Let me start with something I hear almost every week.
Someone capable, hard-working and quietly brilliant sits across from me on a call and says some version of the same thing: “I’m busy all the time, but I’m not sure I’m moving forward. I’ve got ideas in every direction. And honestly, I’m carrying most of it on my own.”
If you recognise yourself in that, you are in very good company. Running a business, or leading one, can be a strangely lonely thing. There is always more to do, plenty of advice flying around, and very little space to stop and think clearly about what actually matters. So I want to use this article to do something simple: to tell you honestly what coaching with me looks like, to let some of the people I’ve worked with speak for themselves, and to show you what the wider evidence says about whether any of this really works.
No hard sell. Just a clear picture, so you can decide for yourself.
First, you get to be heard
Most people come to me believing they need answers. Usually, what they need first is to say the real thing out loud to someone who genuinely gets it. Before we fix anything, we slow down and get to the heart of what is actually going on for you.
That is what the first conversation is for. It is not a pitch. It is a calm, confidential space to put the real challenge on the table. One person described it like this afterwards:
“You were the first person to truly hear me when I was explaining the issue I’d been having. You got straight to the heart of it and helped me see a way forward. I can’t thank you enough.”
Another, deep in the chaos of getting a new product off the ground, told me the session “made the whole process feel far less overwhelming” and that they left “much clearer, more confident, and genuinely excited about the next steps.”
When I gathered structured feedback from my clients, the two things people valued most about that first stage were feeling heard and feeling understood. Not clever frameworks. Not jargon. Simply being met as a person, by someone who has the experience to grasp the business quickly. That comes first, every time.
Then the fog lifts, and you can see the next three steps
Here is the thing about clarity: it is the highest-return hour in your week. You do not need a forty-page strategy gathering dust. You need to know the next few right moves, in the right order, and to feel confident taking them.
That is what we work towards together. One founder put it simply:
“I left with a clear roadmap and a renewed sense of confidence.”
Another said, “I left with clear, actionable steps, as that’s exactly how I work best. Couldn’t recommend you more.” And one more, after a single session: “It was structured, you were knowledgeable, and I came away with clear actions to help move my business forward.”
I also make sure the thinking does not evaporate the moment we hang up. Every session includes preparation beforehand and a written summary afterwards, so you have your key takeaways and actions in front of you. As one client noted, “even after the session you took the time to share a detailed summary and guidelines, which made it much easier to take action.” The clarity stays with you.
We build on who you are, not who you think you should be!
There is a kind of business advice that could apply to anyone. It rarely sticks, because it isn’t yours.
The coaching I do starts somewhere more personal: your values, your strengths, your purpose, and the way you genuinely want to show up. We get clear on what you do brilliantly and what truly matters to you, then we build the plan around that. It is the difference between pushing a boulder uphill and finally working with the grain of who you are.
“Your advice always felt aligned with who I am at my core and the values that matter most to me. It was never generic. It was thoughtful, well considered, and deeply meaningful.”
Another client said I “reminded them of their core strengths and how to refocus them to move forward.” When the plan fits the person, the motivation looks after itself. You stop forcing it.
And real success has to include you
This is the part I feel most strongly about, so forgive me for being direct.
I spent more than thirty years leading large organisations, at one point responsible for over four and a half thousand people. I have seen, up close, what relentless pressure does to capable leaders when nobody is looking after the leader. So I do not treat your wellbeing as a nice extra once the business is sorted. I treat sustainable performance and a balanced life as part of the very same conversation as growth, never a trade-off against it.
One client came to me precisely because they wanted “coaching that highlighted the importance of wellbeing, alongside business coaching.” Another said the most valuable thing they learned was “how my life could actually be, in relation to running a business, and not being an absolute workaholic.” That is success worth having. A thriving business and a life you actually enjoy. You can have both, and I will hold you to both.
But does coaching actually work?
Fair question. You should ask it. So let me put the evidence on the table, including my own.
What the wider research shows:
- The International Coaching Federation’s global research found that around 99% of people who hire a coach are satisfied or very satisfied, and 96% would do it again.
- Organisations in the same research reported a median return of around seven times their investment, with 86% recouping at least what they put in.
- Eighty per cent of clients reported improved self-confidence and seventy per cent improved work performance.
- The UK Customer Satisfaction Index consistently finds that the strongest drivers of satisfaction across British organisations are emotional connection and a genuine sense of being understood, not efficiency alone, which is exactly what people tell me they experience.
- Clients of properly credentialled coaches report higher satisfaction than those working with unqualified practitioners.
That last point matters to me, which is why I hold the standards I do: I am an ILM Level 7 executive and business coach, and a member of the EMCC, the Association for Coaching and the Association of Business Mentors. It is a discipline I bring to every single call.
And then there is the evidence closest to home. Across more than fifty reviews, Applebright Coaching holds a five-star rating, and the same words keep surfacing: clarity, confidence, structure, heard, values, direction. One person summed it up more generously than I deserve:
“Working with you has been an incredible experience. Hands down the best coach and mentor I’ve ever had the privilege of working with.”
So what is it actually like to work with me?
Let me walk you through it, because the unknown is often the scariest part.
It begins with a complimentary discovery call. Relaxed, no obligation, a chance to talk through where you are, where you want to be, and whether we are a good fit. From there, if we decide to work together, we lay the foundations: your strengths, your values, your purpose, and the unique offer that only you can bring. We turn that into an empowering belief and a clear growth plan, with ambitious but achievable goals across both your professional and personal life.
You also get your own private coaching space, available around the clock from any device, where your plan, your session summaries and your supporting materials all live in one place. There is plenty there, so we go at your pace and start exactly where it matters most to you. You will never be left to sink or swim, and you will always have my support between sessions.
One client described the experience as “practical, insightful, and giving clear direction on how to move forward.” Another said they left “feeling focused and motivated and can’t wait until the next session.” That is the rhythm I aim for: real momentum, session after session.
Who I tend to work with
I work with founders, small business owners and senior leaders, as well as people navigating a significant career transition. Some are right at the start, perhaps having found me through Help to Grow or Digital Boost, looking for their first solid footing. Others are scaling and want sharper focus, better positioning and a plan that holds together. I do meet clients face to face when this is requested and can be arranged and often work deeply embedded in a business to be able to give exactly the right practical advice. Based in Cheshire and working across the UK, Europe and North America, much of my work is online, so where you are is never a barrier.
The common thread is not the size of the business. It is a willingness to be honest about where you are, and an ambition to get somewhere better.
Questions people often ask me
What actually happens on a discovery call?
We talk. I want to understand your goals, what is getting in the way, and what success would really look like for you. It is relaxed and confidential, there is no charge, and there is no pressure to commit. Many people tell me they leave that first conversation already feeling clearer.
How quickly will I see results?
Clarity often arrives in the very first session, that feeling of the fog lifting. The deeper changes, the new habits, the confidence, the steady progress against your goals, build over the weeks and months as we work through your plan together.
Is coaching really worth the investment?
The wider evidence is strong, and so is the feedback I receive. I also guarantee that every client leaves with a challenging, ambitious growth plan for the year ahead, and often for the next three to five years. Coaching is an investment in clearer decisions, faster progress and a more sustainable way of working.
Do I need to be local to you?
No. I am based in Cheshire, near Crewe, but almost all of my coaching is delivered online, so I work with clients right across the UK and internationally.
Ready to see through the fog?
If any of this resonates, the next step is an easy one. Book a complimentary discovery call and let’s have an honest conversation about where you are and where you want to be.
It costs nothing but a little of your time, and it might be the most useful hour of your week.
Book your free discovery call at applebrightcoaching.co.uk
Whatever you decide, I genuinely wish you well with it. You are far more capable than the noise in your head sometimes lets you believe, and the right support has a habit of turning that capability into momentum. Here’s to crossing your Pacific.
Mark
