Unlocking Fulfillment and Growth: Colin Davis’s Coaching Method for Entrepreneurs
In today’s business climate, leadership coaching is often considered a luxury reserved for executives of Fortune 500 companies. But Colin Davis, founder of First Principles Coaching, is breaking that mold, bringing leadership psychology, systems thinking, and timeless wisdom to the very entrepreneurs who need it most: owners of very small businesses.
A Mission Forged From Experience
Davis’s journey to entrepreneurship is anything but typical. Based in Richmond, Virginia, he spent nearly a decade as a missionary and monk, dedicating his life to service, reflection, and leadership development within faith-based organizations. From age 18 to 27, he cultivated habits of mindfulness, purpose, and disciplined time management skills that would later become the foundation of his coaching philosophy.
By his mid-30s, Davis had taken on leadership roles in church ministries and nonprofits, helping organizations align their teams and strengthen internal systems. The byproduct was remarkable growth: greater membership, more donations, and stronger communities. But Davis began to see that the tools he was using could have just as much impact outside religious institutions.
“I came to believe that small businesses are one of the most powerful vehicles for transforming lives,” he says. “When they succeed, they don’t just create jobs—they impact families, communities, and futures.”
Why Very Small Businesses?
The decision to focus on businesses with 2–10 employees was deeply personal. Davis grew up watching his father build a business from scratch, only to face bankruptcy before eventually rebuilding it into success. That experience left an indelible mark. “I know the highs and lows of entrepreneurship because I saw them at my own dinner table,” he reflects.
Unlike larger organizations with layers of leadership and access to executive coaches, very small businesses often rely on instinct, hustle, and sheer willpower. Davis recognized the gap: these entrepreneurs needed structured coaching but rarely had access to it.
The First Principles Approach
Davis founded First Principles Coaching at age 39 with a clear mission: to help small business owners align their inner purpose with their outer performance. His approach blends philosophy and practicality, with inspiration from classical thinkers like Aristotle, Plato, and Seneca.
“Coaching isn’t just about hitting revenue targets,” Davis explains. “It’s about knowing yourself, finding alignment, and leading from a place of clarity. When leaders are whole, businesses thrive.”
The model combines one-on-one coaching with group sessions, balancing a systematic curriculum, time management, mindset, systems, and team building with customized strategies for urgent business challenges.
This hybrid method is producing results: clients have averaged 40% revenue growth, with some achieving 3x growth in under three years. But Davis insists that the true success metric is when clients learn to de-compartmentalize their lives, aligning personal goals with professional ones.
Philosophy in Action
The ethos of First Principles Coaching can be summed up by one of Davis’s favorite quotes from Epictetus: “No man is free who is not master of himself.” This belief in self-mastery underpins his five differentiators:
- First Principles Thinking: Addressing root causes.
- Holistic Systems Perspective: Seeing connections across the business.
- Hybrid Coaching Method: Combining structure with flexibility.
- Integration of Business Systems & Leadership Psychology: Leveraging both external tools and internal growth.
- Emotional Intelligence: Recognizing the role of emotions in decision-making.
A Vision Beyond Growth
Looking to the future, Colin Davis envisions First Principles Coaching expanding to serve not only micro-businesses but also small and mid-sized companies. His goal: a firm of five employees generating $5 million in revenue, while creating ripple effects far beyond balance sheets.
“The real vision is impact,” Davis says. “I want to see business owners experience deeper fulfillment, stronger relationships, and greater happiness and to watch those benefits flow into their teams, customers, and communities.”
The Larger Lesson
Davis’s story reflects a broader shift in entrepreneurship: the recognition that leadership is as much an inward journey as it is an outward strategy. His own transformation—from monk to business coach underscores the lesson he now shares with clients:
“Find your purpose, find the vehicles to fulfill that purpose, and become the person your purpose requires.”
For the small business owner navigating chaos and growth, Davis’s message is timely: true leadership begins not in the boardroom, but within.
