Case Study: A New Mindset About Marketing and Sales

What’s it like to work with a business coach when you’ve spent your career inside corporations, but now you’re going out on your own?

This week, Jill Brown from Fōkus generously allowed us to share her journey of stepping into business ownership – and how coaching with John helped her change her mindset about sales and turn scattered ideas into structured progress.

Let’s hear it in her words…

“I’ve been doing this kind of work for corporations for 15 or 20 years, but running a business? That’s a whole different ball game.”

I had a million ideas (my assistant and I call it the “jar of marbles” – so many cool ideas, but no idea which one to pick up first), and I just didn’t know where to start.

The more I looked into it, the more I realized I knew absolutely nothing about running a business.

I really needed someone to help me figure out what my next step should be.

I’d heard from people I trust that every good athlete has a coach.

And I finally felt ready to connect with someone who could guide me.

When I found John’s site via Google, I thought, “This is exactly what I’m looking for.”

So, I booked a call with him.

From the first conversation, I could tell he knew exactly what to do.

He had so much experience, and the guarantee (if you don’t make your investment back, you don’t pay) didn’t hurt either.

Since working together, he’s helped me with so many things.

One of the biggest has been helping me see my business from my client’s perspective – especially when it came to my website.

My background is in design, so the site looked great, but John helped me see it wasn’t doing its job of converting visitors to sales.

He gave me practical ideas to fix that “leaky bucket” first before doing outreach. Now he’s helping me develop an outreach strategy for LinkedIn.

He also helped me reframe my whole mindset around sales and marketing.

I used to think these things were icky and sneaky and not really my thing. But now, I see it differently.

Sales is actually about helping people.

They’re going to buy from someone – so, it should be me, because I know I can truly help them meet their goals.

That reframe was huge. It’s made it easier to have those conversations and actually sell.

“What I love most about working with John is that he’s just really kind.”

I never feel judged, even when I don’t know something basic, like what a profit margin is.

A lot of coaches seem to work with people who are way further along in their businesses, but he really knows how to meet me exactly where I’m at. It’s been amazing.

John is a total treasure.

If you’re thinking about hiring a coach and you’re unsure, just reach out to him.

Even in the free consultation, I got so much good information.

It was 15 minutes well spent. He’s not scary, he won’t judge, and he’s got incredible experience.

Honestly, I’m just really glad I found him.

~ Jill Brown, Fōkus

Want similar clarity in your business?

Since 2004, I’ve coached over 400 clients through a proven process that increases profit, reduces stress, and puts business owners back in control.

At W5 Coaching, we use the Socratic method – asking the right questions to help you uncover the right solutions for your unique situation.

Want similar results in your business, book a 15-minute no-pressure call with John here.

PS: If you think sales is pushy watch this