Joel Williams

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to co-found and build Transact Media Group (TMG) alongside some true industry titans — and to partner with some of the biggest players in the market.

While everyone naturally chases the biggest deals and logos, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the past 12 months is the power of going deep on strategic partnerships. I touch on a few of these in the podcast clip, but the reality is simple: without these people, our business wouldn’t be what it is today.

Doing strategic partnerships properly is one of the biggest hacks in business. 

You surround yourself with C-suite leaders and VPs at hungry, ambitious businesses. You test, you learn, and you build — and in the process, you become a far better all-round operator. I don’t need to name names; those people know who they are.

Feeling genuinely privileged to be building something truly game-changing for the market — and even more excited to show up every day and work on it.

We believe we’ve built a product for everyone.
Grow with us.

2026 already feels different. 

January was a sprint across tech and sales — and I’m proud to say we’re now trading globally. We finalised Canada over the weekend, which complements our US and Brazil algorithms across the Americas, nicely — a moment of real serendipity - as we head into our next growth chapter.

We’re now live in 27 markets:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, UAE, KSA, UK and the US.

I also turned 29 in January, and I’ve never felt hungrier to push myself further before my 30th birthday. As someone who has never taken the easy route, I can safely say that this year will be the biggest yet. 

This is why 700+ advertisers have already registered for Transact Media Group (TMG) Business Manager. With 45+ integrations complete, it takes just three clicks to get started for outcome based marketing or data activations. 

Our mission is clear, we believe using historic transactional data will impact your future transactions and lead to enhanced business results. 

The problems we are solving for our brand & agency partners:
﻿
1. Improve campaign performance – Leveraging transactional data to optimise social and programmatic media campaigns.
2. Business outcome marketing – Running fixed cost-per-sale or outcome-based campaigns to acquire new or engage existing customers across display, video, connected TV, YouTube, and podcasts.
3. Measure real impact – Tracking how connected TV (CTV) marketing actually drives purchases, not just impressions.
4. Repurpose creative content – Working with content creators to turn Meta and TikTok content into high-performing programmatic ads, matched directly to transactional data sets.

I’m excited to welcome Mike and Debbie as we scale our North America go-to-market.

Huge thanks to the team - this show is only just getting started, I’m honoured to lead this business forward. 

Thank you for all your continued support.

Really appreciate Campaign UK for the coverage and for taking the time to tell the Transact Media Group (TMG) story.

2025 was a defining year for Transact Media Group — contributing to $50m+ GMV for partners, scaling our team significantly, and seeing 700+ brands commit to campaigns through TMG Business Manager. Most importantly, it validated our belief that performance marketing needs to be built around outcomes, not proxies.

As our Chairman Barry Cupples put it in the piece:
 “Outcome-based media isn’t a trend — it’s a correction. When incentives are aligned, growth follows.”

That philosophy underpins everything we’re building — from launching Programmatic and Google Shopping on a straight CPA basis, to expanding across Europe, APAC, the Middle East, and into the U.S. in 2026.

Thanks to our partners, clients, and the TMG team for the trust and collaboration. The focus now is on scaling responsibly and continuing to deliver real commercial results.

Read more below. Onwards 🚀

Open article: Transact Media Group Eyes 2026 U.S Expansion After Driving $50M GMV for Partners by campaignlive.co.uk

Transact Media Group Eyes 2026 U.S Expansion After Driving $50M GMV for Partners

Media. Data. Commerce. Connected By Transactions.

Tonight, I must start packing my suitcase for Affiliate Summit West, in Las Vegas.

📅 11th–14th January 2026 – Networking, exploring affiliate opportunities, and catching up with partners in tech and e-commerce.

After the summit, we’re heading to New York 🗽 to meet clients, agencies, and brands — showing how Transact Media Group (TMG) helps turn marketing into real business outcomes:

✨ Transact Signals – audience targeting powered our exclusive transaction-level data algorithm
 📺 Programmatic & CTV Activation – measurable campaign performance
 🛒 Consumer Platforms – generating demand and driving commerce

I’ll be traveling with my Co-Founder and good friend, Adam Wilmshurst, and we’re amazed — 55+ meetings booked next week! 

Can’t wait to connect, collaborate, and spark some exciting partnerships. The US is a very important market for us this year, building on a strong foundation laid last year.

🏴‍☠️ 🚀 🇺🇸

For those who know me, you’ll be aware of my passion for Wales and business — so I’m really excited to be taking to the stage with my good friend, Gareth Lewis!

On Thursday 19 February, as part of Wales Week / London, I’ll be hosting a thought-provoking lunchtime lecture at Transact Media Group (TMG) HQ, 100 Bishopsgate, in partnership with Vivid Financial Planning.

Why (Welsh) Businesses Need To Think Global

We’ll explore how data, marketing, and growth can become your core profit engine, including:

1. How data can unlock better decision-making and fuel profitable growth
2. Why marketing should be treated as a strategic growth engine, not a cost
3. What Welsh businesses need to do differently to compete on a global stage
4. Practical lessons from organisations successfully scaling beyond borders
5. This session is designed for founders, directors, and senior leaders looking to future-proof their business and maximise long-term value — whether you’re already operating internationally or preparing for the next stage of growth.

Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Format: Lunchtime lecture & discussion

Register below and join us for an engaging session on thinking bigger, growing smarter, and taking Welsh businesses global! - https://lnkd.in/ehrQrMtx

Thanks for the opportunity Mike Jordan & Dan Langford OBE.

https://lnkd.in/e2NkNAbz

Open article: Why (Welsh) Businesses Need To Think Global by walesweek.london

Why (Welsh) Businesses Need To Think Global

It was great to feature in this episode.

Happy New Year all.

View company: London School of DIGITAL BUSINESS

Marketing looks very different when results, not dashboards, are the scoreboard. In this GPIS episode, Sachin Parekh sits down with Joel Williams, Founder of Transact Media Group (TMG) Group, to unpack what happens when marketing is tied directly to real transactions, real revenue, and real accountability. 

Joel shares how he scaled fast by rejecting vanity metrics, betting on outcome-driven execution, and building systems where performance can actually be proven. 

It’s a sharp, no-nonsense conversation about incrementality, guaranteed results, and why the future of marketing belongs to those who are willing to be measured where it truly counts.

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/d2qBq3dT
YouTube Music: https://lnkd.in/dBg3kHxT
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/d5bNgdux

#GPISSeason2 #MarketingLeadership #PerformanceMarketing #RevenueDriven #OutcomeFirst #B2BMarketing #MarketingAccountability #RealResults #GrowthStrategy #LSDBUK

A big week in the US, spending time with some of the world’s largest brands and agencies.

We’re building deep, strategic partnerships that will significantly accelerate our growth in the market.

This week, it’s back to execution across our other regions — launching a truly company-changing deal and continuing to scale our new products.

We also had a lot of fun filming the below podcast with Tash Courtenay-Smith — check this out ..highlighting a snippet of some of that growth. More PR announcements are coming soon, along with our newly launched Transact Media Group (TMG) Business Manager.

I almost, can’t keep up with our own pace, but we keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Our mission is clear - using transactional-based data to drive meaningful business outcomes from media, not just surface-level metrics.

Striding onwards, Joel 🚀 

https://lnkd.in/e5TupqrH

Open video: Why Performance Marketing Is Being Rebuilt Around Transactions | Tash Insights on youtube.com

Why Performance Marketing Is Being Rebuilt Around Transactions | Tash Insights

A lovely way to wake up to a PR push about our offering in the Middle East this morning from the US.

Humbled by our next phase of growth.

Onwards 🚀 😎

Transact Media Group (TMG) and InMotion have launched Transact Data, a new off-the-shelf transactional insights product giving brands across the Middle East access to scalable, privacy-safe behavioural signals.

The product also includes off-the-shelf private marketplaces (PMPs), giving agencies fully packaged, commerce-driven private marketplace deals ready for immediate activation.

“Brands need real, actionable consumer signals — not guesswork,” said Joel Williams, CEO, TMG. “Transact Data delivers exactly that."

Read the full article here:
https://lnkd.in/g3fj49-N

Open article: TMG, InMotion bring off-the-shelf transactional signals to marketers with ‘Transact Data’ - Campaign Middle East by campaignme.com

TMG, InMotion bring off-the-shelf transactional signals to marketers with ‘Transact Data’ - Campaign Middle East

Founder, Tash Partners | Fractional Growth & CMO Leadership | Growth Infrastructure & Content Systems

A lot can happen in 12 months... just ask Joel Williams and Adam Wilmshurst.

Almost a year after we caught up in the podcast studio to chat about the start of Transact Media Group (TMG), we were back in the studio to reflect on a period that has seen TMG go from 10-15 early client wins to:

✅ Being active in 30+ territories
✅ Running campaigns across Europe, APAC, the Middle East and the Americas
✅ Partnering with some of the most sophisticated brands and agencies in the world – including Mastercard

I'm also explaining why the marketing funnel is no longer a funnel... it's a sieve (with thanks to my good friend Charles Denton for an outstanding metaphor!)

#tashinsights #dtcinsights #ecombrands #femalefounders #newsletter

If you’re free on Wednesday night, I’ll be speaking at empowHER In the Making: Build, Break & Rebuild at The Little Violet Door in London. Nicole Harv

Open article: What a difference a year makes... by Tash Courtenay-Smith • 9 min read

COO @ Kurogo | We Create Thought Leaders Through Personal Branding | x2 TEDx speaker | Advisor, Investor & NED | Law Graduate | I talk about entrepreneurship, agency life and grief

Hey, I’m Lewis! 👋 I'm an operator, builder, and believer in doing work that matters.

For the last 4 years, I helped scale Kurogo, one of the leading personal branding agencies, as Chief Operating Officer, partnering with 300+ world-class founders, CEOs, C-Suite Execs and public figures to grow their influence and impact. I joined in September '21 and within 4 years, we scaled to a 7-figure business, with a global, remote team of 20+. We had clients across the UK, Europe, USA and MENA regions.

I have 5+ years' experience as a Non-Executive Director, particularly within the non-profit and social impact sector. At present, I continue to serve as:

- Vice Chair & Non-Executive Director, Child Action Northwest
- Non-Executive Director, Spring North

Currently, I’m travelling and building quietly behind the scenes - creating space to explore what’s next.

Lewis Alexander Baxter

It’s been a tough week.

And a harder start to 2026 than I expected.

There’s been some personal stuff going on.
Nothing I want to share publicly right now.

I’ve had to pull back on work.

Slow things down. Create a bit of space.

That hasn’t come easily. 

I've talked a lot recently about building work around life, not the other way round.

I guess this is what actually living that out looks like.

It’s been a reminder to keep the people around me close.

Not to default to busyness.
Not to disappear when things feel heavy.

And to come back to a simple, poignant message:

In a world where you can be anything, be kind.

I’ve felt that this week.

From compassionate clients.
Understanding colleagues.
Friends who’ve checked in.

I’m really grateful for it.

Life can feel fragile at times.

And moments like this are an important reminder of what actually matters.

Age 18, I had no interest in a gap year or solo travelling.
 
Age 27, something had shifted.

When I step back, the thing that stands out most isn’t necessarily the places I visited. 

It’s how significant it felt to be away from home, and away from work, for nearly 3 months.

Because as a teenager, it just didn’t appeal to me then.

Not in the way it seemed to for other people.

Several friends had gap years.

They spoke about travelling constantly.

I listened, but honestly... I never felt the pull myself.

From 18 to my early 20s, I had no interest in travelling on my own.

And if I’m honest, I don’t think I even questioned that at the time.

I absolutely LOVE travelling, though.

That came from my mum, predominantly. 

My parents and I went on some great holidays, and I know how fortunate I was.

But, until last year, the idea of jetting off to the other side of the world, didn’t appeal.

Over the last year or two, following Lukas and Ellie (and others), hearing how they’d travelled, explored the world, built space into their lives, planted something.

So spending 3 months late last year across four countries, meeting strangers, having unfamiliar conversations, learning how to sit with my own thoughts…

That version of me wouldn’t have made sense to 18-year-old me.

I was an only child.
I spent a lot of time on my own.
I never had a huge group of friends (only a few close ones, and we often moved in different directions).

So stepping that far outside my comfort zone, even at 27, felt significant.

Let’s not underestimate that.

We’re quick to tell ourselves we’re “late” to things. That we should’ve done them earlier.

That having adventures somehow has an expiry date.

But even at 27, it felt like a big move.

A stretch.

And I don’t think age matters when it comes to travel.

It doesn’t matter if you do it at 18.

Or 27.
Or 46.

It still takes courage.  

In the end, it came down to saying yes. And giving myself the chance to have the trip of a lifetime.

A reminder that it isn’t as out of reach as it can feel.

--

P.S. Have you ever surprised yourself by doing something much later than you thought you would?

P.P.S. Hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I’m on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

22,000 people have chosen to follow my thoughts on work, life and whatever else I end up thinking out loud here.

So, thank you. 🙏 

I’m not entirely sure why I celebrate follower milestones.

But I do. So… here we are.

Since Jan 1st, this little corner of LinkedIn has grown by almost 2,000 people.

(This feels slightly surreal, given I’ve been on here for 9+ years and for a long time it was mostly me, my dad, a few friends, and the occasional recruiter checking in!)

This recent growth has come from the hiring posts I’ve been sharing. 

Each week, I share a roundup of genuinely good agency roles across marketing, social and communications. Roles I’d actually send to a friend.

Last week, an amazing copywriter saw one of those posts, applied, and now has an interview lined up. This alone made the whole thing feel worth it!

The goal of my content? 

To provide as much value as I can, share what I’m learning about scaling agencies and operations, and connect great people with companies doing interesting work. 

--

So, if you’re new here, hello! 👋

Probably a good moment to reintroduce myself.

I’m Lewis. Age 27.

A northerner now living in London.
A law graduate turned agency operator.
A believer in doing work that actually matters.

👉 Until Oct '25, I was COO at a leading personal branding agency, helping scale it into a seven-figure, fully remote business working with founders, CEOs and senior leaders globally. Learnt so much!

👉 I love travel (and was lucky enough to spend late last year in Australia, Fiji, Bali and New Zealand).

👉 I’m hugely passionate about the charity sector, and currently sit on two charity boards. 

👉 After my own battles with mental health, and losing my mum aged 21, I talk openly about grief and human leadership (and encourage others to do the same)

Right now, I’m building a few things:👇 

- An operations consultancy, working with agencies on ops, finance & hiring
- FUNC, an online marketplace for functional drinks and better-for-you products
- A new agency in a space I genuinely love (more on that soon!)

And this year, I’m designing work around life, not the other way around. 

More travel, more gym, more life, more 'me time'. 

If you’re here for hiring, leadership, building from 0-1, or the more human side of work - welcome. 

And if you’ve been here a while… thanks for sticking around. 🙏

One of the biggest lessons I learned in 2025:

Under-communication creates more problems than you ever anticipate.

In October, I shared a post announcing I was stepping away from a business to go travelling.

At the time, I didn’t think much of it.

In my head, the plan was clear.

I was still supporting one of our consultancy clients after leaving.

The team knew that.

I knew that.

But the client didn’t.

They saw the LinkedIn post before hearing anything privately, and their first reaction was:

“Lewis has left. Who’s my point of contact now?”

From my perspective, nothing had changed.
From theirs, their point of contact had suddenly disappeared.

Their knowledge gap came down to one thing:

I hadn’t given them the courtesy of a heads-up.

People rarely struggle with your decisions. They struggle with not knowing them.

This year, I'll operate by a few simple rules:

- Send the courtesy message.
- Share context early, not reactively.
- Keep people informed, so they’re not left guessing.

Over-communicating isn’t a weakness. It’s how trust actually gets built, especially as things grow.

When people don’t have clarity, they fill in the gaps themselves.

And it’s usually not the version you had in mind.

So, if you're a leader, manager, project lead or freelancer...

Remember,

Clear communication isn’t optional.

It’s part of the job.

--

♻️ Please repost if this message resonated.

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that matters. I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around.

I’ve been using the phrase “designing work around life, not the other way round” a lot recently.

Partly because it captures something I’m trying to be more intentional about.

And partly because I’m still figuring out what it actually means for me.

It doesn’t necessarily mean working less.
Or escaping responsibility.
Or building some perfectly balanced, always-calm life... (I don’t think that exists).

What it does mean, I think, is starting from a different place.

Instead of asking: “What does my work demand of me?”

I’m trying to ask: “What kind of life do I actually want to live, and how does work support that?”

It’s a small shift, but I’ve noticed it changes how I think about most decisions.

For me, this isn’t a binary thing.

It’s not something you “achieve” and tick off.

It’s a mindset.

A process.

A way of noticing when work is taking over more space than it deserves, and deciding, consciously, whether that’s a trade-off I’m happy to make right now.

Some weeks, work will come first. 

Other weeks, life might take the front seat. For some family time and space to think.

Designing work around life, for me, is about being intentional in those choices - rather than defaulting to work winning every time.

These are a few of the questions I’ve been asking myself lately, and maybe they’re useful for you too:

- What am I optimising for right now (travel, energy, learning, money)?
- If nothing changed for the next three years, would that be okay?
- What parts of my work give me energy (and which drain it)?
- What does a “good” week actually feel like?
- Where am I saying yes out of habit?
- What am I protecting time for?

I don’t have crystal clears answers to all of these.

Some of them shift depending on what life looks like at the time. But asking them has already shifted how I approach my work, and how much space I'll allow it to take up.

It feels less about getting it right, and more about paying attention as things change.

Curious, what does designing work around life look like for you, in practice?

--

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. Right now, I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

5 awesome agency marketing jobs YOU can apply for this weekend:👇

--

1/ Account Director 
Raptor 
Salary: £55K - £65K (DOE) 
Location: London

Raptor is a culture-led, youth-first marketing agency working across brand, social, experiential and real-world engagement. In this role, you’ll lead 2–3 key client accounts end-to-end, owning integrated campaigns, managing budgets, driving account growth, and leading a team of up to 6 in a fast-paced environment.

--

2/ Content Manager (Executive Thought Leadership) 
Triangle 
Salary: £30K - £35K (DOE) (+ bonus) 
Location: UK-based 

Triangle are a thought leadership and personal branding agency working with an exclusive group of leading CEOs as well as C-Suite executives at billion-dollar companies who want to leverage their own personal voice to transform their business. In this role, you’ll turn podcast-style executive interviews into high-performing LinkedIn posts and long-form content, combining writing, research, content strategy, and strong client communication.

--

3/ Senior Account Executive (PR) 
Citizen Relations 
Salary: £31K - £34K 
Location: London

Citizen are a global PR agency focused on building authentic connections between brands and communities. In this role, you’ll take ownership of client programmes, managing timelines, developing media materials, pitching press and talent, supporting crisis comms, and presenting campaign results, while mentoring junior team members. A great opportunity to grow your career in PR.

--

4/ Senior Social Media Executive
Plus 1 Communications
Salary: £30K (DOE)
Location: Windsor

Plus 1 Communications are a global creative and communications agency working across consumer, lifestyle and culture-led brands. In this role, you’ll lead end-to-end social campaigns, creating high-impact content, running paid social, and optimising performance across Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube and X - helping shift social from reactive posting to strategically led, high-production work that matches the agency’s award-winning creative standard.

--

5/ Podcast Producer (Personal Brand)
7xContent
Salary: £25K-£35K
Location: Remote-first

7X are a specialist video-first podcast agency helping world-leading creators and brands turn conversations into high-impact content engines. In this role, you’ll own the strategy and production of Creator Playbooks - leading the founder’s podcast end-to-end, while also driving the marketing engine behind Callum’s personal brand and 7X’s content funnel across YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and email.

--

Every week, I share fresh roles across marketing, social and comms. All posted in the last 10 days, with salary shown.

♻️ Repost to share these opportunities with your network.

A lot of people go back to work tomorrow.

The inbox. Client calls. Team meetings. The familiar pace returning.

Before that kicks off, I’ve been thinking about a slightly different question.

Not simply 'what do I want to achieve this year'?
But 'how do I want to live while I’m doing the work'?

There’s something appealing about resolutions. They sound good in theory.

I’ve never been great with resolutions 
(and this will be the second year I haven't set any).  

They're pretty unforgiving. 

Binary. 

You’re either “on track” or you’re not.

And once you fall off, it’s easy to write the whole thing off (and just wait until the next year when you can set them again...)

Values feel more forgiving.

And, I think, more useful.

They’re not a checklist. Rather, they're a way of showing up.

Yesterday, I shared that in 2026 I’m intentionally designing work around life.

That isn’t a goal with a finish line.

It’s a lens I’m trying to come back to.

It shapes:

- how often I spend time with my family
- how present I am in my closest relationships
- how I treat the gym, health and my diet this year 
- how I think about travel (not as a break from work/life, but part of it)
- how I protect space, energy, and attention when everything feels busy

None of that looks especially impressive on paper.

But it changes how the days, the weeks and the months feel.

And maybe that’s the point.

So before work starts pulling at you tomorrow, maybe take a moment today. 

To decide what deserves protecting this year, even when work tries to crowd it out.

What do you want more of outside of work?

And what values will guide your decisions when things inevitably get busy?

No one’s going to ask you those questions.

You have to ask them yourself.

--

♻️ Please repost if this message resonated.

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that matters.

5 agency marketing jobs YOU can apply for this weekend:👇

--

1/ Senior Account Executive - Publicity (Film & TV) 🎬
Substance Global
Salary: £30K - £34K (DOE)
Location: London (Hybrid)

Substance Global are an independent, insights-led digital marketing agency working across Film, TV and entertainment, with teams in London and globally. Known for their collaborative culture and creative ambition, they deliver high-profile campaigns blending strategy, publicity and innovation. In this role, you’ll support Film & TV publicity campaigns, working on media liaison, client relationships, screenings, premieres and events. A fast-paced role for someone organised, confident and plugged into Film & TV culture.

--

2/ In-House Content Creator
HonestBrands
Salary: £40K - £50K (+ bonuses) 
Location: Remote (UK / Barcelona preferred)

HonestBrands run a beginner-to-advanced e-commerce training community helping people build real brands across Amazon, TikTok and Shopify. Content sits at the centre of growth. Your job is simple: create a high volume of high-quality content that drives demand. You’ll work closely with the founders on organic, paid and long-form content that builds trust, attracts the right audience and scales repeatable content systems.

--

3/ Senior Account Executive (Public Relations)
Group42
Salary: £28K - £30K (DOE) 
Location: London

42 Bruton, part of Group42, are a high-growth boutique PR agency working with ambitious scale-ups and challenger brands across the UK and US. Known for sharp positioning and clean execution, they deliver storytelling that drives real audience and investor engagement. You’ll support PR and digital campaigns across lifestyle, FMCG, travel and tech, working on media relations, content and client comms.

--

4/ Account Executive
adam&eveTBWA
Salary: £30K (+ bonuses)
Location: London

adam&eve\TBWA are a global creative agency built on the belief that emotion drives business growth. As the European hub for one of TBWA/Omnicom’s longest-standing global clients, the London team delivers fully integrated campaigns across ATL, digital, social, CRM, POS and internal comms. You’ll support the day-to-day delivery of international campaigns alongside senior account, creative and partner teams.

--

5/ Marketing Assistant
Signal Group
Salary: £26.6K - £26.8K
Location: Watford

Signal Group are a growing, people-focused marketing organisation delivering collaborative, detail-driven campaigns for a range of clients. They place strong emphasis on developing talent and long-term growth. In this role, you’ll support campaign delivery, brand consistency, research, performance tracking and reporting. A strong entry-level opportunity to gain hands-on experience across marketing.

--

Every week, I share fresh roles across marketing, social and comms. All posted in the last 10 days, with salary shown. 

♻️ Repost to share these opportunities with your network.

PS. Check out my comments section for links to every role.👇

We’re very good at being busy.

But, we don’t check in nearly enough on our energy.

Meetings.
To-do lists.
Deliverables.

Important, yes. But only part of the picture.

Some of the things that matter most aren’t obvious while you’re in the middle of it.

Energy. Presence. How you feel at the end of the day, when the laptop closes.

I’ve been paying more attention to that lately.

Not simply what I’m working on, but how the work leaves me feeling.

Energised. Or, drained.

Because you can be doing all the “right” things, ticking off tasks from your to-do list, and still finish most days feeling depleted.

Intentional life design, I’m realising, starts in these small moments.

In patterns you notice early, before they harden into defaults.

What consistently gives you energy.
What slowly takes it away.
What you’ve normalised, simply because it’s familiar.

So if there’s one thing worth paying attention to this week, maybe it’s this:

At the end of each day, pause for a moment and ask yourself:

Did today’s work give me energy, or take it away?

Answer this honestly.

You could even treat it like a simple energy audit - 'red, amber, green' your tasks, or loosely score them based on how much energy they gave you.
 
(I might write more on this separately).

Because how your work feels, day after day, matters more than we often admit.

Curious, when you think about your last few working days: what’s been giving you energy lately?

--

♻️ Repost if this resonated.

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around.

Today reminded me how much depth can exist in a short conversation.

Even with someone you’ve never actually met.

Earlier today, I chatted with George for 30 mins.

We’d been connected on LinkedIn for about six years.

But until today, we’d never actually spoken.

And as it turns out, I first reached out back in 2019.

Today was the first real conversation.

We started with work.

Marketing. Social media. Creative careers. Where things are heading. The challenges and the opportunities for companies and those looking for new opportunities. 

Then, quite naturally, it shifted.

Mental health and wellbeing - particularly for men.

Grief and loss. Identity.

Family. Relationships. The stuff beneath the surface.

All with someone who, until today, was effectively a stranger.

What struck me most was how easy it felt once we moved past the polite first few minutes.

Many of these topics can feel hard to talk about - especially as men, and especially with people we don’t really know yet. 

There’s often a sense you should keep things light and 'professional'. 

(especially when you've connected originally on LinkedIn)

But when there’s openness on both sides, it doesn’t feel forced.

It feels human.

It was a rich, thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation. 

The kind that reminds you how much depth can fit into a short window of time (if you let it).

One more thing that feels worth sharing:👇 

George has a book coming out next week.

"Be A Man About It: Building a Healthier Idea of Masculinity" (22nd January) (more details in comments) 

After the conversation we had, I’m genuinely looking forward to buying it and sitting with it properly.

Stephen Fry described it like this:

‘An absolutely fascinating enquiry into the nature of masculinity, coming at a time when it's really needed."

If the book carries even a fraction of the openness, depth and honesty that came through in our call, it’ll be an important one.

So, thank you, George. I’m really glad we finally connected properly.

Today made me realise how much we often leave unsaid, and how powerful it is when we don’t.

--

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. Right now, I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

Most people don’t have a time problem.

They have a thinking problem.

Or more accurately, they’re trying to think and execute at the same time.

This rarely works.

One thing I’ve been paying more attention to lately is separating strategy time from execution time.

Intentionally. 

Because when everything is 'execution mode', you default to reacting.

Emails. Slack. Tasks. Requests. WhatsApp messages.

And when thinking time is squeezed into the 5- or 10- minute gaps between meetings, it never really gets the space it needs.

There are a few ways I’ve seen this work well:

1/ A dedicated strategy day each week (I'm trialling next week!)
2/ Every morning (for ~2 hours) as locked-in thinking time
3/ Or, weaving smaller “thinking blocks” into each day

There’s no single right way. Do what feels right for YOU. 

And if anyone tells you that their way is the 'best way'...

Don't listen to them...

I was listening to a podcast clip with Leila Hormozi, and I wanted to share one line with you:

“If your week isn’t planned by Sunday, you have already lost the week.”

And for me, this makes perfect sense.

Not because Sunday planning magically solves all your problems. But because unplanned weeks get dictated by everyone else’s priorities.

Strategy time is where you decide:

- What actually matters this week
- What doesn’t need doing at all
- What can wait

Execution time is where you do the work.

Mix them together, and both will suffer.

So if things have felt busy but oddly unproductive lately, maybe this is the place to look.

Not “how can I do more?”

But: "When is my thinking time?"

--

♻️ Repost to share this message. 

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. Right now, I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

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The Battle

Joel Williams

Lewis Alexander Baxter

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The Battle

Joel Williams

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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);}Joel Williams's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreJoel Williams's LinkedIn Performance