Invigorating Business Solutions

At Invigorating Business Solutions, we stay ahead of the curve by closely monitoring advancements in technology, social trends, and their effects on the economy. Our goal is to equip individuals with the foresight, resources, and strategies needed to thrive as business owners in the evolving business landscape.

We are dedicated to empowering individuals to become successful entrepreneurs in the new economy. We recognize the value of a work-life balance and the significance of time and freedom in addition to financial gain. That's why we provide comprehensive support and guidance from experienced individuals to help individuals establish businesses that promote both personal and financial growth.

General Manager

Rising Earth Clothing

Marketing Manager

Business Owner/ Mentor

If you're stuck, burned out, or feel like life’s just become about getting through the week — I’ve been there.

If you're ready to stop drifting and start leading — in your life, work, or business — you're in the right place.

And I know what it takes to change it.

I help people take ownership of their direction, build lasting confidence, and lead themselves toward the kind of freedom most only talk about. Not with hype or hustle — but with real, grounded strategy, clarity, and decision-making power.

Helping people help themselves so they can lead a greater life.
That’s not just what I do — it’s what I live by.

Leadership isn’t about job titles. It’s a mindset — a personal standard. It’s the daily decision to show up, take control, and become someone you trust to lead your life forward.

Over the years, I’ve led teams, built businesses, and authored books like The Growth Mindset Advantage, The Path to Lasting Success, and Breaking the Fear and Comfort Zone. But what I’m most proud of is helping people stop drifting and start leading — with purpose, clarity, and confidence.

If you’re stepping into a new chapter, wrestling with a decision, or simply tired of playing small — I’d love to help you move forward and lead from the front.

Let’s talk. Or just follow along — you might find exactly what you’ve been needing.

Terry Shadwell

Go on, complain again about AI. It will make no difference. AI won't care, nor will the people using it, from individuals through to big business. 

AI is not going away. Whinging like a sook about it will only make you look foolish. 

AI won't make you dumber or lazy. Done right it will improve your intelligence and make you more productive. 

Yes there will be AI slop, but everything can be slop, and you buy it throught Temu. But just because it's AI made doesn't automatically make it slop. 

There will always be a need for human made content. As a former tradesman, there were plenty of times it was quicker to turn up something on a manual lathe then programming a CNC lathe. 

Stop complaining, learn how to utilise AI and make your life easier. 

#ai #leadership #future #slop

li_at

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LinkedIn Login, Sign in | LinkedIn

Talks about #leadership, #businessdevelopment, #personaldevelopment, and #artificialintelligence

I help people build confidence, take control, and lead themselves to financial independence and a life they actually want.

Everyday struggles are inevitable—but the real transformation begins when your mindset changes.

Challenges stop feeling like punishment and start becoming preparation for your next level. Resilient leaders know that success isn’t built on circumstances—it’s built on perspective.

Read the full article here ⬇️⬇️⬇️

#LeadershipMindset #Resilience #ProfessionalGrowth #MindsetMatters #Achievement

View newsletter:  The Achievement Blueprint

I used to think my life was hard because of everything happening around me. Bills stacked up, work drained me, and unexpected problems showed up every

Open article: Why Your Daily Struggles Won’t End Until Your Mindset Changes by Terry Shadwell • 3 min read

Why Your Daily Struggles Won’t End Until Your Mindset Changes

Adversity doesn’t destroy confidence—it forges it.
The challenges that push us to the edge often reveal our deepest strength and shape how we lead, live, and show up for our families.
True confidence comes not from approval but from integrity, courage, and resilience in hard times.

Read the full article here ⬇️⬇️⬇️

#LeadershipDevelopment #Resilience #Confidence #ProfessionalGrowth #MindsetMatters

There was a time in my life when I felt completely lost. I had lost my sense of confidence after being attacked by people I worked with simply because

Open article: How Life’s Challenges Can Give You the Confidence to Find Your Way Again for Yourself and Your Family by Terry Shadwell • 4 min read

How Life’s Challenges Can Give You the Confidence to Find Your Way Again for Yourself and Your Family

Where does your confidence come from? 💭 It’s not about being fearless—it’s about remembering who you’re doing it for. 💪

When fear shows up, think about the people who need you to step up. That’s where your strength begins. ✨

👉 Let me help you with practical tips and motivation. Read my latest article https://lnkd.in/gA_gtFZH

#Motivation #Confidence #Fearless #Resilience #GrowthMindset

Motivation gets you started. Discipline keeps you going. 

In Part 1, we defined "The Discipline of Time." We looked at the philosophy of treating time as a creature to be stewarded. But knowing the philosophy is only half the battle. The real war is fought on Tuesday morning when you are tired, the emails are piling up, and the inspiration is gone. 

In this sequel, we cover the "Architecture of Consistency." We dive into the advanced Stoic protocols and neuroscience tools needed to maintain your structure when life gets chaotic. This is not about the calendar anymore; this is about the character required to follow it. 

📺 Watch Part 1 Here: https://lnkd.in/g-yF4KfR 

In this video, we cover: 
The difference between "Planning" and "Executing." 
How to survive the "Dopamine Crash" (The dip after starting). 
Advanced Stewardship: Managing Energy, not just Time. 
The "Inner Citadel": Protecting your focus from the world. 

WANT THE COMPLETE SYSTEM? 
If this video resonated with you and you're ready to go beyond the basics to permanently master your time, overcome distraction, and finally achieve your 2026 goals, grab your copy of the full guide: The Discipline of Time: Master the Art, Destroy Distraction Get Your Copy on Amazon Now! https://lnkd.in/gM5epJmQ? 

👇 Join the conversation: What is one thing you are going to stop wasting time on today? Let me know in the comments. 

#Motivation #TimeManagement #Discipline #Legacy #Success #Mindset #SelfImprovement #2025Goals 

🚀 Subscribe for more on Discipline, Focus, and Legacy: 

#Discipline #Focus #Stoicism #Productivity #TimeManagement #DeepWork #Legacy #SelfMastery

Most people never stop to think about how they think. 💭 Growth begins when you start questioning your own patterns and perspectives.

When you learn to think differently, you open the door to new results. ✨

👉 Let me help you with practical tips and motivation. Read my latest article here https://lnkd.in/gpp8d6QW 

#Growth #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #Change #Motivation

Busyness feels productive—but it’s often avoidance in disguise.
True leadership starts at home, in the moments we choose to be present.
Reclaiming family time isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing what matters most.

Read the full article here ⬇️⬇️⬇️

#LeadershipBalance #WorkLifeHarmony #BePresent #MindfulLeadership #FamilyTime

It’s a strange feeling when you realize your life looks full but feels empty. Your calendar is crammed, your to-do list never ends, and every evening 

Open article: Always Busy, Never Present? How to Break Free and Reclaim Family Time by Terry Shadwell • 4 min read

Always Busy, Never Present? How to Break Free and Reclaim Family Time

We often say we don’t have enough time, but the truth is, most of us simply don’t use it effectively. 📌 One focused hour a day, applied consistently, compounds into lasting success.

Time is the one resource we can’t make more of—so use it intentionally. 💡

👉 Let me help you with practical tips and motivation. Read my latest article here https://lnkd.in/geheb8jf

#Leadership #Discipline #TimeManagement #PersonalDevelopment #Productivity

Getting ready for Christmas. However, I know that when everyone turns up, the only people to appreciate this will be my wife and I. 
But, that is not an issue. We like it. 

#christmas

You have the time. You have the focus. So why are you still playing small? Welcome to Part 3 of our series on Discipline. https://lnkd.in/gnE3e5ws

In Part 1, we mastered our Calendar (The Discipline of Time). 

In Part 2, we mastered our Consistency (The Discipline of Focus). 

Now, we face the final enemy: Mediocrity. Most people never achieve their potential not because they are busy, but because they are afraid. We self-sabotage because "playing small" feels safe. In this video, we discuss "The Discipline of Action"—the final shift required to break your addiction to comfort and step fully into the legacy you are building. 

📺 WATCH THE FULL SERIES: 
Part 1. The Clock Is Ticking: Why You Need To Master Time Now :   
 • The Clock Is Ticking: https://lnkd.in/gPMXAFZi

Part 2. Why You Will Fail At Time Management (Unless You Do This) :    https://lnkd.in/geGFBwGT

In this video, we cover: The "Upper Limit Problem": Why you self-sabotage when you start winning. How to kill the "Old You" to make room for the "New You." The difference between "Motion" (planning) and "Action" (doing). The Stoic definition of Courage. 

WANT THE COMPLETE SYSTEM? 
If this video resonated with you and you're ready to go beyond the basics to permanently master your time, overcome distraction, and finally achieve your 2026 goals, grab your copy of the full guide: The Discipline of Time: Master the Art, Destroy Distraction Get Your Copy on Amazon Now! https://lnkd.in/gM5epJmQ

👇 Join the conversation: What is one thing you are going to stop wasting time on today? Let me know in the comments. 

#motivation #timemanagement #discipline #legacy #success #mindset #selfimprovement #2026goals , #stopplayingsmall #execution #highperformance #stoicism

Open article: The Discipline of Time: Master Focus. Destroy Distraction. Own Every Hour. by amazon.com

The Discipline of Time: Master Focus. Destroy Distraction. Own Every Hour.

Productivity isn’t about how much you do—it’s about who gets your best energy. Your prime time is your most valuable resource—spend it on what matters most.
Work can wait; family can’t.

Read the full article here ⬇️⬇️⬇️

#TimeManagement #WorkLifeBalance #LeadershipAtHome #FamilyMatters #Focus

You know that feeling when the day is almost over, and the people you love finally have your attention—but all they get is the tired, worn-out version

Open article: Tired of Feeling Drained? Use Your Best Hours for Who Counts Most by Terry Shadwell • 4 min read

Tired of Feeling Drained? Use Your Best Hours for Who Counts Most

Time management is not a task—it is a lifestyle.
Every tick of the clock is a clarion call to action. It is a new opportunity to write your story and create a legacy that stands the test of time.

In this video, we explore "The Discipline of Time." We move beyond simple productivity hacks to understand that structure and focus are essential to making the most of our days. We discuss how to balance the lessons of the past with the actions of the present to ensure we are living a life rich in both experience and accomplishment.

The question remains: How will you spend your time? Will you let it slip through your fingers, or will you seize it?

WANT THE COMPLETE SYSTEM? 
If this video resonated with you and you're ready to go beyond the basics to permanently master your time, overcome distraction, and finally achieve your 2026 goals, grab your copy of the full guide: 

The Discipline of Time: Master the Art, Destroy Distraction Get Your Copy on Amazon Now! https://lnkd.in/gM5epJmQ?

We have more time-saving tools than any generation in history. So why do we feel constantly rushed?

It’s the Great Paradox of modern work. 🛑
We are surrounded by apps designed to make us faster, yet we are drowning in notifications. As the visual below highlights, our attention hasn't just wandered—it has been hijacked by an attention economy designed to turn our focus into their product.

But there is a way out.
Moving from the "Tyranny of Busyness" to the "Discipline of Choice" isn't about doing more. It's about the power to say NO.
In my book, The Discipline of Time, I explore how to:
 * Stop glorifying the hustle: Busyness is not a status symbol; it's often a sign of shallow work.

 * Reclaim your "Prime Time": The 16 hours between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. are yours. Don't sell them cheaply.

 * Choose Active Recovery: Scrolling is not resting.

Take a look at the infographic. Which side represents your current week?

The Discipline of Time on sale at Amazon.
https://lnkd.in/gM5epJmQ

#TheDisciplineOfTime #Productivity #DigitalDetox #Focus #TimeManagement

Why is it they I never see a direct post from anyone on here? it's always suggested posts and what other peoples likes. Are we not allowed to see original ideas?

Time scarcity is often a perception—not a reality. 📌 Most professionals overlook the hidden pockets of time throughout their day that could be used for learning, development, or meaningful progress.

Five minutes of intentional effort compounds, reshapes habits, and rewires how you see productivity. 💡

👉 Let me help you with practical tips and motivation. Read my latest article here https://lnkd.in/g5krvT9K

#Leadership #Productivity #TimeManagement #ProfessionalGrowth #Discipline

4x Founder - 1 Exit | Business Coach & Technology Executive | Deep in AI & Web 3 | Digital Transformation

I’m a 4× founder with an exit, ventures launched in Hong Kong, Switzerland, Spain, and the UK, and millions raised from US and European investors. I’ve negotiated hundreds of millions in enterprise deals and joined Streamr during its early scale-up, leading Marketplace, Partnerships, and Labs as the company grew from 5 to 30+ people following a $32M raise.

In the past 12 months, I’ve mentored 24 startups — several backed by leading VCs including Antler and accelerators such as Outlier Ventures. Tech is the common thread; sectors span AI consulting and development, robotics, education, construction, shipping, surveillance, oceans, agriculture, law, infrastructure, and finance. The work is hands-on: weekly or bi-weekly cadence, direct feedback, and execution sprints.

In 10 years of business coaching, I’ve sustained a 4.9/5 satisfaction rating from my mentees — built on candour, trust, and consistent results.

My approach is deliberately contrarian: first principles over playbooks, customer proof over pitch theatre. ClearPath (see my coaching website) is the product of that experience — a practical diagnostic that maps where a company is now, defines what’s blocking growth, and turns it into a focused plan. Then I help implement it on a fractional basis until results land. That’s how I’ve helped multiple companies reach millions in ARR, four of them within 16 months of launch.

When needed, I drive hard pivots. After raising $2.2M for Silta v1 (tokenisation) and missing PMF, I pivoted the company to AI, secured seed grant funding from the Asian Development Bank — a multilateral with $150B+ in assets — and led it to $1M ARR within 12 months.

Results with mentees: four companies hit $1M in revenue within 16 months; two others doubled revenue in under a year; one turnaround from near-collapse to profitability in four months; a sales portfolio scaled from $5M to $22M in two years. I speak at Google HQ, the UN, and the World Economic Forum on technology, innovation, and systems change.

Ben Sheppard

A friend joined a five-person startup earlier this year.
Warm founder. Good vibes. Drinks after work.
Classic honeymoon.

Three months later it was unrecognisable.

The product didn’t work.
Deadlines slipped.
Pressure spiked.
And the founder — who started friendly — snapped.

CTO quit.
Replacement CTO quit.
Third CTO said, “What you want can’t be built,” and walked out too.

The founder wasn’t technical, but forced himself into technical meetings anyway, dictating solutions he didn’t understand.
People stopped talking, then stopped caring, then started leaving.

Fun turned to fear almost overnight.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
 Pressure doesn’t create toxicity — it reveals it.

When things go well, cracks are easy to hide.
When things go badly, you finally see the health of the organisation.

In this case the cracks were everywhere:
- Selling before knowing you can deliver
- No structure for raising problems early
- No space for the team to challenge the founder
- And ultimately: no accountability at the top

And here’s the part many founders avoid:
 If you’re the one creating the chaos, you have to ask,
 “What part of this is me?”

It’s okay to say “I messed up.”
It’s okay to apologise.
It’s okay to show you care.

Because when the pressure hits, the only thing that holds a company together is trust and once that goes, everything else follows.

If things feel toxic, start with the mirror.

4x Founder 1 Exit, 12 yrs Board Director, Fractional Operator & Startup Coach Seed to Series to Exit | Scaling, Turnarounds

Newsletter #3  AI has rattled more cages this year than the last decade combined.

I’ve spent the past few weeks talking with founders, policymakers, and friends inside huge institutions — and the pattern is the same everywhere:

-The big players are scared.
-The startups are overwhelmed.
-And everyone is trying to move faster than their systems allow.

This month’s newsletter covers the conversations that stood out the most:

1, Why most big companies will fail at building AI products — unless they create a sandbox
2, How early-stage founders can build a POC for free through Apex Labs
3, The real lesson I took from my trip to the UN in Geneva
4, A simple 20-minute weekly system that stops founders burning out
5, And a personal update on redesigning my own operating environment

If you want practical strategy, industry insight, and a few things you can implement this week, check it out below.

And if you want support applying any of it inside your own business DM me. I’m always happy to help founders get where they’re going, faster and with far less pain.

Introduction The last few weeks have been full of conversations that all pointed in the same direction — whether I was in Geneva with policymakers, sp

Open article: Newsletter #3 — Lessons From Geneva, AI Upheaval, and the Systems That Keep Us Moving by Ben Sheppard • 8 min read

Newsletter #3 — Lessons From Geneva, AI Upheaval, and the Systems That Keep Us Moving

Last week in Geneva, standing outside the UN building, I realised something I’ve known for years but often forget: 

The moment I step away from the desk, my thinking sharpens.

It’s almost embarrassing how predictable it is. Change the environment and ideas that refused to budge suddenly unlock themselves. 

The harder you push at a problem, the more it digs its heels in — but give yourself space, and the answers turn up quietly.

It’s followed me through every company I’ve built.

I can still picture myself in General Santos Fishing Port in the Philippines, toes in the sand, wondering how to scale my second startup.  Weeks of grinding produced nothing.  One afternoon on the beach produced the entire expansion plan into Indonesia and Malaysia.

The same pattern showed up in Vietnam with Silta Finance. We were pushing a dead-end product direction. Stress everywhere. But the insight that changed our trajectory didn’t come from a meeting room — it came the moment I stepped away and let my mind breathe.

And it’s happening again now with my clients. New features, new angles, cleaner offers — none of it arrived while hammering a keyboard. It arrived in the gaps.

Founders don’t always like hearing this, but it’s true: if you stay chained to the desk, your creativity collapses. When creativity collapses, your edge disappears. And once your edge is gone, your business drifts.

One thing I’ve learned working with Envoqe is that thinking time isn’t indulgent. It’s a strategic advantage. When you change your scenery, you change your decisions.

Your mind works best when you give it room.

Silta Finance

Envoqe

Over the past couple of weeks, a few conversations with founders, investors, and deep-tech teams have stopped me in my tracks — the kind that quietly signal where things are heading.

In today’s newsletter, I’m unpacking the themes that keep resurfacing:

🔹 Forward-Deployed Engineers (FDEs) — why they’re suddenly everywhere again, and how they’re changing the way software development and consulting companies go to market.
 🔹 Full-Stack AI companies — YC’s big push, and what it really means to “own the whole problem.”
 🔹 Yann LeCun stepping away from Meta — and what this might signal about the next creative wave in AI.
 🔹 A clean-room scenario founders must understand — especially if you’re selling into enterprises.
 🔹 The five silent killers that quietly undermine startups — patterns I see repeatedly in coaching sessions.
 🔹 A spotlight on WeBetterAI — two brilliant founders building at the pointy end of AI, quantum, and nanotech.

And on a personal note, I’ve spent the past six weeks experimenting with fasting alongside my HYROX training… with some surprising lessons in focus, discipline, and energy.

If you want to read the full breakdown, here it is 👇

4x Founder 1 Exit, 12 yrs Board Director, Fractional Operator & Startup Coach Seed–Series D | Scaling, Turnarounds

A Note Before We Begin The past couple of weeks have been full of conversations that stuck with me — the kind that quietly signal where the industry i

Open article: Signals From the Edge: Trends, Clean Rooms, and What’s Quietly Reshaping Startups by Ben Sheppard • 9 min read

Signals From the Edge: Trends, Clean Rooms, and What’s Quietly Reshaping Startups

A founder came to me running two tech products at once. 
On paper it looked ambitious. In reality, both companies were suffocating.

One product had early traction but had completely stalled.
The other had flashes of potential but couldn’t grow because the team was constantly switching context, losing depth, and firefighting across both worlds. Everyone was working hard, but no one was working effectively.

This situation is far more common than people think.

Founders convince themselves they’re “diversifying.” What they’re actually doing is splitting their focus, diluting their team, and quietly starving both companies of the attention required to win.

When we started working together, I told him something brutally simple:
“If you keep building two companies, you will lose both.”

So we ran my ClearPath assessment — a deep look into both startups, the operations, the financial health, the execution cadence, the product signals, and the real bottlenecks. 

Then we applied a handful of quick-win tests to each business to see where the opportunity truly lived.

The results were immediate.
One product responded.
The other didn’t move at all.

That gave us the answer people often avoid: one company needed to die so the other could live.

The founder made the call — not easily, but decisively.

The moment the team focused fully on the stronger product, momentum returned. You could feel it. Pipeline deepened. Work quality lifted. Decisions became clearer. The whole company started breathing again.

But there was a second layer to deal with:

Some team members simply couldn’t adapt to real focus.
They were used to working “part-time” on each startup and suddenly couldn’t recalibrate when asked to give one company their full attention. That mindset costs more companies than bad strategy does.

We made changes.
We redesigned the operating model.
We removed the people who couldn’t shift gears.

And we rebuilt parts of the workflow with systems and tools that removed friction.

Eighteen months later, that startup has tripled its revenue — and it’s more profitable than it has ever been. Not because we chased growth blindly, but because we built a business that could grow with clarity, focus, and discipline.

The lesson is brutally honest: you don’t scale by adding more.
You scale by removing what drags you backwards.
Focus isn’t a luxury.
It’s a competitive advantage.

This little legend is coming to work with me in Barcelona today.

She normally supervises from the home office, but today she’ll be joining the meetings at with Sarah Taylor at Envoqe.

There’s something about having your dog curled up under the desk that just changes the whole energy of a workday. A bit of calm. A bit of mischief. And a reminder not to take any of it too seriously.

Do you take a pet to work?

Drop a comment — and show me a photo of your favourite work buddy. I want to see the characters you’re building companies with.

Founder | Spatial Intelligence and Cognitive Performance | Environments of Stillness | ANFA Spain | ANFA UK

Growth rarely dies from lack of effort.
It dies from too many priorities.

This is the story of how one founder cut the noise and tripled revenue.
It might hit closer to home than you expect.

The Founder Who Tried to Scale Two Startups at Once

What a year.

When I started mentoring more seriously, I didn’t expect it to become one of the most meaningful parts of my work. But 2025 made that pretty clear.

Dozens of founders across continents.
Hours spent in the trenches together.
Real wins, hard moments, and a fair amount of straight-talking when it was needed.

The review below simply reflects the journey we’ve been on — the conversations, the decisions, and the progress made by people who were willing to do the work. That’s what I’m most proud of.

I’ve watched founders rebuild confidence, reset teams, rescue slipping revenue, rethink strategy, and make braver decisions than they thought they were capable of. And I’m proud of them for it.

If 2025 taught me anything, it’s this: great companies are built by humans who refuse to stay stuck. The strategy is the easy part. The hard part is choosing to move.

Here’s to a stronger, sharper 2026 — for all of us.
And if you’re a founder carrying more weight than you admit out loud, my door’s open.

Open article: Ben Sheppard – Year In Review 2025 by mentorcruise.com

Always appreciate hearing from the people I work with.
Andrew left this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on MentorCruise :

“great advice and very helpful in my journey towards sales and entrepreneurship!”

If you’re looking for support, sharper thinking, or a bit of direction as you build — drop me a message. Happy to chat.

MentorCruise

Your competitor just hired a $300k “Head of Strategy.”

Here’s how you still outrun them.👇

Rule 1: They’ll build slides. You’ll build customers.
Big hires need to justify themselves.
That means frameworks, planning cycles, and endless “alignment.”
While they’re aligning, you’re closing.
Speed beats polish every time.

Rule 2: They’ll chase sophistication. You’ll chase adoption.
Complex strategy feels impressive.
But the companies winning right now?
They ship simple things customers actually use.
Their roadmap is 100 pages.
Yours is five bullet points and a weekly cadence.

Rule 3: They’ll manage stakeholders. You’ll manage reality.
The more senior the hire, the more politics they inherit.
Boards. Investors. Internal drama.
You get to ignore all of that and optimise for truth, not theatre.

Rule 4: They’ll scale headcount. You’ll scale outcomes.
They celebrate hiring sprees.
You celebrate revenue.
One inflates the ego.
The other keeps you alive.

Rule 5: They’ll spend money. You’ll make it.
Strategy hires come with burn.
Pressure.
Expectations.
You’ve got none of that.
Your unfair advantage is focus, not funding.

The formula?
Do the opposite of what “big company logic” forces them to do.

Most founders don’t fail because of bad strategy.
They fail because they lose their rhythm.

A founder came to me recently — sharp, good product, solid customers — but every week he said the same thing:

“Ben, I’m working nonstop but nothing is moving.”

Underneath it was simple: no cadence.
No clear priorities.
A team busy, but not progressing.
And a founder carrying everything alone.

We built one weekly rhythm together.
Simple. Honest. No hiding places.

Six months later:
- Revenue doubled.
 -Confidence back.
 -Team aligned.
 -Momentum restored.

No magic. Just structure and someone in the trenches with him each week.
That’s exactly what my Silver Coaching Plan is for.

If you want a consistent operating rhythm and sharper decision-making,
DM me SILVER.

We’ll see if it’s a fit.

Your culture is eroding long before you notice it.
The first warning sign?
Silence.

This carousel walks you through the early stages — and how to stop the rot.

Culture Breaks Companies

If this week’s posts felt a bit close to home — the culture wobble, the silence, the misalignment — you’re not imagining it.

Companies don’t go toxic overnight.
They drift.
Week by week.
Decision by decision.
Avoided conversation by avoided conversation.

And once that drift starts, it never fixes itself.

That’s why I built my Silver Coaching Plan —
 for founders and leadership teams who can feel the slide but don’t know how to stop it.

Here’s what we work on every week:
1. Align the truth
Everyone finally sees the same reality. No spin.

2. Set the rhythm
A weekly cadence that kills drift and creates movement.

3. Cut the noise
Three priorities. One direction. Clarity restored.

4. Apply the right pressure
Accountability that stabilises a team instead of breaking it.

5. Support the person at the top
Because no CEO can hold the whole thing together alone.

This isn’t “coaching.”

It’s hands-on operating support until the company is steady again.
If your company is drifting — and you want to stop the slide —

DM me SILVER and we’ll see if it’s a fit.

If you’re doing B2B deals with large enterprises, there’s a term you might not have heard yet, but you probably should:

“𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦.”

In simple terms, a clean room is a legal and process setup an enterprise can use when it wants to rebuild a product without (in theory) using your confidential information.

The basic idea looks like this:

A “read team” is allowed to look at public information about your product – your website, marketing materials, public talks, patents, documentation you’ve published.

A separate “build team” is then kept “isolated” and asked to recreate similar functionality based only on what the read team says they learned.

On paper, this is meant to keep the process clean:
“We only used public info, so we didn’t copy anything proprietary.”

In reality, it gets messy when the enterprise has already:

run pilots with you,
seen deeper parts of the product,
had technical walk-throughs,
or received confidential materials under NDA.

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.

Once an organisation has had that level of access, claiming the end result is based purely on “public information” becomes very questionable.

I’m seeing this pattern more often as big companies get more confident in AI, internal build teams, and “we can do this ourselves” thinking.

If you’re selling into large organisations, you don’t need to be paranoid – but you do need to be structured and deliberate about:

what you show,
when you show it,
and what your contracts actually say about reverse engineering and derivatives.

I’ve recorded a short video walking through this in more detail and what founders can do to protect themselves. If you want help understanding this more deeply, DM me. 

👇 Watch it here.

Most people are surprised when I tell them this, but here it is:

I spent a chunk of my childhood with no hair, no eyebrows, and a nervous disorder that meant I regularly wet myself at school.

Not exactly the starting point you’d expect for someone who now speaks on panels and coaches founders for a living.

Between seven and eleven, alopecia took everything — and the stress triggered incontinence that stuck around far longer than the condition itself. I’d be sent home at lunchtime because I was soaked. Kids aren’t gentle about these things.

My hair eventually grew back, and I immediately sabotaged my comeback by bleaching it like a Backstreet Boy. That finished the job. The bald life was confirmed.

What lingered was the anxiety. Into my twenties, interviews and presentations would leave me with a pounding heart, shaking hands, and that old fear whispering in the background: don’t lose control.

And here’s the lighter bit:
Before going on stage or into interviews, I used to blast Aerosmith’s “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” because it made me laugh. If I could laugh, I could breathe. It genuinely worked.

Over time I kept pushing through — sheer stubbornness, really — and eventually something shifted.

These days, I genuinely love getting on stage.
I look forward to it. I feel like I have a voice now. I know what I want to say. I enjoy articulating it clearly, without that old fear sitting in the driver’s seat.

Sure, there’s still a tiny niggle in the back of my mind — some ghosts never leave completely. But when I’m up there and I see people’s faces light up, when they come over afterwards to talk or ask questions, it feels good. Not in an ego way — more in the sense of reclaiming something that used to terrify me.

It’s a long way from that kid who couldn’t get through a school day.

And here’s why I decided to share this:

There are a lot of first-time founders out there right now who are about to pitch to VCs, demo to customers, or walk onto a stage for the very first time.

It feels like Dragon’s Den.
Your heart’s racing.
You’re thinking, Christ, they’re all going to see straight through me.

And let’s be honest: sometimes your first version of the product is a bit of a bag of shit.
But it’s enough to get you in the room — and now you’ve got to sell the hell out of it.

If that’s you, I get it. I’ve lived on the anxious end of the spectrum.
I know what it feels like to walk into a room hoping your body doesn’t betray you.

So if you need help getting through that — the nerves, the pitch, the pressure, the “am I actually cut out for this?” moments — you’re welcome to reach out.

You don’t need to be fearless to do this.
You just need to show up anyway.

The 5 Blind Spots That Quietly Kill Startups 👇

They don’t show up on your balance sheet — until it’s too late.
Over the years I’ve seen founders burn through millions and others stall just as things were getting good.

Not because their idea was wrong, but because of what they couldn’t see coming.

Here are the five blind spots I see most often:

1️⃣ 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲’𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝.
 When cash is flowing, discipline disappears.
 Most founders forget to plan for the season when it doesn’t.

2️⃣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮.
 Every decision, sale, and delivery runs through the founder.
 When you’re the system, growth breaks the system.

3️⃣ 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞.
 Either the sales team sells what can’t be built,
 or the builders create what no one sold.
 Both kill margin and trust.

4️⃣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐡𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐦.
 Teams meet, but don’t align.
 No shared scoreboard.
 No accountability.
 No momentum.

5️⃣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐤.
 Marketing to sales.
 Sales to delivery.
 Delivery to support.
 Every gap drains trust, time, and cash.

These are the cracks I uncover in my ClearPath Diagnostic Framework.
 In just a few weeks, I help founders cut waste or scale faster — without chaos.

💬 Comment 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡 below and I’ll send you the full diagnostic deck — the same framework I use with founders to rebuild clarity and control in their business.

There’s a myth that founders are natural leaders.

I wish it were true. But most of us learn the hard way.

You start out thinking it’s about vision, strategy, maybe a bit of charisma. Turns out, it’s mostly about listening. And apologising. And learning to let go of things you thought only you could do.

I’ve made every leadership mistake in the book. Micromanaged. Avoided hard conversations. Tried to fix everything myself.

The turning point? Realising that people don’t want a superhero. They want someone who’s honest about what’s hard, and who shows up when it matters.

If you’re a founder struggling with the people side, you’re not broken. You’re just learning in public.

Keep showing up. That’s what makes the difference.

Most clean-room situations don’t start with anything dramatic.
There’s no big betrayal moment.

No email that says, “We’re going to try and rebuild your product now.”

It usually begins with something far more subtle.

If you’re selling into large enterprises, here are a few patterns worth being aware of — not to spark paranoia, but to sharpen your instincts:

1. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬.
Early meetings are all about the problem, the value, the ROI.  Then suddenly the questions become:

 “How does your model handle edge cases?”
 “Can you walk our engineering team through the architecture?”
 “Could you show us more of what’s behind the scenes?”

2. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 — 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭.
You start seeing R&D, “innovation teams,” or someone with “technical strategy” in their title.  It’s not bad… but it’s a signal.

3. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 
No one says no.
They just stop saying yes.
Meetings move.
Energy drops.
Updates get vague.

4. 𝐀 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. 
It’s often described as “exploratory” or “parallel work.”
These are the phrases product teams use when they’re trying something internally.

When you put all of these together, it doesn’t guarantee a clean-room attempt — but it does mean your engagement is shifting from partnership into scrutiny.

And scrutiny is where decisions about “build vs buy” happen.

This isn’t about becoming paranoid. Most enterprises behave with integrity.
It’s about knowing the game you’re in.

Because here’s the truth:
Large companies don’t copy startups because the startup failed.
They copy because the startup succeeded — and the enterprise wants that success for themselves.

If you’re navigating an enterprise deal and want a second opinion on how to structure the exposure and access, just drop me a message. Happy to help.

Comfort doesn’t make you lazy. But it can make you soft.

When I first moved into La Vista, it felt like a dream: a house so grand it bordered on a mansion, staff to take care of daily frictions, mango trees in the garden, and money in the bank.

But looking back, I realise it dulled my edge.

The best boxers often come from harsh beginnings, where hunger is real. When they’ve made it, some deliberately return to that struggle before a big fight, just to sharpen their instincts again.

I still had drive. But it was cushioned. The hunger that had once felt sharp and urgent was quieter now—muffled by comfort.

👉 Read Part 4 of my Founder Journey here:
https://lnkd.in/dbCkSHrk

According to Spotify I have the listening age of a 65-year-old.

Be honest — what listening age were you given?

As for what Spotify made of me.
Top three artists: Barry White, Chicago, Carly Simon.

I’ll let you draw your own conclusions. 😂🙈

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