Elfried Samba is the Co-Founder and CEO of Butterfly Effect - the agency brands call when they want to build real community and cultural relevance.

Before launching Butterfly Effect, Elfried was Global Head of Social Content at Gymshark, where he helped scale its fitness community from 1.5 million to over 20 million followers, playing a key role in the brand’s journey to a £1 billion valuation.

In its breakout year, Butterfly Effect partnered with Netflix, Bumble, McDonald’s, WeTransfer, Meta and Square - cementing its position as a leading force in community-first marketing.

Elfried’s personal LinkedIn presence has redefined what influence looks like in B2B. 
With 500M+ impressions, 9M+ engagements, and 360K+ followers, he now ranks as the second most engaged LinkedIn creator globally - proving that personal brand isn't just a nice-to-have, it's a growth engine.

Elfried Samba

The scariest place to be
is the same place as last year.


Not because life didn’t happen - but because nothing changed on purpose.


End-of-year reflection isn’t about guilt.
It’s about honesty.


Ask yourself:

- What did I tolerate this year that held me back?

- Where did I choose comfort over progress?


- Which habits, people, or patterns stayed the same because changing them felt uncomfortable?


Comfort is the most expensive thing on earth.
It costs you momentum, edge, and time you never get back.


Growth doesn’t require chaos.
But it does require intentional discomfort.


Pressure is good.
Resistance is good.
That’s how capacity expands.


What’s dangerous is friction that teaches you nothing - the same conversations, the same excuses, the same energy drains.


As the year closes, don’t just reflect.
Decide.


Decide what doesn’t come with you.
Decide where you raise the standard.
Decide how next year looks different - on purpose.


That’s how you make sure you’re not standing in the same place again.

CEO & Co-founder @ Butterfly Effect | Ex-Gymshark Head of Social (Global)

Until it’s my turn,
I’ll keep clapping for others.

Not because I’m naïve.
Because I’m secure.

Abundance isn’t having more.
It’s needing less.

It’s understanding that someone else winning doesn’t delay you.
It proves it’s possible.

And the truth is…
Your reaction to other people’s success is a mirror.

If it makes you bitter, you’re operating from scarcity.
If it makes you inspired, you’re operating from vision.

I’ve learned this the hard way:

The people who stay consistent…
stay humble…
stay generous…
are the ones who end up unstoppable.

So celebrate loudly.
Support publicly.
Clap even when nobody claps for you.

Because your time will come.

And when it does,
you’ll want your hands clean.

Most people don’t realise…


Life doesn’t always reward you instantly.
It rewards you eventually.


And that gap between “eventually” and “now” is where most people lose themselves.


They start rushing.
They start comparing.
They start questioning God, questioning timing, questioning their worth.
They start moving like the dice has already stopped rolling - when it hasn’t.


But here’s the truth:


Sometimes the dice is rolling for years.
Not because you’re unlucky.
But because you’re being shaped for what you asked for.


You said you wanted more.
More influence.
More peace.
More wealth.
More impact.


And those things don’t arrive in small packaging.


So life stretches you.
Tests your character.
Checks your ego.
Puts you in rooms where you feel behind.
Makes you watch other people win first.


Not to punish you.
But to teach you what winning actually costs.


Because real success isn’t just getting what you want.


It’s becoming the type of person
who can hold it
without destroying themselves.


And while the dice is still rolling…


You clap for others.
You show love.
You stay generous.
You stay humble.
You keep your heart clean.


Because bitterness delays blessings.


A jealous spirit can’t carry abundance.
A resentful mindset can’t sustain wealth.
And a small heart can’t run a big life.


So if you’re in the waiting season, don’t panic.

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When the phone was tied to a wire… people were free.


Not because life was easier.
Because attention wasn’t stolen.


Back then, your time had borders.


Now your phone follows you into:

- Meetings
- Dinner
- Sleep
- Conversations
- Silence


And we call it “normal.”


But the truth is:

If you don’t control your attention, you don’t control your life.


You don’t need more discipline.


You need more distance.


Turn off what doesn’t pay you.
Mute what doesn’t build you.
Protect what matters like it’s your last resource.


Because it is.


Your attention is the new land.
And most people are letting it get colonised.

The answer is within you.
But there’s a lot of noise around you.


Noise from timelines, opinions, pressure, and other people’s definitions of success.
It’s not that you don’t know…
It’s that you can’t hear yourself.


Clarity doesn’t come from more information.
It comes from less interference.


So if you feel lost, don’t chase a path.
Pursue yourself.
Get healthier. Get calmer. Get stronger. Get honest.


Because when you become aligned…
you stop looking for direction.


You become it.

Credit: Tracie Lipscomb Linderman MBA, CCMP

A lot of people aren’t ready for who you’re about to be.

Because they’re judging your future
based on your present conditions.

They’re looking at the draft…
and acting like it’s the final version.

But the truth is simple:

Time transforms.

It turns coal into diamond.

And right now?
You might still look like coal to people who don’t understand pressure.

They see the late nights.
The quiet seasons.
The rebuilding.
The “still figuring it out” phase.

And they assume that’s the end of the story.

But that’s what small minds do:

They judge the chapter…
instead of reading the whole book.

Most people don’t know what to do with someone who’s evolving.

Because when you change, it forces them to confront what they haven’t.

Your discipline makes their excuses louder.
Your consistency makes their “one day” look weak.
Your standards make their comfort zone feel embarrassing.

So they start acting funny.

They call you “different” like it’s a warning.
They say “you’ve changed” like it’s a problem.
They bring up the old version of you like it’s the real one.

But here’s the part they don’t want to accept:

You are supposed to change.

You are supposed to upgrade.
You are supposed to outgrow the room.

Staying the same so people can feel comfortable around you
is one of the most expensive decisions you can make.

And it always starts subtly.

You start editing yourself.
Softening your ambition.
Making your goals sound smaller.
Shrinking your confidence.
Holding back so nobody feels left behind.

That’s not humility.

That’s fear.

And fear will keep you trapped in “present conditions” forever.

Let me say it clean:

If someone can only respect you when you’re struggling…
they don’t deserve access to you when you’re shining.

Because diamonds don’t get made in comfort.

They get made in pressure.

So if you’re in a hard season right now…

Good.

That means the transformation is working.

And if certain people can’t handle the next version of you…

Let them go.

Not everyone is built to witness someone become extraordinary
without taking it personally.

Don’t argue with them.
Don’t explain yourself.
Don’t beg to be understood.

Just keep building.

Because the same people judging you while you’re coal…
will be the first ones acting like they always saw the diamond.


Credit: Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey

Who you’re around matters more than what’s in your calendar.


Pressure is good.
Resistance is good.
Challenge makes you stronger.


But bad energy isn’t resistance - it’s friction with no upside.


In 2026, we’re choosing environments that actually make us better.


That means:
	•	No drama. No negativity.
	•	Higher goals. Higher motivation.
	•	People who challenge you to grow, not drain you to cope.


Good energy doesn’t mean easy.
It means aligned.
It means honest feedback without ego.
Push without jealousy.
Standards without resentment.


We’re surrounding ourselves with people who want to win together,
who raise the bar,
and bring out the best in each other.


That’s the energy we’re on next year


Credit: Dora Vanourek

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Stop comparing yourself to people who started earlier.


You’re not late.
You’re just early in your chapter.


Everyone’s journey is different -
because everyone’s timeline is different.


And most of what you’re comparing yourself to…isn’t even real.


You’re seeing someone else’s highlight reel
and comparing it to your behind-the-scenes.


You’re measuring your present
against their past.


But time doesn’t work like that.


Progress isn’t linear.
Growth isn’t visible.
And the work that changes your life
usually happens quietly first.


Some people get a ten-year head start.


Some people lose five years to survival.
Some people restart at thirty.
Some people arrive at forty.
Some people peak twice.


That doesn’t make you behind.


It just means you’re building on a different schedule.


And if you stay locked in long enough…
your “late start” becomes your advantage.


Because when you’ve had to fight for every inch, you don’t waste momentum.


Comparison is a distortion.
Focus is the truth.


Keep going.


Credit: Marshall Goldsmith

Most people confuse status with security.

The title.
The promotion.

The seat in the meeting that suddenly makes people listen.

It feels solid  until you realise how fast it can stop meaning anything.

For years, I watched people build their entire identity around what the company gave them.

And I watched others quietly build something no one could touch.

The difference shows up when pressure hits.
One group has the title.

The other has leverage.

Because real security isn’t external.

It’s internal.

Your skills.
Your judgment.
Your reputation when you’re not in the room.
Your ability to solve problems without being told what to do.

That’s why some people always seem “in demand.”

Not because they’re loud but because they’re useful.

They’ve spent years:

 - Learning in public
 - Helping without keeping score
 - Building real relationships (not networking theatre)
 - Getting so good at their craft that people come to them


Meanwhile, others struggle the moment the title stops doing the talking.

Because when the role fades, there’s nothing underneath it.

Some people rent their identity from their employer.

Others own it.

You can’t control the market.
You can’t control leadership decisions.
You can control what you build inside yourself.

That’s long term thinking.

And it compounds.

I write about this every Saturday.

One focused email.

4 minutes to read.

For people who want careers and businesses that don’t rely on permission.

Credit Ryan Yockey

Ama Amo-Agyei  is one of the most inspiring founders I know. 

Her journey. Her story, Her words. 

The part of the entrepreneurial journey most don’t speak about. 

Let her cook.

New Bottleneck Podcast episode out now.

Links in the comments 🙏🏽

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