About Us
About Sean Foster
Clarity in Decision Making - New Zealand Wide
Business CEOs, Entrepreneurs and Sales Professionals
We all have a journey we’re on and mine took me to becoming a full-time business advisor and coach. When I graduated, I was put into the field and expected to perform. Blimey, if I could step back in time I would tell my corporate employers that they stuffed up. Where was the orientation, the understanding of the culture, what were the expectations, besides just a budget target? But I sat it out and fiddled my way through, slowly figuring out the labyrinth.
Then, in 2004 I started my first business, and despite having an MBA from a well-recognized university and some “miles under my belt”, it really felt like I was starting again from scratch. Again, I just struggled with gaining that clarity on exactly where I should have been focusing my attention. With hindsight, it seemed I often focused on activities that had low returns.
My company has grown, and we are now market leaders in our sectors. I accumulated some grey hairs and a truck-load of practical experience. But at some point, one takes stock of one’s life and this is what I did. I wanted to do more in the bigger picture of life, so I resigned, and in early 2017 I decided to devote my time to helping other business owners and professionals.
I have now become the business advisor New Zealand SMEs call upon to improve both their lives and businesses. Maybe someday you will also decide to do the same, to help other business owners. It is massively rewarding, I love it! In fact a core principle of my coaching is to develop business owners into becoming the coach in their own business!
Today, I run a group business coaching program called BIG, as well offering 1-on-1 business coaching with select clients. When I started out I found that there was a serious lack of programmes that would facilitate my coaching and advisory services, so I developed this as well.
Get Clarity in Business with The Right Advice and Support Support
My approach when working with clients is to create absolute clarity. Clarity about what is important to do, and what is important to actively avoid. If you would like to get to a better place than where you are now, then let’s have a meaningful discussion, one that gets to the core of where you now, where you would like to get to, and lastly what are some of the current hurdles.
I don’t do those “free” 15-minute business consultations, it is impossible to really understand what the next steps should be, or if we, as a team, can productively work together. So with nothing to lose, but everything to gain, let us fully explore your business and the opportunity for us to work together before we start discussing any dollar investment amounts.
Extended DISC Practitioner
Extended DISC – is one of the leading DISC providers in the world and in order to become a certified assessor you are needing to undertake comprehensive training. You can read more about Extended DISC here. This is a Level 2 accredited Extended DISC practitioner. Psychometric behavioural assessments are used to grow and develop individuals and teams, including aspects of team and leadership development, recruiting, sales development and 360 performance reviews.
FinxS Practitioner
Finxs – this is the system by which we manage and assist others with the Extended DISC system. This is the system used to manage the DISC assessment process and allows for a multitude of team or individual reports to be generated in specific areas of need. Overtime when new team members join a company FinxS seamlessly adds them to the company’s database.
Sales Competence Accredited Consultant
This is a relatively new field and has had an enormous impact on better equipping salespeople to further develop their sales skills and also in the sales recruitment process. The Sales Competencies are best integrated with the Extend DISC behavioural assessments. This is a powerful and unique way of understanding an individuals ability in sales, or sales competency. Best used when someone has been in the selling game for 6months or longer. When adding the Sales Competency to DISC, the tool becomes even more powerful.
Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
ACC – this is a qualification through the International Coaching Federation and is the most recognized coaching standard available. You can see what is involved here.
RedTeam
RedTeam coaching is a system-wide methodology for problem solving in a business. Business, and life in general, is navigated by how you percieve the world around you, and how you decide to respond to these perspectives. Critical thinking together with increased awareness of your behavioural tendencies, biases, and together with disciplined practice is a skill that we can and should always be finetuning.
MBA – Masters in Business Administration, 2002
University of Wales
Many are familiar with the post-graduate MBA degree. While still living in South Africa I completed the University of Wales MBA through Technikon Natal. This is a 30-month high-intensity programme covering a wide range of business, corporate and human development areas.
BSc.Agric - Bachelor of Agricultural Science
My primary 4-year degree was a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with a triple major in Animal, Crop and Grassland science because at heart I really am a farmer. My first 15 years were devoted to the agricultural sector before starting my own business.
Certified Results Coach
ICF is advancing the coaching profession so coaching becomes an integral part of society. Our members lead this journey by representing the highest quality in professional coaching. Qualified ICF coaches practice according to a script code of conduct.
ACE Certified Coach
ACE is an advanced coaching qualification that focuses on developing awareness around purpose, emotions and motivation, complexity and decision making. From a coaching perspective, the question is never about ‘does your coach understands these concepts’. The challenge is for the coach to develop this awareness in the coachee, for it is they, that need to act on these insights. Developing this ability is part art, part science. The ACE programme consolidates decades of practical experience from world-renowned coaching experts David Goldsmith and David Peterson.
Testimonials
"Sean brings a lot of experience to the table and has leveraged his knowledge and skills to be able to provide information, guidance and tools that are workable. I like that he practices what he preaches. He has also developed an easy to use framework for managing and tracking projects business outcomes. I have no hesitation in recommending him as a business coach."
"Working with the BIG group has really been awesome because it gives me the ability to talk right to the business owners. As an SME owner, having access to a safe environment made up of like-minded people, who are not trying to flog their stuff to you is both rare and valuable. I find the BIG Group really supportive. You get insightful answers, this applies to all areas of personal & business development. The more you give, the more you get."
"When I came along to the BIG Group and having some coaching from Sean, what it did is it helped us focus on what is important, helped us understand what we are offering in our value proposition. Working alongside Sean actually helps us get some clarity..."
"Sean is genuinely committed to the success of every business he works with. The BIG program is highly adaptable and offers a dynamic approach to Business Development, opening each and every business up to build new systems and habits. The BIG environment offers many perspectives into a business, from both Sean and the other members which is an invaluable insight and allows for ideas to be thrown around in a safe way and be accountable to the goals set. Thanks heaps Sean and I look forward to your continued support!"
"I have been working with sean over the past two months and have found his program so beneficial and im only half way through it . Sean is very understanding and clear with his directions. Supporting me with my personal growth in understanding the financials better and how to see the potential growth, not only in revenue but growing a better team culture with in the business to support everyone. 25yrs in my business, it never too late to do things better or differently. Highly recommend"
"If you are looking for a quick fix then Sean Foster's business coaching program isn't for you, if however you are wanting sage business advice that works, to improve your business income and create a stronger more stable proposition then I can recommend Sean's coaching based on my own experience. I've had other coaches but Sean has been the best without a doubt."
"If you want the best business advice and or coaching then I would recommend Sean Foster. He has a wealth of experience in business and business structure and management and can certainly help any business. He has helped me and I have appreciated it."
"My business is benefiting from the different perspective and insights that Sean offers in his calm and understated manner. He's a guy you can count on to deliver on the promise. He's honest and easy to work with. I recommend him highly."
"Business coaching is an industry I have typically been sceptical of selling theories with a lack of real experience and glossy cookie cutter templates. I wanted to work with someone who has real life experience in successfully scaling a SME in NZ and could show how their systerms had been successfully implemented. Sean has offered this and much more with a collection of material and situational problem solving. The investment has been worth it and produced real results. My advice is to not think about the investment you could possibly lose but rather the return this will most possibly produce."
"I switched coaches 2 and a half years ago and at that time, the business was growing but we were on a difficult growth stage and things aren't quite right mostly on our financials. What I like about Sean is that he offers a unique package where we get to have a structured environment. It helped me focus on financials and 90-day planning. It's something that I wouldn't do on my own. Being part of the BIG Group, it's not like you are accountable to other business in the room but you share what you are doing, what your challenges are and through that you learn from others as well. It's a healthy way of paying attention to the right numbers and 90-day planning. I'm seeing a significant improvement in profitability over the last two years, from having attention paid to the right areas consistently. This gives me lower stress levels and confidence in my business."
"Being a solopreneur, I needed to connect with people because I miss connecting with other people and grasping ideas around which we kind of did at our franchisee meetings. And so I find that BIG actually fills that gap. Most franchises and corporates have a support system in place. It's the same type of thing, you get insights from other people's business and how different things work as well. One of the biggest takeaways that I actually had was when we came into COVID and I was thinking what's the economy gonna do, do I need to diversify and stuff? But with Sean's expert coaching and advisory, it helps you choose the right options, provides focus and is result-driven."
As a successful business coach and advisor, Auckland entrepreneurs, executives, sales professionals and business owners know my advice comes from years of real-world experience.
Call 029 427 4980 to find out more.