Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of being coached by some pretty awesome and impactful individuals—people who didn’t just give me advice…

They challenged me to think differently.

Act bolder.

See what I couldn’t see.

Some helped me uncover blind spots I didn’t know were there.

Others gave me the tools to scale with clarity.

And a few handed me the hard truths that still echo in my mind today.

Looking back, every coach shaped me personally—and my business—in ways I couldn’t fully appreciate at the time.

But I see it now, clear as day.

And here’s the kicker:

The best coaching isn’t about telling you what to do.

It’s about holding up a mirror so you can finally see what’s been staring back at you.

It’s about stretching your thinking, challenging your patterns and giving you the permission (and pressure) and tools to act with intention.

As someone who now coaches business owners and teams, I have the privilege and responsibility of carrying the same torch. With that, I want to share a few of the most impactful coaching lessons that left a permanent mark on me.

1. Chris White – You Gotta Show Up

Chris White was my very first EOS coach and was one who helped lead me through my implementer training.

That experience was a lot—mentally, emotionally and professionally. But what stuck with me most wasn’t the framework or tools—that was the easy part for me.

It was how Chris kept reinforcing one simple but powerful idea:

You have to show up.

When I’m in the role I’m in—helping companies navigate their hardest issues—I’ve got to be there, fully present, every single day.

The companies I work with trust me.

They’re looking to me for clarity, stability and guidance in moments of real tension.

That’s not easy for anyone when each of us is juggling personal and professional items, among other things.

Chris showed me that no matter what you’re doing in life—parenting, spousing, coaching or at the gym, you have to show up every day and bring your best A-game, no matter what.

Is every day perfect? Absolutely not. But, when you bring your best each day you create the impact you’re looking for long-term.

2. Peter Scott – You’re Capable of More

Only a few months into my health and wellness coaching journey, I began working with a coach named Peter Scott.

I’ll never forget one of our first calls together when Peter looked at me and said, “Patrick, I’ve worked with a lot of individuals like you, but I don’t get the opportunity to work with people that have as much gas in the tank as you do.”

It stopped me in my tracks.

He didn’t just see my potential—he called it out and demanded more from it.

He pushed me to:

• Get on a stage and speak.
• Transition my business to bigger and better things he knew I really wanted.
• Go deeper with businesses and leadership teams.
• Stretch beyond the health and wellness lane I was in and step fully into the work I was truly meant to do.

It was the first time someone not only showed me what I was capable of with a massive and most needed punch, but also expected me to start living it.

And he was ready to help guide me and give me the tools to accomplish it.

Within months after that coaching call, I was already shifting my business into the version that would eventually become what you see today.

That conversation rewired how I think about growth—not just mine, but my clients’ too.

3. Marty Hochhalter – Put in the Reps

Coach Marty Hochhalter was one of the biggest influences in my early life, and still continues to be so today, as he and I still talk regularly.

He was my high school football coach, and he taught me what it takes to actually live up to your potential: There are no shortcuts to becoming great…you put in the reps.

As a freshmen, I was fairly gifted at punting a football. And one of the most crucial steps in effectively kicking a ball is in having a crazy consistent drop—basically, the timing and movement from when it leaves your hand to connecting with your foot needs to be the exact same every time you do it.

Think quality control!

I remember repeatedly walking down a yard line, dropping a football over and over again, just working on getting it to fall exactly right and consistently. I did it almost every day all summer.

After basketball practice in the winter, I’d do the same—dropping a ball along a taped gym line, again and again and again.

It was monotonous. Tedious. And absolutely necessary.

That muscle memory didn’t just make me a better punter and provide me a Division I opportunity.

It burned into me a principle I still live by:

If you want to be great at something, you’ve got to put in the reps.

Now, I bring that same mindset to my clients.

You don’t grow by dabbling.

There’s no secret, silver bullets to business growth.

You grow by doubling down on the basic tools with great depth and detail, becoming an expert in them over time.

Each of these coaches gave me something different, but together they shaped a new version of me—more focused, more fearless and more disciplined than I ever could’ve become on my own.

Their words, their expectations and their teachings continue to ripple through how I lead, coach and grow the owners and businesses I work with today.

If you’re a business owner wondering whether you need a coach, maybe this is your sign.

Because the biggest leaps you’ll ever take?

They start with someone challenging the way you’ve always done things.

Real growth doesn’t happen in isolation.

It happens when someone sharpens your focus, calls you out (with care) and helps you build the version of your business—and life—that’s just waiting to emerge.

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Follow Patrick Metzger on LinkedIn.