Case studies

We hope the case histories below will give you a better feel for the kinds of issues we can help you work through. In the interests of confidentiality, no client or company names have been included.

A chef, a footballer and a restaurant
Business Coaching

MHL Coaching’s first experience of working with the two owner/operators of a restaurant was during the business’s launch phase. One of the owners was a retired professional sportsman, the other a chef who had previously cooked for a well-known celebrity. Having coached them through a successful launch, we provided ongoing business advice during the first year of rapid growth.

After 18 months, however, one partner felt the other was not pulling his weight and wished to buy him out, or get out of the business himself. To help guide them through this potentially turbulent event, they turned to MHL Coaching.

We began by holding separate meetings with each partner to discuss what they wanted from the split. We were then in a position to devise a strategy involving the business’s bank and accountant and a price was agreed to buy-out the retired sportsman.

Once the sale was complete, the next step was to help the chef-owner transform himself into the front of house manager and personality leading the business. ‘This wasn’t a role I felt came naturally to me. I was actually very reluctant to leave the comfort zone of the kitchen,’ he says. ‘But working with Sue I set a series of achievable goals which included building my confidence.’

After several months of role play and encouragement, he is now fully engaged in his new role and completely confident that his kitchen team can be trusted to produce dishes to his own high standards. The business continues to go from strength to strength.

Time was of the essence
Business Coaching

When the two directors of a successful internet problem-solving/trouble-shooting business came to MHL Coaching, they already knew they needed help with getting their company better organised.

We began by meeting both directors and encouraging them to discuss their professional strengths and weakness. It quickly became clear that time management was a major issue which was also creating problems in their accounting and leaving them short of time for customer liaison.

One director recalls: ‘I think it was that old problem of spending all our time working in the business, rather than putting our energies into working on it. That said, we didn’t want to turn the place into a soulless bureaucracy, either.’

To address this issue, we helped them set up a workable time management system and appoint a part-time bookkeeper. Then, through a series of weekly meetings with both directors, we helped them create a business plan for future growth which would respect the company’s core values and keep overheads down.

The business is now well positioned for higher turnover and better profitability, while the two directors are less stressed and have more free time.

The marine magnate
Executive Coaching

Many clients work with MHL Coaching for just a few months. Others, like this Chief Executive of a marine business, use us as an ongoing business resource – in this case for over six years.

During that time we’ve had a wide remit. We worked with him for several months on the acquisition of another business, including examining its profit and loss, the personalities involved and its fit with his existing business.

We have assisted in identifying recruitment needs and preparing job descriptions and candidate profiles. We have also contributed to team building, business planning for the future, work/life balance issues and retirement planning.

‘Some people might think using a coach is an indulgence,’ he says. ‘I don’t. I really do rely on Sue when I need to talk though my ideas for the business, while knowing that anything I say will go no further.’ 

Unhappy at work
Career Coaching

Our client had always worked hard. She’d been very loyal to her employer – a medium-sized organisation. Yet despite all this, she felt fed up with her role and couldn’t decide what to do about it.

We began by analysing her situation. How did she feel about the company, her job, her colleagues, the pay structure and the promotional opportunities? This analysis led to the conclusion that she actually enjoyed her job, but felt undervalued and wanted more flexibility in her role.

The next step was to help her prepare a well-thought-out case to present to her employer. Much to her surprise, her employer was very understanding and offered her more flexible working arrangements, including one day a week working from home, a small pay increase that had been overlooked in the past, and a more flexible approach to her holiday requests.

‘What I found invaluable,’ she says, ‘was the way Sue helped me strip out the emotion from the situation. She helped me work out what was right about my job, what was wrong, and then helped me do something about it.’

Show me the way home
Life Coaching 

This client was not short of ambition. She had set up and run her own Dive Centre for eight years. Nor did she lack stamina. Working twelve-hour days was normal for her. But when she came to MHL Coaching, she wanted to give up her career to be at home with her two children. She realised it was a dramatic life change.

‘There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to stay at home to enjoy my family,’ she says, ‘but it was still a big step. I suppose part of me was frightened. I’d been married to my business for so long and didn’t know how I’d react without it.’

We began by helping her explore the changes that would take place and discussed her ultimate goal of selling the business. Then, over a period of several months, we put in place a plan to manage the sale of the business and take her to the final goal of being happy spending time at home.

Keeping a sportswoman in training
Life Coaching

It takes real drive to engage in competitive sport, and retiring from it is not something to be taken lightly. This, however, was what a sportswoman client was planning when she came to MHL Coaching. Her aim was to set up in business as a personal trainer.

‘I’d never set up a business before,’ she says, ‘and although I’ve never had a problem with drive, I wasn’t so certain about direction. Sue helped me explore the thinking behind my new career. She also acted as a sounding board for my ideas, and instead of judging, she listened and encouraged.’

We are still working with her today, helping her to set targets for the business and keep focused on her priorities.

Life after divorce
Life Coaching

Few life events are more traumatic than a divorce. When this client came to MHL Coaching she was already finding the process difficult and wanted reassurance that she could get through it and come out the other side.

Here’s what she says about her experience of MHL Coaching: ‘Over a period of nine months MHL Coaching always gave helpful advice, a superb listening ear and added helpful suggestions to my own ideas for the way forward. I’ve now returned to work, run a happy home for myself and my three children and feel more confident than I ever did in my marriage of 16 years.’