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NORTH ATTLEBORO - Ed Drozda is a coach without a win-loss record.

His players win and lose in the boardroom.

Drozda, of North Attleboro, is a business coach. His company, E & D Associates, works primarily with clients from the health and technology industries. He helps them prepare for presentations, improve communication among their colleagues and set goals.

You'd think that the struggling economy would force Drozda to change his coaching strategies.

Not so, he says. "The economy is an external factor with a very powerful impact. Whether the economy is great or lousy, you simply cannot run a business without the right people," Drozda said.

This interview was conducted by e-mail.

SUN CHRONICLE: So, what inspired you to become a business coach?

ED DROZDA: I was helping a client to develop a new business; one of my colleagues at the time was a business coach. He told me he thought I would make a great coach, and the rest is history.

SC: I was surprised to see that you graduated from Coach University. What is that program about?

DROZDA: Coach U is one of about 75 coach-training programs offered worldwide that is accredited by the International Coach Federation. The program is conducted via teleconferencing. In order to graduate from the program, a trainee must complete a minimum of 175 hours of training. Successful completion of an accredited program is but one step that coaches must take to attain ICF certification.

SC: How intense is the competition?

DROZDA: I would not call the program competitive. Trainees are expected to perform at their best and each course must be passed as provided by written, oral and practical examinations. However, amongst students there is no competition, per se.

SC: On your Web site, you talk about the "business side of ourselves." What do you mean by that?

DROZDA: Well, there is the "me" at home, with the family, friends and all that. Then, there is the "me" at work. Even though each of us is just one person, many of us have that dual personality thing going on: We walk in the office door and someone else emerges. As a business coach, it's imperative that I get to know the whole person. You'd be amazed what happens when one of these characters meets the other. SC: Has the declining economy changed the type of client you attract? Perhaps growing demand from one industry?

DROZDA: Interestingly enough, the earlier part of 2008 (before the economic downturn became the news story) was a very quiet time for attracting new clients. As the economic pain has grown, more and more clients have emerged. It seems that people have begun to appreciate that now is the time to invest in their businesses. It's not so much a change in the type of client; it's the emergence of a better informed client, I'd say.

SC: How has the economy changed your coaching style?

DROZDA: The economy has no bearing on my coaching style. Surely, it affects me, it affects my clients, but my view of business and thus my coaching practice is very fundamental. I believe the true bottom line in any business is the people that comprise it. Profit, service, product, sales - they are all the result of people working together in a clearly directed and purposeful manner. The economy is an external factor with a very powerful impact; but whether the economy is great or lousy, you simply cannot run a business without the right people.

SC: What question are you hearing a lot lately has surprised you?

DROZDA: Nothing really surprises me anymore, but I have to say that I still have to chuckle when I hear people say they aren't really sure what they are doing or why. Maybe that's because I'm still not sure what I want to be when I grow up. (joke)

SC: When pro sports teams aren't playing well, the owner often fires the manager. Is the same true with business coaches?

DROZDA:Yes, clients fire coaches. And for that, matter coaches fire clients as well, though I would not describe it as a brutal process. In reality, there are times when the coaching relationship just isn't working. The goal of the client-coach relationship is to facilitate the success of the client. If we're not achieving that goal, then neither of us wins.

SC: What is your win-loss record?

DROZDA: I've never looked at it that way. I have to say I have never walked away from a client or a client from me where there was the sense that we had not achieved the goals that we set forth.

SC: Are you a sports fan and/or coach in your spare time?

DROZDA: Sports fan, yes! New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox and the Marquette Warriors (oops, that's the Golden Eagles), my alma mater.

As for sports coaching, well let's just say I am better off watching than leading.