Oliver Duffy-Lee

Founder of Authority Agency & Komms | 800+ Agencies Mentored | Previous clients include Volvo, Porsche and Unilever

21six is a brand and purpose studio that believe the world needs Brands That Care. More than that, we know that genuinely caring isn't just a slogan, it's a commercial strategy – we call it The Care Advantage™. It’s our simple but powerful system for helping the world’s leading companies grow crowded markets by showing they care – not as a slogan, but as a living, breathing part of how they operate.

We’ve used The Care Advantage™ to help Johnson & Johnson, The North Face, and Philips with global projects, capture new audiences, and create work that actually matters. And we apply it to every brief, from rethinking a brand’s positioning to igniting movements people want to join.

The age of simply churning out campaigns is over. We’re here to transform the way brands connect with people; faster, smarter, and with more humanity than ever before.

Founder

Website: https://www.authorityagency.co.uk

Welcome to the age of Thought Leadership.

Most B2B brands are drowning in a Sea of Sameness, unable to differentiate themselves from their competition.

And so they spend their time:

- Scrapping for low quality opportunities
- Unable to build an audience
- Failing to fill their pipeline
- Struggling to sign new clients 
- Pricing their services too low
- Stagnating and not growing
- Struggling to make pay day

The problem isn’t caused by lead generation, marketing or sales…

It’s a positioning problem.

Strong positioning will:

✅ Differentiate the business
✅ Attract high quality leads
✅ Convert them into high paying clients
✅ Grow the business month on month

And the strongest way to position in 2024?

Build Authority.

If you want help becoming the Go-To Authority Thought Leader in your space, book a call below:

https://content.authorityagency.co.uk/

FINALLY found some time to write a post for LI this week*… Here’s a small update on how our year has started…

1. In Amsterdam this week with one of the most exciting players in Optical Retail 🙏

2. Had a lot of RFP opportunities land so far this year, many of them unexpected. I’ve never had a problem pitching, I actually enjoy it… Never understood the anti-pitch policy many agencies have

3. Also had some really nice new client wins, including TDK, Asus and UCL… Very grateful for these amazing brands putting their trust in us

4. We’re learning to navigate a world where client decisions take longer and involve more stakeholders… This can be challenging, but it’s definitely not changing any time soon

5. More and more we’re productising our IP… Not to sell as it’s own product, but to help explain the value of our strategic thinking - this is definitely an area of the business I’m most excited about

6. Lot of travel to happen this year (all over Europe and Asia)… My view is that international business and expansion is crucial for UK agencies looking to grow. UK market alone isn’t strong enough right now to bank on for strong growth

7. Fascinating to hear the conversations in the agency world on AI influence… It seems to be having an HR impact already, especially in junior positions, but hasn’t transformed our world yet (A convo for another post)

*This is BS btw, it’s about priorities… Content hasn’t been a priority for me recently, but will get back to it. How are things in your world? Let me know 👇

CEO at 21six | The Agency for Brands That Care

Success Is A System

Over 20 years of helping individuals, celebrities, SME's and FTSE businesses achieve outstanding success through mentoring and strategic advisory.

https://mikegreene.co.uk/

Master Mentor and strategic advisor

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce

Chairman (Peterborough & Stamford)

Cambridge children’s hospital

Helping to Raise £100m for a brand new World leading Children’s Hospital in Cambridge

Fundraising Ambassador

Brightfield Residential

Managing Director - Brightfield Residential

Trade Mastermind

Chairman

Working with individuals and businesses for rapid growing business and/or wealth by building strategy maps and supporting the ongoing execution of the plans

High performance Business Mentor

GrowthMentor

Providing 1:1 mentoring for entrepreneurs starting and growing their own businesses through GrowthMentor, a curated platform of invite-only startup and growth marketing mentors which have proven experience in their fields. Join to find your next mentor » www.growthmentor.com

1-2-1 Mentor/coach

Brightfield group

property investor/developer

Allia Future Business Centre Peterborough

Entrepreneur In Residence

Mike Greene  Investments (Primarily property) & Growth Accelerator

Providing a platform to connect sophisticated investors with high return opportunities . Mentoring management team and boards to develop and deliver against clear strategic plans.

Hand-picked Opportunities:
From hundreds of business proposals, Mike Greene Investments carefully selects only the best opportunities, strong management teams and a proven track record to present to its network.

Strategic Partnerships:
Mike Greene Investments raises finance from experienced investors, family offices and investment funds with the potential to add great value not only from growth capital but often expert, strategic and management advice.

Rigorous Preparation:
Companies receive thorough preparation and regulated finance advice prior to presentation, with Mike Greene Investments working via Envestors to prepare full due diligence packs and detailed investment notes to facilitate detailed assessment.

Practical Experience:
Mike Greene Investments are working with experienced finance advisors with practical business experience. All advisors have had direct involvement in either owning or investing in business and know exactly what it takes to start, manage, raise funding grow and sell businesses (primarily property based/focussed).

Growth Partner:
Acting as a long term investment partner, Mike Greene Investments profiles, engages and monitors investments through to exit, often advising on further funding rounds through growth cycles.

Online Investor Platform:
Mike Greene Investments’ intuitive investor platform enables investors to access a secure dashboard and track, monitor and manage equity investments, whilst staying in touch with company management and fellow shareholders.

FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) authorised and regulated via Envestors

CEO & Founder

Investor/Fundraiser. Invested: Shazam, Chargemaster, NeyBer, BOLT, Sonus, Veropath, Jropp.com

Working with, and mentoring, boards and Individuals to develop clear strategic plans to optimise their business now and in the future

Investment & Funding platform, CEO, Hon Dr Edu, Various NED roles, Entrepreneur and investor

After successfully building and exiting a multi-million international consultancy, I now sit as an advisor, NED, and mentor to 40+ businesses.

My years in business have taught me that success is simple.

Using systems, anyone can grow a business reliably and predictably. 

Want business clarity and actionable steps to success? Here’s how we can collaborate:

Mentorship (100% satisfaction guarantee - no questions asked.)
Public Speaking 

Find out more at  https://mikegreene.co.uk, or DM me.

Mike Greene (Success Is A System)

I'm not here to be your friend...
I'm here to make you uncomfortable enough to change.

Most people say they want growth.
Very few actually want the process that creates it.

Growth isn’t gentle.
It’s not cosy.
It’s not comfortable.

It’s the hard conversations.
The accountability you’ve avoided.
The habits you refuse to face.
The standards you’ve allowed to slip.

A good mentor doesn’t stroke your ego.
A good mentor holds up a mirror and shows you the truth...
even when it stings.

Not because they don’t care.
But because they care enough to challenge you.
Push you.
Expose the excuses.
And demand the version of you that you’ve been hiding.

If you want comfort, buy a cushion.
If you want growth, find someone who won’t let you stay the same.

Dr Mike Greene

Helping established business owners regain control of their business & life without hype, hacks, or bullsh!t. Built, scaled, & exited 7-figure businesses in 20 countries. Channel 4 Secret Millionaire. Deputy Lieutenant.

AI can write your emails. It can't replace your expertise. 
Know the difference.

AI is a tool.
You are the asset.

Too many people act like AI suddenly makes them unstoppable. It doesn’t. If you didn’t understand your customers, your craft, or your market before, AI won’t save you now.

AI can tidy up your inbox.
It can’t fix a lack of backbone, judgement, or experience.

Your edge isn’t the software you use.
Your edge is the years of graft, the mistakes you turned into lessons, and the instincts you’ve earned the hard way.

So use AI to speed up the boring stuff.
But don’t kid yourself - the real value comes from the person at the keyboard.

Tools evolve. Experts adapt.
That’s the difference.
Know it. Own it. Use it.

Stop romanticizing the struggle. Rich people don't wake up at 4am because they love it.

LinkedIn is full of "hustle" content.

"I wake up at 4am every day!"
"I work 18-hour days!"
"Sleep is for the weak!"

Cool story.
You're not building a business. You're glorifying burnout.

Rich people wake up at 4am when they need to.
Not because they romanticize the grind.

They wake early to:
- Build systems so they don't have to later
- Get ahead while competition sleeps
- Solve problems that make 4am unnecessary
Then they stop.

You're waking at 4am because:
- You have no systems
- You're working IN not ON
- You're inefficient
- You think suffering = success

It doesn't.

Sustainable success looks like:
Work hard when you need to build the foundation.
Then work smart when the systems are running.

Not:
Work yourself to death forever and brag about it online.

Nobody successful romanticizes the struggle.
They survived it, then systematized their way out of it.

The 4am wake-ups were a means to an end.
Not a lifestyle to brag about.

If you're still grinding 18-hour days after 5 years:
You haven't built a business.
You've built a prison.

Work hard to work less later.
Not hard forever.

Are you building systems or just romanticizing struggle?

Tracey Emin says the wealthy should be 
taxed more to keep museums free.

Let’s deal in facts.
- The top 1% already pay 30% of all UK income tax.
- The top 10% pay over 60%.
- The top 50% pay roughly 90%.

Around 36% of adults pay NO income tax at all.
That isn’t ideology.
That’s HMRC data.

Now look at it in real terms.

Someone earning £50,000 might contribute roughly £12k in income tax and NI.

Someone earning £1 million will contribute around £425k in tax.

That is not a slightly higher percentage.

That is 30 to 35x more in actual cash going into the system.

And when it comes to charity, around 70% of declared donations come from people earning over £100k.

So the idea that the wealthy are somehow freeloading on the cultural system simply doesn’t stack up.

Now, a slightly cheeky question:
- Is paying to preserve Tracey Emin’s messy bed the best use of public money?

Or is this really about asking a small minority to carry even more of the load?

For the record, I came from a working-class background.
- I expect to pay more.
- I’m willing to pay more.
- I DO pay more

That’s how a progressive system works.

But there is a tipping point.

I already know several business owners who have left the UK:
- Taken their capital.
- Taken their annual high spend.
- Taken their tax contributions.

If your answer is “good riddance”, do the maths first.

If someone paying 30x more tax leaves, who replaces that revenue?

It won’t be the bottom third who pay none.

It will be the middle.

And this isn’t red or blue politics.
It’s arithmetic.

Entrepreneurs who build £1m, £5m, £10m businesses don’t do it by accident.

They create jobs.
They pay VAT.
They pay employer NI.
They fund pensions.
They fund arts through philanthropy as well as tax.

So here’s the real question.

At what point does “fair contribution” become “economic self-harm”?

Genuine question:
- Do you believe the wealthy are already paying enough?
or should we keep increasing the burden and risk shrinking the very base we rely on?

Let’s debate it

Most business owners I speak to are not failing:
They’re profitable... They’re respected.
From the outside, everything looks fine.

Privately, they’re exhausted.

The business runs them.
They can’t switch off.
Every decision feels heavy.
Every month carries risk.

I don’t work with start ups.
I don’t give free advice.
I don’t sell motivation.

I work with established founders and business owners who want control, profit, and time back, and are prepared to invest properly to get it.

If you recognise yourself in this, comment “CONTROL”.
...or WhatsApp me - see comments

If you don’t, scroll on

I help established business owners regain control of their business & life without hype, hacks, or bullsh!t. Built, scaled, & exited 7-figure businesses in 20 countries. Channel 4 Secret Millionaire. Deputy Lieutenant.

What a wonderful post to see - thank you so much for your kind words Francis

It is an honour to have attended events with you in your term as High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire  and as a DL in Cambridgeshire 

I am genuinely moved to read such a wonderful and unexpected, but greatly appreciated post 🙏

View company: High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire

As my year as High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire draws to a close, I want to record my sincere thanks to Dr Mike Greene DL.

Mike brings a rare combination of clear, practical #business judgment and genuine #public #service. Whether supporting local enterprise through the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce, mentoring leaders with honesty and discipline, or championing fundraising for @Cambridge Children Hospital,  he consistently focuses on what matters: #responsibility, #outcomes, and #people.

What I have valued most is his steady, no-nonsense approach, encouraging others to regain control, build systems that last, and lead with integrity rather than noise. That calm clarity is a real gift to our county.

Thank you, Mike, for your time, your commitment, and the example you set.

#HighSheriffCambridgeshire #CommunityLeadership #MentoringBusiness #CharityCambridge

You're a tradesperson, not a charity. Stop giving free quotes that take 2 hours.

How many free quotes did you do last week?
How many converted?

You spent 10 hours doing quotes. 3 converted. 7 were time-wasters.
You just worked for free for 14 hours.

Here's what's happening:
- People call 5 tradespeople. Get 5 free quotes. Pick the cheapest.
- You spent 2 hours measuring, calculating, writing proposals.
- They chose the guy who's £200 cheaper and going out of business.

A 2-hour quote costs you:
2 hours working time (£200-400)
Fuel (£20)
Writing time (£100-200)
Total: £320-620 per quote. You give away for free.

Charge for quotes. £150-300 minimum.
"But people won't pay!"
Good. Those are time-wasters.

Serious customers will pay.
Because they know quality costs money.
Refund it if they book the job.

You'll lose bad business (price shoppers).
You'll keep good business (customers who value expertise).

Stop being a charity. Charge for your time.

How many free quotes went nowhere last month?

STOP BLAMING THE MATRIX:
YOU PLUG YOURSELF IN
Wake up and see what you’re doing

Everyone talks about The Matrix.
Being controlled.
Being plugged in.
Living in an artificial reality.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth.

No one needs to plug you in.

You do it yourself.
Every spare second.

Traffic lights → phone out
Moment of silence → scroll
Waiting for someone → WhatsApp
Evenings → Netflix
Boredom → noise

You never sit with your own thoughts.

And that is the real control system.

Let me ask you this, honestly.

When was the last time you were awake and fully alert
For 20 or 30 minutes
No phone
No music
No driving
No background noise

Just thinking.

Thinking about:
→ What would actually move the dial
→ What would improve your life
→ What would improve your business
→ What you could do today, this week, this month
→ What would genuinely change your future

Most people cannot remember the last time they did that.

Because silence is uncomfortable.
And clarity is confronting.

So we self medicate with distraction.

The Matrix is not doing this to you.
Social media is not doing this to you.
Technology is not doing this to you.

You are opting in.
Voluntarily.
Repeatedly.

If you want a different life
A better business
Real progress

Stop plugging yourself into noise
And start spending time in thought

That is where strategy lives
That is where breakthroughs happen
That is where control returns

Want to learn how to unplug from noise and plug into a system that actually creates results.
Message me.

Great post.

The key line for me is this:

“When you prioritise shareholders over products, you eventually lose both.”

It speaks to something I see in SMEs every week.

When you optimise for short term numbers
You start compromising long term value.

When margin becomes the obsession
Innovation quietly takes a back seat.

When finance leads the conversation
Customer experience often leaves the room.

Now let me be clear.

Strong financial discipline is vital.
Cash flow matters.
Return on capital matters.
Governance matters.

But numbers are the result.
They are not the cause.

Great products create demand.
Demand creates revenue.
Revenue creates profit.
Profit creates shareholder value.

Reverse that sequence
And you start engineering outcomes
Instead of earning them.

In fast moving markets
Risk avoidance feels sensible.

But breakthrough rarely comes from playing safe.

Boards, founders and CEOs need balance.

Protect the downside, yes.
But never at the expense of product, innovation and customer obsession.

Because once the culture shifts from building value
To extracting value
The decline has already started.

What do you think?
Product first.
Or shareholder first.

Wealth Manager (Your very own personal Investment Manager & Financial Adviser all in one person). All views are personal. Fellow of CISI (Chartered Institution of Securities & Investment) 2026 will be the year of SILVER

Apple just lost more money in 4 months than most countries make in a year.

$1.1 trillion gone because Tim Cook made the exact decision Steve Jobs refused to make for 14 years. 

Warren Buffett called it brilliant. Jobs called it poison.

How Apple's greed is finally backfiring:

From 2021–2023, Apple was the world’s most valuable company.
Today?

Third — behind Nvidia and Microsoft.
In just 4 months, Apple’s value dropped 28%.

That’s $1.1 trillion gone. But this story started in 2011.

When Steve Jobs stepped down, he told Tim Cook: “Don’t ask what Steve would do… just do what’s right.”

Jobs believed:Great products → great stock prices.

Cook believed: Great financial engineering → great stock prices.

The shift was immediate. In 2010, Jobs had $27B in cash.

Warren Buffett suggested:
 • Acquisitions
 • Dividends
 • Stock buybacks

Jobs refused dividends and buybacks.
His focus?

“Increase enterprise value.”
But in 2012, Cook launched Apple’s first dividend and buyback program.
Planned: $45B.

Actual spend: $80B.
Buffett invested heavily.

He never invested under Jobs.
Apple had transformed.

The culture changed too.
Jobs visited the design studio daily.

Cook, Monthly.
Jonathan Ive lost influence.

When Ive wanted a $25M fashion show for Apple Watch, finance rejected it as “unnecessary.”

For the first time, design answered to finance.
Innovation slowed.

From 2014–2017, iPhone 6 → 8 looked nearly identical.

Instead of breakthrough products, Apple leaned into price increases.

Under Jobs:
iPhone stayed at $650 for 7 years.

Under Cook:
 • iPhone X launched at $1,000
 • Flagship models hit $1,200
 • Average iPhone price rose from $657 (2016) to $974 (2024)

Revenue climbed.
So did dependence on financial strategy.

Then came AI.
Apple pioneered Siri in 2011.

By 2017:
 • Siri accuracy: 62%
 • Google Assistant: 90%

When ChatGPT launched in 2022, Apple lagged behind.

In 2023, Apple’s AI team requested 50,000 GPUs.

Cost: $10B.
Cook approved.

Finance blocked it.
Reason:
“Make existing chips more efficient.”

That same year?
Apple spent $77B on stock buybacks.

In 2024, buybacks hit $110B.

Meanwhile:
 • Amazon spent $85B on R&D
 • Google $45B
 • Meta $39B

All now lead in AI.
Jobs feared this exact scenario.

When you prioritize shareholders over products, you eventually lose both.

Cook grew Apple’s market cap 10x.

But critics argue innovation weakened.

A company that once reshaped industries now struggles to lead the next wave.

Let me send you a proposal' is where deals go to die.

Sales call going well.
They're interested. Asking questions. Engaged.
Then you say: "Great! Let me send you a proposal."
Deal dead.

Here's what actually happens:
- You send the proposal.
- They say they'll review it.
- You follow up: "Did you get my proposal?"
- "Oh yeah, just need to look at it..."
- Three weeks later: Still "looking at it."

Why?
Because proposals let them procrastinate.
"Send me a proposal" = "I'm not ready to decide"
And you just made it easier for them to avoid the decision.

Here's what winners do:
"I could send a proposal, but let's make sure we're aligned first."
"What would need to be in there for you to move forward?"
"If the price is right, are you ready to start next week?"

Get the commitment BEFORE the proposal.
Not after.
If they won't commit verbally, they won't commit on paper.
The proposal just delays the inevitable rejection.

Close on the call.

"So if we can deliver X by Y date for £Z, you're ready to go?"
"Yes."
"Perfect. I'll send the paperwork today and we'll get started."

Proposal = Confirmation, not pitch.
Stop using it as a delay tactic.

How many proposals are sitting "under review" right now?

Repetition is the mother of success,
...and procrastination is the mother of failure

Most people believe success comes from a burst of effort.
A big push.
A long day.
A heroic sprint.

It doesn’t.
Success comes from consistency & repetition

Water is soft.
Rock is hard.

Yet the Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon.
Not through force.
Through flow.
Day after day.
Year after year.

Small actions.
Repeated relentlessly.
Change landscapes.

The same rule applies to business.
Learning.
Health.
Skill.

A world-class musician does not practise 6 hours once a week.
They practise 15–20 minutes.
Every day.

Consistency compounds.
Intensity burns out.

Work does not create success.
Repeated work does.

Consistency is the catalyst that turns effort into results.

So ask yourself this:
What small thing, done daily, would change everything?

Then do it.
Today.
And again tomorrow.
And again the next day
and
and
...any loser can have a burst of effort...
winners are consistent and determined

It’s terrible Rob Moore but It would help if every scrote shoplifter didn’t know that they’re virtually allowed to steal up to £200 a time without any recall or police attendance/interest 

Retailers (especially the small formats) are being screwed at every point from energy costs to rates to employment costs… 
…many are netting less than 3% net profit 
…would you run a business if you only made 3p on every £1 turnover ??

Sadly It’s only a matter of time before local stores and the High Streets become a thing of the past with tumble weed urban wastelands where our village, town and city centres used to be

People say;
 “it’s sad, it’s terrible” 
…and then buy everything they need from supermarkets or online… 

actions speak louder than words !

Empowering you to Make, Manage & Multiply More Money | Entrepreneur/Investor for 20 years | 20 Money/Business books | Host of the ‘Moore Money’ show

First there were security lockboxes put on mince beef at Co-Op

I get called a U.K. doom monger for pointing this out, but then they put lockboxes on Cheddar cheese (Not even the mature cheddar)

THEN the supermarkets put lockboxes on big chocolate bars

And NOW security boxes are on all the smaller chocolate bars 

Securely locking, tagging and tracking with GPS something that costs one f*cking pound 

Then you go into Pret & there are security guards at the door & the staff have to wear body cams

You go to Tesco & the staff are enclosed in perspex protective boxes 

A phone is stolen every 7 minutes in broad daylight in London alone.

Please stop being naive. Don’t take this lightly, this is as bad as I’ve ever seen the U.K. in my 47 years & it’s getting worse. What is going on?

Stop optimizing what should be eliminated.

Too many businesses fall into the trap of polishing processes, products, or practices that no longer serve them. It feels productive - tweaking, refining, adjusting.
But in reality, it’s wasted energy.

Optimization only makes sense when the foundation is worth keeping. 

If a system is outdated, a product is irrelevant, or a meeting adds no value, no amount of fine-tuning will make it strategic.

The real growth move? Ruthless elimination.
- Cut the processes that drain resources.
- Retire what no longer resonates with customers.
- Remove the “we’ve always done it this way” habits that slow innovation.

Every hour spent optimizing the wrong thing is an hour stolen from building the right thing.

Entrepreneurship isn’t about doing more - it’s about doing what matters.

👉 What’s one thing in your business you know should be eliminated, not optimized?

You're tweaking the logo while your sales process is broken. Priorities matter.

You spent 3 hours this week choosing between two shades of blue.

Meanwhile:
- Your sales process doesn't exist.
- You're not following up on leads.
- Half your quotes go unanswered.
But the logo looks great.

Business owners obsess over:
- Website fonts
- Brand colors
- Instagram aesthetics
- Business card design

While ignoring:
- Why leads don't convert
- Why revenue is flat
- Why profit is shit

Your logo doesn't make you money. Your sales process does.

Perfect branding + No sales = Broke
Average branding + Great sales = Rich

Priority order:
Generate leads
Convert them
Deliver profitably
Repeat

Then worry about the logo.

Build revenue first. Polish the brand later.
Your business needs cash flow, not a color palette.

What are you perfecting that doesn't make you money?

What an incredible agency MERCIECA is.... A creative PR & marketing agency that helps food and drink brands get seen, talked about and stocked, by turning smart ideas into campaigns that drive real commercial results.

And the constant stream of awards they win are testament to that. 

I am proud and honoured to have been Chairman for a couple years and work with the team to structure & strategise for the future... and its great to see them still leading the way

Paul Mercieca is a great mate and a marketing genius, and its great to see his daughters Frankie Mercieca and Sophia Mercieca continue to evolve the offer and build the brand into future generations

Chairman at Mercieca | 30+ years building the Agency FMCG brands trust | Won The Grocer Gramia Awards Best Agency 15x

𝗔 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 - 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗻 #1

No one handed me a plan, I just showed up and did the work. 

At 11, I cleaned cars on weekends to help my dad. He was a chauffeur, and his boss’s friends had Bentleys, Ferraris and Aston Martins that needed looking after. What started as time spent with my dad turned into a long apprenticeship in work ethic and responsibility. 

If I wanted money, I didn’t ask for it, I earned it. 

At 14, I got a Saturday job helping mechanics in a garage. At 15, I was cleaning offices Monday to Friday after school and Sunday mornings and working in a DIY hardware store on Saturdays. Life was busy. I wasn’t sitting around waiting for pocket money, I was learning the value of turning up early and making my own. 

By 14, I also knew something else: I wanted to work in advertising. 

Not by chance. Not by accident. I just knew it. 

Three months before leaving school, I secured a role as a production assistant at a small ad agency. I was 16. I kept my Saturday job for another year, because that’s just how I was wired. 

Between 16 and 36, I went from the bottom rung to working at some great agencies in London. I studied in my own time. I learned production costs, account handling, new business, relationships and delivery. At 33, I was elected President of a European network, a role I held for three years, working on fantastic clients and driving business across many markets. 

Looking back, I had a 20 year plus apprenticeship before I started my own agency. 

On 4 January 1995, I founded MERCIECA. 

We quickly secured GSK, won our first major award for Lucozade, and went on to build a specialist FMCG agency that was named "𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆" at The Grocer’s Gramia Awards, for 15 consecutive years, something no other agency achieved during the 15 years they ran. Today, we work with some of the biggest names in the world, built on knowledge, consistency and trust. 

When others focused on B2C, we saw the opportunity in grocery B2B. 

There was gold in those hills. 

Nothing in my life has been about waiting for an opportunity. It’s about creating it. Showing up. Doing the work. 

The best lessons aren’t taught. They’re earned. 

And we’re only just getting started. 

#FoundersStory #EntrepreneurJourney #BusinessLeadership #WorkEthic #FromTheGroundUp #AgencyLife #LongGame

If I receive one more AI-written LinkedIn message full of:
“strategic alignment”, “meaningful impact” and 
“exploring synergies”, 
I might start invoicing for translation or therapy.

AI isn’t the problem..... Lazy thinking is.

There’s an old saying that 'A bad workman blames his tools". 
What I’m seeing now is worse...
...the way people are using Ai is like switching on a power saw, dropping it on the floor, and letting it vibrate around the room hoping it builds a feckin kitchen.

It doesn’t.
It just makes noise.

I use AI every day... 
It’s one of the most powerful business tools I’ve seen in 30 years. 
But I don’t copy and paste what it gives me. 
I interrogate it. Iterate with it, challenge it. 
I delete half of it. I rewrite it until it sounds like me, 
not like a polite robot who’s done a crash course in corporate buzzwords and business Bullocks

What’s landing in my inbox instead is word porridge.

Individually, every word makes sense. 
Collectively, it’s Crap. 

Beautifully structured sentences that say absolutely nothing. 
I understand every word individually but collectively its alien
...and about as authentic as a politician’s apology!

AI is a force multiplier. 
It multiplies clarity just as efficiently as it multiplies mediocrity. 
....but it also multiplies Crap to a scale that could fill a cess pit 

Feed it vague prompts and lazy thinking, 
and it will give you polished vagueness back. 
Feed it sharp thinking and commercial intent, and it becomes a weapon.

The people who will win with AI won’t be the ones who lean on it the most. They’ll be the ones who question it the hardest.
....and know that it is a tool - if used badly it'll just create carnage and destroy your business

Before you press send on that beautifully structured masterpiece, 
ask yourself one simple thing: 
- Would I say this out loud in a room full of people I respect?
or
- How hard would my mates laugh if i spouted this B0llox?

Now 'I’m curious' (haha - one of the favourite BS Ai Clues thats used by all Lead Gen numpties).

Are you using AI as a precision tool,
or are you letting the power saw bounce around the room?

Your prices don't scare away good customers.
They attract serious ones.

Most businesses worry that charging more will push people away.
But here’s the truth:
- The right clients aren’t shopping for “cheap.” - They’re shopping for reliability, expertise, and results.
- Your pricing is a filter. - It quietly removes the wrong clients so you can focus on the ones who value what you do.
- Serious clients invest. - They don’t haggle, ghost, or question your worth.

If you’re delivering real value, don’t shrink your prices to fit someone else’s budget.

Raise your standards...the right people will rise to meet them.

Why successful businesses are boring (they do the same thing that works, repeatedly)

You know what successful businesses do?
The same thing. Over and over.
Boring.

McDonald's: Same burger. Same process. Billions served.

Your business? Different approach every week. "Let's try this new strategy!"
Constantly changing. Never scaling.

Success is boring:
Find what works. Document it. Repeat it 10,000 times.

Exciting businesses:
- Try new things constantly
- Pivot every quarter
- Never scale

Boring businesses:
- Same proven process
- Optimize slightly
- Print money

The stuck businesses? Addicted to novelty.
Always chasing the "next thing" instead of perfecting the current thing.

Winners repeat...
Same sales script that works
Same marketing that converts
Same delivery process

No drama. No pivots. Just boring, profitable consistency.
Stop chasing exciting. Start executing boring.

What's working that you keep changing instead of repeating?

You call it 'delegation.' 
Your team calls it 'dumping problems on us with no training.'

"I'm great at delegating!"
Are you?
Because your team has a different word for it:
Dumping.

Here's what you do:
"Can you handle this?"
[Walks away]
No context. No training. No process.
Then you're surprised when they do it wrong.

That's not delegation. That's abdication.

Real delegation:
- Show them how to do it
- Do it with them
- Watch them do it
- Let them do it independently
- Check the results

"Nobody can do it like me!"
No shit.
Because you never taught them.

Your team isn't stupid.
They're untrained.
Big difference.

Delegation without training isn't delegation.
It's setting people up to fail.
Then blaming them for failing.

Want to actually delegate?
- Document the process.
- Train them properly.
- Give them the tools.
- Check their work initially.
- Then let go.

Stop dumping problems and calling it leadership.

What have you "delegated" that you never actually trained anyone to do?

The More You Give
The More You Get

The More You Take
The More You Need

The first 2 days of this week, alongside normal business life, 
I had the privilege (as a DL of Cambridgeshire) of officiating at a British Citizenship Ceremony on behalf of the Lord-Lieutenant, representing His Majesty The King.

28 people.
16 countries.
One commitment.

To live here.
To contribute here.
To build a life here.

Moments like that remind you how fortunate we are.

Yesterday I attended the formal opening of the incredible Young Technicians Academy, Peterborough

An inspiring place created for young people who may not thrive in traditional academic environments.

But who absolutely thrive in:
Creativity
Technology
Practical skills
Finding their voice

For many of them, this kind of environment doesn’t just educate them.
It changes the direction of their life.

I love what I do in business.
Building companies.
Mentoring founders.
Helping people grow.

But the icing on the cake…
Is contribution.
→ Supporting others
→ Opening doors
→ Helping people believe in themselves

The more you give, the more connected you feel.
Success is not just what you build.

It’s what you contribute

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Oliver Duffy-Lee

Mike Greene (Success Is A System)

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The Battle

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Mike Greene (Success Is A System)

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