Trevor Clark

Trevor Clark, ActionCOACH Business Coaching, is not just a business coach – he is a mission-driven entrepreneur helping others build profitable, sustainable enterprises.

ActionCOACH, a global business coaching and training franchise, has been operating for 32 years. Trevor has been part of this movement for 16 years, based in Durban and working with businesses across South Africa and Mauritius.

Trevor operates on two key pillars: business coaching and executive coaching. “On the executive coaching side, we work with corporate clients, including CEOs, branch managers and leadership teams, helping with strategy, leadership development, and team training. On the business coaching side, we focus on scaling owner-managed businesses.”

Trevor emphasises that many entrepreneurial businesses hit a “glass ceiling” and seek him out when ready to break through. “We get business owners looking at their operations from an outsider’s perspective, identify what’s working, what’s not, and create an action plan. We upskill them on how to better run a business.” He adds, “Part of that process is helping owners build legacy businesses – profitable operations that work without the owner and are ultimately ready to sell or scale.”

FROM PIZZA HUT TO THE ORIENT EXPRESS
Trevor’s story is one of exploration, persistence and purpose. Born in Durban and raised in Johannesburg, he began his career humbly. “One of my first jobs was selling slices at Pizza Hut,” he laughs. During a stint in Europe as a teenager, he took on various labouring jobs – including a memorable cleaning job on the Orient Express – sadly not while the train was travelling the glamorous route from Paris to Istanbul, but while it was in Zurich for repairs.

Trevor studied marketing and general management in Johannesburg while working full-time and attending night school. “My first corporate job was in banking with ABSA, initially United Bank.” But the desire for entrepreneurship kept tugging at him. “I always wanted my own business.”

That drive eventually led him to the Middle East on a two-year contract that turned into a decadelong journey. “I ended up as managing director and shareholder of a corporate communications consultancy. We lived on airplanes and in hotels, working with banks, blue-chips and investment companies.” One of his proudest achievements was building the Dubai branch of his former company. “We grew it bigger than the Bahrain head office, closed the London office and moved everything to Dubai.”

RETURNING HOME
But South Africa called him home. “My daughter had been born, my son was on the way, and I knew I wanted them to grow up as South Africans. We breed good humans here,” he smiles.

Trevor discovered ActionCOACH just after it launched locally in 2008. “They were looking for early coaches to help launch the franchise in South Africa. I fell in love with the business.” The global vision statement, ‘World abundance through business re-education’, resonated deeply with him.

He sold his shares in the Dubai firm, completed certification training in the United States, and officially launched his coaching business in December 2009.

THE CHALLENGES OF PIONEERING
“I thought we’d have a queue of potential clients out the door,” Trevor recalls. “But the reality was that nobody had heard of business coaching.” The first two years were incredibly tough. “We were launching an unheard-of brand and concept. I’d sunk my life savings into the business. I was the sole breadwinner with two small kids.”

He and his team hustled – cold calling, door knocking, relentless telemarketing. “It paid off. Once we got our first clients and results showed, word of mouth kicked in. Now we’re a known entity.”
That perseverance is something he brings to his clients too. “It’s incredible. You can work with businesses and in the first couple of months, start seeing results – in time, team and/or money. We have case studies of businesses that tripled profits in the first year of coaching.”

But beyond the numbers, he’s proudest of the personal impact. “Sometimes the biggest wins are seeing business owners simply get out of their own way. Stop playing too small. Back yourself.”

BUILDING COMMUNITIES
For Trevor, coaching is as much about education and focus as it is about metrics. “A 10 million Rand mindset will never grow a 100 million Rand business,” he says. “We work a lot on vision, values and congruency – practising what we preach.”

He notes that many entrepreneurs struggle alone. “They don’t know who to talk to. They suffer in silence or ask the wrong people for advice. We provide a safe space – a sounding board, accountability partner, and community of likeminded business owners.”

His motivation is deeply personal. “My family inspires me, and my parents especially. But I’m also inspired by all business owners. These are people who left the ‘safety’ of a job to chase a dream. Many are struggling, working harder and earning less than they were in corporate, but they keep going.”

LOOKING FORWARD
Trevor’s vision is rooted in an economic shift. “I want to see more KZN businesses become sellable, legacy businesses. That requires business owners to start thinking bigger. Too many are shellshocked. I want to remind them of the success stories, South African and global, many of which started right here in KZN.”

LIVING THE CHANGE
Asked if he has a motto, Trevor doesn’t hesitate. “‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ – Gandhi’s quote. It’s about walking the talk. Too many coaches and consultants give advice they don’t follow. For us, it’s about congruency – improving ourselves as we help others improve.”

It’s not about being perfect, he insists. “We’re human. Our businesses aren’t perfect. But we’re always trying to be better.”

And that is the heart of Trevor Clark’s coaching ethos: not perfection, but purpose-driven progress. Step by step, one business transformation at a time.