Tom Palzewicz, managing partner of ActionCOACH
Company address: 13150 Watertown Plank Rd. Suite 200, Elm Grove, WI 53122
Website: www.aceg.biz
Industry: Business Coaching
Number of employees: 19
Family: Wife Terri, sons Max (CPA with SVA Accounting) and Erik (WCTC student), and daughter Maddie (senior at Brookfield Central, attending UW-Madison in the fall)
What was the smartest thing ActionCOACH of Elm Grove did in the past year?
“The smartest thing we did in the last year was create a five-year-plan with the help of our coaches and management team. My partners, Jim Palzewicz and Chris Carman, and I decided to take advantage of our internal talent and utilize the team in the planning process. One of the most difficult things for a company to do is to treat yourself as a client, in fact your best client. We focus on creating congruency between what we do to grow our own business and how we help our clients get results with their businesses. Bringing the team into the strategic planning process allows them to take ownership of the results of the business and provides a structure of accountability to ensure growth is at the forefront of everything we do.”
What’s new at your company?
“We just announced the opening of our first of five satellite offices in the southeast Wisconsin region. We are moving into the Foundations Bank building in Pewaukee on May 1. We also announced the beginnings of a downtown location starting on the same date. We will be utilizing space at the Hudson Business Lounge in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward while we search for a more permanent space. In addition to the new offices, we are bringing on two additional business coaches, one for the current Elm Grove space and one for the Pewaukee office. We have also hired another admin for our Pewaukee office and a marketing intern.”
Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?
“Our plan is to add four more coaches in the fall of this year. In order to reach our goal of coaching 1,000 businesses in southeastern Wisconsin we are going to need around 50 business coaches. As far as investments in the business, our major push has been and will continue to be our overall marketing efforts. Most business owners still do not understand what a business coach can do for them and their business. Most business owners consider it a sign of weakness or failure if they need to reach out for help. We think about it in an entirely different way. All high performers know that we need someone to be there to push us when we need it, hold out a hand when we need help and hold us accountable for our actions so we can achieve the success we choose.”
What will be your company’s main challenges in the next year?
“Our main challenge continues to be market awareness. We think every business owner needs four main advisors in their business; an accountant to make sure the scorecard is accurate, a banker to provide funding for growth, an attorney to manage the risk and a business coach to ensure there is a strategic plan and everyone is on the same page. We have been in this marketplace since 2004 and we are just starting to see results from our current PR and marketing efforts. Our current list of over 100 clients contains almost every type of business and we are steadily getting referrals but the market awareness needs to grow.”
How competitive is the business coaching industry in southeastern Wisconsin?
“The business coaching industry is still in its infancy. Our biggest competitor continues to be the go-it-alone mentality that most business owners have. Most companies do not have a budget line item for business coaching and personal growth, yet every business owner knows that for their business to grow, they need to grow. Our process that we use to help owners understand return on investment allows the owner to make an informed decision about what coaching can do for them and their team. Our focus on ROI is in addition to the other benefits of coaching which include a better team and increased life quality for the owner.”
What interested you in becoming a certified business coach? What coaching services are your specialties?
“I became a business coach because I love to help people grow. When I first started at ActionCOACH my background in finance and accounting allowed me to help many business owners in these areas. I found this to be rewarding but limiting. After many years of teaching I decided to write a book to encompass what I had learned and wanted to teach. Consistent Cash Flow came out in April of 2014. You can find it on Amazon or just stop by our offices if you would like a copy. What I really enjoy now from a coaching standpoint is helping people overcome their main challenge that is keeping them from being the best leader they can be.”
How would you describe ActionCOACH’s culture?
“We have 14 points of culture that we live by every day. We hire based on our culture and we run our business with the team holding each other accountable to the culture. I have learned over the years that this is by far the most important component to building a business. We have created an empowered and drama-free environment that allows the team to grow and take on responsibility for the health of the business.”
Do you have a business mantra?
“My business mantra comes from the teachings of Ekhart Tolle – letting go of resistance and negativity and allowing things to unfold through a positive mindset and belief in the ability of others. Hire passionate and smart people, give them training and education and make sure to get out of their way. It is way easier to inspire motivated people than to motivate uninspired people.”
From a business standpoint, who do you look up to?
“I really admire two business people, one of them I know and one of them I would like to meet. Our founder, Brad Sugars, has been instrumental in helping us to achieve the high level of coaching ability we have gained over the last 10 years. His vision and knowledge of the industry has given us the tools and confidence to be where we are today. Richard Branson is another great visionary that I look up to. His passion and enthusiasm for people is amazing. He continually focuses on how to make greatness a part of everything he does.”
What was the best advice you ever received?
“At ActionCOACH, we are fortunate to be able to see some of the best speakers available in the world. One of the more impactful presentations I witnessed was from the author of Success Magazine, Darren Hardy. Darren’s view on daily discipline and short term pain for long term gain solidified my perspective that greatness is achieved one day at a time, not through some lucky event or brilliant strategy. Eighty percent of life is just showing up and doing the things you already know you need to do!”
