Stepping into Your Role as a Business Owner

When people think about business coaching, they often imagine spreadsheets, strategy sessions, and systems.

And yes, those are all part of it.

But in my experience, coaching is always personal first.

It’s about mindset, behavior, and helping business owners step into their role as leaders.

Recently, I sat down with Daniel Breeze on his podcast, The Business of Influence, to talk about how I went from leading BC’s largest retail operation to coaching small business owners.

Here’s a look at what we covered.

From the Aircraft Carrier to the 50-Foot Boat

Early in my career, I was the president of BC Liquor Stores. Big strategic vision, 200 locations, 2,000 employees—an aircraft carrier. But when I transitioned into working with small business owners, the game changed.

Now I coach people who are not only captaining the boat but are also in the engine room with a wrench.

And that’s the shift I had to make—understanding what it’s like to run a lean, hands-on operation and helping people move from doing everything to leading others.

Money Isn’t Just Numbers—It’s Mindset

One of the biggest challenges my clients face? Money. Not just cash flow or financial literacy, but their mindset around money.

Here’s the truth:

• Employees trade time for money.
• Self-employed folks make money.
• Business owners earn profits.
• Investors seek ROI.
• Entrepreneurs get money to work for them.

You can’t operate above the level of your current money mindset. That’s why I spend a lot of time helping clients shift how they think about money—because behaviour follows belief.

Three Sets of Books (And Why You Need Them)

Most business owners I meet are served by accountants who focus on taxes, not operations.

That’s a problem.

You need three sets of books:

1. Tax Books – For the CRA, done by your accountant.
2. Operational Books – What you use to run and understand your business.
3. Personal Books – For your own wealth and investments.

Your P&L should show labour costs properly categorized, common-sized financials, and ratios you can actually use to make decisions.

Otherwise, you’re flying blind.

Time, Team, and Money: The Big Three

The challenges business owners face almost always fall into these three buckets:

• Time: “I don’t have enough of it.”
  → You’re doing work someone else could do for $20/hr while billing yourself out at $200/hr. That’s a problem.
• Team: “I can’t find good people.”
  → You need systems, delegation skills, and clear expectations (like SOPs) to scale.
• Money: “I’m working hard but not making enough.”
  → You likely have a reporting problem, a pricing problem, or a mindset problem.

The “Oh Sh*t” List

Not sure what to delegate?

I use a simple trick: list everything you dread doing.

That’s your “Oh Sh*t” list—and that’s where we start when creating systems and handing things off.

From there, we build standard operating procedures (SOPs), train your team, and free you up to do your highest-value work.

That’s how you go from 70-hour weeks to getting your life back.

Systems Run the Business. People Run the Systems. You Lead the People.

Think of your business like a three-legged stool:

• Systems run the business
• People run the systems
• You lead the people

If your business falls apart every time someone quits, you don’t have a business—you have chaos. Robust systems give your business stability, even in times of change.

Critical Non-Essentials: They’re Not Optional

Dentists, coaches, accountants—we’re all judged by the experience we provide.

Not the quality of our technical work, but how people feel when they interact with us.

• Is your Zoom setup professional?
• Are your communications thoughtful?
• Do you create a memorable experience?

Those details—critical non-essentials—create trust and set you apart.

Why I Keep Doing This Work

I’m 71. I could be golfing every day. But I love this work. I’m wired to teach, to help, and to see people win.

Watching clients grow from six figures to seven, from stressed out to in control—that’s the stuff that fills my tank.

If you’re ready to stop working 70-hour weeks and start building a business that works for you—one with the right systems, team, and financial insight—book a free 15-minute call with me.