Listening to an ex-Amish business coach being interviewed on a podcast today, and it made me wonder whether any business owners here on MN have found value in this sort of thing. I've heard his company charges as much as $800/hour for some of its services. I can't understand where one would find that sort of value.
Do any business owners here have experience with coaching services? I occasionally use Anabaptist Financial business advising services, but they are a very low-key, reasonably priced service usually by someone who is essentially a more experienced fellow business owner.
If you have experience, I'd be interested in hearing how it worked out for you. If you don't have experience, by all means don't let that keep you from sharing your thoughts with us.
During the time I was getting established in my (word processor) business, I met with and received advice from one Beachy Amish-Mennonite businessman, from a New Order Amishman, and an Old Order Amishman, all owners of fairly large companies. (None of them charged me anything. The last two were also my customers.)
I attended one Anabaptist Financials seminar, and attended a session by the father (business founder) of another customer. This man was also serving on the local AF board (seminar 'board'?), and I was not impressed. (Well, actually I was negatively impressed, enough so that I never considered attending another AF seminar.)
mike wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2026 4:36 pm\I've heard his company charges as much as $800/hour for some of its services. I can't understand where one would find that sort of value.
I would appreciate coaching on how I can become someone who can create that amount of value.
I attended a low cost business development seminar one time in another state and after I got there I realized that it was a front for a company trying to sell their business coaching services which were not low cost at all. (Would have cost me over $50,000 per year for their services). They were incredibly high pressure in their tactics and even showed up at my office in person a couple weeks later trying to convince me.
The ironic thing about the whole deal was that one of their "model" businesses which they brought forward as an example of the great success they could help other businesses achieve was a competitor of mine in my local market. That competitor previously had a sterling reputation in the community - in fact I used to recommend people to them that I couldn't serve well. But in the couple years leading up to this seminar they had changed their business practices significantly and chased away many loyal customers. In fact my business had benefited greatly from their loss of credibility and reputation. It had been kind of a mystery to me and many other locals about what so suddenly changed. But at this seminar this mystery was solved!
I had particular satisfaction in showing this coaching company the door after telling them that they are one of the reasons why my business was booming - by not using their services.
On another note, I have done some low key business coaching myself, but I never charge for it. Sometimes people pay me - which is fine I guess. I always thought, that if they can't see value in what I bring then they shouldn't pay me.
Undershepherd wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2026 7:45 amI had particular satisfaction in showing this coaching company the door after telling them that they are one of the reasons why my business was booming - by not using their services.
On another note, I have done some low key business coaching myself, but I never charge for it. Sometimes people pay me - which is fine I guess. I always thought, that if they can't see value in what I bring then they shouldn't pay me.
Did that coaching company ever pay you for the business coaching you gave them?
Around 10 years ago, we had Leonard Meador (now passed away) come out and coach us through a certain unique business matter. He was volunteering for the Anabaptist Financial business advisor teams. He helped us for several years, once a quarter. His advice was invaluable to me. We have also had Larry Troyer help us set up a certain different aspect, also through Anabaptist Financial. I much appreciated his input as well. Leonard referred Larry to us around the same time, because Larry was more experienced than Leonard on that aspect.
I really found them both very useful, helpful, and I can't say enough good about those two. It enabled me to see that "coaching" is not simply about businesses figuring out how to maximize their profits. We were not using them to figure out how to make more money, or how to cut expenses, which is sort of what I thought business coaching was primarily for. We benefitted from their advise in two areas, and once we got through these, then we didn't need coaching anymore.
I was in Phoenix last weekend, and the person I was visiting with was showing me around town. He took me to a place called Cardone Capital. We stopped and got out. They sell coaching services, and I was told that if you pay $1,000 you can hear something good, and if you pay $40,000, then you will make even more money, and if you pay $240,000 then they will really get involved and 10X your company. They have a recognizable brand called 10X. They had an event going on while I was there, and I snooped around a bit. I confess to being real lukewarm about these coaching services. Do they work? Maybe.
I know one person here who told me that he was completely broke, and paid some coaching/teaching course around $200,000. He put in on a bunch of credit cards. And he followed the teachings he received, and was able to pay off the credit cards in around a year. And that's been maybe 10 years ago, and he is financially prospering now.
Last edited by R7ehr on Mon Sep 28, 2026 7:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
R7ehr wrote: ↑Mon Sep 28, 2026 7:09 pm
Around 10 years ago, we had Leonard Meador (now passed away) come out and coach us through a certain unique business matter. He was volunteering for the Anabaptist Financial business advisor teams. He helped us for several years, once a quarter. His advice was invaluable to me. We have also had Larry Troyer help us set up a certain different aspect, also through Anabaptist Financial. I much appreciated his input as well. Leonard referred Larry to us around the same time, because Larry was more experienced than Leonard on that aspect.
I really found them both very useful, helpful, and I can't say enough good about those two. It enabled me to see that "coaching" is not simply about businesses figuring out how to maximize their profits. We were not using them to figure out how to make more money, or how to cut expenses, which is sort of what I thought business coaching was primarily for. We benefitted from their advise in two areas, and once we got through these, then we didn't need coaching anymore.
It might have helped they weren’t from a for profit outfit looking to bilk you - and your customers.
R7ehr wrote: ↑Mon Sep 28, 2026 7:09 pm
Around 10 years ago, we had Leonard Meador (now passed away) come out and coach us through a certain unique business matter. He was volunteering for the Anabaptist Financial business advisor teams. He helped us for several years, once a quarter. His advice was invaluable to me. We have also had Larry Troyer help us set up a certain different aspect, also through Anabaptist Financial. I much appreciated his input as well. Leonard referred Larry to us around the same time, because Larry was more experienced than Leonard on that aspect.
I really found them both very useful, helpful, and I can't say enough good about those two. It enabled me to see that "coaching" is not simply about businesses figuring out how to maximize their profits. We were not using them to figure out how to make more money, or how to cut expenses, which is sort of what I thought business coaching was primarily for. We benefitted from their advise in two areas, and once we got through these, then we didn't need coaching anymore.
It might have helped they weren’t from a for profit outfit looking to bilk you - and your customers.
Yes, I agree. I've seen what feel's like a lot of hedge funds / private equity roll ups in our industry over the last 15 years. And from a distance, I can sort of recognize a pattern, and it doesn't always end well. And I suppose most of these coaches will teach you to do what these hedge funds are doing. Kind of what Undershepherd said.
