Rob Dance

CEO & Founder of ROCK.

I started my business with just £1,000
 
(I bought a cheap van, a laptop, and a desk)
 
Today, we operate internationally
Today, we hire over 100 of the brightest minds
Today, we're an 8-figure business, on our way to 9
Today, we're launching several new start ups
Today, I work with some of the most gifted people in the world
 
But what you don't know is:
 
20 years ago, I failed my exams and dropped out of school
17 years ago, I really struggled to write a full sentence
15 years ago, I was too scared to make phone calls

So now I'm sharing my journey with you.
Daily insights to help anyone.
Let's goooooooo 🚀

CEO & Founder

After 15 years of growing my business, I realised something FUNDAMENTAL was missing.

Our unique culture and innovative ways of managing our people has always been a TOP priority for me.

So much so, I have never found the perfect software platform to manage our people operations and help my team remove the day-to-day noise so they can focus on our mission.

Then, one day, it struck me: I NEED to create this myself to help other businesses!!

And so, Ware was born.

Launching in 2025, Ware promises to transform how you build your culture and genuinely empower your team.

Ware. Everything is.

I used to think people left jobs for more money

(I was wrong)

They’re not chasing bigger paychecks.
They’re chasing peace of mind.

They leave when:

- Effort is never enough.
- Silence feels safer than honesty.
- Burnout is expected and vulnerability is a liability.

So here’s a reminder from Dan:
Retention starts with culture.

If you want to retain your best people?

Start with respect.

That means:

→ Managers who support, not shame
→ A culture where it’s safe to be honest
→ Teams that value rest as much as results

The paycheck is important, sure.
But it’s not the reason they stay.

Do you agree?

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I used to think people left for better pay.

Now I know, they leave for peace of mind and basic respect.

Dan Murray and Rob Dance

If the leaders in the room aren’t saying your name when opportunities come up…

You might be in the wrong room.

Connections open doors.

But loyalty?

That’s what keeps you in the conversation when you're not there.

You want leaders who back you without needing a reminder.

The kind who:

→ Recommend you without hesitation 
→ Speak highly of you when you’re not around 
→ Say your name in rooms you haven’t entered yet

That kind of support is rare.

And you won’t notice it’s missing - until it matters most.

So, pay attention.

Watch who speaks up. 
Watch who stays quiet.

Silence from the top says more than applause from the crowd.

Do you agree?

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Career growth isn’t just about learning new things.

It’s about letting go of:

- Old habits
- Old beliefs
- Old ways of doing things that once kept you safe

And that part hurts.

Especially when it’s something you’ve carried for years.

Something that used to work.
Something that once made you feel competent or in control.

But here’s the shift:

Growth happens when you're willing to unlearn.

When you’re brave enough to admit, this doesn’t serve me anymore.

And then? You relearn.

→ With humility
→ With curiosity
→ With discomfort

That’s the real work.

That’s what separates the adaptable from the stuck.

Do you agree?

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Everyone talks about wanting to grow.

But setting resolutions and hoping for the best?

That won’t get you there.

Because when life pushes back, most people fold.

So think about it this way:

You said this time would be different. 
Now life’s testing whether you meant it.

That resistance? 
That discomfort you’re feeling? 
That stretch beyond what’s familiar?

That’s what growth actually looks like.

It’s not meant to be easy. 
It’s meant to break patterns.

Because real growth demands:

→ Grit 
→ Accountability 
→ Uncomfortable truth

There’s no room for excuses.

So if it’s hard right now, that’s a sign.

You’re moving. You’re changing.

You’re growing.

Do you agree?

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I’ve hired hundreds of people

And here’s the truth:

Your CV gets you through the door.

But it’s how you show up every day that keeps you there.

As Eric Partaker said, it’s not about:

- Fancy titles
- Certifications
- Qualifications

It’s about:

1) How you handle the tough days.
2) How you react to unexpected setbacks.
3) How you stay composed under pressure.
4) How you adapt when the plan changes last minute.
5) How you keep pushing forward when motivation runs thin.
6) How you support your teammates when they’re struggling.
7) How you take ownership of mistakes without pointing fingers.

That’s what sticks.
That’s what people remember.

So be the person who makes things easier, not harder.

Do you agree?

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Your greatest skill isn’t on your CV. It's in how you show up every day.

Be the person who makes things easier, not harder. Rob Dance and Eric Partaker.

We all say we’re too busy.

But the truth is…

Most of us just aren’t prioritising what matters.

If you took an honest look at your day last year, you’d probably find:

→ Endless scrolling 
→ Mindless procrastination 
→ Tasks that lead nowhere

The problem isn’t time.

It’s focus.

Growth doesn’t wait for perfect conditions.

It happens when you show up…

- Consistently
- Deliberately

Even when it’s inconvenient.

You do have the time.

You just have to take it back from the things stealing it.

Do you agree?

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No one is too busy. It's just a matter of priorities. Rob Dance.

Here’s a simple rule I live by:

If it doesn’t help you grow or feel good?

It’s not worth your time.

You don’t owe your energy to anything that drains you.

That’s not harsh.
That’s clarity.

Whether it’s:

→ A job 
→ A relationship 
→ A routine that no longer fits

You’re allowed to walk away from anything that holds you back.

Because protecting your peace isn’t a luxury.
It’s a necessity.

A quiet kind of strength that often goes unseen.

So if it’s not helping you move forward, ask yourself:

Why are you still holding on?

Do you agree?

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If it doesn't being peace, progress or purpose then don't give it your time energy, or attention. Rob Dance.

Let’s be honest…

People at work will always have opinions.

– Some will question your choices. 
– Some will critique your performance. 
– Some will try to box you into a role you’ve outgrown.

But here’s the truth:

Their opinions don’t decide your value.

They never did. 
They never will.

Your competence, your potential, your worth - not up for debate.

So stop shrinking to fit someone else’s version of “professional.”

You set the standard. 
You define the path.

Not them.

Do you agree?

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Your worth is not determined by anyone else's opinion. Rob Dance

Letting go isn’t failure.

It’s clarity.

You can care about the mission.

- The people
- The bigger purpose

But when the culture stops caring back?

You’re in a battle you can’t win.

You can’t outwork a system that refuses to change.

Not if leadership won’t listen. 
Not if the values on the wall mean nothing in practice.

Eventually, you realise:

→ Your time matters 
→ Your energy is limited 
→ Your passion deserves better

Leaving isn’t giving up.

It’s recognising what no longer deserves you.

Do you agree?

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Sometimes you have to let go of the role. 

Not because you don't care, but because they don't. 

Rob Dance.

If peace only comes when work is perfect…

→ Your manager's happy
→ Projects go smoothly 
→ Your inbox is quiet

That’s not peace. 
That’s control.

And control never lasts.

Real growth?

It happens when you stay grounded while everything at work is in flux.

Because the truth is:

→ Deadlines shift 
→ Teams change 
→ Plans fall apart

So if you're waiting for calm to feel calm, you’ll be waiting a while.

The real challenge?

Staying grounded when nothing’s going to plan. 
That’s where growth happens.

Because peace isn’t about having a perfect week.

It’s about holding your centre when everything’s uncertain.

Do you agree?

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If your peace depends on everything going right, it's not peace, it's control. Learn to be steady in uncertainty. That's real growth. 

Rob Dance

Biggest lesson of my career?

Stop giving more than you’re getting…

Especially when people show you that they won't return the same energy.

I learnt this the hard way:

- Burnout
- Being overlooked
- Constant overthinking

But they were there, right from the start.

I just didn’t want to believe them.

So if you’re stepping into a new space, pay attention to the red flags:

1) Overwork with no recognition
2) No room for questions or feedback
3) More competition than collaboration
4) Leaders who preach empathy but don’t live it

Trust your gut.

It will protect you peace more than anything else.

Do you agree?

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Books teach you a lot.

But people?

They teach you how to lead.

→ The calm one when everything fell apart
→ The honest one when no one else would be
→ The one who made you feel like you mattered

They didn’t quote theory.
They just acted.

And that’s what stuck.

Because real leadership isn’t found in pages.

It’s found in people.

Empathy
Honesty
Presence

You learn that by watching, listening, and feeling.

So if you want to lead better?

Pay attention.

The best lessons are walking past you every day.

Do you agree?

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Fear isn’t about something being impossible…

(Despite what you may think)

It’s about stepping into the unknown.

- No clear map.
- No guarantees.

Just unfamiliar ground.

That’s uncomfortable.

But it’s not a sign you can’t do it.

Because fear doesn’t mean failure. 
It means growth is on the table.

That nervous energy?

It’s not a warning. 
It’s proof you care.

You don’t need to be 100% ready.

You just need to take the step.

Do you agree?

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It's scary because it's new, not because you're incapable. - Rob Dance

The old advice?

– Do more
– Hustle harder
– Say yes to everything

But that mindset?
It’s a fast track to burnout.

Because more isn’t always the answer.

Sometimes, it’s the problem.

So instead of another to-do list, try a stop doing list.

Ask:

→ What’s draining energy I don’t have?
→ What doesn’t align with who I’m becoming?
→ What am I only doing out of habit, guilt, or fear?

Protecting boundaries starts there.

With honest answers.
And hard cuts.

Because clarity doesn’t come from cramming in more.

It comes from clearing space.

Do you agree?

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Business is Simple, it's Just Not Easy... Ready to Fire Your Boss?

I help self-employed people think and lead like CEOs
in their business and their life.

Most of the people I work with have made progress.
From the outside, things look successful.
Internally, something feels misaligned.

Not because they are failing.
Because the life and business they have built
no longer match who they are becoming.

I believe business is downstream of belief.

What you believe
→ shapes how you behave
→ determines who you become

When belief and behavior are out of sync,
no strategy fixes it.

At Atomic Business Coaching, my partner Tom and I work
inside a single conversation.

Two perspectives
→ intuitive
→ strategic

Working in real time.

That is how we help founders
→ stop being the bottleneck
→ step fully into the role of CEO
→ in life and in business

I do not sell hacks.
I do not share surface-level advice.

I share ways of thinking that create
→ clarity
→ grounded decisions
→ progress that feels whole

If you are self-employed, capable,
and sensing it is time to lead more intentionally,
we will probably have a good conversation.

Adam Thomas Hurd
Co-Founder, Atomic Business Coaching
www.BeThe.CEO

Adam Thomas Hurd

Pay attention to how your mornings start.

Business is simple.
It’s just not easy.

If your day begins in reaction
emails, messages, fires, notifications
your business will feel chaotic no matter how hard you work.

Here’s the difference I see between operators and CEOs:

CEOs decide first.
Then they engage.

They don’t let the world tell them what matters.
They choose what matters -- and then respond accordingly.

Reaction creates urgency.
Decision creates simplicity.

When you decide first, everything else has context.
What to ignore.
What to delay.
What actually deserves your attention.

That’s how chaos turns into clarity.

Simple businesses aren’t built by faster reactions.
They’re built by intentional starts.

So tomorrow morning, ask yourself one question before opening anything:
What am I deciding today -- before the world decides for me?

Beliefs create behavior. Behavior creates results. I help self-employed people become the CEO of their life and business — simplify & focus.

Most people say they want freedom.

But what they really want
is less discomfort.

Business is simple.
It’s just not easy.

Freedom doesn’t come from escape.
It comes from ownership.

And ownership requires staying close to reality...
not stories,
not excuses,
not complexity you can hide behind.

Complexity is convenient.
It gives you something to blame.

Reality is uncomfortable.
It asks you to decide.
To own outcomes.
To stop outsourcing responsibility to strategy, systems, or timing.

Freedom isn’t the absence of pressure.
It’s the ability to carry it without flinching.

So be honest with yourself:

Where are you blaming complexity...
instead of accepting responsibility?

Co-Founder of BeThe.CEO | A private program that upgrades your beliefs and behaviors so you become the CEO of your life and business

Most people think delegation is a skill.

It’s not.
It’s a behavior.

And that misunderstanding is why delegation feels so heavy.

Here’s the trap:
You keep explaining.
You keep clarifying.
You keep jumping back in to “help.”

That’s not delegation.
That’s disguised control.

Real delegation is simple:

1. Define the outcome.
2. Define the constraints.
3. Get out of the way.

When you stop explaining how
and start defining what good looks like,
the business gets lighter fast.

Less back-and-forth.
Less dependency.
Less noise.

Business is simple.
It’s just not easy.

And the shift from explaining to defining
is one of the fastest ways to feel that simplicity again.

Where are you still explaining
instead of clearly defining the outcome?

As I head into this new year, something finally clicked for me.

Tom and I know exactly who we are and what we’re building.
The real question is… how does anyone else know?

I see this with clients all the time.
They’re exceptional at what they do.
Highly skilled.
True specialists.

And almost no one can clearly explain who they are or how they help.

Marketing matters. A lot.

Years ago, if you were on Main Street, visibility was built in.
Same people. Same block. Same routines.

Today, you’re shouting across the globe on social media.
And being genuine in that environment is harder than it looks.

I know this firsthand.
I’ve gone through at least six versions of how I’ve tried to show up online.

What’s always worked best for me is in-person connection.
But that has a ceiling.
Limited time. Limited reach.

So social media feels like the answer.
Until you realize you might be playing a game you never chose to win.

Here’s the lesson that finally landed for me:
Marketing isn’t about novelty.
It’s about clarity and consistency.

The real work looks like this:
- Know what you do.
- Know who you help.
- Know the results you create.
- Know why someone should care.

Then say that...
again and again.

Not chasing trends.
Not reinventing yourself every month.
Not grabbing attention you don’t actually want.

Just repetition.
In different formats.
Over time.

Look at the best companies in the world.
Apple. Nike...

Same core message.
Year after year.

That’s not boring.
That’s sustainable.

Business is simple.
It’s just not easy.

And content becomes much easier
when you stop overcomplicating what should be clear.

I used to think growth came from pushing harder.

Business is simple.
It’s just not easy.

But I was wrong.

Real growth didn’t come from more force.
It came from staying steady longer.

Holding the line when it wasn’t exciting.
Repeating what worked instead of chasing what was new.
Letting time do its job.

That’s what maturity looks like in business.

Not intensity.
Not urgency.
Not constant change.

Consistency.
Patience.
Trusting the process you already chose.

Force feels productive in the moment.
Steadiness compounds quietly over time.

So here’s the real question:

Where are you still confusing force...
with actual progress?

People delegate because they want to feel lighter.

Business is simple.
It’s just not easy.

But here’s the hard truth:
That’s not leverage.
That’s surrender.

When you hand something off too early,
you don’t just lose control
you lose judgment.

And judgment is the real asset.
If you’ve never done the work deeply,
you can’t evaluate it clearly.
You can’t spot problems early.
You can’t tell good from great.

Delegation without understanding
creates blind spots, not scale.

Real leverage comes later.
After you’ve learned the terrain.
After you’ve earned discernment.

Then, and only then...
does handing it off make the business lighter without making it weaker.

So be honest with yourself:

What did I delegate...
before I truly understood it?

What you tolerate today
is who you become tomorrow.

Business is simple.
It’s just not easy.

Messy standards create messy businesses.
Loose boundaries create constant stress.
Unchecked behavior becomes culture -- fast.

And here’s the part most people miss:
That’s not personality.
That’s identity.

Calm CEOs don’t have magic traits.
They have clear standards.

What gets addressed.
What gets ignored.
What’s acceptable.
What’s not.

Every tolerance is a vote.
Every standard shapes who you’re becoming
and what your business turns into.

If your leadership feels chaotic,
it’s rarely a strategy problem.
It’s usually a standards problem.

Clean standards create calm leadership.
Calm leadership creates simple businesses.

Where are you tolerating something today
that’s quietly shaping the wrong future?

Most founders stay busy
so they don’t have to think.

Business is simple.
It’s just not easy.

Busyness feels productive.
It fills the day.
It quiets the discomfort.

But it’s not leadership.
It’s hiding.

Here’s the real distinction:

CEOs decide.
Operators react.

Decision requires pause.
Pause creates clarity.
Clarity forces responsibility.

So instead of asking,
“What else can I do today?”

Ask this:

What decision am I avoiding...
by staying “productive”?

I used to believe trust was built in big moments.

Business is simple.
It’s just not easy.

But I was wrong.

Trust isn’t built in speeches, promises, or big decisions.
It’s built in the small, boring moments.

What you tolerate.
What you ignore.
What you follow through on.
What you quietly let slide.

Those moments compound.
And they train people how to experience you.

Trust isn’t what you say you’ll do someday.
It’s what people can predict you’ll do today.

Consistency creates safety.
Standards create credibility.

So ask yourself this honestly:

What pattern am I quietly training people...
to expect from me?

Every single day, you’re making one of two choices.

Business is simple.
It’s just not easy.

You’re choosing between comfort and leadership.

Comfort keeps you busy.
It fills your calendar.
It gives you the illusion of progress.

Leadership shapes who you become.
It asks for clarity.
It demands decisions.
It forces you to choose long-term over relief.

Here’s the truth most people miss:
Simple businesses aren’t built by people who work harder.
They’re built by people who choose leadership more often than comfort.

Comfort feels good now.
Leadership pays off later.

And the accumulation of those daily choices?
That’s what determines the business you build -- and the person you become.

So today, don’t ask what feels easiest.
Ask what a leader would choose.

Where are you choosing comfort
when leadership is required?

Doing something different today.

Going to post this weeks newsletter copy as a post.

Wondering if it hits differently... LMK. Thanks.

----

Adam's Thoughts

I recently came across a philosophy that stopped me in my tracks:
Your intuition speaks to you in statements.
Your anxiety speaks to you in questions.
Damn—that’s powerful.

Think about your inner dialogue for a moment. When you hear a clear statement, it often compels action. It feels direct. Grounded. Almost like it’s coming from somewhere deeper—your unconscious, your intuition, your spirit, your muse.

Anxiety, on the other hand, tends to sound very different. It’s wrapped in uncertainty. It shows up as questions. Not curious questions meant to learn—but fearful ones rooted in I don’t know.

This past week, I’ve been digging deeper into intuition. Tom and I have always said we’re intuitive coaches, which can be hard to explain. What it really means is that we use our intuition to sense what a client needs right now—in this moment, at this phase of their path.

But we also coach our clients to trust and use their own intuition.

Because the truth is, most of the time, we already know exactly what we need to do to move forward.

We hear it.
We just don’t listen.

Adam's Lessons

I’ve decided to pay closer attention to my intuition—not just in coaching, but in everyday life.

Here’s a simple example.

The other night, Tom and I were at one of our events. It wrapped up around 9:30 p.m. I’d been so busy talking with people that I hadn’t eaten anything or even taken a bathroom break.

By the time we locked up and got to the parking lot, it hit me: I had a 30-minute drive home, and this was going to be uncomfortable, because I really had to pee!

As I was driving, I was coming up to a Paris Baguette—a place my family loves. We rarely go because it’s far from home and, let’s be honest, not exactly health food.

As I approached it, a thought came in clear as day:

“You should stop here and bring pastries home for your family.”

That was intuition. A statement.

Then anxiety chimed in:
“I wonder if they’re even open? It’s kind of late.”

I looked up the hours at a red light. They were open. But by then, I’d already driven past. To turn back would mean extra time—and I really needed a bathroom.

So I kept driving.

The rest of the ride home was miserable. No singing to music. No strategic thinking. No creativity. Just one thought: please don’t pee your pants.

After I finally got home and relieved myself, it hit me.
My intuition had been right.

If I’d listened, I could’ve stopped, used the bathroom, and brought home something thoughtful for my family.

Instead, I let anxiety ask questions that didn’t lead to action—only discomfort and regret.

Closing Thought

Here’s what I’ve figured out:
I’m going to start doing more than hearing my intuition.

I’m going to listen to it—by acting on it.

Because more often than not, it’s already proven itself right throughout my life.

Maybe yours has too.

This week on the "Be The CEO" Podcast we discuss standards.

And here's what most people get wrong:

They think standards are just rules or guidelines.

But standards are behaviors.

They're the actions that form your identity as a company, as a CEO.

Everything you do, those expectations, those patterns, it's really a way of behaving.

And if you don't have good standards, if you don't know what your standards are, you struggle with everything else.

Take Joe Rogan's podcast.

He's genuinely curious about what people say.

There's no agenda to sell a movie or push a book.

His standard has always been simple: only bring people on that he's interested in talking to.

We also talked about focus versus flow.

Maybe focus has a lot to do with how long or short your windows of time are.

When you're in flow, everything happens smoothly, seamlessly.

Time goes by fast naturally.

But focus is intentional.

That's part of enjoying the journey, being present, not worrying about results.

Find us on YouTube, Spotify and everywhere podcasts are found.

P.S. Want to ask better questions in your business?

Follow Us. https://lnkd.in/eHAbEh7W

The hardest belief to let go of in business is this one:

“If I don’t do it, it won’t get done right.”

It sounds responsible.
It sounds disciplined.
It even sounds like leadership.

But it’s incredibly expensive.

Business is simple.
It’s just not easy.

As long as you believe quality only comes through you,
you cap your business at your own capacity.

You become the bottleneck.
You slow decisions.
You exhaust yourself.

And the business never really scales.

The real shift happens when you adopt a different belief:
Other people can own outcomes.

Not tasks.
Not checklists.
Outcomes.

That belief changes everything.

Because scaling doesn’t happen when you do more.
It happens when you let go
and allow others to carry responsibility with you.

Leadership isn’t about control.
It’s about trust, clarity, and ownership.

And until you let go of that belief,
growth will always feel heavier than it needs to be.

Where are you still holding on
because it feels responsible
but is actually costing you scale?

Most founders think pressure means something is wrong.
It doesn’t.

Business is simple.
It’s just not easy.

Mistaking pressure for a problem isn’t insight...
it’s avoidance.

Pressure usually shows up for one reason:
you’re finally responsible.

No hiding.
No outsourcing the hard decisions.
No excuses left.

That’s not failure.
That’s leadership.

Pressure is the moment where the business can no longer carry you...
you have to carry it.

And most people try to escape right there.
They look for relief instead of responsibility.

But pressure isn’t something to run from.
It’s something to hold.

So ask yourself this honestly:

What pressure am I trying to escape
instead of learning how to carry?

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The Battle

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