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Small Business Spotlight: A conversation with Brian Robinson

For Brian Robinson, coaching is more than a career. It’s a calling.

“Coaching is the best job I’ve ever done,” said Robinson, a veteran and former cyber security specialist who turned his passion for helping others succeed into a career as a certified success and business coach.

Originally from Lynchburg, Va., Robinson grew up in a low-income household. His father was arrested for dealing drugs when Robinson was only four years old, and he was raised by his mother and grandmother. 

Surrounded by many people involved in drug activity, Robinson consciously chose a different path. “School was a way for me to get away from the neighborhood,” he recalled.

He found his escape in school clubs and sports. At 6’5″, Robinson had success as a power forward on the high school basketball team. He was also a leader off the court, serving as president of the Future Business Leaders of America and the Student Government Association.  

Out of high school, he was recruited to play basketball for Lynchburg College and received a leadership scholarship. But the student loan debt was becoming too much, so he left college and joined the U.S. Air Force, where he served 10 years.

He left the Air Force in 2006 and shortly thereafter moved to Huntsville, where he worked in cybersecurity at Redstone Arsenal. Robinson, however, had an entrepreneurial itch that just wouldn’t go away.  

He dabbled in business ventures, including producing his own music, but found that the logistics of running the business took the joy out of his passion for music.

By 2010, he started to hone in on a new passion and a natural talent for mentoring and coaching.

“I felt like I had this calling to help people,” Robinson said, “I just didn’t know what it looked like. Honestly I was too intimidated by the coaching profession. ‘Who would want to coach with me?’ I thought. Being black, I didn’t think that was something black people did and that held me back.”

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At the same time, people were coming to Robinson for insight into their own entrepreneurial ideas, and he would offer advice.

“I started reading books on coaching and learning more principles of coaching,” he said, “I just never thought I could do it as a business.”

Over the next few years, his confidence grew. He and his wife led a small group at their church, where they improved their skills in guiding and connecting with others. By 2017, Robinson decided to pursue coaching as a business, focusing on helping individuals find clarity and purpose.

“I knew what it was like to be a man without really being in tune with my purpose and not having confidence,” Robinson said. “I knew what it was like to be overwhelmed and not really have clarity. But now I have confidence, and I want to tell others.”

His work with individuals gradually expanded, and in 2022, Robinson shifted his focus to coaching business owners.

“I’m really glad I did it that way,” Robinson said, “because businesses are made up of individuals. Even if you’re a single person business, you’re an individual who is looking to serve other individuals through that business.”

Robinson’s coaching philosophy is rooted in clarity, focused action, and growth. He helps clients discover what they want by asking the right questions and guiding them toward achieving their goals.

He likens his coaching role to that of a guide, helping clients uncover their hidden potential. “When I saw (the movie) Shazam I thought, ‘That’s me.’ People have superpowers, they are just clumsy with them. They don’t know what to do with them, and I can help.”

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Robinson sets himself apart from consultants who may simply provide advice. There are great coaches out there who will give advice, he said. They’ll listen to you and say, “Go do this.” For some people, that’s all they want is for someone else to give them the answer. But Robinson works a little differently.

“I want to build autonomy,” Robinson explained. “You’re the expert at what you do. I’m not. What I’m the expert in, is listening to you, what you say you want, and where you say you want to go. Even if you don’t know, I’m the expert at asking you the right questions. I have the patience to sit there, and I’ll keep asking you the questions and I’ll ask them in different ways to get the gold out.”

Robinson’s coaching approach focuses on building trust and empowering clients to take ownership of their decisions. “I want my clients to feel seen, heard, and understood,” he said, expressing his passion for helping clients uncover their potential and remove obstacles.

“I had three friends that I walked with through ideas that they had, and they went off to make million dollar businesses,” Robinson said. “I was so happy for them, seeing their journey and success, but it also validated that I’m a good partner to walk someone through that.”

Learn more about Brian Robinson Coaching at www.brianrobinsoncoaching.com.