About Ash Taylor
Founder. Coach. Leadership developer.
Someone who knows what it means to hit the wall, and find a better way through.
I'm Ash. I started The Business Clubhouse in 2013 so I could keep doing what I love...coaching, without having to sprint across tennis courts anymore.
This is my space and I love it! Helping people lead well, watching something click, seeing someone grow into the role that'd been quietly defeating them, nothing beats it.
From Tennis Courts to Boardrooms
My first love was tennis. Playing it, watching it, living it. At 18, I helped launch a community tennis centre in South London. That's where I learned about knocking on doors, working 18-hour days, and keeping customers coming back.
Then came a role at David Lloyd Clubs, budgets, sponsorship, turning a failing programme into one of the most profitable in the country. As Head Coach at a private members club, I got a crash course in politics: managing volunteers, collaborating with rivals, building winning teams.
That led to four years at the Lawn Tennis Association, juggling everything from high-performance coaching to planning applications, finance and coach mentoring.
No matter the role, one thing was constant: I was coaching.
Every day.
Taking qualifications.
Learning.
Studying what makes people tick, and what holds them back.
The Business Break...and the Breakdown
In 2009, I launched a business supplying tennis coaches to clubs and schools. It grew fast. 12 sites. 3 counties. A team of 27 plus dozens of casual staff. Thousands of customers.
By 2012, I was winning awards but I was losing my health, my friends, and worst of all, time with my daughter.
The price was too high. When the core business collapsed, I knew it was time to walk away. At the end of 2013, I left the tennis world for good.
Finding a New Way to Lead
That’s when I discovered Leadership Management International. The tools and mindset it gave me changed my business and my life so deeply that I joined them.
Now, as a Director of LMI (UK), I work with leaders at every stage of their journey.
The programme I'm most proud of is the Total Leader Academy, an 18–24 month structured development programme combining LMI programmes, one-to-one coaching and small peer group sessions.
It was built for people who were brilliant before leadership changed the rules, and who need more than a one-day workshop to find their footing in a role nobody properly prepared them for.
Here's what I have learned over 30 years of coaching: most people are not struggling because they lack ability. They're struggling because they were never given the right tools, the right support, or the simple reassurance that what they're going through is normal and entirely solvable.
“We’re changing the world one leader at a time.”
How We Work Together
There are three ways to work together, depending on where you are and what you need right now.
The Team
Hannah Illingworth
Business Manager · Reality Checker · All-Round Legend
Hannah keeps the wheels turning and the chaos out. She handles the operations, makes sure I show up where I’m supposed to, and runs the details I’d rather avoid.
She runs her own virtual business management company, serves as a musician in the Army Reserves, and somehow juggles that with being a mum of three (four if you include the furry child!) and an Army wife.
Bobby & Lily
Office Dogs · Distraction Experts
These two are our Beddy Whippets (Bedlington x Whippet). They’re motivators, cuddle machines, and the real bosses of the house.
Much of my private client work takes place at home. So fair warning — if you’re not into dogs, we might not be your people.
If you are looking for leadership coaching or leadership development support
If you're a newly promoted manager, a business owner whose team has grown beyond the old ways, or someone who simply wants to lead better without the guesswork, then you're in the right place.
No hard sell. No performance.
Just honest conversations that help people move forward with more confidence and clarity.
