Inside the Mind of the Founder of the Business Coaching Profession
Brad Sugars, the founder of ActionCOACH and pioneer of the business coaching profession, has spent over three decades revolutionizing how entrepreneurs grow their companies.
It’s hard to imagine the business world without coaching, but 32 years ago, that concept barely existed. In 1993, a young Australian entrepreneur named Bradley J. “Brad” Sugars started what would become a global movement in business coaching. Standing in front of a small group of business owners in Brisbane, Australia, Brad saw a need: entrepreneurs didn’t just require advice, they needed guidance, education, and someone to hold them accountable to their goals. This realization sparked the birth of ActionCOACH, the company that pioneered the business coaching profession as we know it. From a humble one-man operation, Brad set out on a mission that would change thousands of lives and redefine success for business owners around the world.
From a One-Man Show to Global Franchise Leader
In the early days, Brad Sugars was simply an ambitious twenty-something running small businesses and sharing tips with fellow entrepreneurs. As his reputation grew, more people asked for his help in improving their companies. He quickly realized that traditional consulting, dropping in with advice and leaving, wasn’t enough. Business owners needed ongoing coaching to apply lessons consistently, not just one-off fixes. So Brad began weekly coaching sessions, effectively inventing “business coaching” as a service.
At first, he coached clients for free to test his methods. The results spoke loudly. By addressing real problems weekly and teaching owners how to think differently, businesses started to turn around. It wasn’t long before demand for Brad’s coaching outpaced what he could handle alone.
To reach more businesses, Brad began hiring and training coaches in his methods. What started as a personal mission became a team effort. In 1994, just a year after its inception, ActionCOACH expanded to New Zealand, proving the model worked beyond one city. By the late 1990s, ActionCOACH (then known as “Action International”) was spreading across Australia and into Asia. In 2000, Brad moved the company’s headquarters to Las Vegas, Nevada, and launched in the United States, a bold leap that turned his Australian startup into a global franchise.
He chose franchising as the vehicle for growth because it not only allowed rapid expansion, but also empowered his coaches to become business owners in their own right. Each franchisee wasn’t just a coach; they were an entrepreneur building their own coaching firm, carrying Brad’s vision to their local community.
Over the next two decades, ActionCOACH blazed a trail across the globe. By consistently delivering results, it attracted passionate franchise partners who shared Brad’s mission. Today, as ActionCOACH celebrates 32 years, it stands as the world’s largest and most successful business coaching franchise. The numbers tell an impressive story: more than 1,000 offices in 80+ countries, and a coaching team that impacts over 15,000 businesses every week.
From London to Los Angeles, from Singapore to South Africa, small business owners everywhere have access to a certified ActionCOACH who can help them achieve their dreams.
Inside Brad Sugars’ Philosophy
What makes Brad Sugars a visionary is not just the scale of what he built, but the philosophy driving it. To truly go “inside the mind” of this founder, one must understand the principles he lives and teaches, principles that have fueled ActionCOACH’s success and shaped its culture.
One of Brad’s core beliefs is that a business should be a commercial, profitable enterprise that works without the owner’s constant involvement. Early in his career, Brad learned the hard way that if your business depends entirely on you, then you don’t own a company, you own a job.
“You don’t grow your business; your people do,” Brad often says. His job as a leader is to grow his people, educate them, mentor them, and build them into a great team, because “if you recruit and build great people, they build a great company.”
Another key philosophy from Brad’s mind is the power of continuous learning and self-improvement. He firmly believes that the only way to out-earn your competition is to out-learn them. This ethos traces back to Brad’s teenage years when, at 16, he saved up to attend a seminar by Jim Rohn, a moment that shaped his lifelong commitment to personal development.
Brad’s intolerance for mediocrity is another window into his mindset. He sets a high bar and expects the same of his team. From the beginning, Brad established 14 Points of Culture for the organization, values like Integrity, Excellence, Communication, Education, Teamwork, Balance, and Fun. These are lived values, not just slogans, ensuring that passion and positive attitude permeate every ActionCOACH interaction.
32 Years of Impact and a Future of Abundance
This year marks 32 years of ActionCOACH, a milestone representing far more than time. It’s decades of changing lives, saving businesses from failure, and helping entrepreneurs work smarter, not harder.
For franchise partners, it’s a proud legacy they carry into their communities. Each coach is part of a global family, supported by a powerful system, yet free to grow their own businesses. This synergy, entrepreneurs helping other entrepreneurs, is a defining strength.
For business owners, the story of Brad Sugars and ActionCOACH is an invitation. It’s proof that success comes from learning proven principles and taking consistent action. “Words can inspire, thoughts can provoke, but only action truly brings you closer to your dreams,” Brad says.
As we celebrate the 32nd birthday of ActionCOACH, we honor Brad’s vision: that owning a business should give you life, not take it away. Gratitude, innovation, and the drive for abundance remain the guiding stars for the future.
In the end, the story of Brad Sugars is a testament to the power of vision and the courage to act on it. Businesses grow when people grow, and the future is bright, bold, and abundant.
If you are wondering just how impactful coaching can be for you and your business, but don't know where to start, no need to worry. We offer 2 weeks of free coaching so you can see first-hand the impact and results an ActionCOACH can create for you and your business.