Anu Khanna: From Corporate Leadership to Business Coaching

I thought my glass was full until I discovered ActionCOACH UK...

Anu Khanna had spent years building a successful corporate career, developing her leadership skills and gaining experience in coaching senior management. But when she discovered ActionCOACH UK, she realised there was still plenty to learn.

After growing up in Singapore, studying in India and working across several countries, Anu had built an international career with IKEA. She had helped launch its Coventry store before moving to Switzerland, where she worked as a coach for senior management.

In May 2018, she took a different direction and invested in an ActionCOACH UK franchise. She has since built a coaching business with a team of her own, supporting businesses of very different sizes and creating a working life that gives her more time with her family.

As Anu puts it, discovering ActionCOACH changed how she saw her own potential.

“The main impact ActionCOACH has had on me is who I’m becoming. When I joined the network, I thought my glass was full, but being exposed to the precision and detail within the franchise model, I became aware of how much work there was left to do. It’s miles away from the stage I was operating at in the corporate world and it’s completely turned my life around.”

An international career with coaching at its heart

Anu grew up in Singapore before moving to India to study for a degree in commerce and two MBAs. Her ambition and interest in business led her to IKEA, where she developed her career and was eventually brought to the UK to help launch the company's retail store in Coventry.

Her next move took her to Switzerland, where she became a coach for senior management. It was a role that brought together her business experience and her passion for helping people develop.

When her son was preparing to choose his GCSE subjects, Anu began considering a return to the UK to give him the education she felt would be best for him. IKEA supported the move and agreed to help relocate the family, but there was not an immediate position available for her in the UK.

That gave Anu an opportunity to consider what she wanted to do next.

Her husband, Raj, suggested she look at ActionCOACH UK.

Discovering ActionCOACH UK

Raj recognised that Anu's experience and interest in coaching could make her a strong fit for business coaching.

“Raj knew I would excel in this role. I wasn’t necessarily looking for something new, but I’d always had a passion for coaching, so thought I could definitely apply my expertise to build a successful business. I booked into a discovery day, and both Raj and I left extremely impressed. It was great to discover the aspects of the franchise model I would be adopting in the future.”

Anu also took the opportunity to speak with an existing ActionCOACH franchise partner to understand what life in the network was really like.

“I spoke with another Action Coach, to discover more. I instantly connected with her story which filled me with inspiration. After that meeting, I knew ActionCOACH was what I was destined to do.”

The combination of business ownership, coaching and an established support network gave her the confidence to take the next step.

Anu was awarded her franchise in May 2018 and soon began her training at ActionCOACH University.

Building confidence and securing her first client

Despite her existing experience in coaching and business, Anu quickly realised there was a great deal more to learn about running an ActionCOACH business.

“Even after spending so much time within the coaching world, there was still a plethora of aspects for me to learn. The training programme was extremely comprehensive, albeit intense, but it only made me eager to get going. I thrive most when putting things into practise and being in front of people. I was confident I could make my franchise a success.”

Once home, Anu joined a local BNI group. It proved to be an important early step, helping her secure her first client and begin building a network of business owners.

“When I arrived home, I joined a BNI group, which was how I signed my first client. It felt amazing to get a confidence boost straight away and it only made me determined to go bigger and better.”

Recommendations soon became an important source of new business. Anu found that the relationships she developed with clients often led to further introductions and opportunities.

“From that point onwards, my business grew naturally, with many of my clients joining through recommendations. I underestimated the power of word of mouth and seeing it in action was very rewarding. The relationships with those clients in particular have been strong right from the outset, which results in our work together being much more impactful.”

Building a team and a varied coaching business

During the first two years, Anu focused on developing a team around her. At the time of the original interview, that team included four people: two Business Development Managers, a Marketing Specialist and an Executive Creative PA.

For Anu, building a team also meant demonstrating the principles she was encouraging her clients to adopt. She believes business owners need to see those systems working in practice.

“I have to demonstrate that I’m adopting the ActionCOACH systems in my own business to highlight how it works. I’m doing exactly the same as what I’m telling my clients to do, practising what I preach as they look to me as the expert.”

Her coaching business had developed to support companies with revenues ranging from £70,000 to £70 million. At the time, she was delivering one-to-one coaching to 15 businesses in her area and had also started running leadership programmes.

She had built a range of services to suit different business owners, including group coaching sessions, 90-day planning and a recently launched BookCLUB.

“I’ve created a substantial client base that I’m extremely proud of, including businesses with a revenue from £70,000 to £70million. I deliver one-to-one coaching with 15 businesses in the area and have recently started training leader programmes, but perhaps the best part is being able to offer something for everyone.

“I host several group coaching sessions, such as 90-day planning, and I’ve recently launched a BookCLUB. Combining all of these aspects, I’m comfortably earning more than I did in the corporate world and I’m determined to grow further.”

Anu was also thinking about the next stage of the business. Once her own diary was full, she planned to bring in an employee business coach so the team could support more business owners in the local community.

A better balance for family life

Building a business has also changed Anu's day-to-day life outside work.

In her previous corporate role, long working days often meant missing time with her children. Running her own ActionCOACH business gave her more flexibility to be involved in their daily routines, including taking her daughter Kyra and son Kabir to school.

“My life has changed for the better. In my previous role, I was never able to wind down. My days were extremely long, meaning I missed out on family time whilst my children were growing up. Now’s my chance to make up for it.”

The ability to shape her working day around her family has been one of the most important benefits of the change.

For Anu, business success is about having the opportunity to build something of her own while making more time for the people who matter to her.

The importance of the ActionCOACH UK community

Anu is quick to recognise the support she has received from the wider ActionCOACH network. Alongside the franchisor and other franchise partners, she credits her coach's coach, James Vincent, with playing an important part in her development.

“I have a lot to thank James for. He’s played a massive part in the success I’m seeing within my own business. He’s a very successful coach and his expertise is second to none.”

The relationships within the network have reinforced her decision to join. She values being part of a community where franchise partners are willing to share their experience, offer support and help each other succeed.

“It’s refreshing to see how the word ‘community’ is not just on paper, it’s part of our reality. Action Coaches are always willing to share, help each other succeed and have some fun along the way. Although my glass is being topped up every day, I now know my life has an infinite capacity.”

For someone who arrived with extensive business and coaching experience, the opportunity to keep learning has been a defining part of her journey.

Anu's experience shows how a successful corporate career can provide a strong foundation for business ownership, while the right training, systems and network can open up new opportunities.

Interested in becoming an ActionCOACH UK franchise partner? Find out more about the opportunity at franchise.actioncoach.co.uk.