Case Studies
Three Melbourne business owners. Three different challenges. One coaching approach.
Every engagement starts with an honest conversation about where your business is and where you want it to be. Here's what that looks like in practice.
One-on-One Coaching
From 60-hour weeks to a business that runs without him
Marcus T. — Plumbing Business, Richmond
Marcus had built a solid plumbing business in Richmond over eight years — but it had built itself around him. Every quote, every job, every callback went through Marcus personally. By 2023 he was working 60+ hours a week and burning out fast.
Over 12 months of one-on-one coaching with James, Marcus rebuilt his quoting process around value-based pricing, delegated site leadership to a senior tradesman, and documented his core operations so the business could run without him present for every decision.
The results:
- Revenue up 38% without adding a single new employee
- Working hours reduced from 62 to 44 per week
- First operations coordinator hired — role paid for itself within 3 months
- Two holidays taken in 12 months — the first in four years
“I knew I needed help but I thought coaching was for people who didn’t know what they were doing. James showed me it’s actually for people who are serious about doing it better.” — Marcus T.
Group Coaching
Breaking through a 3-year revenue plateau
Sarah K. — Marketing Consultant, South Yarra
Sarah had been running her own marketing consultancy from South Yarra for six years — well-regarded, always busy, and completely stuck. For three consecutive years her revenue had barely moved. She was undercharging established clients and couldn’t see a way forward on her own.
Through Stratix’s group coaching programme, Sarah rebuilt her rate card from first principles, developed a clear positioning statement that let her decline misaligned work confidently, and implemented a simple quarterly business development rhythm for the first time.
The results:
- Day rate increased by $350 — three of four existing clients accepted without negotiation
- Revenue up 61% year-on-year, breaking a 3-year plateau
- Six-month forward pipeline established for the first time
- Client roster restructured around ideal, high-value work
“I’d been telling myself I couldn’t raise my rates for three years. James didn’t tell me I could — he showed me the data that made it obvious I had to.” — Sarah K.
Leadership Development
Building a leadership team — and opening a third location
David & Anna C. — Café Group, Richmond
David and Anna had built two successful café locations in Richmond over seven years. The business was profitable — but both owners were still working five days a week on the floor, and a planned third location felt impossible without them being there every day.
Stratix’s Leadership Development programme worked on two levels simultaneously: coaching David and Anna on how to genuinely delegate, and running structured leadership sessions directly with their three senior team members. A General Manager was appointed and a 90-day onboarding plan built around them.
The results:
- Third café location opened in Fitzroy on schedule with a site leader in place from day one
- General Manager appointed — owners now meet weekly instead of being present daily
- Both owners working 4 days per week for the first time since founding the business
- Two of three developed team leaders promoted; none have left the business
“We kept saying we’d hire a GM when we were ready. James helped us see that we’d never feel ready — we just had to build the right person and the right systems at the same time.” — David C.
