Ian Kinnery - Business Coach
What were your career ambitions growing up?
I always knew I wanted to be a leader, to be my own boss. I suppose I was inspired in that by my father, who grew his business from scratch, but, to be honest, I didn’t really see that much of him growing up, as he was busy working. I started on the corporate ladder as a graduate management trainee in the motor industry, and was made MD of a multimillion turnover business at 29.
Tell us about your current role and what do you most enjoy?
I currently work as business coach, offering scale-up and leadership assistance to entrepreneurs. My mission is to help people grow so that they can handle life as a business owner better, more successfully and with ease, without compromising important values. I love watching them thrive under my influence, but what I really love is being able to help people avoid the nearly fatal mistakes I made in trying to prove myself.
What is your proudest business achievement?
My Scale-up Leader’s Academy (SULA) course, which has been running for seven years now. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see attendees go on to even bigger and brighter things following the sessions. Many of the participants, especially in the 2023 cohort, have reported an increase in turnover following this course.
Business leaders from across the North East in a range of industries can take part. Charlotte Nichols, the managing director of Harvey & Hugo said the course changed her mind-set and led to her restructuring the business. One of the key takeaways she took from the course was the importance of having the right people on board the bus (and the wrong off the bus!).
Sam Spoors, founder and managing director of Talentheads, appointed a senior leadership team in her company following the academy sessions, which she said has had a huge impact on the amount of delivery she personally undertakes. Following the course, she has the confidence in herself to know she has tried and tested methods which have seen other businesses flourish and that insight and knowledge makes her feel less like she is making it up as she goes along and more that she is driving the business to growth.
Seeing and hearing about feedback like this make the course so worthwhile.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Myself, and my ideas of how a successful businessman should behave; while I knew how to manage a business, I had never learned how to manage myself. By 1997, although I was a huge success in the business world, I was a mess in all other respects. The stress of battling and pushing and striving since my father’s death at 14 led to severe mental health problems. I was obsessed with work and couldn’t let go, thinking I had to – and could – do everything myself. My success came at the cost of my health, my house, my marriage, my self-esteem – and nearly my life.
I don’t want anyone else to end up where I was, and that is what led me to coaching.
How has your industry evolved in the last decade and what changes do you see in the next decade?
I started as a business coach 18 years ago when nobody really knew what a coach was – including me!
The industry has exploded in recent years and now everyone can – and does – call themselves a coach, but it’s still fairly unregulated and the standard is very mixed. To be honest, in my 18 years in this industry, I’ve not met many decent coaches.
The other change nowadays is the involvement of technology and AI; coaching is all about being human, so I’m not worried the machines will take over, but they’re definitely changing the way my clients work. Whether that’s for the better or not remains to be seen…
What are you currently working on?
I’m currently on a mission to save the entrepreneur, and recently launched an anonymous survey to get to the heart of mental health issues among business owners and learn what they find the hardest about running a company.
I’ll be using the findings to create a bespoke mental health package, designed to support entrepreneurs and help them grow as a person as well as a business.
This project has long been a dream of mine, and combines the two key principles behind my coaching career – mental health and the fact that everyone benefits from a well-run business.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
As long as I’m still alive, I see myself doing exactly as I’m doing now. I love what I do and want to continue helping business owners be their best selves.
Who would be your four ideal dinner guests, alive or dead?
Great question! I’d choose Peter Drucker, a renowned management consultant; Tom Peters, who wrote the book ‘In Search for Excellence’; Brene Brown, a researcher and author who has spent years studying vulnerability and empathy; and Sir Clive Woodward, the former rugby player and coach of England’s World Cup winning team and the former director of Elite Performance for GB Olympics.
How do you unwind outside of work?
I love to get outside and find fresh air and exercise, along with spending time with my family, works wonders for clearing the mind. I love getting out into the beautiful countryside that surrounds us here in the Tees Valley, either with Edwin the Border Terrier and my family, or my motorbike, and overdosing on fresh air and nature.
Favourite Book and Boxset?
My favourite books are The Road Less Stupid by Keith J. Cunningham for non-fiction, and The Lost Estate (Le Grand Meaulnes) by Henri AlainFournier for fiction.
kinnery.co.uk www.linkedin.com/in/iankinnery