The discipline and teammindedness necessary in sports has helped numerous athletes transition to the business world over the years. That has certainly been the case for Jonathan Pixley, owner of Train Lead Win (TLW) Coaching, who made the leap to business owner after decades of coaching championship basketball teams. His teams at The Dunham School went to five consecutive state finals from 2017-21, and won state championships in 2018, 2020 and 2021.
Pixley’s background as both player and coach, combined with his real-world business experience as director of operations at Team Sportsplex, a multi-court indoor athletic facility, have given him a unique skill set.
AT A GLANCE
Top executives: Jonathan Pixley, President/Founder
Phone: 225.938.0838
Address: 17639 Five Oaks Dr., Baton Rouge, La. 70810
Website: trainleadwin.com
A chance encounter with a former player prompted him to put that experience to work. “He asked if I provided any leadership or executive coaching,” Pixley says. “I wasn’t at the time, but it got me thinking. I literally began to put together a template of what a leadership program might look like.”
He then tested the waters by offering leadership and executive coaching at a friend’s Memphis-based installation company. After two years, the results were hard to ignore. The company experienced a significant surge in revenue and doubled its employee retention rate.