Met a guy at the RIA the other week. Just launched his own business coaching gig.
The story was textbook:
Built something.
Scaled it.
Sold it.
Now he’s on a mission to help other poor bastards skip the landmines he didn’t.
Respect.
And like most real coaches, he’s not chasing checks. Because few “get rich” here.
He’s chasing meaning. Fulfillment.
A little freedom, maybe. The good kind.
He asked me what to watch for.
I told him straight:
don’t become the main character.
See, entrepreneurs are a weird breed. Half builder, half artist.
They don’t want your “10-step system.”
They want a damn canvas.
Some tools. Maybe a little light in the room.
And someone in their corner who gets it.
More than tactics, they want proximity.
Not to steal ideas.
But to feel less alone.
To breathe the same air as someone who’s been to hell and built a business out of the ashes.
So here’s the gig:
Be a coach. Not a puppet master.
Give them reps. Give them range.
Let them blow a play. Run out of bounds.
Just be there when they come limping back asking what the hell went wrong.
Because at the end of the day…
They’re not looking for a guru.
They’re looking for a guide.
One who lets them be the hero.
I hope he kills it.
God knows we need more coaches who’ve actually been in the ring…
and fewer polished frauds still selling tickets outside it.
The story was textbook:
Built something.
Scaled it.
Sold it.
Now he’s on a mission to help other poor bastards skip the landmines he didn’t.
Respect.
And like most real coaches, he’s not chasing checks. Because few “get rich” here.
He’s chasing meaning. Fulfillment.
A little freedom, maybe. The good kind.
He asked me what to watch for.
I told him straight:
don’t become the main character.
See, entrepreneurs are a weird breed. Half builder, half artist.
They don’t want your “10-step system.”
They want a damn canvas.
Some tools. Maybe a little light in the room.
And someone in their corner who gets it.
More than tactics, they want proximity.
Not to steal ideas.
But to feel less alone.
To breathe the same air as someone who’s been to hell and built a business out of the ashes.
So here’s the gig:
Be a coach. Not a puppet master.
Give them reps. Give them range.
Let them blow a play. Run out of bounds.
Just be there when they come limping back asking what the hell went wrong.
Because at the end of the day…
They’re not looking for a guru.
They’re looking for a guide.
One who lets them be the hero.
I hope he kills it.
God knows we need more coaches who’ve actually been in the ring…
and fewer polished frauds still selling tickets outside it.