From Founder to Coach: How Claire Mula Turned 30 Years of Building Into Her Next Chapter

Most founders spend their careers chasing the start — the launch, the first customer, the first big break. Claire Mula spent thirty years learning that starting is the easy part. Across Australia, Asia, and Europe, she built and led innovation-driven businesses, and somewhere along the way she arrived at a conviction that now shapes everything she does.

“I realised that while it can be fun and exciting to start a new business, it’s magnitudes harder to scale one. And it can be magnitudes more rewarding if you get it right.”

That single insight is what eventually moved Claire from the founder’s seat to the coach’s chair — and why experienced operators across the globe now turn to her to help them scale.

Thirty Years of Building

Claire’s defining chapter as a founder was Sprooki — the first mobile commerce and loyalty platform for shopping malls in Asia. She experienced the highs and lows of startup life from the inside: the early momentum, the relentless grind, and ultimately a successful exit through a direct sale in 2017.

Many founders treat an exit as the finish line. For Claire, it was a question. She had built, scaled, and sold — so what came next? Not slowing down, but finding a way to put three decades of hard-won experience to work on problems that still mattered.

The Moment Everything Changed

The answer found her through an unexpected door. Claire took on a project with the German state government aimed at bringing more support to the region’s scale-ups. As part of it, she invited German Scaling Up Coach Nikolai Ladyni to work with more than thirty growth-stage leaders using the Scaling Up Performance Platform.

What she saw in that room changed her direction entirely.

“After observing Scaling Up in action with very experienced, battle-worn growth-stage founders and leaders, I saw their positive response and how quickly it transformed their thinking. The tools were so practical it had immediate impact on better decision-making and actions to drive team performance and growth. I knew I wanted to do this.”

So she did. Claire applied to become a Scaling Up Certified Coach — turning her own scaling experience into a discipline she could hand to others.

Who Claire Works With Today

Today, Claire works with founders, CEOs, and their leadership teams across industries. She has a particular affinity for the owners and operators of companies — and portfolios of companies held by funds, PE firms, and family offices — who use Scaling Up as their growth methodology.

Her clients span the full spectrum of scale: from founders of ten-plus-person startups making the leap into a true growth phase, through to large, globally scaled businesses running multiple brands and generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. The common thread isn’t size or sector — it’s the ambition to scale with focus, discipline, and pace.

What Leadership Teams Say

The clearest measure of any coach is what their clients are able to do differently. Claire’s clients describe the same shift again and again: more clarity, more discipline, and the ability to turn strategy into real momentum.

Claire with First State Auctions CEO Ari Taibel and Team

Ari Taibel, Director of First State Auctions — Australia’s most trusted online auctioneer of fine jewellery and luxury goods — spent two years embedding the Scaling Up methodology alongside Claire:

“Claire has been an outstanding coach and facilitator, bringing clarity, structure and discipline to our leadership rhythm… What sets Claire apart is her ability to challenge and support in equal measure. She creates an environment where honest conversations lead to practical outcomes, and her deep understanding of Scaling Up has helped us turn strategy into real momentum.”

— Ari Taibel, Director, First State Auctions

Claire with with Steven Goltman

Steven Goltmann, CEO of The AFS Group — which supplies fitness and wellness products globally through brands like Gym and Fitness, ForceUSA, Revel Saunas, and Nike Strength — saw the value of Claire’s facilitation across a diverse portfolio:

“Our diverse group of brands greatly benefit from attending the Scaling Up strategy sessions, thanks to the excellent facilitation. The sessions were well-structured, with a strong focus on outcomes, ensuring that each participant contributed meaningfully.”

— Steven Goltmann, CEO, The AFS Group

Claire with Two Good CEO Rob Caslick and Team

And Rob Caslick, Founder and CEO of the social enterprise Two Good, found that Claire gave his team the tools to think more clearly about direction:

“Claire has proven immensely valuable for our leadership team and business. We’re now more focused and disciplined, equipped with new tools that demystify the complexities of strategic thinking and direction. Invest in this resource — you won’t regret it!”

— Rob Caslick, Founder & CEO, Two Good

Bringing the CEO Summit to Sydney

Claire’s contribution to the Scaling Up community extends well beyond her own client roster. She recently brought the CEO Summit to Sydney for the first time, drawing 170 leaders from across the region. The event was co-hosted with the University of Technology Sydney, where Claire serves as an Industry Fellow — a fitting bridge between the academic and operating worlds she has spent her career connecting.

Could This Be Your Next Chapter?

Claire’s story is a blueprint that many experienced professionals recognise. You’ve built something. You’ve exited, or you’re close to it. And now you’re asking what comes next — not in terms of slowing down, but in terms of channeling everything you’ve learned into work that still matters.

The Scaling Up Certified Coach Program is designed for exactly that transition. It gives operators like Claire a proven system — the Scaling Up Performance Platform — to turn decades of experience into repeatable, measurable results for the leadership teams they serve.

If that sounds like the chapter you want to write, start here: Download the Scaling Up Certified Coach Guide.