Seven years after launching his dream business, Pierre Duranleau felt he’d hit rock bottom. His business as a garden designer was going nowhere. His business partner routinely belittled his ideas and efforts. His customers constantly flip-flopped on requirements and welshed on agreements. Worst of all, Pierre was stuck on a treadmill of projects that neither interested nor inspired him. “It was sucking the energy out of me, my family, and social life – my whole sense of self. I just wanted out.”

Coaching offered Pierre a space to step back, reconnect with what really mattered to him, and take concrete measures to regain control over his situation. “In my very first session, I saw that I’d been dumping a lot of responsibility onto those around me. I’d become so busy building up my “hapless victim” story that I’d given up taking action to turn things around. From that point on, my goal in coaching was to make a difference in my situation. To rekindle my original vision and enthusiasm for my business.”

Much of the work Pierre took on in coaching centered on communication and relationship-building. “Before I started coaching, I’d come to see my role as mainly technical. Come up with the right design. It was up to everyone else to live up to their part of the bargain. I came to see that my real challenge was in expressing my own expectations and needs. To set clear commitments with the people I was doing business with. Technical expertise is just the tip of the iceberg when running your own business.”

Today Pierre runs his business very differently, with strong relationships and shared goals providing the foundation for every new project. Customers recommend him for the conscientious, accommodating, knowledgeable, and creative professionalism he provides each step of the way.

Since finishing up coaching, Pierre has been the annual recipient of Best of Houzz awards for design and client satisfaction, with his work featured in Fleurs Plantes Jardins magazine. “It’s amazing – I’m getting exactly the recognition and work I’ve always wanted – all because I’m clear on what I’m out to achieve and sticking to that vision.”