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People-Powered Performance: coaching at a company with a mission to put its people first

Writer's picture: stevebthompsonstevebthompson



I recently had the opportunity to travel to Barcelona and facilitate a team coaching session for the leadership team at Ultimate Beauty, a rapidly expanding ecommerce company. Having already met the team individually through remote coaching sessions, I was excited to dive deeper into their unique approach to company culture and growth. They chose to use Clifton Strengths to help them identify individual and team strengths and mitigate for any gaps in the team.


An inspiring set of core values 


What really intrigued me about the company was their core value of "enabling our people to live their best lives." As a fully-remote ecommerce business, their model is focused on using software and people to bridge the gap between consumers and hard-to-find products. But beyond their impressive business results - the company has achieved 3x growth three years in a row - I was drawn to their unwavering commitment to their employees.


The Founder and CEO, Matteo Lombardi explained that the company's rapid growth is largely attributable to their focus on people & culture. He shared his fascination with the concept of "Unique Ability" introduced by strategic coach Dan Sullivan. The idea is that the most successful people build their lives and careers around their innate strengths and talents, rather than trying to improve their weaknesses. 


"Unique ability," as Matteo describes it, is "the things that you're great at, that give you energy and light up your eyes" - in other words, being your best self and leaning on the things that come natural to you. This aligns perfectly with my own coaching philosophy, which emphasises empowering people to leverage their natural strengths to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.



Matteo Lombardi, CEO Ultimate Beauty


How we utilised the assessment tool 


In the team coaching session, we leveraged the Clifton Strengths framework to identify the individual talent themes of the leadership team and understand their collective strengths. This process helped the team deepen their focus on harnessing their unique abilities and talents, both on an individual and collective level. By gaining a clearer understanding of one another's strengths, the team was able to discover more effective ways to communicate and collaborate. It also revealed areas where the team may have had blind spots or gaps that could inform future decision-making and planning.

The exercises in understanding each other more deeply proved to be both rewarding and transformative. Even at the end of a jam-packed three-day offsite, the team was enthused to learn more about each other and how their diverse strengths could be strategically leveraged to drive business performance and personal growth.


Outcome 


Team development is a nuanced journey—not a destination reached overnight, but a continuous process of growth and discovery. What excites me most is creating those breakthrough moments that accelerate team potential, where individuals transform their understanding of themselves and their collective capabilities. These moments of insight are what make coaching deeply rewarding, and hearing the transformative impact from my clients reinforces why I'm passionate about strengths-based development.


Using Clifton Strengths really helped us understand ourselves as a team and gave us a common language. We learned how to build trust, have better conversations about our differences and make decisions we could all get behind. Steve was great at guiding us through the process. Our CEO even said the session was game-changing.

Kenneth Hellem - Chief People Officer

People vs Profit or People & Profit


What struck me most about Ultimate Beauty was that, unlike many organisations that merely profess values like people-centricity, they are steadfast in upholding these principles. Rather than just paying lip service to work-life balance, the company actively encourages employees to maintain a 40-hour workweek and find flexible ways of working that suit their individual needs and preferences. 


But beyond that, they are committed to helping team members understand themselves on a deeper level and tap into the innate behaviours and strengths that enable them to thrive in their roles.


The leadership team at Ultimate Beauty would be the first to acknowledge that they're still navigating the nuanced path of implementing this people-centric philosophy, yet their genuine commitment to the mission is unwavering and inspiring.


Their financial results demonstrate that a company can achieve remarkable business success while simultaneously creating an environment where individuals can thrive and realise their full potential. It's a model that challenges the common misconception that profitability and personal fulfilment are mutually exclusive. 



Looking for a job in ecommerce?


If you're looking for an opportunity in ecommerce with a business that truly values its employees, then I'd highly recommend exploring openings. You can see openings here.


A bit about my coaching practice


I help individuals and teams tap into their strengths to overcome challenges and find their way in business. My coaching style is rooted in person-centred and positive psychology principles, focusing on leveraging clients' innate strengths. I've been coaching professionally for 10 years within organisations, including an AI/Data Consultancy for 5 ½ years where I was Global People Director. I'm qualified in HR management and have worked in people orientated roles for most of my 25 year career. I’m a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and my qualifications and certifications include: 


  • PGCert in Coaching for Behavioural Change from Henley Business School (2024)

  • Gallup Strengths Coach (2016) 

  • Predictive Index Practitioner (2017) 

  • TalentPredix Strengths Practitioner (2024)


Curious how strengths-based coaching could transform your team? Let's explore your potential! 





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