Smart Fox Nutrition, founded by Roel van Dam, is an innovative trading company focused on product development and sales for companies without their own sales team. Roel, with a passion for diversity in projects, had set up the company with a flexible approach: wherever opportunities lay, he’d jump in. This worked well in the initial phase, but it lacked a clear long-term vision and focus. This is where his search for guidance and support to grow his company strategically began.
The Search for Direction
Roel received a starter voucher that led him to Brilliant Work. This proved to be a crucial step forward. Roel explains: “I was actually constantly looking for ways to earn money and what opportunities there were, but I had no long-term focus. The coaching from Brilliant Work helped me clarify where I wanted to go with my company.”
Critical Questions
The coaching programme began with charting Roel’s goals and vision for the future. Roel states: “The coach asked critical questions that forced me to think about my long-term strategy. Why did I start this company? What do I want to achieve with it? And am I succeeding now? These questions helped me to sharpen my priorities and goals.”
One of the first results of the coaching was a clear future vision, both for the company and for Roel himself. He explains: “We worked with a circular graph to determine what my company should look like in one, two, three, four, and five years. How many people will be working there then? What’s the turnover? This gave me a concrete picture and helped in planning the steps needed to achieve those goals.”
A Strategic Approach
A significant challenge for Roel was balancing the different branches of his company: the Smart Fox brand and the B2B activities. The coaching helped to allow these two to coexist without losing focus. Roel explains: “Initially, I thought I had to choose between my brand and the B2B activities. But the coach helped me realise that I could do both, provided I had a clear strategy.”
This insight resulted in concrete action points and a strategic plan. “We drew up action points to achieve my goals. This gave me guidance and ensured I could make and stick to my choices more clearly.”
Results and Growth
The coaching hasn’t only led to better strategic planning, but also to noticeable results. Roel observes: “The process in my head has been set in motion; I now better know where I want to go and how I can get there. The coaching has helped me to form a clear future vision and to convert that into concrete plans.”
One of the striking changes was the way Roel evaluates new projects. “I now have tools to determine if a new project is worth getting involved in. This helps me allocate my time and energy better.”
Additionally, the coaching helped Roel to establish his mid-term goals. “My commitment is to keep both branches of my company but with a greater focus on distribution and growing my own brand.”
Why Brilliant Work Was the Right Agency
Roel emphasises the importance of the right coaching and why he recommends Brilliant Work: “What I liked was that multiple coaches work at Brilliant Work. It’s not a sole proprietorship but a team of coaches who complement each other. Additionally, my coach isn’t just a coach but also someone who’s actively involved in business themselves. This ensures they understand what modern entrepreneurship entails.”
The coaching at Brilliant Work helped Roel to grow not only professionally but also personally. “It wasn’t just enjoyable, but above all challenging and valuable. It helped me to elevate my company to a higher level and prepare it for the future.”
Confidently Towards the Future
With a clear plan and concrete action points, Roel looks confidently towards the future. “My goal is to grow my brand with more products and stronger turnover. At the same time, I want to continue my B2B activities but with a greater focus on distribution. In five years, I see a company that’s strong on both fronts and ready for further growth.”
Thanks to the collaboration with Brilliant Work, Smart Fox Nutrition has laid the foundation for a sustainable and successful future. Roel concludes: “The coaching has helped me to sharpen my goals and act strategically. I’m now better positioned to grow my company and seize new opportunities.”
