Running a business you love can be incredibly rewarding.
But when you are passionate about the work itself, it is easy for the business side to become overwhelming. The numbers, the forecasts, the staff, the money management, the decisions, the responsibility — it can all feel like a minefield.
That was the reality for Bev Lee at Bev’s Bistro.
Bev loved her bistro and was deeply passionate about the food, the customers and the business she had built. But like many creative business owners, the practical side of running the business did not come naturally. She described herself as “Mrs Creative” and admitted that the business side was the part she struggled with most.
Through working with Brenda and ActionCOACH, Bev began to change not only the business, but also the way she thought about herself as a business owner.
The result was a major shift: turnover grew to three times what it had been before coaching, and Bev went from working 18-hour days, seven days a week, to taking holidays for the first time in over 20 years.
When passion is not enough
Many business owners start because they are brilliant at what they do.
They are passionate about their product, their service, their customers and the difference they make. But being excellent at the work is not the same as feeling confident running the business.
That was one of Bev’s challenges.
She loved the bistro, but the business side felt difficult. Sales forecasts, predictions, managing money and managing staff were all areas she needed support with.
This is incredibly common.
A business can be built on passion, but it cannot grow sustainably on passion alone. At some point, the owner needs structure, numbers, systems, accountability and a clearer way of making decisions.
That does not take away the creativity.
It protects it.
From mindset to business growth
When Bev first connected with ActionCOACH, the initial focus was more around mindset and the “Master Your Life” side of coaching. Over time, that developed into more practical business support: sales forecasting, financial management, staff management and improving the way the business operated.
That progression matters.
Many business owners know they need practical help, but the first barrier is often mindset.
If you are exhausted, overwhelmed or unsure where to start, even small business decisions can feel heavy. Coaching can help turn the negative thinking around and create a clearer, more positive way forward.
For Bev, that support made a real difference.
She spoke about times when the business had got to her, and how Brenda helped turn the negative back into the positive.
The power of targets and accountability
One of the biggest changes for Bev was setting targets and having accountability.
She set herself goals and experienced the satisfaction of achieving them. That mattered because it showed progress. It created momentum. It turned ideas into action.
Accountability also helped her stop procrastinating.
Bev described the feeling of knowing she had a session with Brenda coming up and needing to get things done before then. Without that accountability, it is easy for business owners to put things off — and before they know it, another year has passed without the changes they wanted.
That is one of the reasons coaching works.
It is not just about knowing what to do.
It is about actually doing it.
3x turnover growth
One of the standout outcomes from Bev’s coaching journey was that turnover grew to three times what it had been before ActionCOACH.
That is a significant result.
But just as importantly, Bev recognised that the next stage was not only about turnover. She and Brenda were also working hard on improving the profits of the business.
That is an important distinction for any business owner.
Turnover growth can be exciting, but profit is what gives the business strength. Profit creates choices. Profit creates resilience. Profit allows the business to invest, improve, reward the owner and support the team.
A bigger business is not automatically a better business.
A stronger business is one where turnover, profit, systems, team and the owner’s life all improve together.
Taking a holiday after more than 20 years
One of the most powerful parts of Bev’s story is not just the financial growth.
It is the change in her life.
Before coaching, Bev had not taken a holiday since starting the business — more than 20 years. She described herself as someone who worked 18-hour days, seven days a week, even at Christmas.
That is not unusual for many dedicated business owners, but it is not sustainable.
When the business depends entirely on the owner being there every hour of every day, it creates pressure, exhaustion and a real lack of freedom.
Through coaching, Bev began learning how to leave the business, take thinking time and trust that things could still work without her being physically present all the time.
She took her first holiday, then went on to take two holidays the following year.
That is a huge shift.
A different business and a different life
Bev’s friends noticed the change too.
She began spending time with them in a way she had never done before. The business was no longer consuming every hour of every day. There had been a big change in mindset, a big change in the business model and a big change in staff.
That is what better business ownership should create.
Not just more work.
Not just more pressure.
Not just more responsibility.
A better business should create more life.
It should give the owner the ability to think, plan, step back and enjoy the rewards of what they have built.
For Bev, that change was something she would not have believed possible a couple of years earlier.
What other business owners can learn from Bev’s Bistro
Bev’s story is a powerful reminder that loving your business does not mean you have to be consumed by it.
You can be passionate about what you do and still need help with the business side.
You can be creative and still learn to understand the numbers.
You can care deeply about your customers and still build systems that allow you to step away.
You can grow turnover and still focus on improving profit.
You can change the way you work, even after many years of doing things one way.
For other Scottish business owners, especially those who feel they are carrying everything themselves, Bev’s story offers several important lessons:
- Passion is powerful, but structure is essential.
- Turnover matters, but profit matters more.
- Accountability helps turn intentions into action.
- Mindset affects business decisions.
- Staff, systems and planning create freedom.
- A business should not require the owner to work 18-hour days forever.
- Change is possible, even after decades in business.
Is your business giving you the life you wanted?
If you are running a business you love, but it feels like it has taken over your life, Bev’s story shows what can change.
You may not need to care more.
You may not need to work harder.
You may not need to keep pushing yourself to exhaustion.
You may need clearer targets, better systems, stronger financial understanding, more accountability and support to help you make decisions with confidence.
Business coaching gives you the space to step back, look at the business properly and build something stronger.
Because being in business should give you more life.
And sometimes, the biggest breakthrough is realising that your business can grow without taking every hour of your life with it.
