Steven Kohnke shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Steven, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
People hear ‘business coach’ and think of someone who shows up with a whiteboard, asks how you’re feeling, and tells you to ‘work on the business, not in it.’ That’s not us. Most “business coaches” are a solo operator – often an ex-corporate executive who bought a franchise or took a weekend certification course – now claiming they can help you grow your small business. The reality? Many of them have never actually built a business themselves.
At Denver Business Coach, every one of our advisors has started, scaled, and sold their own company – at least once. We’re not theorists. We’ve been in the trenches, signed the payroll checks, navigated recessions, and exited successfully. That’s a very different perspective than someone reading from a playbook.
We’re not here to hand out motivational quotes or generic frameworks. We help owners build a company that runs without them, grows in value, and gives them options: scale, step back, or sell. We are data-driven, starting with financials and understanding performance metrics to drive our decision-making with you.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Steven Kohnke, Partner and CEO at Denver Business Coach. We help small business owners transform their companies into true assets – businesses that run without them, give them their time and freedom back, and create real options: scale, step away, or sell for a life-changing exit.
Here’s the hard truth: most ‘business coaches’ out there have never built, scaled, or sold a business themselves. Many are ex-corporate executives who bought a coaching franchise or took a weekend certification and now think they can teach entrepreneurship. At DBC, we’re different. Every advisor on our team has been in the trenches – starting, growing, and successfully exiting businesses of their own. We know firsthand what it takes to build something that doesn’t just depend on you to survive.
One client came to us after a broker gave them a valuation so low they couldn’t even sell. They were burned out and ready to walk away. Over three years, we helped them build a team, install systems, and take themselves out of the day-to-day. Today, they’re no longer looking to sell – because they’ve fallen back in love with their business. They’re traveling more, spending time with family, and enjoying life again.
That’s what an exit-ready business gives you: time freedom, wealth, and optionality. Whether you sell or not, you’ve built a company that serves you – not the other way around.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
What breaks bonds between people is usually a breakdown of trust. That trust erodes when there’s poor communication, unmet expectations, or when people feel unseen and unheard. Add in assumptions, unspoken resentments, or leaders who avoid hard conversations, and you’ve got a recipe for fractured relationships – whether it’s a team, a partnership, or even a family business.
What restores those bonds? Radical clarity and consistent action. Clarity about roles, expectations, and shared goals. Honest, open dialogue – even when it’s uncomfortable. And then showing up consistently with integrity. People don’t trust words alone; they trust patterns. When you repair trust and create alignment, relationships don’t just heal—they often come back stronger than before.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Anyone who’s truly successful—who built it themselves and wasn’t handed anything—has suffered and failed more than most people will ever know. The difference? They didn’t let it break them. They learned, adapted, and kept trying until they figured it out.
Suffering teaches you what success never can. Success feels good, but it’s deceptive. It makes you think you’re invincible. Suffering strips all that away. It exposes your blind spots, forces you to confront your limits, and demands that you grow—or stay stuck.
But here’s the brutal truth: suffering only leads to growth if you use it. Most people don’t. They let failure take over their emotions, define their identity, and paralyze them. And then they end up facing the same challenges over and over again. That’s failure at a level that’s unacceptable.
The most successful people I know see suffering differently. They see it as the price of entry for building something that lasts. They know it’s not about avoiding problems—it’s about evolving so those same problems never show up again. Suffering is the forge where resilience, humility, and true leadership are born.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
One truth I rarely say out loud is this: no one’s coming to save you. Not the government. Not your boss. Not your business partners. Not even your family. Your life, your business, your freedom—it’s all on you.
And here’s another hard truth: no one is owed anything. Not success. Not happiness. Not even a fair shot. The world doesn’t care how much you ‘deserve’ something. The only currency it respects is hard, dedicated, focused work over time. You earn your outcomes. You don’t manifest them.
Most people think suffering and struggle mean they’re on the wrong path. I think the opposite. If it’s easy, you’re not pushing far enough. Struggle isn’t the enemy; comfort is. Comfort keeps you stuck in the same cycles, facing the same problems, year after year.
You don’t rise to the level of your dreams; you fall to the level of your discipline. Success isn’t given—it’s built brick by brick in the dark, when no one’s watching.
And here’s the ultimate reality check: time is your most valuable asset. More than money. More than success. That’s why at Denver Business Coach, we help business owners create companies that run without them—not so they can work more, but so they can finally live. Your business should serve your life, not consume it.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say I made them stronger. That I helped them see what they were really capable of and pushed them to step into it—even when it was uncomfortable, even when they doubted themselves.
I hope they say I didn’t just talk about discipline, ownership, and freedom—I lived it. That I led by example. That I didn’t take shortcuts, didn’t coast, didn’t waste time.
But more than anything, I hope the business owners I’ve worked with say this: ‘Because of Steven, I built a business that gave me my life back. I got to be present with my family. I got to choose what I do with my time. I built something I’m proud of.’
At the end of the day, I don’t care if they remember numbers or accolades. I care if they say: ‘He left people, businesses, and families better than he found them.
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- Website: https://www.denverbusinesscoach.com
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