The Unstoppable Business Owner: A Coach’s Guide to Mastering Work, Life & Health
Your business is profitable. You’ve achieved what many people only dream about. So why do you feel trapped?
I wrote this book for business owners who’ve built something successful, only to find that success has become a prison. It sets out the same evidence-based framework I’ve used with my coaching clients for 20 years – now in a form you can work through yourself.
Available now on Kindle and in paperback.
Is this book for you?
You might recognise yourself in some of these:
- You can’t take a holiday without everything falling apart.
- You’re the bottleneck for most decisions, and projects stall when you’re not there.
- You know what needs to be done but never have time to do it.
- You’re tired but wired – exhausted, yet your mind races at night thinking about work.
- Your personal life and your health are paying the price.
If that sounds familiar, the problem probably isn’t your business model, your market or your competition. You’ve optimised everything except the most critical component – yourself.
Most business advice focuses on the outside of the business. This book starts with you.
What’s inside
The book follows the 4-stage system I use with every coaching client.
Stage 1 – Foundation & Clarity. You’ll identify your core values, take an honest look at your current priorities, and use cognitive behavioural coaching principles to deal with the thinking habits that hold you back.
Stage 2 – Vision & Strategy. You’ll create a Vision Goal for your business and your life, then set three medium-term goals and build a time and energy management system that suits the way you work.
Stage 3 – Implementation. You’ll put your plan into action across the 3 Pillars – business structure and operations, life balance, and physical health and energy – with a 1-page action plan for each.
Stage 4 – Making It Sustainable. You’ll identify obstacles before they derail you, and set up the review and accountability systems that keep you moving long after you’ve finished the book.
Each chapter ends with a “Your Turn” section, so you’re building your plan as you read rather than just taking notes.
What readers are saying
“Nothing will replace the structure and care that comes with 1:1 sessions with Kris. But if you want to bottle the experience, do not hesitate to read and follow his book. What I love about the structure is that Kris starts with ‘you’, what you value, how you actually live, and what matters. Then you build your work/life around that.”
Anna David – 5-star Verified Purchase review on Amazon
Read an extract
From Chapter 1, The Unstoppable Business Owner
Let me tell you about Ivan. Ivan (name changed for privacy) owned a successful business, had a young family and lived what most people would consider a good lifestyle. On paper, everything looked brilliant. His company was profitable, he had a loyal team, and he could afford the things that mattered to him.
But something was wrong.
Ivan found himself feeling unmotivated, tired, and stuck in a rut. The business was doing well (better than many businesses, in fact) but Ivan himself hadn’t bounced back from recent challenges. He was going through the motions, dealing with the same issues day after day, and feeling like the spark was gone.
“I know I have to make some decisions around structure, what I want to focus on, and how I can get my mojo back,” Ivan told me in our first session. He wanted clarity and direction around the future of his business and his engagement with it. He wanted to feel energised and focused again. Most importantly, he wanted to be fit and healthy so he could increase his drive and productivity. Not just for the business, but for his family.
Sound familiar? Ivan’s situation isn’t unique. In fact, it’s becoming increasingly common amongst business owners who’ve achieved a certain level of success but find themselves trapped by it. You face a challenge most people never reach: how do you escape the prison your own success has built? The business needs you for everything. Problems land on your desk constantly. You’re working harder than when you started, yet the satisfaction has drained away.
Ivan realised something that many business owners struggle to admit: this wasn’t really a “business” problem. It was a “him” problem. His business systems worked. His team was competent. His market position was solid. But Ivan himself had become the bottleneck. His mindset, his energy, his clarity about what he actually wanted; these were the real issues holding everything back.
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About the author
I’m Kris de Jong, founder of Eclipse Life Coaching and an evidence-based executive coach. For 20 years I’ve coached hundreds of business owners, leaders and professionals.
I hold a BSc in Biology and Psychology, and certifications in Cognitive Behavioural Coaching through Professor Stephen Palmer. My coaching framework is featured in the management textbook Developing Coaching Skills by Dietmar Sternad, and I’m a member of the International Association of Coaching.
Before coaching, I spent years managing large and diverse teams, and I still consult for two businesses I’ve invested in. So I know the pressures you’re dealing with from the inside, not just from the coaching chair.
The book gives you the framework. If you’d rather work through it with me one-on-one, my 8-week Business Owner Coaching program is built on the same system.
Or read more about Business Owner Coaching »