About the Author: Ashley Thomson
Professional Journey
Ashley started in business improvement in 1998, working for an Australian consulting company. He honed his skills by optimising corporate giants like Coles Group, Myer, ANZ Bank, Telstra, and Zurich Insurance. This hands-on experience gave him practical insights into the workings of great businesses and the pitfalls of poor performers.
Accolades and Awards
Ashley’s exceptional coaching prowess has earned him a place in the prestigious Coaching Hall of Fame (2019). Additionally, his achievements have been acknowledged through multiple awards, solidifying his reputation as a world-class business coach. He leads a team of award-winning business coaches at Tenfold, setting the gold standard in the industry.
Expertise Across Industries
With diverse experience spanning FMCG, manufacturing, wholesale, distribution, construction, trades, retail, and professional services, Ashley has successfully coached businesses across various sectors. His expertise lies in coaching mature businesses with revenues ranging from $5M to $50M, guiding them through complex financial structures, marketing strategies, operational improvements, and leadership development.
Innovative Problem Solver
Ashley’s background as a convergence task force manager and project manager at leading organisations like Show Ads and NewsCorp – PMP Print equipped him with the skills to streamline complex business functions. His ability to sift through data, identify key business drivers, and provide agile financial models enables businesses to thrive in competitive markets.
Published Author and Global Authority
Ashley’s influence extends far beyond his coaching practice. He co-authored “The Quiet Sales Genius,” a definitive guide to effective sales strategies. He has been featured in prominent publications, podcasts, and conferences, cementing his status as a thought leader in the coaching community.
Ashley’s influence reaches across the globe, with features and accolades from esteemed platforms such as:
6 wrong turns your business heroes made (so you don’t have to)
Even the most famous and successful of our business heroes bomb out sometimes. Sōichirō Honda went as far as to say that “success is 99% failure”.The wins of the following entrepreneurs are legendary. Luckily (for you) their mistakes were just as public.Our Tenfold coaches mentor small business owners in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and all over Australia to reverse engineer the failures of business giants and benefit from their 20/20 hindsight. Let’s examine the detours and dead-ends that these six entrepreneurs endured so you can set your course to avoid them: Richard Branson’s (losing) battle of the brands“Declaring a soft drink war ...
10 strategies to recession-proof your business
An Australian Recession: not a matter of if, but when (and how bad?) The world’s financial experts have been banging the (dol)drums louder and louder, warning of a US recession by 2020. And Australian economists* predict that we could see that downturn here a little earlier. We’ve enjoyed almost 30 years of continuous growth in this country, but global and local trends point to the tides turning in the Australian economy. This slow-down could become a ‘downturn’ without too much trouble. An Australian recession isn’t all bad news for businesses… The ‘R word’ strikes fear in the hearts of every business ...
Honestly, it’s the best policy: essential workplace policies for small businesses
Small business is a big player when it comes to employment in Australia; 95% of businesses in this country are classified as ‘small’ and some 4.8 million workers are employed by such an establishment. This all adds up to a lot of responsibility. Between workplace health and safety, bullying, technology usage and data security there is a lot to keep track of and it can be difficult to know where to begin. I mentor my business coaching clients to write down their ‘position on things’. This will help you to form the basis of a set of policies – a ...
Sorry, did you mean to say, ‘thank you’? Three reasons why gratitude is mightier than an apology
Very few of us seem to find the right balance when it comes to apologising. Occasionally I’m faced with a small business owner for whom summoning an apology is like coaxing the last bit of Heinz Big Red out of the sauce bottle (much to the detriment of their customer relationships). Far more common, however, is the opposite predicament; some of my coaching clients can’t stop apologising. They beg forgiveness for others’ mistakes, they say sorry for taking up people’s time, they apologise to a table they’ve bumped into. A few years ago, I came across an idea that acts ...
7 hot tips to get more out of less time
There’s a number I want you to focus on for a moment. 1971. One thousand, nine-hundred and seventy-one… Assuming a 9-hour work day (as well as deducting public holidays, weekends, personal days etc) that’s how many hours you have available to invest in your small business this year. Just let that sink in for a bit… I know, right? That’s all you get. If all you had was just under $2,000 to invest in your small business, you’d be doing some pretty careful calculations to work out how you could best leverage that asset. Your time is no different. You ...
You’ve lost that loving feeling: how to fall back in love with your small business
I was once considering selling my Clubsport R8. It was still running beautifully, but it just wasn’t exciting me anymore. I am a “car guy”, so if my pride and joy isn’t making my heart beat a little faster when I open my garage door every morning, then it’s probably time to move it on. To prepare for the sale I booked a professional detailing. They did a great job; buffing and polishing until she looked like new. As she rolled out of the shop, I realised I wouldn’t part with her - I was in love all over ...
An app-le a day: 27 wellness apps to maintain your most important small business asset
I’ve got you sorted for a list of handy mobile apps to help your small business thrive, but what about your most priceless business resource – you? I recommend these wellbeing apps to my Tenfold coaching clients, to help keep their bodies and minds happy and healthy. Catch more Zzzs Getting good quality sleep is possibly the biggest factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This is when your body goes into repair mode and your mind processes all the noise of the day. These apps are designed to help you get more of the good stuff: Pzizz Offering ...
Getting from A-B: How split testing can strengthen your small business marketing efforts
Do you know what kinds of offers your customers are likely to respond to? Can you pinpoint the optimal day/time to hit ‘send’ on your email campaigns? Have you identified your website’s “exit pages” (ie the last ones your visitors typically visit before they click away) and are working on a plan to improve engagement? Informative and extremely cost-effective, A-B testing (or split testing) may just provide the insights small business owners have been longing for. It allows you to improve conversion rates (and increase revenue) by observing the reaction of your customers to slight differences in your marketing and ...
When it hits the fan, what’s the plan? How to build resilience into your team and your business
In my last blog, I explored the topic of resilient leadership and put forward some ideas for how small business owners can develop this valuable skill within themselves. Now, let’s widen the focus and look at how you can build a more resilient team and work ‘bounce-back’ strategies into your business. Become a ‘supermodel’ As a leader, you can’t really make demands about how your employees live their lives or change their mindset. What you can do is openly discuss the importance of resilience and model this quality for them. It’s not exactly ‘monkey-see, monkey do’, but your team observes the ...
Have a cup of concrete: six qualities shared by resilient business leaders
For business owners, stress is a constant companion. As the head of the table of your own business you have dished yourself up an extra helping of responsibility. Knowing that the livelihood of both yourself and your employees depends on the success of your business is quite the heavy load. There will be times when this idea could potentially overwhelm you. The smallest thing when added to an over-loaded plate can become that proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. That's the moment when resilience, the one leadership skill that underpins all the rest, comes into its own. What ...
