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Imagine this: A business is growing. Fast. The leader is driven — working long hours, chasing goals, putting out fires. Every push leads to progress, so they push harder. The business grows again, but so does the weight on their shoulders. Eventually, the joy that launched it all begins to fade. Sound familiar?

For many entrepreneurs and executives, this isn’t just a hypothetical. It’s Tuesday.

As a business coach, I’ve seen this pattern play out time and again — smart, ambitious people running successful companies but operating without clarity or limits. Their businesses look great on paper, but behind the scenes, it’s unsustainable. That’s where coaching comes in.

But here’s the paradox: Coaching isn’t really about the coach. It’s about the person being coached — their vision, their struggles, their goals. A good coach doesn’t give you a ready-made answer. They help you ask the right questions. They meet you where you are, not where a textbook says you should be.

It’s not about me — it’s about you

Let’s start with what business coaching isn’t. It’s not a seminar. It’s not motivational speaking. It’s not someone parachuting in to fix your company with a magic strategy.

Coaching is a one-on-one, structured process that aligns your personal goals with your business objectives. It’s about uncovering what really matters to you — not just revenue or scale, but fulfillment, purpose and sustainable success. As coaches, we listen, challenge and clarify. And we hold you accountable in a way that no colleague, investor or spouse ever could.

At Focal Point, where I coach service-based entrepreneurs, we use a method that focuses on four key areas: time, team, money and strategy. We assess where you are, identify where you want to be and help build the systems, habits and mindset needed to get there.

And we start with you — not your spreadsheets.

Business is personal

There’s a persistent myth in business that it’s all logic and numbers. But here’s the truth: A business is just a legal structure. What makes it come alive are the people who lead it, the teams who drive it and the customers it serves.

Which means — like it or not — business is deeply emotional. It’s about fear and pride, joy and stress, ambition and self-doubt. It’s about people. Coaching acknowledges that and makes space for it. We bring the human element back into leadership. Not by softening expectations, but by sharpening focus.

Want higher profits? Great. Let’s make sure your team culture supports that. Want more time off? Excellent. Let’s systematize your operations. Want to feel excited about your business again? Let’s figure out what lights you up — and what’s draining you.

Breaking the overwork cycle

Let’s go back to our earlier story — the driven leader stuck in the grind. When I meet leaders like that, they often don’t realize how much their business depends on their personal energy. They’ve built something great, but it’s fragile. If they stop, everything stops.

So we work together to break that cycle. We identify what only they can do — and what they need to delegate. We clarify goals that go beyond “more.” We build systems that turn hustle into harmony. Over time, they go from reactive to proactive. From burned out to fired up.

And that’s the moment we’re aiming for: not just growth, but growth with intention. Growth that doesn’t cost your health, your relationships or your joy.

So, what does a business coach actually do?

We listen. We ask tough questions. We help you surface the patterns holding you back. We support you when things go sideways, and we challenge you when you’re coasting.

We clarify your values and align your goals. We help you build dashboards, implement strategic plans and set meaningful key performance indicators, or KPIs — but we also make sure you’re actually living the life you set out to create when you launched your business in the first place.

We’re part mentor, part mirror, part personal trainer for your business brain. Coaching isn’t a one-time fix. It’s a journey. A process. A relationship built on trust, courage and momentum.

Toward the pot of gold

People often ask: “What’s the end goal?” And I always say, it depends. For some, it’s scaling a business to sell. For others, it’s building a team they trust so they can take a real vacation for the first time in five years. Sometimes, it’s rediscovering the fire that got buried under admin and overwhelm.

Whatever the destination, a good coach walks with you toward it — step by step. We’re not there to lead your business. We’re there to help you lead it better.

Let’s find that pot of gold. Together.

Stephen Bloomfield is a Certified Focal Point Business and Executive Coach. He helps service-based business leaders create sustainable growth through clarity, strategy, and purpose-driven leadership. A former marketing executive, Stephen is passionate about business, music and helping others build something extraordinary.

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