In short: James Hayward left a 28-year corporate engineering career and moved into a Jim’s Life Coaching franchise in Ballarat after long hours damaged his health and family life. Almost two years later, he has built a coaching business around a nine-month program, weekly support, sales practice and flexible delivery.
In a Jim’s Podcast episode, James Hayward explains how he moved from a 28-year corporate engineering career into Jim’s Life Coaching Ballarat, where he uses a structured nine-month program, weekly coaching and belief-reframing exercises to help clients work on goals, habits and self-image.
A Jim’s Life Coaching franchise gave James a supported way to turn the part of corporate work he enjoyed most into a full-time business. He spent 25 years with one company, worked about 60 hours a week and reached a point where he was 25 kilos heavier, with high blood pressure, pre-diabetes and high cholesterol. This article covers his career change, coaching method, franchise support, local delivery and client results.
Watch the full episode below, or keep reading for the key takeaways.
Why Did James Hayward Leave His 28-Year Corporate Career?
James trained as a mechanical engineer and spent 28 years in corporate roles across engineering, leadership, strategy and product development in Australia and Asia.
The pay was strong, but the schedule was not sustainable for him. James estimates he worked about 60 hours a week, including early calls, late international teleconferences and weekends.
He says he almost lost his marriage and had already lost his health. At his heaviest, he was 25 kilos above his current weight and dealing with high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, poor sleep and inflammation.
The work he enjoyed most was coaching, training and mentoring people, but it occupied only about 5% of his role. After receiving coaching himself, he contacted Sue Thomas, the divisional franchisor for Jim’s Life Coaching, to turn that work into his main career.
How Does the Jim’s Life Coaching Nine-Month Program Work?
James uses a structured nine-month program with three levels. He has completed more than one lap because he believes coaches should keep working on the habits, beliefs and decisions they ask clients to examine.
The process combines awareness, cognitive reframing, repetition and accountability. A client identifies a recurring belief, examines its effect, replaces it with a more useful belief and practises the new response through weekly coaching and daily work.
James describes the starting point simply: “Awareness precedes change.”
One client had experienced anxiety and depression for 10 years and had already worked with psychologists and psychiatrists. James does not present coaching as a replacement for clinical care. In her case, coaching added future-focused goals, structure and accountability.
Four weeks into the program, she used the second lesson, called the power of belief, to examine thoughts such as “I’m not good enough”, “I don’t know enough” and “I have to be perfect”.
James says she reframed those beliefs within a week and handled an employee’s departure without her usual spiral.
The method suits Australian clients because sessions can run around work, family and regional distance. James operates from Ballarat, has coached a person in New Zealand and has hosted workshop participants from Sri Lanka and Chicago.
Pro Tips
- Start with one repeated thought, not every problem at once.
- Record the old belief, the result it creates, and the replacement belief.
- Use weekly accountability and daily repetition to support consistency.
What Training and Support Do Jim’s Life Coaching Franchisees Receive?
An independent coach may need to create a program, test it, find clients, and learn sales alone. James says the Jim’s Life Coaching franchise gave him an established program and people to check his decisions with from the start.
He began with pro bono sessions for family and friends. That gave him a safe place to practise and learn how to show up as “Coach James” rather than as a friend, partner or parent.
James and Sue work through the weekly lesson together, speak a couple of times a week when needed, and attend monthly franchisee meetings. A WhatsApp group lets franchisees share tools, including a thought-reframing template James developed.
The team also role-plays sales every week. James describes business ownership as one-third technical work, one-third marketing and one-third sales, before adding bookkeeping, administration, complaints, photography and social media.
His approach avoids pressure. He learns what the person needs, checks the fit and explains the program that may help.
Prospective owners can review how Jim’s franchise fees work, the Jim’s franchisee training process and the steps involved when they own a Jim’s franchise.
What Results Have James Hayward and His Clients Achieved?
James had his best month after almost two years, although he and Sue did not disclose the income figure. He links progress to work completed months earlier, saying people often see the product of what they did consistently six months ago.
Deshant, a Jim’s Mowing franchisee, lost 12 kilos and more than doubled his business. James says the business remained more than doubled through winter.
Another professional client had lost about 10 kilos and reported more energy and confidence.
A 17-year-old Year 12 student lost 12 kilos in about six to eight weeks while improving his confidence and studies and planning to study law in Sydney.
These are individual outcomes, not guarantees.
Anyone assessing the commercial side should read how much you can earn with a Jim’s franchise and consider fees, sales, client demand, expenses and consistency.
Can a Jim’s Life Coaching Franchise Be Run Flexibly From Ballarat?
James runs Jim’s Life Coaching Ballarat, but coaching does not depend on housing style, weather or a fixed worksite. The important local factors are availability, trust and the client’s schedule.
He runs a free monthly workshop called More Balance, Better Results through Facebook and LinkedIn. Online delivery extends his reach beyond Victoria and Australia.
James may start early, work between 5 pm and 8 pm, go to the gym in the middle of the day or take time for coffee and shopping. He still works hard, but he chooses when the work happens.
He has also travelled to Sydney, Bali and Japan, gone fishing on long weekends and scheduled speaking work with Jim’s Building Inspections in Newcastle and the Jim’s Mowing national franchisee conference in Bali.
Customers can learn more through the Jim’s Life Coaching service website.
How Does a Jim’s Life Coaching Franchise Compare With Going Independent?
| Feature | Standard Independent Contractor | Jim’s Professional Standard |
| Program development | Creates and tests a program alone | Uses an established program with structured lessons |
| Training | Sources technical and sales training separately | Receives franchise, program and sales training |
| Support | Relies on personal networks or paid advisers | Gets franchisor contact, meetings and peer support |
| Branding | Builds recognition from zero | Operates under the Jim’s Group brand |
| Business structure | Creates systems alone | Starts with support channels and shared tools |
‘Coaching literally saved my life.’
– James Hayward, Jim’s Life Coaching franchisee in Ballarat
Frequently Asked Questions
A franchisee delivers coaching programs and manages sales, marketing and administration. James also runs workshops, speaks at Jim’s Group events and supports clients through regular accountability.
James says a separate coaching course is not essential within the system. He had corporate coaching experience and later completed life coaching, mindset coaching and NLP certifications.
The main program runs for nine months across three levels. James repeats it because the same material can reveal different issues after three, six or nine months.
James describes weekly program work, weekly sales role-play, monthly meetings, a WhatsApp group and contact with Sue Thomas a couple of times a week when needed.
Yes. James works from Ballarat, has coached a client in New Zealand and has welcomed workshop participants from Sri Lanka and Chicago.
The interview does not disclose James’s income. Sue says he had his best month after almost two years, but results depend on demand, sales, expenses and consistent delivery.
No. James says he has used professional support himself. Coaching in this story focuses on goals, reflection, accountability and future action, not diagnosis or clinical treatment.
Key Takeaways
- James left a 28-year corporate career after working about 60 hours a week.
- The nine-month program uses three levels, weekly coaching and daily practice.
- Franchise support includes an established program, sales role-play, regular contact and peer tools.
- James reports strong individual client outcomes, but they are not guaranteed.
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Build a Coaching Business With the Jim’s Group System
James Hayward’s story shows how coaching experience and personal development can sit inside a supported franchise structure.
The opportunity still requires sales, marketing, administration, consistent client work and a willingness to remain coachable.
Learn more about joining Jim’s Group at jims.net or call 131 546 today.