Business Coaching Expert Spotlight… Kim Hill

Kim Hill is an Icehouse coach and business owner who brings 30 years of experience and expertise to her work as a business advisor, planner and strategist.

‘As a coach, I can’t stand by and let people waste a good crisis,’ says Kim, urging business owners to use the current business outlook to turn any future uncertainties into immediate positives.

‘I’ve enjoyed seeing so many businesses stop and reflect about the ‘why’ – reminding themselves why they got into business in the first place, dusting off the original business plans they wrote when they were initially starting out, and reigniting that passion and purpose,’ she says.

| Accelerating Māori business

Much of Kim’s work is about powering up the Māori economy. She is heavily involved in the Waikato region and also active in Ngāi Tahu, Māori Women’s Development Inc. and the wider Māori ecosystem. A waka analogy places perfectly where businesses need to be right now in a market which is holding up well despite recent events.

‘Every paddler knows the pace, destination and the purpose, and when you break it down, everyone has their part to play. You need the powerhouse in the middle as much as you need the guy who's chanting out a rhythm. Everyone's equally important. I am very passionate about seeing Māori achieve and Māori are natural entrepreneurs and we have some real goodies out there!

‘We’re all part of a team, and that’s why I love working with the Icehouse as well. We’re all whanau, and the only driver is ‘what is best for the client?’ And we all share that philosophy. I’ve been working with a number of Icehouse businesses recently, and I talk about our shared passion. We're about empowerment and capacity building I know that my ethos aligns with The Icehouse and that's why I love working with them,’ she says.

| Using coaching to make an impact

Coaches enjoy working most with the organisations that mirror their own philosophy around how to get the best out of clients, which is why Kim feels The Icehouse is a good fit for her skills.

‘We come into it with disciplines and principles, resources and networks that we can pull on – and a blank canvas with no assumptions around the businesses or the entrepreneurs that were actually working with.

‘We’re looking to add impact, identify the real pain points, and get things done. When I think about what I'm hearing back even through the COVID response in my work with regional business partners and among the other economic development agencies, clients are coming back and saying, ‘I just love Kim because she just gets straight in’. That’s very gratifying to hear and hopefully means I’m doing the right things!’

Kim works fast with clients to immediately assess an owner’s pain points, the purpose of which is to rebuild confidence – resetting and reigniting the passion and acumen, which the entrepreneur displayed in setting up the business in the first place; ‘so they feel like they've got support and a plan that they can execute quickly.’

Growing businesses develop new sets of problems as they expand. ‘I've got clients that I've had for six or seven years that were start-up businesses, and I’ve watched them go from hobbies to employing ten people and exporting around the world while experiencing massive growth.

| Utilising expertise as businesses grow

‘I feel like if there's an opportunity and there's a fit, I’m in it for the long game, but I think the relationship evolves. In those early days, they might need me a little bit more than they do now, and I shift towards being a key advisor or sounding board in the boardroom to strict planning or market-change consultancy.

‘There are also the ones where it's better to be short and sharp, move back and at the same time give them room to execute, while still providing a safe place to enable them to execute.

‘Fundamentally, it’s ok and normal if you haven’t built a ‘classic’ business structure, or you’re not following a linear or textbook approach. A coach can provide a ‘safe space’ and a platform for opportunities for growth.’

Click on the link for more information about Kim Hill, her coaching services and areas of expertise.

For more business ownership and leadership advice, check out more of our blogs.