TL;DR
In short: A Jim’s Life Coaching franchise offers structured coaching programs built around clear goals, belief change, and weekly accountability. James Hayward explains the tools he uses, how the system works, and who it helps.
BLUF: In a Jim’s Podcast episode, James Hayward, a Jim’s Life Coaching franchisee in Ballarat Central, shares how he left a 28-year corporate engineering career to build his own coaching business. He now uses tools such as the Wheel of Life and structured weekly accountability to help clients set clear goals, overcome limiting beliefs, and take consistent action.
A Jim’s Life Coaching franchise helps people get clear on goals and follow through with action. James joined mid-August and offers a 12-week signature program plus a $660 four-week option for Jim’s franchisees. This article breaks down James’s coaching method, his program options, and what the Jim’s system adds for clients and franchisees.
Watch the full episode below, or keep reading for the key takeaways.
Why Did James Hayward Choose A Jim’s Life Coaching Franchise?
James spent 28 years in corporate roles in fast-moving consumer goods, with an engineering background. He worked for a big confectionery company for about 25 years, across engineering, operations, product development, and quality management.
The lifestyle cost mattered. James talks about late night overseas calls and commuting into Melbourne a couple of days a week, sometimes three. He wanted control of his own destiny and the flexibility to work on his own terms.
He hired a coach to get clear on his “second lap” after hitting 50. He even ran a decision matrix across options, including renovation franchises and Jim’s Diggers. Then he spotted Jim’s Life Coaching on the division list and the fit was obvious.
If you’re weighing up franchising as your next move, check this out. It lays out what owning a Jim’s franchise looks like and what the first steps involve.
James was already training as a life coach, he loved coaching people in his leadership roles, and he saw the power of the Jim’s brand to get noticed.
How Does The Wheel Of Life Tool Drive Change?
The Wheel of Life is a simple rating exercise across key areas of life. A client scores each area from 1 to 10, then defines what a 10 looks like. That turns vague stress into priorities and actions.
James explains why this matters. Many people are “just cruising” and life is “pretty good”, but they do not know what they can achieve if they set goals, chunk them into actionable steps, work out what is holding them back, and then take action.
This approach beats random tips, because information is not the issue. James points to “YouTube University” as proof that strategies are everywhere. The block is usually goals that are not inspiring enough, fear of failure, procrastination, or a self-image that keeps pulling people back.
He links belief change to repetition. James says many beliefs form early, in an “imprint phase” from birth to around seven years old. Changing them starts with awareness, then daily practice, supported by weekly accountability.
James also teaches clients to notice negative thinking before it takes over. He uses the story of two wolves, a positive one and a negative one, and says the one that wins is the one you feed. A simple hack his coach, Sue Thomas, divisional franchisor of Jim’s Life Coaching, taught him is to catch a negative thought and add, “and that’s just the way I like it.” If it sounds wrong when you say it, it is usually not a thought worth feeding.
Pro Tips from James’s method:
- Use the 1 to 10 scores to choose one priority area, not ten.
- Write the current situation, then write the complete opposite and turn it into behaviours you control.
- Start each week with a score for effort, then pick one change that lifts that score next week.
What Do You Get With A Jim’s Life Coaching Franchise?
A Jim’s Life Coaching franchise is built around teachable program structures. James outlines:
- A 12-week signature program with weekly coaching.
- A 24-week program and a 36-week program that build on the 12-week foundation, with the longer option adding leadership.
- A four-week program for Jim’s franchisees priced at $660, designed as a powerful taster when starting a new business.
- A 30-minute confidential complimentary consultation called a Success Organising Session, built around three C’s: goals, challenges, and what is holding you back.
James also says the Jim’s brand was a major factor, because it helps you get your name out there faster than starting solo.
Training matters when you’re moving from a job into ownership. If you want to see how Jim’s approaches onboarding and capability building across the network, read this.
And if you’re trying to understand ongoing costs properly before you commit, this is the most useful explainer to read first.
How Does Jim’s Life Coaching Help Ballarat Central Clients?
James speaks directly to Ballarat Central life: commuting, long hours, and career transitions that drain time and energy. That context matters because coaching starts with reality: where you are now and what has been holding you back.
He also works with business owners and franchisees stepping into a new identity. James says success in a Jim’s business is not only being good at the service. It is also sales, marketing, and thinking like a business owner. A weekly check-in keeps that shift on track.
| Feature | Standard Independent Contractor | Jim’s Professional Standard |
| Brand recognition | Must build trust from zero | Backed by the Jim’s name, clients recognise |
| Program structure | Often, ad hoc session-by-session | Clear pathways: 4, 12, 24, and 36-week programs |
| Accountability rhythm | Optional check-ins vary by coach | Weekly check-ins plus daily exercises and scoring |
| First step for clients | Paid consults or long sales calls | 30-minute confidential complimentary SOS session |
| Business mindset support | Depends on the coach | Built to support franchisees and business owners |
“James Hayward, Jim’s Life Coaching franchisee in Ballarat Central: ‘most people, their problem isn’t that they aim high and miss, it’s that they aim low and hit or settle for much less’“
FAQ: Jim’s Life Coaching Franchise Questions
James says coaching can cover business, finances, health, relationships, lifestyle, friendships, and more. The focus is getting clear on goals and removing what is holding you back so you take action.
James runs a 12-week signature program with weekly coaching. He also offers 24-week and 36-week options that build on the earlier work.
It is a four-week Jim’s Life Coaching program offered to Jim’s franchisees for $660. James positions it as a taster that still delivers real change when you are starting a new business.
James describes it as a 30-minute confidential, complimentary consultation. You talk through your goals, challenges, and what has been holding you back, then leave with basic strategies you can use straight away.
James says information is rarely the problem. Coaching adds clarity, accountability, and belief work so you follow through when it gets uncomfortable.
Earnings vary by division, effort, and how you choose to scale.
Key Takeaways
- Clear goals and actionable steps beat vague motivation.
- Weekly accountability keeps you moving when it gets hard.
- James says you can never outperform your self-image until you change it.
- Bigger goals create energy and momentum.
Take The Next Step
Get Help With Goals, Habits, And Follow-Through
If you want clarity on goals and a plan you can stick to, Jim’s Life Coaching can help. You also get professional standards and the backing of the Jim’s National Guarantee.
Request your free quote from Jim’s Life Coaching today.
Explore Owning A Jim’s Life Coaching Franchise
If you want a second lap with more meaning and more control, James’s story shows what a Jim’s Life Coaching franchise can look like with structured programs and a repeatable method.
Learn more about joining Jim’s Group at jims.net or call 131 546 today.