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

Bookings are now open. I said I would launch something that could shape your next year. That moment has now arrived. One Day. One Plan. One Year That Changes Everything: When: Friday 28 November Where: Peterborough Event timing: 10am to 4pm (with networking either side) ....and a VIP Dinner option for limited number of attendees This is not theory or motivational fluff. This is a focused, high-impact strategic day to design your 2026 breakthrough plan. Clarity. Strategy. Execution. One day to step off the treadmill, reset, and map a plan you will actually deliver. Why I am posting this now This is your early access window before I release it to the public tomorrow across social media and email. A number of places have already gone after the pre-release teaser, so if you want in, move now. Once it goes public, it will sell fast. Ticket Options £97 Standard Ticket Full one-day experience Strategy workbook and templates My book included Refreshments and networking Free for my current 1-to-1 mentees £199 VIP Experience Only 25 seats Includes private dinner with me after the event Deep-dive conversation, connections and insight Designed to lock in your 2026 momentum Discounted accommodation available at Ascot House for anyone travelling... But let me know as the discounts are NOT available online anywhere This is for people who are serious about growth. Not someday. Not when things slow down. Now. If you want to lock in a stronger, clearer and more focused 2026, secure your place today before I open it up to the wider network tomorrow. One day really can change everything. This is yours. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/one-day-one-plan-one-year-that-changes-everything-tickets-1801948118329?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Today: 20 October. A reminder that success is built, not inherited. On 20 October 1931, Sir Ken Morrison was born in Bradford. He took a small family market stall and built Morrisons into one of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains. No privilege. No shortcuts. Just relentless standards and a commitment to serving customers better than anyone else. But Ken Morrison was not the only one who built from the ground up. David Potts left school on a Friday and started as a shelf–filler at Tesco on the Monday. By 21 he was the youngest store manager in the company. He rose through the ranks to Tesco’s main board, leading Ireland and later international operations in Asia, before becoming CEO of Morrisons in 2015, where he led one of the most significant retail turnarounds of the last decade. I know Dave personally and he shared this journey on my podcast. Proof that where you start has nothing to do with where you can go. And on 20 October 2001, Apple launched the iPod. It was not the most advanced technology in the world. It was not even first to market. But it was the moment Apple stopped surviving and started leading. One product transformed the company because it did one thing brilliantly and captured global imagination. Three stories. Three different worlds. One truth. Success does not belong to the lucky. It belongs to the committed. It is not about background. It is not about money. It is not about having the perfect plan. It is about: Clarity of direction Consistency of effort Courage to move when others hesitate Morrison built from nothing. Potts rose from the shop floor. Apple reinvented itself mid–journey. If they can build, rebuild or rise from humble beginnings, so can you. Your past is not your story. Your decisions are. What is one move you will make this week that builds your future instead of repeating your past?