Join us to learn all of the juicy secrets of tech leaders - their biggest successes (and failures) - on our quest for gaining that all-important technology edge.

I went from 105-hour weeks and near-divorce to a 40-hour workweek, zero turnover, and no missed deadlines.

That crisis forced me to rebuild everything—my leadership style, my team, and my life.

Now, I teach technology executives how to do the same.

I’ve coached executives from startups to Fortune 500s, helping them turn overwhelmed teams into high-performance A-Teams.

I’m Mike Mahony, a 20+ year CTO, Executive Coach, and creator of the Decentralized A-Team Method. 

My mission: help leaders escape firefighting mode, build autonomous teams, and scale without burnout.

Through executive coaching, digital products, and consulting, I guide tech leaders to:

	•	Cut hours without sacrificing results
	•	Develop teams that deliver without micromanagement
	•	Eliminate chaos and streamline operations

I also serve as a Fractional CTO and NetSuite specialist, where I translate messy systems into clear business wins—whether that’s automations, API integrations, or optimizing data workflows.

And as host of “Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge”, I sit down with top executives, founders, and disruptors to reveal the real stories behind successful teams—the hard lessons, surprising wins, and the strategies they wish they’d known sooner.

Here’s how we can work together:

🔹 Want to apply the Decentralized A-Team Method to your leadership style? DM me “COACH”

🔹 Have a story for the podcast? DM me “PODCAST”

🔹 Need a NetSuite Developer or Fractional CTO? DM me “NETSUITE”

👉 Listen to the show: https://gtle.show

📘 Grab the book: TopTierCoachingServices.com/dcatbook

Mike Mahony

I Show Consultants How To Monetise Their Expertise By Mastering The Art Of Self-Promotion (Even If The Thought Makes Them Feel Queasy) In 60 Days 🚀

I spent 20+ years in the corporate world building global brands & then I took the leap to co-own a 7-figure marketing design agency.

On paper, it looked impressive.

In reality, I was absolutely exhausted.

Every one of our corporate clients wanted something custom.

Growth meant working more hours and doing less of the work I loved.

The “freedom business” I was building took more from my family than being an employee ever did.

My kids got my leftovers, and I certainly wasn’t the mum or wife I wanted to be.

Somewhere along the way, I’d shaped myself into what everyone else wanted - bosses, business partners, clients.

I found that I'd muted my voice and put on a mask.

Because being 'me' just wasn't enough.

I'd left corporate to become my own boss for more meaning and impact, yet found that all I'd done was create another job. With way more stress.

So I started over.

Now, I run a fully independent consulting/coaching business that’s simple, profitable, and designed around my life - 20-hour weeks, consistent clients, no virtual coffees.

Here’s what I see…

Most consultants swap one job for another, outgrowing their business model because they’re not truly aligned with their genius, offer, or message.

Losing sight of what truly matters. Their potential goes untapped.

LinkedIn tells you to hustle and perform - but the people I work with aren’t here to become influencers.

They’re 40+, brilliant at what they do, but want to work differently - with more freedom and genuine fulfillment.

That’s why I built BoundlessOS™ - the identity-first operating system for consultants who want to bolt on a private coaching offer, run it alongside their corporate contracts, until they reach a point where they can smoothly transition to private work only.

You can do this without:
• Starting from scratch
• Jeopardising your reputation or income.
• Pretending to be someone you’re not.

Just one signature offer, one simple acquisition rhythm, and a practice that’s truly yours.

What it looks like in the real world:
• A consultant who spent a month in Europe and still hit $25k
• A founder who scaled from $12k → $36k/month in 5 months
• An e-commerce consultant who jumped from $5k → $42k in 6 weeks—and now takes Fridays off

If you’re ready to build a simple, profitable, fully aligned coaching practice - start here:

- Watch my free 20-minute walkthrough
- Book a Boundless GamePlan session
(Everything’s in my Featured section)

Or just DM me - I’m human 😊

Karita Beard 🚀

For 8 months I kept a secret.

I flew back to the UK last week to surprise my mum for her birthday.

Was very special and I'm so pleased I did it.

But OMG I won't be doing it again.

I find keeping secrets like that really stressful.

Always on high alert worried I'll say something wrong.

Knowing I'm keeping something from people and only giving them a half truth.

I guess I'm just not wired for lies.

This is why on paper I'm a crap marketer.

But I've noticed - most consultants are keeping a secret too.

They're sitting on decades of expertise and quietly underselling every bit of it.

Shrinking their value to fit a brief. 

Pricing below what they know they're worth. 

Describing what they do in ways that don't come close to what they actually deliver.

The secret isn't that they don't know enough.

It's that they haven't given themselves permission to say so.

☕ 

If you wanna get seen by dream clients without having to turn into a used car salesman click 'Visit my website' above and I'll show you how for free.

Karita Beard

Creator of BoundlessOS™ | Helping experienced consultants build an independent practice alongside corporate contracts - then replace their income and transition to a 20-hour week

Someone asked me about the LinkedIn algorithm changes over the weekend.

My honest answer? I don't give two hoots.

Never have. Never will.

I've got a 30-minute daily rhythm that brings in leads without stressing about what format is trending or whether I posted enough this week.

This week's newsletter breaks down the whole thing. Step by step.

👇

Creator of BoundlessOS™ | Helping experienced consultants build an independent practice alongside corporate contracts - replace their income and transition to a 20-hour week

View newsletter: The Boundless Consultant

Someone asked me over the weekend about the latest LinkedIn algorithm changes. My first reaction? I don't give two hoots about the LinkedIn algorithm.

Open article: The Simple 30-Minute LinkedIn Rhythm That Generates Leads Daily by Karita Beard • 5 min read

The Simple 30-Minute LinkedIn Rhythm That Generates Leads Daily

'AI slop' is good for your business.

The LinkedIn feed is utter crud at the moment.

And I'm all for it as I'm getting more inbound leads as a result.

'Influencers' who had avid fans two years ago are now selling themselves short with AI generated posts that are boring AF, and relying on engagement pods for reach.

Comments in the feed that just regurgitate what the creator has already said.

DM's being sent for the 5th time to those with zero interest, just to 'circle back'.

Yet, here I am generating daily leads from just 30 minutes activity every single day.

All because I DO use AI.

But...

I don't use it to generate all my content.

I've never used it to comment on people's posts.

And I've certainly never sent a message in the DM's to 'bump this to the top'.

You see, this is where people are going wrong with AI.

They simply have no idea how to use it effectively and humanly.

Because for it to bring you dream clients it's essential to know where automation ends and real presence begins.

There is zero point taking short cuts, if they don't lead anywhere.

What I do myself is exactly what I teach my clients.

And I love what AI has enabled me to achieve in my business, so much so, that I'm in the middle of building a brand new AI-powered platform.

It's gonna be a game changer for corporate consultants.

Especially those who want to break free from the dependency of contracts, referrals, and word of mouth - yet are time poor and not sure how to grow their brand and get private clients on here.

The BoundlessOS platform will help you do exactly this without risking your income or reputation.

And certainly without becoming one of those AI donuts you're currently getting fed up with.

☕ 

The Boundless Blueprint is how I do it and how I teach it. If you click 'Visit my website' above I'll walk you through it.

Build a private consulting practice alongside corporate contracts without burning income, reputation, or family time | BoundlessOS™

Most workshops suck because they're built backwards.

45 minutes spent building tension, teasing value, proving credibility - all to justify the pitch at the end.

By the time the offer comes, everyone knows what's happening. The energy shifts. People start checking out. Some leave before you even get there.

Look, if someone showed up, there's a strong chance they already want what you're offering.

They don't need to be convinced. They need to be invited.

So you name it early. Not a pitch. An invitation. 

"Here's what I'm building. If you want in, let me know." Then you teach.

You teach because that's what they came for. 
You teach because withholding value to manufacture urgency is transparent. You teach because the transformation is the sell.

At the end, you mention it once more. A reminder, not a close.

The people who want it will take it. The ones who don't, won't.

Most workshops fail because they're designed to manipulate a decision instead of earning one.

Just sayin.

☕

Build a private consulting practice alongside corporate contracts - without burning income or reputation | BoundlessOS™

It's not that you don't have clarity. It's that you haven't given yourself permission.

Looking back, it's easy to see that leaving corporate to buy into a 7-figure marketing agency was the wrong move.

I thought going from client side to agency side would be easy. All I did was swap one job for another. Still dealing with impossible personalities. Still navigating corporate politics. Still jumping through hoops.

Deep down I'd known for years I wanted to make a difference to people's lives, not line the pockets of billion-dollar businesses. It took something huge to finally give me the kick up the arse to go for it.

When I first spoke to L six months ago, she was scrambling. The weight of the world was on her shoulders. Speaking at a million miles an hour, trying to offload everything in her head.

She knew she had to make changes but was heading overseas to see family for a couple of months. She'd reach out when she got back.

I left her with the 'Genius Extractor' - a powerful tool I created that helps you pinpoint exactly what your perfect brand position and business direction should take to be truly fulfilled.

Four months later, I was drinking an espresso martini on the beach in Bali when I got a message...

"I'm feeling a bit unhinged. I've had enough of working with corporates. I used your tool again. I was honest this time. It feels truthful."

The same problem was still there.

When you've been operating at a high level for a long time - making huge advances in your career, solving million-dollar problems - you think you can solve the one you're facing right now on your own.

It's scary to admit you've reached a stage where you don't know who you are anymore or what you really want.

You've spent so long climbing the career ladder, having a family, being a good partner, running a household, and building a business all at the same time.

Suddenly you're like - what about me?

Where did I go?
What do I want?
How do I even make a change?
Can I even make a change?
Do I have it in me?

But deep down you know you do.

Deep down you know exactly what you should be doing.
Deep down you know there's plenty more in the tank.

And deep down you know that if you don't make a move now, it'll be too late.

But it's scary. Because you've worked so hard. You've done so much. You can't just give it up.

This is where most people stop.

But L didn't. Her knowing was too strong to ignore.

Only when the pain of staying where you are exceeds the pain of going after what you really want are you finally ready.

You don't have to make all the changes at once. But you do need to start with clarity on what the next chapter actually looks like.

☕ 

If you're ready for the next chapter click the 'visit my website' link above.

What your consulting clients see isn't what you see.

A client asked me this morning if I knew Dr Stacy Sims.

I didn't.

Apparently she’s a menopause researcher, scientist, someone who completely changed how women understand their own bodies. Then she said: "You remind me of her. The way you hold space. Centred, grounded, calm. Fully present. Like you were born for this."

I sat with that for a moment.

Because this week? I've been all over the shop.

Platform build. Launch prep. Kids' activities. Medical appointments. A to-do list that kept rearranging itself every time I looked away. Inside my head, it's been anything but centred.

And yet - that's what she saw.

What I've learnt over the years is that what others see in us is rarely what we see in ourselves. 

The thing we do with natural ease is the thing we take most for granted. We assume everyone does it. We overlook it entirely. We're too busy managing the chaos to notice we're also carrying people through it.

That ease? That presence? That's not a soft skill.

That's your superpower. And it's almost invisible to you precisely because it costs you nothing.

This is why my inner circle is capped at 30.

Not as a marketing tactic. But because I genuinely hold back in large communities - always have. I go quiet. I pull inward. I've watched myself do it my whole career. 

That's why I love 1:1 or small and tight groups, because I'm fully there. 

All in. Present. 

Thirty people get that version of me. That's the number where I can still see everyone clearly.

Now - the new platform is coming. BoundlessOS. 

And yes, it's built to scale. VirtualKB is already being tested by clients, and it gives you direct access to how I think, how I work, and the frameworks behind the Boundless Practice. 

But thinking through a system and sitting across from someone who sees you - those are not the same thing.

Real presence doesn't scale. Which is exactly why I'm protecting it.

If you've ever been told you're calmer than you feel, steadier than you believe, or more capable than you give yourself credit for - that gap is worth paying attention to.

That gap is usually where your genius lives.

☕

Build your independent consulting practice alongside corporate contracts without burning income, reputation, or family time | BoundlessOS™

Less professional = more clients.

I know that sounds backwards, but let me explain.

One of my clients is still in his corporate 9-5 gig. Building his independent consultancy on the side.

For six months, he's been posting on LinkedIn. 

Memes. GIFs. His clients' struggles. Things he genuinely cares about. His actual life.

Not once has he promoted his program. Not a single "DM me" or "link in bio."

Nothing that would raise a flag with his employer.

And yet he's filling his program. Working one day a week. On track to replace his corporate salary by mid-year, whe he’ll fully transition over to his business.

When he asked me what he should change once he goes all in, I told him - absolutely nothing.

Here's the thing his situation revealed. 

Because he couldn't pitch, he had to just be a person.

Classic proof that people buy from people.

He's really taught me something, without even knowing it.

When you leave corporate to start your own business, you often go from trying to impress your boss to trying to impress your audience.

But what he's showing is - look what happens when you've checked out, but haven't fully had the opportunity to check in yet.

Maybe this space in the middle is exactly where you should stay.

Not consciously trying to impress anyone.

Just you, being you.

It works pretty bloody well.

That's where the conversion sits. No push energy.

His fear of being found out by his employer accidentally freed him from performative marketing. The constraint became the strategy - without him even knowing it.

People follow people. People buy from people they recognise as real.

What would you post if you genuinely couldn't promote anything?

☕

I had a bit of hospital drama on Friday.

I got home from walking the dog and managed to slam the car door on my leg.

In an instant I knew I'd done some damage. But because I'm so bloody old now, I couldn't see what I'd actually done because I didn't have my glasses on.

After hopping down the drive, blood pouring down my leg, I could feel myself starting to panic.

All because I wasn't sure what I was dealing with.

It wasn't until I managed to crawl inside the house that I could grab my glasses and assess what was really going on.

And yep it was bad. 5 stitches bad.

I'd been rushing around because I had a packed afternoon of life admin appointments locked in.

But in that moment of seeing the real damage, the panic started to subside. I came to my senses and worked out what to do next. The appointments very quickly became very unimportant because I had to prioritise something that was.

There are many times I've felt like this in business.

Where you feel so overwhelmed because you can't quite see what's wrong or what needs fixing.

On a call this morning with a client, she was in a similar spot. 

Overwhelmed with the juggle of corporate client demands, kids' activities whilst her partner was away, and on top of that working on a session plan for her private clients on Friday. All she could see was a lot of stuff she was trying to manage whilst feeling totally out of control.

Not being able to take a step back and think logically about what was going on.

After chatting things through she got focused and realised there were just 2 things she actually needed to do.

She could breathe easy again and crack on.

The circumstances hadn't changed. But being able to see clearly made all the difference.

Most of the time it's not that there's too much to do. It's that we're too close to it to see what actually matters.

☕ 

This is why I created the Boundless Blueprint Wizard for consultants who want to break free from corporate dependency and sign their next private client.

In 2 minutes you can answer some questions and you'll get a detailed 30 day action plan with the exact 3 steps personalised to you and where you are right now.

If you'd like FREE access reply with BBW below or drop me a DM and I'll shoot it over.

I have this funny little ritual.

Every time a Stripe payment comes through, I thank the person who paid…in my head.

Because my business is nothing without my clients.

And I genuinely appreciate anyone who decides to part with their hard-earned dosh to pay me to help them generate more.

There have been times in business when my income flatlined.

There have been times when the months were booming.

Most entrepreneurs ride the revenue rollercoaster.

And honestly, coming from years in corporate with a regular salary, it can get a bit scary.

One thing that stabilised this was introducing weekly pricing.

It works for me because my income is more predictable.

It works for clients because they're not paying everything up front.

What they invest each week depends on their proximity to me.

Some just want my trainings and AI tools.

Some want community and personal guidance once a week.

Some want me to install everything for them.

Regardless of the investment level, I still silently acknowledge and thank each one.

That's not a strategy. It's just a reminder that real businesses are built on real relationships.

And when you structure things so clients can stay, most of them do.

☕

The people who told you leaving corporate would be freeing - left out one thing.

It’s actually f*cking hard to reach that point.

Especially in the beginning.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the stuff on your plate.

And if you’ve been in the corporate game for so long it’s even harder.

You’re going from being a team member with a huge crew around you to being a one man band.

Having to wear all the hats, juggle all the balls.

And honestly, sometimes that can just feel a lot.

There are plenty of times over the last 8 years where I’ve wanted to escape to a yoga retreat in Bali for a month.

(To be fair I managed 10 days once).

But seriously, there are 3 things I do that immediately remove the noise and gets me back on track and focused.

1. Journal...
Not the gratitude list kind. The ugly, unfiltered, word-vomit kind.

I write until I run out of things to complain about. And somewhere in the mess, clarity usually shows up.

Not because journaling is magic - because getting it out of your head and onto paper forces your brain to stop spinning.

8 years in, it still works. Every single time.

2. The Pride List...
I make a list of everything I'm proud of. Not what I've achieved for other people.

What I'm genuinely proud of, for me.

It's simple but we rarely do it - because most of us are trained to minimise our own wins. That training doesn't go away just because you left the corporate world. You have to actively push back on it.

But when I read back through the list, everything feels less bad than it did 5 minutes ago.

3. Move away...
This one took me the longest to trust, because I used to think pushing through was the answer. Now I know it's usually the problem.

When I'm stuck, stressed, or spinning - I stop.

I close the laptop. I go to Bali (kidding, normally it's a walk with the dog).

90% of what feels urgent in the moment isn't really.

And you can only see that clearly when you step away from it.

The break isn't avoidance. It's how you come back with the answer you couldn't find while you were sat staring at your computer getting frustrated. 

...I've made better decisions on dog walks than I ever have at my desk!

None of this is groundbreaking. 

But that's kind of the point - when business gets heavy, you don't need something new. You need something that works.

☕

Oh, I forgot, there's a 4th.

Simplify and systemise - to see how, click 'Visit my website' and I'll show you the method I developed that reduced the time spent in my business from 60 to 20 hours a week.

I made a big mistake when I started my independent consulting business after corporate.

I spent $3k before I had a single client.

A website. A CRM. A marketing VA to help with copywriting & graphics.

I was optimising a business that didn't exist.

All because I was conditioned.

20+ years working with huge brands, with huge budgets, and huge teams. I thought I needed to approach building my personal brand with the same way.

All it did was burn through dollars that didn’t deliver a return.

I wasn’t clear on my audience.
I wasn’t clear on my message.
I wasn’t clear on my offer.

I thought I was.

But I wasn’t.

I was too broad.

I was spreading my net wide and open because I didn’t want potential prospects to slip through the net.

It’s a rookie error.

Because it’s counter intuitive.

And 9/10 of those transitioning from corporate consulting to a private practice do it.

The thing is you just can’t can’t afford to be broad in today’s market.

Because you won’t be heard.

If I was to do grow my brand on LinkedIn all over again I’d do it very differently.

Once I was clear on my unique angle and solution.
Once I was clear on who I was best suited to serve.
Once I had an offer for that person to get started.

I would start speaking to them.

Not just in content.

But in the DM’s too.

It doesn’t have to be salesy, icky, or awkward.

Merely, say hello, say what you do, and offer someone the opportunity to take the next step.

In doing this I’ve had 56 people this month say yes to taking that step.

Most of them won’t become clients.

But some of them may.

And at the very least you’ve shared your wisdom, added value, and opened the door to further conversations and the potential.

There's a million things you can invest in to grow on LinkedIn. 

But what I’ve found actually works is a few simple things, done every single day. 

Maximum 30 minutes.

☕

Imagine not caring what others think. How would your life, business, marketing change? 

My client is building his consulting business alongside his 9 to 5, posting memes and GIFs, and will soon replace his corporate salary. 

The secret? 

Just being himself. 

☕️

Most consultants already know what to do. That is exactly the problem.

Something has shifted in how independent consultants build their practices.

Not the advice.

The advice has been roughly the same for years...

Get clear on your positioning. 
Build a premium offer. 
Find a clean path to clients. 

Most experienced consultants already know this.

But knowing it and being able to execute it (at speed) are two different things.

What I kept running into from working with some super smart peeps over the last 8 years, was the gap between insight and movement.

They'd get genuinely clear on their genius in a session - the specific thing they do that no one else does the way they do - and then spend three months trying to translate it into an offer they could actually put in front of dream clients.

...despite giving them trainings, templates, and support.

Not because they weren't capable. But because they were time poor, juggling too many balls with client demands, running a household, and all the other life admin that eats into your day.

The tools simply didn't exist to move faster without losing the quality of the thinking.

Now they do.

I've spent the last year building those tools specifically for my clients.

And a few weeks ago I gave them access to the new BoundlessOS platform.

It's specifically for consultants ready to build the business they took the leap to create (finally). Breaking free from corporate contracts without risking their income, reputation, or family time in the process.

Kendra said this week 'I've been using your agents, and they're working well, I really like this new platform, and is something I'm starting to envision building myself'.

I'm not ready to share everything yet. But I will say this - the consultants I've given early access to are moving differently. 

Not because they're working harder. 

But because they finally have a system that matches how good they actually are.

☕ 

Click 'Visit my website' if you wanna understand the method. I'll walk you through the framework behind how experienced consultants build a practice that actually fits their life.

(it's the exact framework that enables me to eat ice cream at the beach with my mum in the UK, whilst my business keeps on rollin')

Were your worst clients convinced?

Over the weekend one of my oldest mates took me out to lunch.

He manages a football club here in the UK.

He was a little distracted. Not being rude but he was in the middle of negotiations with a potential new signing, and was hoping to get it done by the end of the day so they could play the game the next day.

When he got back to the table he let out a huge sigh.

'I refuse to convince players to come to the club. I want them to be excited and convincing me they're the right man for the job. Whenever, someone has signed because they've needed a little persuasion it's never worked out.'

100%.

The only clients that have ever been a pain to work with have been the ones where I worked a little harder than necessary to get them over the line. I don't do it any more.

Because I know that these people aren't likely to be aligned. Because your dream clients will likely buy the way you do.

When I look at the people I've invested in over the years I've done it through consuming their stuff first.

Reading the posts and emails.
Watching videos.
Downloading their free stuff and trying to apply their method to my business.

No virtual coffees.

No sales calls.

No convincing.

I'd already made up my mind.

Because they'd built trust with me.

This is where 98% of people go wrong on LinkedIn.

They try and sell to you before they've got a chance to know you.

It's like walking into a bar, going up to a hottie, and saying 'grab your coat love you've pulled'.

This is why I just give stuff for free first.

And then make the next step super straightforward.

No push, no continual follow up, just a polite invitation. If they say yes, cool. If not, no worries.

I'm not here to convince you because I know what I've built for myself and I know it works. 

Not just for me but my clients too...

A client sent this message within the Boundless Community on Friday...

'As Karita suggested, I gave a special offer at the start of the workshop with a link to my offer document. Straight after I received an email...' the attendee signed up with no follow up needed!

Just like my mate's best signings - they came to him. 

☕

To see how my Boundless Blueprint works in real time, click the 'Visit my website' link above and I'll walk you through it for free.

taplio

The Battle

Mike Mahony

Karita Beard 🚀

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The Battle

Mike Mahony

Karita Beard 🚀

Followers

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);}Karita Beard 🚀's LinkedIn Performance

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