Last month I took every one-to-one mentoring session I ran - 40 sessions, real founders, real businesses, real problems - and pulled out 100 lessons. Not theory. Not textbook stuff. Summarised lessons from the actual conversations. The decisions that saved businesses and the ones that nearly broke them. The same problems that come up again and again at every stage - cash flow, people, pricing, growth, exit - and the solutions that actually work when someone finally applies them. Things like: → Why 70% of businesses fail with a full order book → The one question that tells you instantly who needs to go → Why your brand is worth more at exit than your profit ever will be → How to collect a debt from anyone — including a FTSE 100 company → The system that stops you unconsciously killing your own sales → The rule that separates businesses that grow from ones that just stay busy And 94 more lessons/principles. I've turned it into a full advisory document - beautifully laid out, protected, yours to print, adopt and keep. 100 lifechanging, business scaling lessons Its in on Skool available to every member FREE: https://www.skool.com/thegrowthsyndicate/classroom/efdda4a9?md=608ecc68108e4ed7bef73476a4e8a9d0

I only booked in yesterday for The Great British Debate run by the Chamber of Commerce last night at the stunning Ely Cathedral (* I know Mike loves Peterborough Cathedral more! 🤣) and I am SO glad I did! Great new contacts made, and with Mike's words ringing in my ears, it can take 7-12 touches to make contacts and a sale. I got off my backside after a busy day and headed out for a 630pm start, finishing around 10pm. My delivery arrived (800 cans) that morning, of the Still Water Runs Free collaboration, and I was really proud now that these were in my hands. I thought, I know I will get there early and put them on the speaker's chairs, and I even got thanked on LinkedIn by the Chamber for the provision. :) My learnings were quite a few from last night, but the main ones were - 1. You have to be in it to win it. Yes, I could have easily not worried about going last night, but it peaked my interest with the debate, and Mike was one of the speakers, and yes, he spoke first, set the tone. and smashed it out of the park in my mind. As a result of being there, another 12 or so contacts were made, and I laughed when I went to speak to one of the speakers, Dr Tim, at the end of the night, and said, "That's my business on the can, your drinking!" Great opener by the way! 2. It's all about the brand! There is a reason why I wear the branded shirt, as so many stop me and ask what it is I do. I now have the 10-second liner, which I now say, "Oh, I create family heritage memories that are captured across the World, and leave a legacy for generations to come!" This always sparks further conversation, and leads to I have always wanted to do that somewhere in the conversation :) 3. Be passionate about what you do..... I did speak to a few people at the very start, and to be honest, their delivery of what they do was as FLAT as anything. Without passion, there is no purpose. I wanted at one stage to pick a few of them up and shake them! This is not said condescendingly; moreover, it was just that you have to be memorable (*not a drama in an orange wheelchair) LOL, and it is NetWORKING, you are the face and brand of your business, and need to present it.

But don’t confuse activity with accomplishment. After getting home late last night from speaking at an event at Ely Cathedral… It was back up again early this morning. 5am. A walk as the sun rose. Thinking about the day ahead. Thinking about this post for our SKOOL community. Then into the car at 7. → Zoom with Casa Ceramica at 7:30 (whilst in the car) → Breakfast meeting at 8:30 with Trevor from EV Blocks → Round table with the Director General of the British Chamber of Commerce at ARU from 10 till 12:30 → Lunch with the brilliant Katie from GYST → Podcast filming around stress, burnout & meltdown → Zoom with Debbie & Jeff → Group mentoring tonight → Then dinner with a new client this evening A full-on day. 14 to 15 hours ++ But here’s the interesting thing… When you’re doing what you love… - Building relationships… - Creating opportunities… - Learning… - Teaching… - Growing… - Helping people move forwards… It doesn’t feel like 15 hours. It feels like momentum. The problem is not being busy. The problem is being busy doing things that don’t move your life or business forwards. Too many people spend all day: → Rearranging spreadsheets → Moving deckchairs on the Titanic → Fighting fires → Reacting instead of building → Looking busy instead of creating progress That’s not business. That’s survival disguised as productivity. Real business activity should create: → Growth → Energy → Opportunity → Relationships → Momentum Because when you genuinely love what you do… Work stops feeling like work. And if everything feels like work all the time… Maybe the bigger question is: Are you actually building a life and business you love?

Is the UK a good place to do business? That’s the question. Today I’m joining Shevaun Haviland (Director General of the British Chamber of Commerce) and other business leaders at Ely Cathedral for the “Great Debate”: - Different views - Different experiences - Different opinions Same goal → To challenge thinking → To test ideas → To learn from each other Because here’s the truth… We don’t grow in isolation We grow through friction Through debate Through questioning Through being challenged People love to say: “Your network is your net worth” But they get it wrong: - It’s not about who you meet - It’s about how you engage → Do you challenge? → Do you question? → Do you listen? → Do you contribute? That’s where growth happens That’s where perspective shifts That’s where better decisions are made Proud to be part of the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce and the wider Chamber network driving these conversations Because business doesn’t move forward through agreement It moves forward through better thinking If you’re building a business right now… Ask yourself: Are you surrounding yourself with people who agree with you Or people who challenge you? That answer will define your next level.

Are you actually an entrepreneur… Or just someone who doesn’t like their job? Everyone wants the title. Few accept the reality. Entrepreneurs: → Carry the risk → Own the outcome → Get paid last → Solve problems daily → Keep going when it’s not working Employees want: → Certainty → Stability → Guaranteed income Nothing wrong with that. But it’s not entrepreneurship. Because this path comes with: → Pressure → Uncertainty → Failure → Mental resilience most people don’t have You won’t be tested on skill. You’ll be tested on whether you stay in the game. So the question is simple: Are you built for it… Or just attracted to the idea of it?