Introducing Mastermind #1 – Martin Baillie
In our blogs, we talk a lot about business and some of the tricks and tips business owners can adopt when looking to drive growth in their organisations.
But this time, we thought we’d take a more personal look at a specific business – our business – and introduce you to our team members through a few of our upcoming blogs.
So, first up………
Meet Martin Baillie, a Scottish straight-talker and our founder and MD.
He’s also our coaching Mastermind working with different business owners, helping them navigate through challenges and opportunities.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in the hospitality industry?
Martin Baillie: Well, I’m Scottish born and bred and I moved to England when I was nineteen to further my career in hospitality. Opportunities in hospitality in Scotland at the time were very entrepreneurial and limited, so Dad encouraged me to move on. Actually, I often laugh that my father fired me! I started as a trainee with Grand Metropolitan, and I quickly realised that there were, indeed, many opportunities on the other side of Hadrian’s Wall.
Q: Can you tell us about your experience working with Green King, the UK’s leading pub retailer and brewer?
Martin Baillie: Absolutely. I spent eighteen years working with Green King, and my role in operations meant that I was responsible for 87 sites and a turnover of £100m. It was a challenging job, but I loved it! I was delivering all aspects of the business, including marketing, sales, and finance.
Q: How did you transition from a corporate career in hospitality to becoming a business coach?
Martin Baillie: Well, I think I’ve always been a coach at heart. As a leader in a corporate environment, my style was very much a coaching style. I was trained to coach, to trust and inspire, and I coached my team every day. When I joined the ActionCOACH community, I was fortunate enough to realise my true calling as a coach. I now help business owners face their challenges and opportunities every day, which is great.
Q: Can you tell us about those and how you address them as a coach?
Martin Baillie: Sure thing. Every business owner faces different challenges and opportunities, but it usually comes down to time, team, and money. I coach them to develop the courage and confidence to delegate responsibility for the day-to-day running of the business to free up their time. Alternatively, I coach them to develop their leadership style and communication processes to increase engagement with their teams and visibility on figures that better inform business decisions. Ultimately, I help them create the business and lifestyle they dreamed of when they first started.
Q: What sets you apart as a coach, and what can business owners expect when they work with you?
Martin Baillie: I think what sets me apart is my real-world experience of the challenges business owners face. I’ve seen first-hand the problems that business owners face, so I bring a lot of knowledge and expertise to the table. I’m also not afraid to challenge and ask awkward questions, and I am comfortable thinking on my feet – I quickly analyse a situation, challenge, interpret, and ask the right questions that then allow the business owner to deliver a solution. But don’t worry, I also have a sense of humour, and I love to use it to help business owners stay motivated and on track!
Q: And how do you like to spend your free time, because it’s not all about work, is it?
I love spending time with my partner and my two boys and socialising with friends. I spend a fair amount of time down at Bury rugby club, enjoying my passion for the sport (although only from the sidelines now!). I sometimes cook, and for real-down time, I enjoy reading action novels by authors like Andy McNab.
Martin Baillie is a Business Coach and Growth Specialist at ActionCOACH Bury St Edmunds, committed to working with business owners to create sustainable, viable, profitable entities within the local community, and creating 1000 new jobs in the East Anglian region through that growth.
If you are looking to increase the profit in your business while freeing up time, and having a better work / life balance, there is no better time to start than now. Our business growth methodology is tried and tested, and we guarantee your results.
Contact Martin Baillie, ActionCOACH Bury St Edmunds now on Tel: 01284 334099. You can also follow him on LinkedIn , Instagram and Facebook
