Skills Mastery Group

What Skills Mastery Group does

Skills Mastery Group, Inc. (operating as SMG) is a privately held, founder-owned professional services firm founded in 2001 by Donna M. Flynn and headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale, Illinois, with offices in Chicago and Milwaukee. The firm provides executive coaching, leadership and management training, organizational consulting, and conference speaking engagements, with deep specialization in the U.S. banking and financial services sector. Its core methodology is the proprietary 'Discover, Do, Deliver' framework, and its coaches hold certification from the Coaches Training Institute. SMG serves a mix of enterprise banking clients (Banc One Mortgage Company), mid-market financial institutions (Home State Bank), and adjacent industries (e.g., Keson Industries in manufacturing), and distributes services via direct website/phone inquiry, conference speaking, content partnerships with BankTalentHQ, and email newsletters.

The firm operates a portfolio of interconnected service lines: ongoing executive coaching engagements (delivered weekly, biweekly, or monthly by phone or in-person), customized leadership and management training programs (delivered via facilitator-led instruction, co-facilitation, video-conferencing, and web-based delivery, often bundled with follow-up coaching), and keynote speaking/workshops at national and international conferences. Supporting modules include organizational assessments, 360-degree feedback, sales and service culture development, and downloadable self-assessment tools (Leadership Effectiveness Wheel, Wheel of Life Balance). The firm does not operate a software or technology platform — its intellectual property is concentrated in its proprietary methodology, its certified coaching capacity, and founder Donna Flynn's personal brand and 16+ years of industry experience.

Revenue is generated through professional services fees on a quote-based, multi-month engagement model. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, though the firm has historically run time-limited promotional offers (e.g., a 3-month coaching engagement at the price of 2 months). The customer base is concentrated in financial services/banking, and customer acquisition is event-driven, relying on conference speaking, content published on BankTalentHQ (blog and podcast), and inbound website/phone inquiries. SMG operates as a lean, founder-led boutique with 1-10 employees and no external institutional investment.

Name

Skills Mastery Group

Legal name

SkillsMastery Group, Inc.

Website

https://skillsmastery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Skills Mastery Group is a privately held, founder-owned executive coaching, leadership training, and organizational consulting firm founded in 2001 by Donna M. Flynn, serving primarily U.S. banking and financial services clients through professional services engagements delivered by phone, video, and in-person.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Coaching & Leadership Development Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Team & Group Executive Coaching (Leadership Teams) (EDABANAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Strategy, Decision-Making & Business Acumen Coaching (EDABANAH), Sales Leadership & Revenue Executive Coaching (EDABANAL), Coaching, Feedback & Mentoring Skills (EDABAMAM)

Keywords

• Executive coaching services
• Leadership development training
• Management consulting
• Sales coaching programs
• Organizational culture consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Hinsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Executive Coaching Services: Provides ongoing coaching to managers and executives, delivered via telephone and/or in-person sessions on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly cadence, with unlimited coach access via phone and email.
2. Leadership & Management Training: Customized training programs delivered through facilitator-led instruction, co-facilitation with clients, video-conferencing, and web-based delivery, typically bundled with follow-up coaching for reinforcement.
3. Speaking & Workshop Services: Keynotes and breakout sessions at conferences of all sizes, nationally and internationally, on topics of management, leadership, and organizational culture.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Skills Mastery Group delivers certified executive coaching, interactive leadership and management training, and paid keynote/workshop speaking engagements for executives, managers, and organizations, with deep specialization in the banking and financial services industry. Services are delivered through telephone and in-person coaching sessions on weekly/biweekly/monthly cadences, facilitator-led training (in-person, co-facilitated, or via video/web), and conference presentations, typically pairing training with follow-up reinforcement coaching to drive behavior change.

Product overview

SkillsMastery Group (SMG) operates as a professional coaching, training, and consulting services firm offering a portfolio of interconnected services centered on leadership development. The core offerings include Executive Coaching Services (certified by the Coaches Training Institute), Leadership & Management Consulting, and Speaking & Workshops. These services are supported by specialized modules including Organizational Assessment Services (360-degree feedback, diagnostic surveys), Sales & Service Culture Development, and downloadable assessment tools (Leadership Effectiveness Wheel, Wheel of Life). The company uses a proprietary 'Discover, Do, Deliver' methodology and emphasizes the combination of training followed by ongoing coaching to achieve behavioral change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Coaching Services Certified executive coaching delivered to managers and executives on weekly, biweekly, or monthly cadences via telephone and/or in-person sessions, with unlimited coach access via phone and email. Helps leaders adopt disciplined goal-setting and reach their full potential as individuals and leaders.
• Leadership & Management Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• Her bank was the first to be awarded Business of the Year and surpassed all peers in its results under her leadership.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Dale Carnegie & Associates: Established provider of leadership, management, sales, and communication training with a global franchise network. Directly comparable to SMG's combined leadership-training and executive-coaching offerings.
• The Ken Blanchard Companies: Management training and consulting firm specializing in Situational Leadership, coaching, and organizational leadership development. Directly overlaps with SMG's leadership training and executive coaching focus.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a large executive coaching and leadership development practice serving enterprise clients. Overlaps with SMG in executive coaching, leadership assessments, and culture-change work.
• FranklinCovey: Global leadership and execution training firm offering The 7 Habits, leadership development, and executive coaching programs. Competes with SMG for the same leadership-development and culture-change budgets at mid-market and enterprise clients.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Nonprofit provider of executive education, leadership coaching, and research-backed assessment tools. Highly comparable to SMG on coaching, 360 feedback, and leadership development programs.
• Development Dimensions International (DDI): Large leadership and selection solutions provider offering leadership training, coaching, and behavioral assessment. Comparable to SMG's executive coaching, sales leadership development, and 360/assessment offerings.

Direct peers

• Wilson Learning: Sales and leadership development company offering customized training, coaching, and consulting to mid-market and enterprise clients. Closely comparable to SMG's sales leadership coaching and management training services.
• BTS: Strategy and leadership development consultancy that combines custom simulations, coaching, and consulting to drive business results. Comparable to SMG in delivering strategy execution and leadership engagements.
• Marshall Goldsmith Coaching: Executive coaching brand built around a recognized thought leader, offering leadership coaching and stakeholder-centered coaching to senior executives. Highly comparable structure to SMG's founder-driven coaching practice.

Emerging players

• RAI (Root Learning / Root Inc.): Mid-sized consultancy focused on culture change, leadership development, and operational alignment using proprietary frameworks. Comparable to SMG in culture-change and leadership methodology offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SkillsMasteryGr

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skills Mastery Group