Ep 80: Nick chats with Matt Gillard from Sammat Education - Coaching Conversations

The Upperlimits Show

EPISODE IN BRIEF

If you’re looking for fresh ways to look at business as we head towards Christmas, get ready for brilliant real-life advice.

Today’s conversation will dive deep into the ways professional business coaching has helped Sammat Education help teachers and schools integrate technology into the classroom.

Matt from Sammat is a ‘rock-star’ of the Up Coach stable and his insights are both empowering - and realistic.

Enjoy this candid eye-opener in yet another cracking episode of Coaching Conversations….

Time Code/Show Notes

0.26 Intro: Business coach expert Nick Psaila introduces Matt from Sammat Education.

1.00 Matt is a former head teacher and deputy principal with in-depth knowledge of how to teach professional learning with the use of technology in primary schools.

2.57 Sammat is working with both teachers and students. Matt speaks of light bulb moments when teaching students; the aspect that drove him to teaching in the first place.

4.05 How would you go transitioning from a job to your own business?

There’s an incentive when you’ve created that new business to support your new gig – which is what happened for the first five years. But with more schools on board than Matt was able to facilitate, something needed to change to onboard new staff.

5.25 Turning his new gig into a ‘proper’ business, came with a fair share of stress. Matt dived into research via books, audiobooks, podcasts and business coaching with Nick and Up Coach. He is still making that entrepreneurial commitment to bettering himself and those around him.

8.15 Matt encourages you to use your downtime – your time in the car - or between appointments - to listen to podcasts, to educate yourself. There is no excuse for the lack of information in 2022. Fill your head with positivity.

9.00 Don’t waste time on things that can be automated. You’ll save 30-40 hours a month - look at that seriously when it’s 50 dollars an hour.

11.00 Books can only take you so far; Matt says having a business coach beside you holds you to account.

11.50 Covid closed all schools in 2020 and this had a huge emotional impact on Matt and his business. They pivoted and did some online stuff that got them through - and recorded a 20 percent increase on the previous year. Matt puts it down to having systems in place and different income streams.

13.35 Matt firmly believes he would have been out of business without the systems he learned through Up Coach mentoring. He is now pandemic proof and controls the flow of work – and there is a lot of it….

14.40 Continuing to grow his online product will help Sammat go international. Targeting teachers in any English-speaking country will be the goal.

16.20 Time off is so important; watching his kids grow up, and family is paramount. Matt works hard to spend time with his people.

17.25 By Matt’s own admission, Sammat has some ‘really cool’ technology for learning at home – for age 4 up to 18 years old.

19.45 Reach out if you can see a business coach in your future; email [e-mail] for more information on today’s podcast.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Learning what a successful business looks like is the first step to professional self-awareness. The up-shot is to educate yourself by reading, listening and ultimately making yourself accountable with a great business coach.

Independence, dedication and willingness to take risks and roll with the set-backs, are vital to growing your business and your own personal resilience. Business coaches can intrinsically help you live these values.