Ellen Donnelly Startup Coach

The Ask helps entrepreneurial professionals to build a profitable one person business around their unique gifts & talent.

Build a profitable one person business - Your comprehensive Guide

This 10,000 word five-step Guide will take you through a tried & tested approach for designing your own profitable service-based business. Not just any business, the one that is based on your most powerful asset: Your Unique Contribution

5-Step Guide

Press & Collabs

Press & Collabs

Ellen Donnelly Startup Coach UK wearing satin skirt on an orange chair
Glittery background behind Ellen Donnelly
Green satin cloth behind Ellen Donnelly Startup coach UK

Hi, I’m Ellen Donnelly, Founder of The Ask.

I help entrepreneurial professionals turn their expertise into a profitable one person business in five months.

I believe that designing a one person business around yourself is the answer to finding the most fulfilling and impactful work you can. It is the answer for the modern professional frustrated by the constraints of traditional employment.

I would know…

I have spent the last decade as a talent consultant to top London startups and interviewed thousands of people in their quest for career challenge, autonomy and creativity.

After years searching for my dream role, I created my own.

Now, as Founder & Chief Coach at The Ask I’ve never been more fulfilled, and, am grateful to have helped hundreds of people to do the same. For the most talented, ambitious people, entrepreneurship is the answer.

When carve your own path, you get to call the shots, and reach your potential in the process. I’ve made it my mission is to guide talented professionals to career fulfilment by building their own one person business from the ground up.

You can join them. I coach & mentor service based business owners who are ready to unlock their Unique Contribution and build a market leading business doing what they love.

Whether you are just getting started, or yet to replace your corporate salary working solo, I invite you to go all in on your profitable one-person business today.

Client Testimonials

Client Testimonials

  • Ellen’s focus on practical advice and impactful action is what makes her stand out.

    I didn't need or want a soft coach. I wanted someone with focus and strategy to the fore. The sessions were chock-full of practicality, problem-solving and positivity. Not a platitude in sight!

    — Natalie

  • Ellen helped me understand my strengths, clarify my options and launch my business in the space of a few months.

    She has a wealth of knowledge about modern career paths, entrepreneurship and productivity - all of which was incredibly helpful in my first steps as an entrepreneur.

    — Claire

  • Ellen’s questions are brilliant because they make you think really hard about what’s important to you.

    It took me a while to figure out that I needed help, but having had the help I wish I’d done it sooner. Coaching made such an incredible difference to both my business life and my personal life.

    — Mahdi

  • The greatest growth for me was in my confidence to pursue a business that genuinely interests and excites me.

    I felt able to see, for the first time, how my career background and experience really uniquely positions me to add value to my clients. I have felt as if i’ve been able to see myself through the eyes of others.

    — Steph

  • I reached out to Ellen because after 25 years working as part of executive teams I wanted to be very intentional about my next step.

    Having struggled to explore this alone, Ellen partnered with me to define my vision, mission and values and make choices, which is a hard for a curious mind like mine! I gained a lot of clarity about my life vision and future path.

    — Benoit

From the Blog

From the Blog

  • What is your Unique Contribution

    What is your Unique Contribution?

    If you are curious about the entrepreneurial leap, and want to create meaningful work, the answer is likely to go all in on building a one person business around yourself… using your Unique Contribution. Like a jigsaw puzzle, its the combination of all of the parts of you that make you unique and should define both WHAT and HOW you build your business.

    Read more

  • How to design a one person business around yourself

    How to design a one person business around yourself

    Do you want more freedom? More money? More time? Or simply to choose the projects and people you work with. Designing a one person business is the solution to finding work that brings all your skills, interests and talents together.

    Read more

  • How to secure your income and make enough money

    How to secure your income and make enough money

    Creating clients and getting them to say ‘yes’ to working with you, is a huge part of the business-building equation. Learn how to monetise your offering, secure clients and ultimately make your business financially viable.

    Read more