Jean Moncrieff

I’m an entrepreneur, community builder, and trusted advisor dedicated to helping leaders build exceptional, purpose-driven businesses that choose to be great — not just big.

As the leader of the Small Giants Community, I steward a network of values-driven CEOs and founders who believe business can be a force for good. Together, we navigate the challenges of growth while staying anchored in what matters most: our people, our purpose, and our communities.

My journey includes founding, scaling, and successfully exiting multiple companies in the 7 and 8-figure range. But what I’ve learned — and what Small Giants has taught me — is that true success isn’t just about revenue or an exit event; it’s about building organizations where people thrive, cultures are strong, and legacies last far beyond the founder.

Through my work, I bring a blend of hard-won strategic insight, practical operating frameworks, and a deep commitment to human-centered leadership. Whether I’m coaching CEOs, convening Small Giants gatherings, or creating spaces for authentic connection, my goal is to help leaders clarify their vision, lead with intention, and grow businesses that serve their families, employees, and communities for generations to come.

If you’re a purpose-driven leader who wants to join a community of peers on the same path, or you’re exploring how to grow and steward your business with intention, let’s connect.

Zurich is home for me and my partner Sinem, while most of my professional work takes me to the US. Cape Town is where I go to slow down and recharge.

Part-Time Marketing Director

The Marketing Centre is a UK market leader in offering part-time CMOs and Marketing Directors for SMEs. The portfolio businesses we work with are often early-stage high-growth ventures and much of our work involves close co-operation with private equity firms and venture capitalists to ensure rapid growth while creating value and optimum returns. With us, entrepreneurs can access a wealth of experienced and commercially minded marketing leaders who know how to make businesses grow, but who operate on a part-time basis and therefore more cost-effectively.

Typically I work with businesses who recognise themselves in at least two of the following: 

- have ambitious growth plans and want to capitalise on this growth
- may have stalled and need a fresh review of the business
- have a business owner is running out of hours in the day to do everything
- have sales pipeline needs more and better quality leads to achieve your growth plans
- need their online strategy reinvigorating
- need to re-evaluate and develop their proposition 
- are building towards an exit and want to maximise return
- has a turnover between £3m and £50m

If you are interested to know more, please contact me on 0792 638 1370 or email me at jean.moncrieff@themarketingcentre.com, and we can talk about your business.

A former National Commander and CEO of the Civil Air Patrol & USAF Auxiliary, Amy S. Courter, MBA has had highs and lows along her leadership journey. ✈️

In 2024 she took to the Small Giants Summit stage to share her story of her "career scavenger hunt", and being forced to make difficult decisions that challenged her integrity as a purpose-driven leader.

One part of Amy's story that has stuck with me was this, when she received a special token and words of encouragement from a former Tuskegee Airman. When she was feeling burdened with loneliness in leadership, this man, who had clearly gone through his own great challenges, took the time to offer her recognition and a sense of connection. 

Amy's story was a reminder that we all need community to support us along our journeys. Tokens and words of affirmation can keep us buoyed, but what really keeps us going is the knowledge that we're seen.

Find your sense of connection with other purpose-driven leaders within the Small Giants Community, and join us at the 2026 Summit, happening April 28-30 in Detroit.

🎟️ https://lnkd.in/gcee7Tzp

CEO Small Giants Community | Host Growing with Purpose Podcast | Speaker | Author Finding Freedom (due April 2026) | Connecting and Developing Purpose-Driven Business Leaders

The first speaker announcement for the 2026 Small Giants Summit!

Richard J. Bryan, CSP is an amazing business leader, speaker, and all around guy. I can't wait to witness his magic on the Summit stage.

📢 More speaker announcements to come soon. And in the meantime, secure your spot at this unmatched event: https://lnkd.in/gcee7Tzp

We’re excited to welcome Richard J. Bryan, CSP, as a keynote speaker at the Small Giants Summit 2026.

Richard knows what it means to navigate leadership when the stakes are real.

At just 28, he stepped into a fourth-generation, 100-year-old family business doing $120M in revenue and losing $3.5M a year. With the help of a trusted mentor, he led a turnaround, scaled the company, and eventually navigated a successful exit.

That lived experience shapes everything Richard teaches today.

He’s the author of Handing Over the Reins, a must-read for leaders thinking about succession and legacy. He’s also written Being Frank, which blends real leadership lessons with practical, human insight from four generations of business.

Today, through The Bryan Group, Richard coaches CEOs and leadership teams around the world on building companies worth leading. And worth leaving.

If you already have your ticket, this is one of those sessions you’ll be glad you’re in the room for.
If you don’t, consider this your sign.

🧭 Detroit. 2026.
🎟️ Tickets are on sale.

I can run a business.
Fly a plane.
Surf a wave.
Ride a horse.

But don’t ask me to do anything involving electrics.

I once changed a fuse and blew the transformer on the electricity pole outside the house. True story.

So when I decided to fix my father’s turntable and amp, I went to Turntable Guy.

The woman who helped me was phenomenal.

She gave me a quote on the spot.
Fixed my speaker wires.
Checked whether my entire 1980s setup was even… survivable.
And when I told her I’m leaving in a couple of weeks, she said, “No problem — we’ll have it ready before you go.”

This place is one of those oversubscribed Small Giants.

Not flashy.
Not trying to scale to the moon.
Just quietly excellent — run by people who know their craft and take pride in doing things properly.

The best businesses don’t always feel “big.”

They feel like someone actually cares.

#SmallGiants #Travel #CapeTown

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Metronomics Certified Coach

Certified Value Builder

Freelance Travel Writing

Hubspot Certified

Copywriting for Online Marketing

Inbound Certification

Email Marketing

Co-Active Coaching Fundamentals

Working with Messageware executive team to create and execute a marketing and business development strategy. Implement HubSpot marketing automation, integrate HubSpot and Salesforce.com, manage PPC campaigns.

Messageware Marketing & Business Development

Responsible for creating and executing Jibestream's online and offline marketing strategy. Working with the VP of Sales to increase lead generation through content marketing. Implemented Hubspot Inbound Marketing Platform.

Jibestream - Marketing Lead

In order to take the digital marketing of this initially small company to the next level, some key issues needed to be addressed. Firstly, I knew that we needed a platform where our website could be interactive,dynamic, easily edited by marketing professionals rather than designers, allow us to build a database, gather leads and most importantly effectively be able to measure campaign results. Hubspot was the obvious choice.

Our first aim was to design and develop a Mobile Schools Health website and brand as Mobile Schools Health (MSH) was one of our fastest growing subsidiaries. Shortly after creating the first basic MSH website design we simultaneously ported and redesigned our MSTSV website onto Hubspot.

Now came the fun part, to start using Hubspot for its Inbound properties. For both websites I set up our Inbound goals in terms of lead generation, blog subscribers, social media engagement and website click through rates. In order to understand our potential clients and the way they think we created Buyer Persona's based on the behaviours of our current clients. All content was focused around these persona's.

Armed with these aims and persona's I focused heavily on blogs, keywords, interesting and relevant content across the websites and social media platforms and email marketing. Within 3 months, after continuous evaluation of the campaigns' statistic and with minimal paid for advertising we had exceeded our Lead generation targets, had a substantial number of ranked keywords and in turn grown our database. Within 4 to 5 months we had tripled our social media engagement and grown our number of followers.

I was integrally involved with the entire process by means of building the brands, creating the entire marketing strategy beyond only Inbound, writing and approving copy, creating buyer persona's, email publications, SEO, setting targets, approving website designs and sitemaps, analysing results and improving campaigns.



MSTSV and Mobile Schools Health websites and Inbound Marketing

Leading a team building a patient records system for mobile clinics in Africa. Mobile clinics travel to rural areas to bring medical care to children who typically don't have access to these services.

Mobile Schools Health

Commonplace Digital Marketing

CompassDocs is a cloud based application on the Amazon AWS platform providing customers with a simple solution for managing electronic documents. Developed to specifically address challenges in Proof of Delivery Management, Contract Management and Hybrid Document Management.

CompassDocs

FastSell is a cloud-based B2B platform that helps companies in the food services industry increase revenues through the reduction of wastage associated with overstocked and distressed items.

FastSell / Tradehubz

Leader of the Small Giants Community | Coach and Mentor to Values-Driven Companies | Host of The Freedom Experience® | Helping Founders Scale with Purpose

This masterclass is for CEOs and leaders looking to get a head start on your 2025 business plan. Learn how to refine your planning process and align your team for growth and success.

Foundation for Growth Masterclass

Business owner with 5M-50M in revenue? Struggling for traction or worried about your company's future? Let's tackle it. Book a call with me. We'll review your current business position, and I'll show you a framework 1,000+ owners use to achieve 30% growth, maximizing company value. Reach me here: jean@jeanmoncrieff.com

Unlocking Business Momentum: A Personal Invitation

No backing out now! 😂
 
We just released a press release announcing 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to see this vision becoming real.
 
I’m especially excited for our partnership with 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗼.  
Their support, expertise, and genuine enthusiasm for creating meaningful books is infectious. They’re the perfect parent company for our little press — aligned in values, committed to craft, and passionate about bringing important stories to life. 

(𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴, Davin Salvagno & Scott Jeffrey Miller 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵!)
 
And that’s exactly why Small Giants Press exists.
 
So many leaders in our Community are sitting on 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁, 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 — stories about building companies with purpose, leading with humanity, overcoming adversity, shaping culture, and redefining what success looks like.
 
Stories that deserve readers.  
Stories that deserve space on bookshelves.  
Stories that deserve to be told.
 
If you’ve ever felt that spark — that sense that you 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 a book in you — maybe this is your moment.
 
And we’d be honored to help you bring it to life.
 
📰 Press release here for anyone who wants the full story: https://lnkd.in/gC_AXzxS 
 
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘂𝘀 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻.

Open article: Small Giants Press to be first imprint of Maison Vero by einpresswire.com

Small Giants Press to be first imprint of Maison Vero

🤝 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲.

Last week, we kicked off our latest cohort of the Small Giants Leadership Academy. This group is full of bright, driven, like-heated leaders, and I'm looking forward to getting to know them all.

Facilitating those first sessions made me reflective of all the work the Small Giants team has put into creating a top-tier program (massive shoutout to Kathryn Sowa and Bridget (Bateman) Larson !).

We do all of that heavy lifting so that businesses within the Small Giants Community can focus on what they do best. We simply act as an extension of their team in support of leadership development.

We do this because building a leadership development program from scratch is a massive undertaking:
Curriculum design. 
Facilitator vetting. 
Endless logistics.

But what you really need isn’t another project; it’s a partner.

And that’s where we come in.

The 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆 is a proven, cohort-based virtual program built for purpose-driven organizations. Dozens of companies have trusted us to take their leaders from good to great, and we can do the same for you.

We’ve spent years curating the best facilitator roster and developing a curriculum that helps leaders grow in 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Your emerging leaders walk away ready to lead with purpose — and you get the peace of mind knowing it’s done right.

👉 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺. h͟t͟t͟p͟s͟:͟/͟/͟s͟m͟a͟l͟l͟g͟i͟a͟n͟t͟s͟.͟o͟r͟g͟/͟l͟e͟a͟d͟e͟r͟s͟h͟i͟p͟-͟a͟c͟a͟d͟e͟m͟y͟

This month, I’ve had the honour of leading a session with our Leadership Academy on something deeply personal:
personal vision, purpose, and a one-page personal plan.

Every year, at the end of December, I create mine.
I carry it with me. I revisit it. I evolve it.

It brings clarity — but it’s never perfect.
And how could it be?
As leaders, more than anything, we are constantly navigating change.

What I didn’t fully expect this month was how much I would learn in the process as well.

As I work with leaders, listen to their questions, and watch them wrestle with their future, I’m reminded that this work is never one-way.

Guiding others through the process has a way of holding a mirror up to your own thinking.

One thing I’ve noticed is how hard it is for people to think ten years out.
Not because they lack ambition.
But because in a world obsessed with the now, we’ve forgotten how to dream about the future.
And let’s be honest — naming the future feels vulnerable.

And yet, the power isn’t in getting the ten-year view “right.”
It’s in returning to it.
Again and again.
Letting it evolve as life, leadership, and priorities shift.

Yesterday afternoon, as the light spilled across my desk, I found myself reflecting on how often we chase clarity like it’s a finish line.

But clarity doesn’t arrive all at once.
It reveals itself through repetition.
Through reflection.
Through staying in relationship with what matters most.

The leaders I admire don’t have everything mapped out.
But they stay oriented.
They keep asking better questions — even as the answers change.

So this morning, I’m sitting with that.
Grateful for a process that teaches me as much as it serves others.

Because over time, I’ve come to believe this:
when a leader’s personal vision is clear, it quietly shapes the organisation’s direction.
And when those two are aligned — especially for owner-founders — everything moves with more intent.

It’s something I explore in much more depth in my upcoming book, Finding Freedom.
Not as a theory, but as lived experience.

Still learning.
Still refining.
Still becoming.

— Jean

✍️ If this resonated with you, like, comment, or share to spark more conversations about purpose and leadership.
🔔 Follow me for more insights on purposeful growth and evolving leadership.

#FindingFreedom #Leadership #SmallGiants #LeadershipAcademy #Purpose

Borrowed a move from the Scott Jeffrey Miller playbook this morning.

Up at 5am.
Swam at 5:30.
Walked a couple of kilometres.
Back in the ocean at 6:30.
Coffee at 6:58 — and then writing.

Only problem?
My ‘donut 🍩 shop’ isn’t open at 4:58am.

But there’s something addictive about starting the day before the world wakes up.

8X Bestselling Author | Former Host of the World’s Largest Weekly Leadership Podcast | Former CMO and EVP of FranklinCovey | Keynoter | Principal at the Gray + Miller Agency | Visit graymilleragency.com

I’ve been thinking back to a powerful moment from the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 — a talk given by Davin Salvagno that has stayed with me, and has had ripple effects in my own life.
 
What strikes me now is how beautifully his message aligns with this year’s Summit theme: 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲.
 
Davin spoke about confronting uncertainty — the 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵-𝘪𝘧𝘴 that quietly shape our decisions.  
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴?  
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘶𝘱?  
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺?
 
We all carry these questions. And too often, they freeze us in place.
 
But Davin challenged us to reframe them.
 
What if the 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵-𝘪𝘧𝘴 aren’t containers for fear…  but containers for 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆?
 
That’s the essence of navigating uncertainty:
 
Not avoiding fear, but walking with it.  
Not waiting for perfect confidence, but choosing intentional movement.  
Not asking “What if it goes wrong?” but “What if this is the start of something meaningful?”

And Davin's presence at the Small Giants Summit evolved into some wonderful connections that have led to us working together on my book, as well as the Small Giants Press.
 
As we head into a new year — and a new Summit — I’m carrying Davin’s lesson with me:
 
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗺𝘆.  
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
 
If you want to explore your own possibilities and potential ripple effects, then join us at this year's summit: https://lnkd.in/gcee7Tzp 

📖 BTW - if Davin's message resonates with you, I encourage you to check out his book, 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦.

When I’m not working or writing, you’ll usually find me in a bookstore—half lost, half hiding—sipping something strong and honest enough to qualify as a personality trait.

This morning I had noble plans.

A swim. A reset. Salt water therapy.

But I left it too late. The tidal pool was already a people soup—a warm, wriggling stew of elbows and enthusiasm. 

Not my scene.

So I did the next best thing: grabbed a coffee and disappeared into the quiet calm of a local bookshop. 

No noise. 
No agenda. 
Just stories, spines, and the small luxury of time.
Sometimes that’s the whole point of a day off.

What’s your favorite way to spend one?

Today was eye test day 👀

Nothing like sitting in a chair with a medieval-looking contraption strapped to your face to remind you of one simple truth:

👉 Clarity matters.

As the optometrist kept asking,
“Is this clearer… or this?” I couldn’t help but think about how many leaders are walking into a new year without real clarity on:
	•	Where they’re heading
	•	What actually matters to them
	•	And whether their personal values and their company’s direction are truly aligned

When your vision isn’t clear, everything feels harder than it needs to be.
You get tired faster.
You second-guess yourself.
You drift.

The same is true in leadership.

If you’re not clear on your vision and plan for the year, you end up reacting instead of leading — and burnout isn’t far behind.

So here’s your gentle reminder (from someone who literally had their eyes tested today 😄):

👉 Get clear on where you’re going.
👉 Make sure your plan actually fits you.
👉 And don’t ignore the signs when things feel blurry.

Now… apparently I need slightly stronger lenses.
Onwards, with clearer vision.

#findingfreedom

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Here are a few things I'm most looking forward to in 2026:
 
• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁: a gathering that never fails to recharge me. There’s nothing quite like being in a room full of leaders who believe business can be a force for good.
 
• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸, 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙢: a project years in the making, shaped by countless conversations, late nights, and lessons I didn’t know I needed to learn.
 
• 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: the kind of people who aren’t just chasing growth, but meaning… and who are building companies that reflect that.
 
The new year always brings a sense of possibility — a mental reset, a fresh page, a clean horizon.
 
But there's another truth we can't ignore:
 
𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
 
The goals we set for 2026 won’t carry themselves.  
The cultures we want to build won’t grow on autopilot.  
The leaders we aspire to become won’t emerge simply because the calendar turned.
 
Showing up — with clarity, curiosity, and purpose — is still the work.  
It’s what turns resolutions into habits and aspirations into outcomes.
 
So as I look toward 2026 with excitement, I’m grounding myself in that reminder:  
The year ahead holds incredible potential, but it’s the 𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 that make it real.
 
Here’s to a year of intention, connection, and purpose-filled progress. I hope you'll join me on the journey.

One thing I love about the Small Giants Community Summit? The 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 in the room.

This isn't a conference where you sit in a windowless room, silently watching speaker after speaker go onstage, gulping down bad coffee to keep your eyes open.

It's bright. Both visually, and energetically.

✨ Speakers invite discussion.
✨ Facilitators give you time to problem-solve in real time with your table.
✨ Meals and evening events are an intentional time to connect with other participants, and build lasting relationships.
✨ Mindfulness Moments are peppered throughout the schedule to allow you a moment to pause, breathe deeply, digest what you've just learned, and reset for the next presenter.

Plus, the coffee and food is pretty darn good, too.

𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿'𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗶𝘁, 𝗠𝗜 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟴 - 𝟯𝟬, and experience a different kind of business conference. https://lnkd.in/gcee7Tzp

Small Giants Community

Values and purpose can’t be manufactured at the top.

They don’t “roll out” in a deck.
They don’t live on a poster in the kitchen.

As JOHN J COSTELLO says: they have to be embraced by the owner… and created by the entire company.

In the latest episode of Growing With Purpose, John names a tension I see all the time:

You know the leader you want to be.
You know the kind of company you want to build.

But translating that belief into something a whole team can actually live?
That’s the work.

This conversation is about moving from “running the organization” to building something grounded in shared values, trust, and purpose.

Not because it’s easy.
Because it’s what matters.

🎧 Watch the full episode with John Costello: https://lnkd.in/gnRhxTxK

#SmallGiants #GrowingWithPurpose #ValuesDrivenLeadership #PurposeDrivenBusiness #Leadership #CompanyCulture

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸?
 
For me, these next few days are all about developing the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 for the Small Giants Community.

That means:  
🎯 Minimal external calls  
🎯 Dedicated time with the team  
🎯 Clarity around our priorities  
🎯 And space to think deeply rather than react quickly
 
I’ve learned over the years that if I’m not intentional with my time during weeks like this, the work simply doesn’t get done.  

Strategies remain half-formed.  
Priorities stay fuzzy.  
And we end up starting the year feeling frazzled instead of focused.
 
Intentionality isn’t just a mindset — it’s a discipline. A choice to create the conditions for meaningful work, rather than hoping clarity arrives on its own.
 
So that’s where my energy is going this week.
 
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂?  𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁?

Exciting news over at Small Giants Press - Nenuca Syquia joins the imprint as its latest author signed! 

I'm so excited to see how the author journey takes shape for Nenuca. Maison Vero is the professional publishing house supporting the Small Giants imprint, and they've been fantastic to work with.

Welcome, Nenuca!

📚 BTW, did you know that Small Giants Press now has its own LinkedIn page? Give them a follow for more updates and useful author/ publishing insights!

We’re excited to share that Nenuca Syquia has joined Small Giants Press as our newest author, publishing with Maison Vero.

Nenuca’s work centers on helping organizations redesign how they work, so business becomes a force for good for people, communities, and the planet. While her book is still taking shape, her voice aligns deeply with the values behind this imprint.

She also becomes the second author to publish under the Small Giants Press imprint, marking an exciting next chapter for Small Giants Press.

Welcome, Nenuca. We’re honored to walk alongside you.

I just wrapped up my Leadership Academy calls for the week: the very first sessions with our 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲.
 
Both cohorts are filled with intelligent, caring leaders who showed an incredible amount of grace as I found my footing during my first round of Leadership Academy facilitations. (Teachers are lifelong learners, too!)
 
What struck me most during these conversations was this:
 
𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
 
Some are founders looking to bring new energy into their businesses.  
Some are stepping into larger roles and learning how to lead at a new altitude.  
Some are brand new to their companies — and see this program as a way to be primed for leadership in a purpose-driven organization.
 
Different stories, different contexts… but a shared desire to 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
 
That’s the heart of the Leadership Academy: creating a space where leaders can reflect, learn, challenge old patterns, and build the muscles required for people-first leadership.
 
I’m genuinely looking forward to getting to know each of them over the course of this program — to watch their confidence grow, their clarity sharpen, and their leadership deepen.
 
And I’m excited to see how the Academy shapes their journeys, their companies, and the cultures they’re building.
 
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀.

👉 Interested in joining the fun? We'll have enrollment for future cohorts open later this year... go to https://lnkd.in/gdHZihB9 to learn more.

The Small Giants Community is just that: a 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.
 
Last year, 25% of our Summit attendees had already been to 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 Summits.  

To me, that says something powerful.
 
It speaks to the depth of the relationships formed here.  
The trust.  
The sense of belonging.  
The feeling of, “These are my people.”
 
But let me be clear:
 
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗯.
 
In fact, this Community is 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 by newcomers.  
The leaders who’ve been with us for years open their arms — and their playbooks — to new faces and new perspectives. They know our movement in the business world grows stronger only when more leaders join the conversation.
 
And every year, first-time attendees tell us the same thing:
 
“𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺.”
 
So if you’re a leader who prioritizes purpose and people over profit and growth…  
If you’re building with intention, heart, and a belief that business can be a force for good…
 
𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀.
 
There’s a place for you here.

Experience the Community firsthand at the 2026 Small Giants Summit: https://lnkd.in/gcee7Tzp

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜.

Every day, 𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 in the U.S. alone.

For years, we’ve talked about succession planning in theory.
Now it’s happening in real time.

Entire organizations are about to lose decades of hard-won wisdom.
And many Gen X and Millennial leaders are stepping up…without the guidance, grounding, or confidence they need to lead with purpose.

That’s the challenge. But here’s the opportunity:

We can 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 the next generation — not just to manage, but to lead intentionally.

At Small Giants, we see this moment as a 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗳𝗳:
A chance to 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 who know who they are, what they stand for, and how to bring people with them.

We can help you and your team weather the silver tsunami through our resources and programming:
✅ The Small Giants 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 is a high-impact, in-person event that fosters connection, knowledge-sharing, and collective greatness.
✅ The Small Giants 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆 is a cohort-based leadership development program for leaders looking to level up their skills and confidence.
✅ Our free virtual events, articles, and podcast episodes keep you informed on how to be a leader making positive impact in today's world.

The silver tsunami isn’t something to fear.
It’s an invitation — to equip your next generation to lead with heart, not hierarchy.

Davin Salvagno excited to have you back at #SGCSummit26 and working with our authors in Small Giants Press

Founding Partner at Maison Vero | 2X Bestselling Author | Inspirational Speaker | Cofounder of The Purpose Summit

Many authors write and speak from the depths of their own struggles. 

Two years ago, I was done. 

Mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually. 

Or so I thought…

I needed to hear this talk perhaps more than the audience.

It’s no mistake that the theme at the Small Giants Summit that year was “enduring.”

Without this moment right here, I would not have finished writing the Thieves of Purpose, which has gone on to impact thousands of lives whom I may never meet. 

Whatever you are struggling with, I want to encourage you today to keep stepping in, to keep moving forward, and to share your story with others. 

Your story of enduring may be the inspiration someone else needs to endure their own struggle, even if you never meet them.

And if you plan on attending the Small Giants Summit this year, I look forward to meeting you there!

The world may feel heavy right now — for many of us, in many different ways.
 
Which is why it feels like the perfect moment to lean into a word I’ve been thinking about lately:
 
𝗦𝗶𝘀𝘂.
 
It’s a distinctly Finnish concept that doesn’t translate neatly into English, but its essence is powerful:
 
A quiet strength.  
A steady courage.  
A determination that persists 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 in the face of extreme challenges.
 
Not bravado.  
Not optimism for optimism’s sake.  
But a deep, grounded resilience — the kind that carries you forward when the path is unclear.
 
We’ll be exploring similar concepts at the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 under this year’s theme: 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲.
 
Because leadership today isn’t about avoiding uncertainty or waiting for calm conditions — it’s about learning to move with intention through whatever comes.
 
❄️ I hope you’ll join us as we dig into what it means to lead with clarity, courage, and yes… a bit of sisu.

Mixing digital marketing, design thinking, and entrepreneurship. 

Building STOICA.CO, a B2B marketing agency part of BBN International. We help companies develop their online presence as an asset to generate revenue and growth for their business. We help our clients clarify their marketing strategy, create a clear plan, and execute to get results fast. 

I tried a few projects over time, bootstraped, raised money, and mostly learned a lot: an advertising agency, a graduation albums business, a photo studio, a software as a service platform, a web3 products studio, and a few communities. 

Do you think I can help? 

Schedule a call here: https://stoica.co/andrei

Andrei Stoica

2025 was CRAZY. 🤯 

And I don't expect anything less from 2026. 

If you survived last year, CONGRATS! You're officially part of the "I have no idea what's coming, but I'm here anyway" club. One day you're scaling, and everything seems perfect; the next day, everything falls apart. 

With a good first draft of a strategy, a bit more focus than all previous years combined, assets that streamlined some processes, and the start of a leadership team, we managed to have a PRETTY GOOD YEAR. 

Despite all the madness, we grew the revenue of STOICA.CO by 60% and worked with clients like Druid AI and Backbone, shaping their brand strategy and assets, and delivering tangible results.  

What's next? 

We learned a lot last year. Now we need to FOCUS. 

I hope we all have a great 2026!

CEO, STOICA.CO — B2B marketing for growth

I hope you all have a great new year! 

There's enough pie for everyone cooking out there. 

I know we will.

Marketing is all about making choices.

You either choose YOUR winning path, your unique perspective about the world, your way of doing things, OR you do what everyone else is doing and wonder why results are flat. 

You need to draw a line.

🏆 Choose your ideal customer ("all SMEs in [country]" doesn't work). 

🏆 Articulate your offer and unique value proposition. 

🏆 Prioritise the right channels and tactics. 

Stop trying to be everything for everyone, everywhere. 

It took me 10+ years of entrepreneurship to really get this idea, and I still feel like I'm missing some magic opportunity, but it WORKS. 

FOCUS works! A good STRATEGY works!

graphical user interface, text, application

Big congrats to Jason Flack and the Collective OS team on coming out of stealth and raising $2.5M. They’re building a platform for agencies and service businesses that believe GROWTH COMES FROM COLLABORATION.

After two years of building in stealth, I’m thrilled to finally launch Collective OS and announce our $2.5M fundraise.

Freddie Laker and I started Collective OS because we saw a real problem for professional service businesses, especially agencies, consulting firms, and fractional experts. Traditional ways of generating new business like paid ads and cold emails just aren’t working anymore, and the noisy AI slop on social media platforms (**ahem**) has hit a breaking point.

It’s harder than ever for thoughtful people and firms to stand out, build trust, or generate real conversations that turn into revenue.

What works, and will always work, is referrals from people you trust.

With that reality in mind, we felt this was the moment to build something unique, collaborative, and impactful.

Our goal with Collective OS is simple:  help service providers double and triple down on the thing that already makes up most of their revenue - referrals.

Today, that looks like an AI-powered connector that helps firms build trusted partner networks (aka, their “Collective”). By empowering independent agencies and service providers to discover and team up with complementary firms, they can share deal flow, expand their service offering, and “say yes to more revenue” - without the overhead of becoming full-service.

Since launching in stealth in January 2024, we’ve seen $5M+ in shared deal flow and thousands of new partnerships formed between our users. 

Our users believe in collaboration, not a “lone wolf” mentality. Their mindset is simple: if you win, then I win, then we all win.  

If that resonates with you, come join us.

Today is the result of countless late nights, early mornings, and pure hustle by an incredible team, but it’s only the beginning. This is the first step in our mission to Digitize Word of Mouth™ among service providers and maximize referrals for the largest sector of our economy.

If this vision resonates with you — whether you’re an engineer, designer, operator, or just someone who gets sh*t done — we’re hiring, and we’d love to talk.

And lastly, we wouldn't be here without our amazing group of friends, early supporters, angels, investors, and advisors who have stood with us along the way, and who I am incredibly grateful for:

Scott Garber, Brian Bell, Trevor Kaufman, Paul Lewis, Nancy Hill, Sangeeth Peruri, Evan Specter, Seamus M., Steve Klebe, Chris Sporck, Akli Adjaoute, Stephanie Ochoa, CPA, Sohan Gadkari, Jordan Rothstein, Parker Ashley, Damiano R., Austin Dillman, Charlie Guevara, Chuck Schaeffer, Sam Chadha, Adam Towvim, Jeff Blettner, Michael Martens, John Martens, Elliott Brown, Gary Penn, Matt Kruger, Réamonn (Ray) Smale, Ivonne Azurdia, Elise Marquis (de Saint Didier), Sean MacBeth, Tavis Salazar, Stephanie Driscoll, Daniel Shainker, Cate French, Mel Pacheco, Matthew Obendorf

See you in the Collective.

Pro-bono mentoring and coaching opportunity for senior SMEs and managers in IT companies in Romania who want more from their careers but have difficulties in finding ways forward. 

80+ experienced leaders from consultancy, technology, and services companies are here to help!

Do you feel that your career is stuck? No room to grow? Feeling like you don’t have the right support or not having the confidence to ask for help within your organization?
 
At Bridging Gaps we’re opening a new window for pro-bono mentoring and coaching sessions. With more than 80 experienced leaders from consultancy, technology and services companies, we’re enabling people reaching their full potential, overcoming fears and achieving progress in their career.
 
Given our extensive experience, we can support through pro-bono mentoring and coaching senior SMEs, first-time, middle and senior managers in IT companies in Romania who want more from their career but they have difficulties in finding ways forward.
 
Fill in the registration form, check our website and see who's the mentor matching your growth journey! Links in first comment.

#GrowTogether #ProBono #Mentoring #Coaching #Community #CareerGrowth

If you're an SME in the UK, you should check this out. 

Download the ebook to get all you need to know + a calendar of cybersecurity requirements in 2026. 

If you didn't pay too much attention to cybersecurity yet (and you should), this is a great place to start!

Managed Cyber Security, Productivity and Connectivity Services

It’s not an easy time to run a business, and nobody feels it more than SMEs - the much lauded, but harshly squeezed “backbone of the UK’s economy”. 

And when it comes to cyber security, SMEs find themselves especially vulnerable. 

Business owners and finance directors are juggling priorities and demands, tight budgets, overstretched IT Teams, the rapidly changing nature of cyber threats and overly complex cyber tooling. 
 
Finance leaders face increasing pressure and have to control rising overheads, whilst at the same time being asked by boards to demonstrate security and compliance. 

But it is entirely possible to cut the number of systems, simplify the set-up and optimise their budgets. Without adding overheads, costs and hassle - by using tools their business already has.

At Backbone we’ve prepared a short Guide to cyber security for Finance Directors: a 5-step playbook, which can provide some useful ideas. 

It’s free to download, and you’ll also find a calendar of cyber security regulatory requirements in 2026. I hope you find it useful!
Get it here: https://lnkd.in/eHTbNhy3

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Andrei Stoica

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The Battle

Jean Moncrieff

Andrei Stoica

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