Yesterday evening Juls and I were privileged to attend a B&S end of year celebration. ...And it was nothing like any corporate event/dinner I have ever attended. No seating plan. No hierarchy. No 'formal' speeches. ...just fun, friendly, inspirational shares From the cleaner to the founders. Everyone equal. Everyone valued. It was not a business dinner. It was a family dinner... a frienship dinner And suddenly it became crystal clear why this business has gone from one pharmacy to over £500m. ...And why I have zero doubt we will hit/surpass £1bn within 3 years. This business does not talk about values. It lives them. If I had to sum up what I saw, felt and experienced in 5 words, it would be 5 Ps. - People - Passion - Pride - Principles - Processes People first. Not on posters. In behaviour. You could feel it in the room. The ease. The respect. The shared purpose. No airs or graces. No power plays. Just people who matter 'knowing' they matter. Passion that shines through generations. Multiple generations working together. And a genuine commitment to employ future generations of their people too. This is not telling people they are important. This is showing them. Pride in every role. Every customer. Every transaction. Principles that are lived, not laminated. For everyone. At every level. And processes that think beyond today. Not How do we fix this fire? But How do we build a system so it never happens again? Always asking Who is best in the world? What are they doing better? How is the world changing? And how must we change to stay ahead? Samit & Alpa are extraordinary people. Their Children are shining examples continuing that legacy Kish a shining example of that next generation Giving back at scale. Building free schools for hundreds. Growing people as the business grows. Founded on values that are embodied every single day. I do not often call out individual companies on this platform. But this is an outstanding example of how to build something special.

Many think they are - most just Aren't ...but they could be! I’ve mentored over a 1000 people. I’ve invested in dozens of start-ups. I've built business in over 20 countries. I’ve sat with founders, leaders, and teams for more than 30 years. And still, the pattern never changes. No more than 10% ever make it. Not because of the economy. Not because of government. Not because of competition. Because of their discipline. Because of their focus. Because of their consistency. ...or lack thereof It’s uncomfortable to say it. But it’s true. When I win, it’s because I have a plan. I follow the plan. I adapt and evolve the plan. But I never lose sight of the goal. Goals in concrete. Plans in sand. A few weeks ago, nearly 60 people came to the Growth Syndicate Mapping Session. ...I offered a free follow-up Zoom to help everyone finalise their maps for the year ahead. 7 people showed up. Was I surprised? Sadly, not at all. 10% 10% 10% What people say and what people do are rarely the same! Success starts the moment you do what you know you need to do. Not when you talk about it. When you act on it. And the truth is this: - Most people need someone in their corner. - Someone to hold them to account. - Someone to challenge their excuses. - Someone to call them out when they’re kidding themselves. Without that, the majority stay in the 90%. - Living lives of quiet desperation or frustration. - Big dreams. - Little action. And sometimes, those dreams turn into nightmares because of inaction, not failure. I’m not here to give cuddles. I’m here to give the truth. Because the truth is what creates change. A good boxing coach doesn’t whisper. A good football manager doesn’t sugar-coat. A real mentor tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Fact: You are where you are because of - the decisions you make, - the actions you take, - and the knowledge you have/apply. Want to change that? Drop me a message. Let’s start talking.

This is a tough one, but most people need to hear it. Some people talk. Others act. Some people desire the outcome. Others do the work that creates it. Some people make promises. Others deliver results. The older I get, the clearer it becomes. Talk changes nothing. Action changes everything. Desire matters. It shows you what you want. But desire without action is daydreaming. You can wish, hope and visualise all you like. But only what you do becomes real in the world. Every successful person I have ever mentored shared one trait. They moved. Early. Often. Long before they felt ready. Small actions. Repeated consistently. Always beat big intentions left untouched. So here is the real question. What will you do today that moves your life, your business or your future forward? Not what you will think about. Not what you will plan. What you will actually do. Action is the bridge between the life you want and the life you live. Everything else is noise. Call to action: If you were dragged into a court of law and charged with failure, could you provide evidence that you did everything you could, took the actions you needed, and showed up fully? Or would you be condemned by your own excuses, your good ideas, your great intentions and your lack of doing? Only you know the truth. And your actions will always be the proof.

We all want to believe that success is about the product, the people, the players, or our capability to deliver. But it’s not.... or it may be to a small degree, BUT BUT BUT It’s mindset. And management. That’s what makes the difference. I saw it clearly on Saturday at Peterborough Football Ground watching POSH play Wimbledon. Now, I’m not the world’s biggest football fan. But this was a lesson every business owner needs to hear. For several seasons, Posh have had disastrous runs. Capable players. Good coaching. Strong marketing. Solid fan support. But poor results. They had everything except belief. They didn’t have the right mindset. They didn’t have the right focus. Eventually, the pressure broke, and their manager, Darren Ferguson, was replaced. Nothing against him personally... but this was the moment everything changed. They didn’t change the players. They didn’t change the budget. They didn’t change the training regime (they tweaked it... small changes can make a massive difference). What changed was the energy. The belief. The mindset. The new manager came in - Luke Williams - and within less than two weeks (in fact just 9days), the team that had been losing to the bottom of the league suddenly came alive. They didn’t just beat Wimbledon. They destroyed them. 5–0. Same players. Same pitch. Same resources. Different mindset. Different management. Different result. That’s the power of leadership. And it’s the same in business. Stop thinking it’s about another qualification. Or another website tweak. Or another ad campaign. It’s your mindset. And how that mindset ripples into everyone around you: your team, your clients, your partners, your suppliers. You’ve read it a hundred times. You’ve heard every guru say it. 90% mindset. 10% skill set. But until you live that lesson, you’ll keep repeating the same season, wondering why your results haven’t changed. Mindset and management make the difference. Every time.

Good to Great by Jim Collins is not just another business book. It is one of the most important studies on leadership and long term performance ever written. Built on five years of research across 1,435 companies, it proved one truth. Great companies are not built on personality. They are built on structure, discipline and the right people. I first encountered this book when I was Head of Shops and Marketing at Jet Petrol Stations. It was mandatory reading for every senior leader. It shaped how we recruited, how we built teams and how we thought about growth. It is still as relevant today as it was then. If you are serious about building a business that lasts If you want performance without chaos If you want a team that takes ownership and moves with purpose This book will change how you lead. The full review is now live on the link below... Short. Practical. No theory. If you lead a business and want to build something great not fragile, take a look. https://www.skool.com/thegrowthsyndicate/classroom/84055912?md=d55d181c0ca649db94536591be38f9ba