Martin Baillie is no stranger to leadership. His corporate career saw him operating in senior roles, where coaching and mentoring were his meat and drink.
But as an ActionCOACH franchise owner, based in Bury St. Edmunds since 2020, Baillie has taken those skills to a new level, transforming them into a business that helps others thrive.
The journey has been one of learning, growth, and challenge, but as Baillie recounts, it’s also been deeply rewarding. His goal is ambitious: to create 1,000 jobs in the local community through the success of the businesses he coaches. Alongside this, he contributes to the Whizz Kids charity, donating £1 for every job created, a mission that aligns his professional success with personal purpose.
The move to ActionCOACH
For Baillie, coaching wasn’t an entirely new concept when he joined ActionCOACH. His corporate career had given him a strong foundation.
“As a leader in a corporate environment, my style was very much a coaching style,” he reflects. “Coaching my team was an everyday occurrence, but at the time, I didn’t appreciate how valuable an asset it was.”
Transitioning to ActionCOACH, however, meant adapting those skills to a new context, particularly in marketing and B2B sales.
“I needed to fine-tune and refine my marketing and business-to-business sales skills, having come from a B2C background,” Baillie explains.
The shift wasn’t just about acquiring new techniques, it was about rethinking how to connect with and engage potential clients, many of whom don’t initially see coaching as a necessity.
Starting during lockdown
Launching any business is a challenge, but doing so in 2020, shortly after the first lockdown, brought its own set of hurdles. “Growth was very slow initially in the first year,” Baillie admits.
The tide turned in year two with a significant leap in progress, although the pace slowed somewhat in year three. Since then, his business has maintained a steady growth of around 20% annually. While the path hasn’t been without obstacles, Baillie has taken each phase as a learning opportunity.
“I’ve run a business before, coming from an operations background in the corporate world,” he says. “But running my own business has meant considering things I used to have the privilege of other people thinking about, like cash flow and customer care.”
Challenges and rewards
When asked about the biggest challenge of running his franchise, Baillie doesn’t point to external factors. Instead, he identifies himself as the key obstacle.
“Realising that the only person I have to compete with is myself and that focusing on being better each day is the way to move forward,” he shares. “Small, detailed changes and disciplines have had the biggest impact.”
That focus on incremental improvement is something he brings into his coaching practice, encouraging clients to approach their own challenges with the same mindset.
As for the rewards, like most franchise operators Baillie highlights the flexibility and work-life balance his role affords him, along with the joy of seeing his clients achieve their goals. “I also enjoy observing people achieve milestones and goals that they never thought they could,” he says.
Transforming businesses
Baillie has seen firsthand the transformative power of coaching, not just in financial terms but in the lives of his clients.
“One client who has been working with me for three years started with a £250,000 annual turnover and this year has exceeded £1.2 million,” he shares. “Another client couldn’t get time away from work without the phone going or to take an undisturbed family holiday. They have since been away multiple times now with their phone off!”
Another success story involved a client who improved their profitability by more than 40%. It all illustrates how coaching doesn’t just address business challenges, but changes the way people approach their work and personal lives.
How to sell coaching
Despite his successes, Baillie acknowledges that selling coaching services isn’t always straightforward.
“Yes, it is a challenge as people don’t realise they need a coach until they understand what we do,” he explains.
“People tend to see coaching as a cost rather than an investment. The secret is to help potential coachees see how coaching can deliver a return on investment through resolving or addressing some of the challenges they face in their business.”
His approach requires patience and the ability to clearly articulate the value of coaching, something he has honed over time.
For those considering joining ActionCOACH, Baillie has clear advice: “Start with the end in mind. Be clear on your long-term purpose and goals that you want to achieve through coaching, as this will form the basis of the plan you put in place in year one.”
He also stresses the unique advantages of being part of a franchise.
“A sole owner of a business doesn’t have a massive support network around them, whereas I have access to thousands of coaches across the world to help with challenges I and my clients face,” he says.
He values the robust support and resources provided by the ActionCOACH framework, which includes extensive training, materials, and advice.
£500K target
Looking ahead, Baillie has ambitious plans for his business. “In the next five years, I aim to have four other coaches in the business, to be turning over upwards of £500,000 per annum, and potentially invest in a second territory,” he reveals.
His growth strategy aligns with his stated mission to create 1,000 new jobs in the community, a goal that drives much of his work.
Reflecting on his progress so far, Baillie sees coaching as more than just a career but also a way to make a lasting impact.
“Anyone can be coached—you just need to find the right coach,” he says.
