The 'yes' Coach awards night feels as though it was only days, not months ago, but as I catch up with the series winner Sarah Hillier, she's fresh off the plane from a relaxing 10 days in Bali, courtesy of the good folk at Optus.

She assures me that it was her "best holiday ever" and now she's back — rested and ready — to get back to business!

So, what about then and now? What's changed now that Sarah has had a chance to work on her business?

At the awards ceremony, Sarah said she was stretched as "tight as a drum" before 'yes' Coach — she was, literally, at breaking point.

But something must have changed. After all, her business made the biggest improvement, from start to finish, during the coaching sessions, ensuring she took the title for the 2009 'yes' Coach champion.

So how did Sarah unwind and learn to do business to the beat of her own drum?
(No doubt her tropical holiday helped a great deal!)

To find out, let's cast our minds back to the awards ceremony. On the night of nights, Sarah said she'd learnt many an important lesson, one of them being that she owns the business, but the business shouldn't own her. Guided by Head Business Coach, , the changes were many.

Since finishing the business coaching sessions, Sarah says the single biggest change in both her business and her life has been managing the growth and knowing where to spend her time and resources most appropriately.

And the really important lesson learnt?
"Managing my cash flow more aggressively."

Sarah is certainly no longer the girl who can't say 'no' thanks to Lesley Ann.

And the best piece of advice?
"Not being scared to say 'no' to a client if they don't suit my business."

As a result, Sarah says she now only has clients with whom she and her team have a great relationship with — this makes work a lot more pleasurable.

Going into coaching, Sarah had no idea what to expect. Looking back, she says it's had much more of an impact than she would have thought possible. Among the many tangible differences the coaching gave to Sarah's business, most highly prized (and appreciated by her family, I'm sure!) is a better work life balance.

Sarah says there also were a few surprises along the way:

"I was surprised how similar my business problems were to other small business owners. It's comforting to know we all face the same hurdles."

So, for someone who's now 'been there, done that', what's the secret to getting the most out of coaching?

"Take notes and re-read them — and often!" says Sarah.
And Sarah assures me that if she had her time over, she wouldn't change a thing — especially her fun in the sun.