The Real Value of a Coach in Your Corner with Michael Oakes

Michael Oakes started out coaching basketball and teaching health education in New Jersey. Then he moved west, took a job at a startup called Federal Express when there were six or eight people in the entire Western Division, and spent the next few decades learning business the hard way.He co-founded a same-day delivery company before most people knew what same-day meant, turned it into a national franchise called 1-800 Courier, scaled it to $40 million in revenue, and discovered that the profit at the bottom was close to nothing.That last part is the reason this episode is worth your drive time. Michael has been Jason's business coach for almost ten years, going back to the day Jason pulled a Sundance Coaching business card off the wall at an auto shop while spending most of his savings on an unexpected car repair. He had no revenue yet. He hired a coach anyway, which put his business net negative on day one, and he still calls it one of the best investments he has ever made.In this episode:Why $40 million in top line meant almost nothing, and Michael's rule that business is a sport and net profit is how you keep scoreThe three filters he puts in front of every decision (time, money, and is it right), plus Coby's confession about the hours he spent designing a logo instead of writing the estimates he owed clientsWhy "busy is a disease" and what Michael makes his clients say instead when he asks how their day is goingThe eight pillars every business owner has to keep an eye on, and why being great with your hands only covers one of themHiring for character and attitude instead of skill, and why a culture problem is almost always an owner skill problemJason's three layers of coaching (one on one accountability, industry-specific group coaching, and leadership coaching), which one to start with, and Coby's honest take on doing it backwardsMichael Jordan's passing drills, the flu game, and what fundamentals actually look like in a home service businessWhether you have never worked with a coach or you are wondering if the group program you joined is the right fit, this one gives you a clear picture of what real accountability looks like and what it does to a business over ten years.Hosted by Jason Call and Coby McManaman of Handyman Marketing Pros👉 Schedule a free, no-pressure strategy call: https://go.handymanmarketingpros.com👉 Grab the free 3-in-1 Handyman Playbook Bundle: https://go.handymanmarketingpros.com/playbooks👉 Join the Home Hero Business Owner Community: facebook.com/groups/homeherocommunityNew episodes of the Home Hero Podcast every week. If you got value from this one, subscribe and leave a review. It helps more home service pros find the show.