Dan Murray-Serter 🧠

Co-Founder of Heights I Angel Investor | Over 100 Startups I Follow For Daily Posts on Health, Business & Personal growth from UK’s #1 ranked health creator (apparently)

Serial entrepreneur and Angel investor in 100+ startups with over 10 years experience starting, scaling and failing multiple startups.

Co Founder of Heights - Europe's leading brain and gut health company.

I also started and help run Foundrs - A not for profit community of the best, most ambitious and compassionate founders in UK.

I recently stepped away from Leaders Media - A media company making the top business podcasts in Europe, Secret Leaders - at the top of the charts, to focus on much more important things with my time - being a dad to 2 awesome daughters.

Angel/Advisor

Beam (www.beam.org)
ATAI Life Sciences (https://www.atai.life)
Allplants (www.allplants.com)
Humanity (https://humanity.health)
BYP (www.byp-network.com)
Goss (https://www.goss.media)
Tribe VR (www.tribevr.io)
Thrift (www.wearethrift.com)
THIS (www.this.co)
The Sports Edit (www.thesportsedit.com)
Faction (www.factionskis.com)
Runway East (http://runwayea.st/)
London Union/Dinerama (http://londonunion.com/)
Neardesk (https://www2.neardesk.com/)


Tailored.to (https://tailored.to/)
Motivii (http://motivii.com/)
Earlybird (https://earlybird.fm/)
Upshot (http://www.upshotapp.co/)
Togethera (www.togethera.com)
Repairly (www.repairly.co.uk)
Zaboo (www.zabooapp.com)
Lissom (www.lissom.com)
Bloom (www.hellobloom.io)

Dan Murray

100-year-old productivity hack. Still works. Still simple.

1918. Charles Schwab runs Bethlehem Steel. Hires productivity consultant Ivy Lee. Lee's offer: give me 15 minutes with each executive, pay me what it's worth in 3 months. 3 months later, Schwab writes a cheque for $25,000, equivalent to $400,000 today. The method was that effective.

The Ivy Lee Method. Five steps. At the end of each workday, write down the 6 most important tasks for tomorrow. Not 7, not 10, six. Rank them in order of true importance. Tomorrow morning, start with task 1, work until complete. Move to task 2, then 3, one at a time in order. Unfinished tasks move to tomorrow's list. Repeat daily.

Why 6 tasks? Forces prioritisation. With unlimited tasks, everything feels important, nothing gets done. Six is manageable, ambitious but achievable.

Why rank them? Most people work on whatever feels urgent or easy. Ranking forces you to confront true importance. Task 1 should be the thing that, if completed alone, makes tomorrow successful.

Why one task at a time? Multitasking is a myth. Task switching reduces productivity by 40%. Takes 23 minutes to regain focus after interruption. Doing one thing until complete equals deep work.

Why plan the night before? Decision fatigue compounds throughout the day. By 4pm, decision-making quality is 40% worse than 9am. Planning tonight means decisions made when not depleted. Wake up, no decision required, just execute task 1.

Six tasks, ranked, one at a time. Decide tonight, execute tomorrow.

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Follow me Dan Murray for more on habits and leadership.

P.S. If you want 2026 to feel different, don’t start with goals.
Start with clarity.

Most people don’t need more discipline.
They need to understand what’s been draining them and what deserves their energy.

I’ve spent years refining a simple process to help you with exactly that.

Download my short PDF guide https://lnkd.in/eniDNptW

I'll see you there.

The Ivy Lee Method 100-Year-Old Productivity Hack 

One thing I’ve learned after building multiple teams: the most valuable people are rarely the loudest.

They’re the ones who quietly upskill when no one’s watching.

You can’t teach that level of internal drive.
You can’t force someone to care about their growth more than the company requires.

That has to come from within.

And from a neuroscience perspective, people who self-educate build something incredibly powerful:
a plastic brain.

Every new skill, every book, every online course, it all strengthens their neural pathways for adaptability, problem - solving, and creative thinking.

Those traits compound.

They become faster learners.
Better decision-makers.
More resourceful under pressure.
And over time, they outgrow people who rely only on formal training.

When I hire, I look for curiosity.
Not credentials.
Not polished answers.
Curiosity.

Because someone who reads, experiments, builds, tinkers, or studies on their own time will eventually outpace almost everyone else.
They don’t wait to be told what to learn.
They choose it.

And that choice is what makes them dangerous, in the best way possible.

If you’re that person, keep going.
Even if no one notices right now.
Your effort is compounding quietly.
You’ll feel the gap before anyone else sees it.


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Follow me Dan Murray🧠 for more on habits and leadership.

P.S. If you want 2026 to feel different, don’t start with goals.
Start with clarity.

Most people don’t need more discipline.
They need to understand what’s been draining them and what deserves their energy.

I’ve spent years refining a simple process to help you with exactly that.

Download my short PDF guide

https://lnkd.in/eniDNptW

I'll see you there.

When Simon Squibb invested in our company we had done a thousand orders, fast forward a few years we have now done our 1 millionth order 

believed in what we was building and invested before it was obvious.

Since then, we’ve grown it into a $30M business. 

The best founders don’t stand still. They adapt.

I sat down down with Simon Squibb and break down exactly how I’d use AI to build a $30M business from scratch in 2026, and what actually matters when you’re starting from zero.

https://lnkd.in/dVh_9PKH

Gut health is everywhere right now.

Every influencer has a gut protocol. Every brand has a gut product. Everyone's talking about the microbiome like they have a PhD in it.

Some of it is real. Some of it is astrology in a lab coat.

Here's what actually holds up.

The gut-brain axis is real. Your gut produces 90% of your serotonin. The vagus nerve connects your gut to your brain. When your gut struggles, your mood often follows. This research goes back 30 years.

Probiotics for specific conditions are real. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG helps with digestive issues. Bifidobacterium longum helps with anxiety symptoms. But it's strain-specific. Random probiotics don't work the same way.

Fibre matters. Your gut bacteria feed on it. Most people need 25-30g per day. Most get around 15g. The research on this is overwhelming.

Here's what doesn't hold up.

Gut detoxes aren't real. Your liver and kidneys already do that. "Detox teas" are marketing, not medicine.

Fermented foods are healthy. But they're not the same as probiotics. The strains are different. The amounts are inconsistent. Most don't survive your stomach acid.

Leaky gut syndrome isn't a recognised diagnosis. Increased intestinal permeability is real and being studied. But selling you a cure for "leaky gut" is premature.

The pattern is simple. Real gut health science is specific. It names strains, cites studies, explains mechanisms.

Fake gut health science is vague. Buzzwords, big promises, no details.

Certainty sells. Accuracy wins long term.

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Follow me Dan Murray🧠 for more on habits and leadership.

P.S. If you want 2026 to feel different, don’t start with goals.
Start with clarity.

Most people don’t need more discipline.
They need to understand what’s been draining them and what deserves their energy.

I’ve spent years refining a simple process to help you with exactly that.

Download my short PDF guide https://lnkd.in/eniDNptW

I'll see you there.

Gut health audit

Your gut health isn't just about digestion.

It's the reason you wake up tired. Or struggle to focus by 3pm. Or feel anxious for no clear reason.

Your gut affects how your brain works every single day.

Five stages control this. When they're working, you perform better. When even one is broken, everything gets harder.

Stage 1: Microbiome diversity. You need 1,000+ bacterial species. Low diversity means more inflammation and unstable energy. Eat 30+ different plants per week.

Stage 2: Gut barrier integrity. When it's damaged, toxins leak into your bloodstream. That's brain fog and chronic fatigue. Reduce processed foods and manage stress.

Stage 3: Serotonin production. 90% of it is made in your gut. Low serotonin means poor sleep and mood swings. Take probiotics with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains.

Stage 4: SCFA production. Your gut bacteria digest fibre and produce SCFAs. They fuel your gut lining and reduce inflammation. Hit 25-30g of fibre daily.

Stage 5: Vagus nerve function. It connects your gut to your brain. Poor tone means constant stress signals. Improve it with deep breathing and cold exposure.

When all five work together, you wake up with energy, focus holds, mood stays stable, and you sleep deeply.

When even one is broken, you hit the 3pm crash, brain fog makes decisions harder, and small stress feels overwhelming.

Your gut is the foundation for how your brain functions.

Fix your gut. Perform better.

-------------------------------------------------

Follow me Dan Murray🧠 for more on habits and leadership.

P.S. If you want 2026 to feel different, don’t start with goals.
Start with clarity.

Most people don’t need more discipline.
They need to understand what’s been draining them and what deserves their energy.

I’ve spent years refining a simple process to help you with exactly that.

Download my short PDF guide https://lnkd.in/eniDNptW

I'll see you there.

Five gut health markers that predict burnout.

These aren't just digestive issues. They're warning signs your body is breaking down.

Marker 1: Chronic bloating. Poor nutrient absorption. Even if you're eating well, nutrients aren't getting into your system. Poor absorption leads to deficiency, chronic fatigue, inability to recover from stress, and burnout.

Marker 2: Irregular bowel movements. Going 3+ days without or 4+ times per day means toxin buildup. Toxins recirculate instead of leaving. This causes brain fog, poor decision-making, more stress, and burnout. Normal is 1-2 times daily.

Marker 3: Food sensitivities that appeared recently. Gut inflammation and leaky gut. Undigested food leaks into your bloodstream. Your immune system attacks it. This creates inflammation, dysregulated stress response, inability to handle normal stressors, and burnout.

Marker 4: Sugar cravings, especially mid-afternoon. Blood sugar instability from poor gut bacteria. Unhealthy bacteria drive sugar cravings and prevent stable glucose regulation. Every crash depletes stress resilience. Blood sugar crashes lead to energy crashes, inability to sustain focus, falling behind, and burnout.

Marker 5: Poor sleep even when exhausted. Gut barrier damage and inflammation. Your gut produces melatonin and regulates circadian rhythm. Poor sleep damages gut lining. Damaged gut worsens sleep. This creates chronic inflammation, inability to recover, and burnout.

When all 5 are present, you wake up exhausted, brain fog makes decisions harder, small stressors feel overwhelming, you need caffeine and sugar to function, and recovery takes longer.

This isn't laziness. This is your body telling you the foundation is broken.

Fix your gut before you burn out. Not after.

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Follow me Dan Murray🧠 for more on habits and leadership.

P.S. If you want 2026 to feel different, don’t start with goals.
Start with clarity.

Most people don’t need more discipline.
They need to understand what’s been draining them and what deserves their energy.

I’ve spent years refining a simple process to help you with exactly that.

Download my short PDF guide https://lnkd.in/eniDNptW

I'll see you there.

The 5 gut health markers that predict burnout

College teacher turned ghostwriter | Scaling founders, coaches, and consultants to $100K+ /mo | Writing to build wealth and better self | 98,000 on Twitter (X)

Taylin John Simmonds

3 years ago, a friend lent me $40K to pay off my debt. So I could focus on business.

2 years ago, I offered to pay it back. He said no. Reinvest. Pay me later. 1 year ago, first payment. 

Yesterday, I paid him back!

Find the people who bet on you before it makes sense. Then spend your life proving them right.

College teacher turned Substack ghostwriter | Thoughts about craft, ideas, and AI as a creative partner (not a replacement) | 2B impressions | $4M+ revenue generated | All in on Substack

One pattern I’ve noticed in all the people that inspire me: They live a diverse life.

They layer unrelated skills. 
Read widely. 
And have friends you'd rarely see together. 

A rich life isn't only about money. It's about the range of experiences that made you who you are.

Stop calling yourself a content creator. Content creators chase algorithms. You're cultivating a body of work.

You're not in the content game. You're in the depth game.

And depth doesn't scale. It compounds.

I'm noticing a quiet rebellion against balance. 

People who disappear into their craft. 12, 15 hours a day for weeks. Then step back completely. No guilt. No routine. No splitting the difference. Full immersion, then full recovery. 

Seasons, not schedules.

You don't actually want to stop working. You just haven't found work worth your devotion.

The goal isn't to do less. It's to care so deeply about one thing that everything else becomes noise.

Find that thing. Then you'll never need convincing to start.

Everyone's trying to escape work. Fewer hours. Passive income. Early retirement. That's not freedom. That's avoidance.

You don't want to do less. You want something worth pouring everything into. Work that's worthy of your full attention, your full energy, your full devotion.

Find that first.

If AI is speeding up your writing process, you're using it wrong.

AI should slow you down. Stress-test your ideas. Pressure-test your arguments. Find the angle that actually matters before you write a word.

The bottleneck was never your writing speed. It was your thinking clarity.

You don't need 100 clients. You need a handful of the right ones and the devotion to serve them so well they never want to leave.

No empire. No team of 30. No "scaling to seven figures."

Just craft you're proud of and a livelihood that lets you live well.

A book you highlighted but never practiced is a book you never read.

Understanding doesn't live in the notes you took.

It lives in the choices you made differently afterward.

A life-changing habit I picked up recently: Fifteen minutes of breath work before work.

The breath brings me out of my head and into stillness. A stillness that makes creative work feel effortless.

Your best work is hiding behind the ritual you're skipping.

If you’re working on 3 projects, learning 5 skills, and reading 76 books at once, you’re not multi-passionate. You’re just distracted.

Real progress comes from finishing one thing before starting the next.

The real value in the AI age isn't what you know. It's who you can inspire.

Give them an aim, a compelling reason, and the next small step when everything feels overwhelming.

If you want to matter in the AI age, don't just share knowledge. 
Lend direction.

You're behind because you've never given 100% of yourself to the thing you care about.

Subtract everything that isn't it. Give it everything you have. Not 40%. Not most days. Everything.

You've never seen what happens when you actually commit. Find out.

Most people aren't behind because they lack talent. They're behind because they aren't even fucking trying

They show up distracted. Doing the bare minimum and wondering why nothing ever changes

The ones who actually try don't stay behind for long
They can't

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The Battle

Dan Murray

Taylin John Simmonds

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Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Dan Murray's LinkedIn Performance

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