Why I Still Take Coaching Calls

April 23, 2026

People ask me why I still take coaching calls with middle market CEOs. I could be doing deals. I could be writing. I could be on a beach.

The honest answer

The work I’ve done — turnarounds, acquisitions, scaled operations, exits — is worth very little if it stays in my head. Middle market CEOs don’t have access to this playbook. Most of them have never talked to someone who’s done it at their scale and come out the other side.

What makes a call worth my time

Not the company’s size. The CEO’s willingness to hear a hard truth and do something about it. I can tell in the first ten minutes whether someone wants to be coached or wants to be told they’re right. I only keep working with the first group.

What I get out of it

Every call sharpens my thinking. The best questions I get asked come from CEOs who haven’t been indoctrinated into Fortune 500 orthodoxy. They see problems I’ve forgotten to look at. I leave most coaching calls smarter than when I walked in.

Who should book one

Middle market CEOs, founders, and owners between $5M and $200M who are stuck, scaling too slowly, or getting ready to exit. The call is most useful when you’ve already tried the obvious things and they haven’t worked.

Ready for a direct conversation about your business?

Bill Canady takes a limited number of strategy coaching calls each month with middle market CEOs, founders, and owners who want a direct read on where their company stands and what to do next. No pitch. No fluff. One honest conversation about growth, profitability, and exit readiness. Book your strategy coaching call at billcanady.com.

About the Author

Bill Canady

Bill Canady is a national best-selling author, Founder & CEO of The 80/20 Institute, and a global business leader known for transforming companies into high-performing, profitable enterprises. Over the course of his career, Bill has led multibillion-dollar organizations through their most critical challenges—navigating complex regulatory, investor, and media environments—while consistently delivering profitable growth.

Drawing on decades of executive experience, Bill created the Profitable Growth Operating System (PGOS), a proven framework designed to help leaders cut complexity, focus on the critical few, and accelerate growth. Through The 80/20 Institute, he and his team partner with CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs worldwide to apply the 80/20 methodology in real-world settings, unlocking revenue growth, margin expansion, and shareholder value.

As both an operator and advisor, Bill’s mission is clear: to give leaders the tools, systems, and confidence they need to achieve sustainable, profitable growth — without sacrificing focus, culture, or execution.

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