The confidence to go full time.

01 · Finding clients

Finding regular work.

When Nic came to coaching, he wanted direction, help organising his time and someone to hold him accountable. We started by looking at his strengths and where he needed support. He was confident in production; finding business clients was the immediate priority.

I helped him set up a simple Google Sheet: a list of past clients and other people who might need his services or refer work. It gave him a practical place to start, with people who already knew him or his work.

Nic was hesitant to follow up with past clients. If they hadn’t called, he assumed they no longer needed video or didn’t want to work with him again. We used the tracker to put those assumptions to the test by getting back in touch.

Those follow-ups helped Nic book two or three jobs straight away. Some people responded a week or a month later. In our weekly coaching calls, we reviewed his progress and identified what he needed to work on next, giving him regular accountability as he put the plan into practice.

“Working with you, it really helped me see clearly the changes that I had to make and the path that I had to take.”

Nic Mongillo, BYNIC

02 · Sales and marketing

Learning how to sell.

Nic was uncomfortable with the idea of being a pushy salesman. I taught him the sales approach I use in my own production business: ask useful questions, understand what the client needs and work out how to help.

We also worked on how Nic presented BYNIC to potential clients. He hired a web designer, and I helped him think through who he wanted to work with, what he offered and how to communicate that on the website.

Nic also began using my LinkedIn outreach method to connect with potential clients beyond his existing network. In the first few weeks, he booked three discovery calls and sent one proposal. He was learning how to start conversations, ask questions and respond when a potential client raised a concern.

03 · Going full time

The first monthly client.

Nic’s first monthly video client was someone he had known for a couple of years. He had done occasional photographs and videos for him, and the client asked him to create social media videos each month.

The client had known Nic as someone who could shoot and edit. As Nic developed the sales and business skills we were working on, he began contributing ideas and strategy too. He was learning to ask what the client wanted to achieve and how the videos could help.

The new bookings and his first monthly client gave Nic confidence that he could make a living through the business. He remembered thinking:

“I know I can do this and I know I can go full time.”

Nic Mongillo, BYNIC

He was still working at the gym. As more video work came in, he began thinking about the hours he spent there and what he could do with that time in his own company.

“It was a little scary for sure, because that consistent income is really comfortable.”

Nic Mongillo, BYNIC

Nic chose to leave the gym and run BYNIC full time. He could spend more time on his showreel, website and marketing, and became more selective about low-paid and free work.

04 · The difficult days

Support when he felt stuck.

There were days when Nic felt burnt out and even a short to-do list felt like too much. Our private Slack channel gave him a way to ask for help between coaching sessions. He could tell me what was happening without having to pretend everything was going well.

“I felt very safe and I felt that I could be vulnerable and share and that I didn’t have to put up a facade in where I was at and that I wouldn’t be judged.”

Nic Mongillo, BYNIC

When Nic messaged me on those days, I helped him reset his goal for the day and choose one manageable action.

Once, he had five or six emails to send and couldn’t face them. Nic decided to send one at noon. Completing that first email made the next one easier. Having someone to talk it through with helped him get back to work without putting more pressure on himself.