Ola Adeyemi is a seasoned entrepreneur and business coach with over a decade of experience building and scaling businesses across the UK and Canada. She has built profitable, system-driven ventures, including growing a business from her dining room into a multi-team operation with its own premises. Today, she leads ActionCOACH Alpha in Ontario, where she helps business owners increase revenue, strengthen sales, build high-performing teams and create sustainable businesses that are less dependent on the owner. In this interview with Esther Ijewere, she shares her story.
From Law to Entrepreneurship: The Journey That Shaped Her Approach to Business
I actually started out as a lawyer in the UK, with an LLM in International Commercial Law. Business found me sideways lol. I went from law into business analysis and project management, and then into owning my own business, Ripples Prints, in Aberdeen, Scotland. Moving to Canada and starting again taught me the biggest lesson of my career: a business that depends entirely on you isn’t really a business; it’s a very demanding job. That lesson is the whole reason Action Coach Alpha exists today.
The Biggest Challenges Entrepreneurs Face When Building Sustainable Businesses
Honestly, it’s rarely a strategy problem. It’s clarity and accountability. Most owners are brilliant at what they do but have never had someone challenge their thinking or hold them to the plan they made three months ago. Without that, growth becomes sort of reactive. Once one is clear on the goal, execution becomes easy or should I say easier.
Why Systems and Processes Matter More Than Simply Working Harder
Because effort doesn’t scale, systems do. Working harder gets you more of the same, and you don’t always need to do more, but you need to do different. Systems are what let a business grow without the owner personally touching every part of it. I always tell clients: if you can’t take two weeks off without the business wobbling, you don’t own a business yet; it owns you. Obviously at the early stages, you will need to do a lot, but as the business grows, this should be the focus.
Turning Visibility Into Revenue and Business Opportunities
Visibility is what gets you in the room for sure, but you also need a system behind that visibility to ensure it turns into actions. When new leads pour in, and there’s no process to convert or serve them well, it becomes chaos. The businesses that actually turn visibility into revenue are the ones that got their systems right first, so they can say yes to opportunity without falling apart.
The Habits That Separate Thriving Businesses From Struggling Ones
Thriving businesses know their numbers, review them regularly, and plan and then act on what they see instead of running on instinct alone. They also delegate on purpose, not out of desperation. And almost every one of them has someone in their corner holding them accountable. Struggling businesses tend to have the same struggle: their instincts.
Her Advice for Women Entrepreneurs Ready to Scale Confidently
Get aligned before you take action. So many female entrepreneurs I coach are moving fast in ten directions at once, and busyness gets mistaken for progress. Slow down long enough to get honest about what you actually want the business to do for your life, then build the structure to support that. Confidence follows clarity, not the other way around.
What Participants Can Expect From Her Session at Media Visibility Bootcamp 6.0
First of all, some real, honest conversations and then practical ways to make sure visibility actually pays off. I’ll be sharing the framework I use with my own clients for turning attention into real revenue. The handful of levers that matter, and the structure that has to be in place so growth doesn’t break you. Attendees will leave with one clear thing they can act on immediately, not just inspiration.
Three Women Who Have Inspired Her Journey
Michelle Obama – She is who she says she is and I love it. Maya Angelou – She is an Icon who turned her mess into a message. My Mum – She doesn’t believe there is a limit to who you can be, and that has empowered me greatly.
What Makes Ola Adeyemi a Woman of Rubies
I rebuilt my career from scratch twice. Once moving from law into business, and again moving from the UK to Canada. Both times meant starting without the safety net of an established name. What kept me going was purpose: I do this work because I’ve felt what it’s like to build something that owns you, and I want other business owners, especially women, to build something that gives them freedom instead.
The Legacy She Hopes to Leave Through Her Work
I want the businesses I’ve touched to keep paying it forward long after our work together ends. I want to see my clients really build the life they want and, most especially, live it. That’s the whole idea behind the name Ripples: the impact doesn’t stop with the one business; the ripples keep growing.
