Life Before Business Coaching…
The first time you meet Charles “Skip” Dayhoff, his first words will probably be “I sue people for a living”, while a memorable introduction, what immediately stands out is his dedication and credibility in the legal profession for close to four decades.
While Mr. Dayhoff has a great deal of legal experience and knowledge in multiple types of law, one thing he’ll candidly admit is when walking into ActionCOACH, he had very little business experience. Starting out as an economics major in college he then moved into law going out on his own over 30 years ago. Skip will tell you “Prior to coaching I’ve basically been running a law practice by the seat of my pants”. Dayhoff knows first hand “Law school is basically a prep course to be able to pass the state bar exam and there is nothing to do with the nuts and bolts of practicing law or running a practice”. Outside of reading some basic business articles and a short period when his wife acted as a business manager on a part-time basis, Dayhoff admits he really did very little to invest in focusing on actually running the business because he was first and foremost an attorney.
Life with ActionCOACH Tampa Bay Business Coaching Tampa Bay
One fateful day Barb Kyes walked into a networking event he happened to be at and after speaking with her he realized that their encounter was definitely not a coincidence. He was ready to learn what it was like to stop having his firm run him and take charge. After years of struggling with managing staff, cash flow and client recruitment he dove right in via Profit Club approximately a year and a half ago. The business end that once that he once viewed as boring and uninteresting was soon to change.
Mr. Dayhoff quickly became immersed in this new world that he had no idea existed. “There was so much new information to absorb, that I thought would be impossible” Skip says. Yet, quickly he learned the ActionCOACH tools and applied a lot of effort. There were a lot of resources that allowed him to see not only the value but the results immediately in his practice. Coaching has helped him find new energy and interest in running his practice in a unprecedented time and economy post 2008 when he pinpoints not only the economy changed but the industry changed as law professionals knew it.
Working with a business coach…
Using tools like the 5 Ways and the Real Business Assessment he immediately started to implement important tactics like adjusting billing rates and taking control of collections which made immediate impact in his bottom line. “Every Friday, my assistant Barbara and I have a system to review Accounts Receivable and stay on top of where the money is at and where we need to be more aggressive”. Attending monthly ActionCOACH trainings, Skip also got a basic introduction into things like social media and digital marketing. These are two areas he will admit he had very little interest or education in, to now boasting a new website and social media plan that the firm has implemented. “I went from never seeing the value to now knowing that every business needs to be implementing strategies like these and investing the time and effort into them”. Skip has also for the first time since 1984 been able to understand the tax, accounting and financial documents he receives from his CPA and they now discuss these key business tools on a regular basis.
Mr. Dayhoff has found access to a network of people with various business backgrounds which is a huge benefit of ActionCOACH. “That in and of itself is worth the investment” he says. He finds that coaching has allowed him to find resources and vendors in any possible field he would need. Profit Club gives him accountability to keep on track every two weeks, keeping on top of reporting results, addressing challenges and independent reading and research. These sessions also provide the ability to get quick training, working and sharing in groups and constant themes that the participants have requested to learn more about. ActionCOACH coaches help you manage and digest the “Tsunami” of information you need to stay on top of in your business.
To those considering coaching and the investment…
As someone who was skeptical for years about business coaching and the investment, Skip will tell you “I am absolutely convinced that the financial benefit greatly exceeds any cost, and very early on I’ve accepted that coaching is a fixed and necessary investment in my business.” Skip has found the accountability and resources coaching provides is well worth the commitment and would advise any of his colleagues to consider. Being involved in coaching has even given Dayhoff a new lease on his post retirement objectives, including getting into real estate investments, something he never would have considered without having access to the tools and the experience of people like ActionCOACH founder Brad Sugars.