Celebrating 32 Years of ActionCOACH
Brad Sugars, founder of ActionCOACH, pioneered the business coaching industry in 1993.
A Vision Born in 1993
In 1993, a young Australian entrepreneur named Brad Sugars had a simple yet powerful idea: to help business owners achieve success by coaching them on better business strategies. At a time when “business coaching” was virtually unheard of, Brad pioneered the concept, starting as a humble one‑man operation with a big vision. He believed that “being in business should give you more life,” more freedom, more happiness, more fulfillment, not less. This belief became the heartbeat of ActionCOACH. With a relentless passion for teaching and a knack for simplifying business growth, Brad began hosting seminars and mentoring entrepreneurs, determined to change lives one business at a time. Little did he know that his small idea would spark a global movement, transforming countless lives and communities in the decades to come.
From One Coach to a Global Community
What started with one coach and one client in the early 90s has grown into a worldwide family. By 1997, ActionCOACH had awarded its first franchise, setting the stage for rapid expansion. Today, ActionCOACH is proud to be the world’s leading business coaching franchise, with more than 1,000 coaches operating in over 80 countries. Together, these coaches work with tens of thousands of businesses every week, from family‑owned shops to large enterprises, instilling proven systems and strategies that drive real results.
Through our coaching programs, business owners learn how to get more time, build better teams, and increase their profits, all so they can enjoy the life they envisioned when they started their business. Over the past 32 years, we’ve helped “grow businesses and change lives,” a phrase we live by, and the impact is evident in communities worldwide. In fact, 98% of our clients say they would recommend ActionCOACH to others, a testament to the value of the coaching and education they receive.
And while we celebrate being #1 in our industry, we do so humbly, understanding that this success has been earned by the trust of our clients and the dedication of our franchise partners. Each new country we enter and each coach we train brings us one step closer to our mission of having “a coach in every business,” spreading knowledge and success on a truly global scale.
A Culture of C.A.R.E. and Excellence
At the heart of ActionCOACH is a vibrant culture built on 14 fundamental points, our 14 Points of Culture, which define who we are and how we serve. Brad Sugars has always insisted on a team that is “committed, positive and successful, always striving to be balanced, integral and honest.” From day one, he set the tone that we must practice what we preach.
Our culture is summed up in an acronym we live by: C.A.R.E. – Commitment, Accountability, Results, and Education. We commit to our clients’ goals as if they were our own. We hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. We focus on delivering real results that improve businesses and lives. And we believe in continuous education, for ourselves and our clients, because learning is the gateway to growth.
These values aren’t just posters on a wall; they’re present in every coaching session, every conference, every success story. They are the reason everyone who touches or is touched by the ActionCOACH team benefits greatly, moving closer to their personal and business goals through our influence.
We also foster a spirit of collaboration and fun, what Brad calls “Edutainment,” making education enjoyable and practical. Importantly, we practice “co‑opetition,” meaning we happily work alongside anyone who shares our mission, because expanding abundance is a team effort. This unique culture has not only earned us awards and recognition, but also created a tight‑knit community where coaches around the world share best practices and lift each other up. It’s often said that the culture of ActionCOACH is its soul, and that soul is defined by caring about people and doing whatever it takes to help others succeed.
Clients and Coaches: The Everyday Heroes
While we celebrate 32 years as a company, we know the true heroes of the ActionCOACH story are the people we serve and those who serve alongside us. Our clients, the tens of thousands of business owners who have trusted an ActionCOACH, inspire us every day. These entrepreneurs are the ones putting in the hard work, embracing new ideas, and courageously stepping out of their comfort zones to create better businesses for their families, employees, and communities.
From the shop owner who turned their business around and now has more time with their family, to the manufacturer who expanded operations and created new jobs in their town – our clients’ successes are the real victories we cheer for. We’re humbled that we’ve been able to play a role in their stories, guiding them to “give them back their spirit and freedom through business development.”
On the other side of the equation are our franchise partners and coaches, the ActionCOACH business coaches who wake up each morning fueled by a passion to help others. They are entrepreneurs themselves who chose a path of purpose: to mentor fellow business owners. These coaches often say that watching a client have a breakthrough or achieve a long‑held goal is the greatest reward of all.
Every day, our coaches roll up their sleeves to teach, listen, motivate, and hold business owners accountable to their dreams. They celebrate their clients’ wins like their own. It’s their dedication, often going the extra mile, that turns the ActionCOACH vision into reality on the ground, one business at a time. Together, our clients and our coaches form an unbeatable team, each pushing the other to new heights.
As we mark 32 years, we salute every client and every coach in the ActionCOACH family. You are the reason we are celebrating today. Your hard work, your breakthroughs, and your stories of success are what give ActionCOACH its meaning.
Giving Back Through the ActionCOACH Foundation
Beyond the business of coaching, ActionCOACH carries a profound sense of social responsibility. Brad Sugars’ vision was never just about improving businesses – it’s about creating “World Abundance through Business Re‑education.” This vision isn’t a slogan on a poster; it’s a call to action that we strive to fulfill every day.
In 2017, that calling led to the creation of the ActionCOACH Foundation, a nonprofit arm of ActionCOACH devoted to giving back and spreading opportunity. The Foundation is a global community of our coaches and partners who volunteer their time and expertise to make a difference. Its mission is to deliver world abundance through business education by empowering young entrepreneurs and charitable organizations with the knowledge and tools to succeed.
Through programs like Youth Entrepreneurship Smart Start (YESS), our coaches mentor students aged 12‑22, igniting their entrepreneurial spirit and teaching them the fundamentals of business and success. We’ve watched teenagers in these programs launch real startups and gain confidence in shaping their own futures.
At the same time, the Foundation runs initiatives like Coaching for a Cause, providing free coaching to nonprofits so they can learn to think like for‑profit businesses – increasing their impact and sustainability in the community. We guide charity leaders in applying the same proven business principles that drive profit, but instead to drive the greater good.
By helping a nonprofit become more efficient and strategic, we help them serve more people in need – creating a ripple effect of abundance. Brad’s passion for the Foundation is infectious; he often reminds us that “business re‑education creates abundance for everyone.”
The Foundation is how we extend our reach beyond paying clients to uplift those who may not have access to business coaching otherwise. It’s our way of saying thank you and giving back, by sharing the gift of education freely. As we celebrate our 32nd year, the ActionCOACH Foundation stands as a shining example that success means little unless you’re lifting others up with you.
We’re incredibly proud of the volunteers, students, and nonprofits who are now part of our extended family, and we know that the seeds we plant today will lead to forests of abundance tomorrow.
Continuing the Journey of Abundance
As we commemorate 32 years of growth, learning, and impact, we stand grateful and humbled by how far the ActionCOACH journey has come, and excited for where it’s headed next. From Brad’s first coaching session in Brisbane back in 1993 to now, thousands of sessions happening each week globally, one thing remains constant: our commitment to changing lives.
Every success story over the years, every business saved from closure, every entrepreneur who achieved their dream, every family that found balance and prosperity, fuels our drive to do even more. And there is always more to do. World abundance is a big vision, but it’s one we approach with optimism and unwavering determination, one business and one community at a time.
In this 32nd birthday celebration, we honor our past while looking to the future. We celebrate Brad Sugars’ vision and leadership, which set the foundation for all of this. We celebrate our coaches and franchise partners, whose entrepreneurial spirit and devotion make a difference daily. We celebrate our clients, who dared to take action and become the heroes of their own stories. And we celebrate the many partners, support teams, and family members behind the scenes who’ve believed in our mission along the way. This is a birthday for all of us in the ActionCOACH family.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of this incredible 32‑year journey. Together, we have created something profoundly special, a global network of abundance, education, and empowerment unlike any other. As we enter the next chapter, we carry forward the same guiding light that started it all: a belief that with the right guidance and mindset, any business can thrive, any entrepreneur can succeed, and every life can be changed for the better. Here’s to the next decades of growth, innovation, and positive impact. Happy 32nd Birthday, ActionCOACH –and cheers to many more years of changing lives and building abundance, together!