Reason to celebrate

What seems like a lifetime ago, on a Thursday morning, ActionCOACH business coaching was launched in South Africa at the Sandton Convention Centre.  On 3 May 2007, we launched the global business coaching phenomenon at the Franchise Association of South Africa’s (FASA) annual International Franchise Expo (IFE).  Despite what seems like a lifetime ago it’s also gone so quickly.

This week we celebrate our 14^th birthday in Southern Africa culminating in our National Franchise Conference celebrations on Friday, 7 May.

Whilst ActionCOACH business coaching originated in Australia in 1993 and today operates in more than 75 countries around the world, I can truly say WE are Proudly South African.  I was asked on Monday—on our actual 14^th birthday—what keeps me going and still gets me excited after all this time?  Interesting question but pretty simple answer; we’ve not yet achieved our Vision.  Despite our many achievements in the past 14 years, we’re only just getting started and we still have such an important role to play.

When Pieter Scholtz and I brought ActionCOACH to South Africa it was, and still is, the Global Vision of ‘World Abundance through Business Re-Education’ that got us excited.  The ability to bring about Abundance, often a foreign concept but so easily realized, is a privilege.

That went a few steps further at our 10-year celebrations in 2017 when our team of franchise partners and coaches revised our local Southern African Vision to:

Thriving Businesses,
Impacting Economies,
Transforming Communities.

We know—without a shadow of a doubt—that to realize the transformed communities we so desperately need in South Africa, we need to start by ensuring we create ‘Thriving Businesses’.  ‘Thriving Businesses’ positively impact the economies around them – national, regional, and local.  Flourishing levels of economies then transform communities.  We drive our Vision top-down but created it bottom-up.

As with life, the 14 Year journey has been fascinating and included everything one would expect from a journey.  There has been an adventure, challenge, ultimate highs, new experiences, growth, and learning beyond belief and of course some frustrations, hurdles and obstacles thrown in for good measure.  It is however the amazing people we attract to this business, from franchise partners and coaches to support staff and strategic partners, that always amaze.  We live and work in a truly inspiring environment where passionate, experienced, and committed South Africans show up every day to make a massive positive difference.

Whilst we’re grateful for the journey and will definitely be celebrating our 14 years with some great South African MCC this week, we know the task that lies ahead.

Taking our commitment to the next level we recently launched our EveryONE EmployONE campaign where we’re tackling unemployment head-on.  Together with selected partners, we’ll do our bit to ensure we work towards reducing unemployment in South Africa by the simple task of EveryONE business out there, irrespective of size, maturity, or sophistication – EmployONE new staff member before the end of 2021.

So, on our 14^th birthday in Southern Africa:

• Cheers to us,
• Cheers to all our franchise partners and coaches, current and those no longer with us,
• Cheers to our Global founder Brad, the Head Office team, and our colleagues in over 75 countries,
• Cheers to every single one of our clients, past and present, who truly make this the best business in the world,
• Cheers to our staff, the sometimes-unsung heroes, who provide the backbone for everything we do,
• Cheers to our families for their unwavering support that facilitate us doing what we love,
• Cheers to you for engaging with us on our journey!

We’re only just getting started.  Time for ACTION! (Watch this space)

Harry Welby-Cooke, Country Partner for ActionCOACH Southern Africa