BUSINESS COACH · TRAINER · SPEAKER · UK & INTERNATIONAL
You did everything right.
You built something real. The clients came. Maybe the team, the premises and the turnover too.
So why does it still feel like the business is running you?
I help business owners and franchisees stop carrying everything, make more money and get their life back.
I work on two things at once: the business, and the person leading it. One never moves far without the other.
Based in Dorset, working with owners across the UK and around the world.
It starts with A Cuppa & a Natter. Thirty minutes, no pitch, no pressure.
Book A Cuppa & a Natter
AS FEATURED IN
Bournemouth Echo · The International Franchise Entrepreneur · MSN · Dorset Business Matters podcast
SPOKEN AND TRAINED AT
STA Conference · Womanifest · Utility Warehouse · Chamber of Commerce events
"Still getting really good comments from your presentation at the conference." Alex, Host, STA Conference
26+
years in business and leadership
1,000+
business owners supported
17 years
inside franchising
Finalist
UK StartUp Awards 2026
Where are you right now?
Every business hits a ceiling. Where yours sits depends on where you are. I help you break through it from both sides: the business you're building, and the way you lead it.
JUST GETTING GOING
Owner in the Making
You've started. Now build it right.
You're here if: you've taken the leap, clients are coming in, and you're making a lot of it up as you go.
See what's includedESTABLISHED · MOST CLIENTS START HERE
Owner to Leader
Step out of the weeds and lead.
You're here if: it works, but you've hit a ceiling, everything runs through you, and Sunday nights feel heavy.
See what's includedREADY TO SCALE
Leader of Leaders
Grow a team that grows without you.
You're here if: you're growing fast and the business has outgrown the way you lead it.
See what's includedIn a hurry? A VIP Day is one full day, just you and me, on whatever's holding you back. Wherever you are. One day. A clear plan by home time.
HI, I'M MICHELLE
I know what it costs to hold it all together.
You don't need another coach telling you to work harder, think bigger or buy another planner.
You need someone who knows what 3am feels like when payroll's due, a conversation needs having, and someone on your team isn't pulling their weight.
I know, because I've been there.
I ran three franchise businesses of my own, then spent years at head office helping hundreds of owners build businesses they were proud of. I loved it. Then I took a role that looked perfect on paper and fell apart in reality.
I cried in the car on the way to head office and blamed the traffic. I pinched my hand under the table in meetings just to hold it together. Then one day, I couldn't.
Later, sitting on a client's sofa, I heard her say, "I can't believe you're not building your own business after everything you've done." She was right. Michelle Reade Coaching opened in January 2025.
I don't coach from 30,000 feet. I get into the detail with you.
The pricing decision you've been putting off.
The difficult conversation you've been avoiding.
The email that's been sitting in your drafts for weeks.
The loan application, the cashflow, the hire.
The decision you already know the answer to.
We look at the numbers, the structure, the leadership and the mindset behind it all. Fix half the problem and the other half pulls you straight back.
My job isn't to motivate you for an hour. It's to help you build a business that grows and gives you your life back, instead of costing you everything.
I keep my client list small on purpose. No programme with 200 people in it. Just me, properly in your business.
Read my storyREAL OWNERS, REAL CHANGE
What changes when you stop carrying it all
CLIENT STORY
From doing the care calls to leading the team
When Dawn came to me, her care business was stalling. She was avoiding the big leadership decisions and still doing care calls herself instead of running the company.
We started with her, then built a plan across strategy, marketing, people and finance.
Today: turnover is up 60% year on year. New premises. A registered manager leading the team. Dawn runs the meetings as the leader, works normal hours, and she's finally had a holiday.
Different business? Different sector? The trap doesn't care what you sell.
"Starting my own business felt overwhelming, and I wasn't sure whether I had what it took. Michelle gave me the confidence, support and encouragement to take the leap and keep moving forward, even when things felt challenging.
She genuinely cares about the people she works with and is as committed to your success as you are. I always knew she had my back.
We're now going through our very first CQC inspection, and I couldn't be prouder of how far we've come."
Jane Carolan
Managing Director, GoodOaks Homecare Cheshire
"When I started working with Michelle I didn't know which direction to take my business. I was uncertain, second-guessing every decision, and couldn't find my own answers.
Michelle has a way of asking exactly the right question at exactly the right moment. Not telling you what to do, but helping you trust what you already know.
I came away with clarity on my direction, confidence in my decisions, and real momentum in my business.
If you're stuck and need someone properly in your corner, not just cheerleading but actually helping you break through, Michelle is it."
Amy Collins
Award-Winning Team Manager, Slimming World
"I came to Michelle with big dreams and no idea how to act on them. I was unclear, stuck, and going nowhere fast.
What I didn't expect was someone who would really listen, ask the right questions at the right time and give me that gentle push when I needed it most.
Now I have clarity, a plan that actually feels right for my business, and the confidence to grow it more profitably than I thought possible.
If you're sitting on a dream and not sure what to do next, Michelle is the person you need."
Kim Street
Award-Winning Team Manager, Slimming World
FREE QUIZ
Not ready to talk yet? Start here.
Take the Are You In The Owner Trap? quiz. Ten quick questions, no sign-up, and you'll see straight away whether you're in the driving seat, feeling the squeeze or in the trap.
Take the free quizFOR FRANCHISORS & HEAD OFFICE TEAMS
Your best franchisees are quietly checking out.
Not the strugglers. Everyone spots those. The strong ones who used to push.
I help franchisors and head office teams spot them early and bring them back before "fine" becomes a resale. I've been a franchisee, worked franchisor-side and sat inside head office. I speak both languages.
How I help franchise networksQuestions people ask me
Do I need to be a franchisee?
What happens on A Cuppa & a Natter?
How do I know where I fit?
Do you work online, in person or internationally?
How much does it cost?
Am I tied into a long contract?
Ready to stop holding it all together?
You don't have to carry this on your own.
Start with A Cuppa & a Natter. Thirty minutes to talk about where you are and what would make the biggest difference. If I can help, I'll tell you how. If I can't, I'll tell you that too.
Morning or evening calls, so it fits around your business, wherever you are in the world.
Book A Cuppa & a Natter