOACH UK.

“Without the ongoing training from ActionCOACH, I think you’d start to feel lost pretty quickly. It kept me sharp and gave me new tools to keep building momentum.”

The move from high-performance sport into business coaching still came with personal challenges. Despite years of coaching experience, Tim had to adjust to a new environment and establish his confidence with business owners.

“I definitely felt a bit of imposter syndrome at the start,” he admitted. “It was a big shift in environment. I had to prove to myself I belonged.

“This is why the support of the network was huge. It kept me accountable, helped me push through my doubts and gave me the confidence to hit the numbers I needed.”

Supporting 35 business owners in Cornwall

Tim now works with a community of 35 business owners, supporting businesses of different sizes and helping them work towards their own goals.

His work has also received recognition within the wider ActionCOACH network. He has ranked among the top 30 coaches globally and achieved the highest client ratings in the South West of England.

“The goal now is to break into the top 20, and eventually the top 10. There’s always a next level to aim for.”

He has also built a team to support the continued development of the business.

“I’ve got a brilliant team here too. Charles has been with me since day one and does telemarketing, while Bella, who joined about two years ago, focuses on our events.”

For Tim, the most rewarding part of coaching is seeing clients make progress that matters to them. Financial performance and business growth are important, but he recognises that every owner has different reasons for wanting to change their business.

“Whether it is a client reaching a target or a personal milestone, seeing them achieve is what really makes it all worthwhile.

“One of the biggest things I’ve learnt is growth means different things to different people. Some people do want to double their turnover or the size of their business, but for others it’s far more personal.”

He recently worked with a client who wanted to streamline their business so they could have their second child. Before the work began, the client had been convinced it would not be possible.

“Recently I was working with one of my clients to streamline their business so they could have their second child. I remember before we started working on it, they said ‘no chance’, but to have played a role in something so important to a couple was a real proud moment and shows success is not all about financial improvements.”

It is an example of how business coaching can affect the lives of owners and their families, as well as the performance of the businesses they run.

Looking ahead: the next stage of growth

Tim’s focus is now on growing the coaching practice further. He wants to expand the one-to-one client base and explore new opportunities in the market, while continuing to spend his time working directly with business owners.

“I want to expand our one-to-one coaching base and explore new market opportunities. It’s about reaching more people but still doing the work I genuinely enjoy.”

The relationships he builds with clients are central to that ambition.

“I want to work with clients I connect with. It’s what keeps me motivated each and every day.”

Tim is also open to investing in his own franchise territory in the future, although he is happy with his current role as General Manager of ActionCOACH Truro, working with the business’s co-founders and owners, Julie Wagstaff and Ian Christelow.

“I love what I’m doing right now. It works for me, and it works for ActionCOACH UK co-founders and owners of ActionCOACH Truro, Julie Wagstaff and Ian Christelow.

“I just want to keep seeing people transform. Coming from a high-performance background, you really get a kick out of tangible progress. Working with businesses and business owners who transform both professionally and personally, I don’t think any other profession could deliver that kind of buzz.”

Tim Hill’s advice for becoming an ActionCOACH UK business coach

For anyone considering a move into business coaching, Tim believes commitment to the process is essential. The systems and resources are there, but people need to be prepared to learn and put them into practice.

“The ActionCOACH systems work and are proven over many years, but only if you fully commit. It takes practice, resilience and the willingness to be coached yourself.”

He also encourages people to approach the role with an open mind and accept that there will be a learning curve.

“You need to go in with an open mind and embrace the learning curve. It’s not always easy, but it’s where the growth happens.”

His final piece of advice is to think carefully about the clients you want to work with.

“Finally, find clients who match your style. When there’s a natural connection, your coaching is more rewarding, and you get to make a real impact.”

Tim’s move from tennis coaching to business coaching shows how skills developed in one profession can provide a foundation for another. His experience in talent development, coaching other coaches and building systems gave him a starting point for supporting business owners in Cornwall.

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