simThe information to Win in Business, the information to Win in Life, all wrapped up in one winning, weekly email. Winformation Weekly.

My 14 years’ experience of growing a business from £0-£100m as well as the life that goes with it.

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Simon Says

Winformation This Week...

I promised myself I would post more on LinkedIn this year. 2 posts in and I just can’t carry on. I can’t stand that platform. Between all the AI posts and responses, it’s basically FULL of people that are building a personal brand before they have anything to really talk about.

We have been told for years now...

“Be well known and the opportunities will land at your feet.”  

“95% of the opportunity goes to 1% of the players in the industry.” 

“Personal brand over everything.”

This was good advice in 2020. But personally, I can see things are changing. Every Tom, Dick and Harry has a personal brand these days. We all know the type. These people turn up to EVERY business event within 50 miles of home whether it’s relevant or not. They clamber for attention, taking awkward selfies and posting it on LinkedIn with some AI caption about “purpose or clarity”.

They campaign for anything they feel will get them attention without truly believing in the cause or even understanding it. The noise is deafening.

With most of them you wouldn't have a clue what they sell or how to even buy it. It’s a painful watch. I should be their target market, and I have no idea what they do, and even less of an idea about how to actually buy it.

This is all backwards, but there is another way.

In today’s One Idea to Win in Business, I lay out a totally different approach. How to build credibility, have impact and become successful without deafening noise.  

We are fast approaching March...which is mad. And the stats tell us only single percentage figures of people are continuing with their new year promises to themselves, however that looked for you on 1^st Jan. If this is the case, fear not. In today’s One Idea to Win in Life, we turn to an ancient Japanese practice, that could STILL transform your 2026. A different take on big life achievements. And no “50 star jumps before breakfast” promises you binned off on 7^th January.  

One Idea to Win in Business

Something to Build Credibility

The Credibility Stack Explained: Stop Documenting Start Delivering

If you started a business in 2011 like I did, you didn’t have a choice. You built something real or you didn’t eat. For the past few years, it’s looked very different.

You can build an audience before you build a product.
You can look successful before you are successful.
You can raise money before you’ve made money.

And that’s the problem. Attention is now cheap, and it’s only getting cheaper. People are switching off to the noise. Trust me, I have.

The founders who win over the next five years won’t be the ones shouting the loudest. They will be the ones that can PROVE what they have done and what they can do for their customers.

We’re deep into what I’d call the Attention Economy hangover. Everyone has a podcast. Everyone has a “personal brand.” Everyone is documenting the journey before they’ve actually gone anywhere. It’s boring.

But customers are sharper now. Investors are sharper. Teams are sharper. The gap between image and results is getting exposed quicker than ever. There must be lots of broke “successful” personal brands out there.

If this is you, you aren’t “wrong”, but I urge you to start rethinking. Instead of building an audience first, build your Credibility Stack.

1. Competence – Can you actually deliver?

2. Results – Are customers winning because of you?

3. Systems – Can it then operate without you for set periods.

4. Story – Now you earn the right to talk about it...

For the past decade people have been starting at number 4. I've rarely seen anyone then work back to 1 successfully. I’ve seen people harm their business in order to be well known instead.

Your personal brand should be a byproduct of performance, not instead of it!

I’m not anti-content just anti BS. If you’re early stage, lock yourself away and build something worth talking about. Fix delivery. Improve margins. Strengthen your offer. Delight your customers. When the first customers start to refer the next... talk about it...by all means. At that stage, we need to hear from you.

Before that, it’s noise. And incorrect noise at that.

Get ahead of this now and you will set yourself apart very soon. This approach is so rare these days, this is a golden opportunity to be recognised as the expert in years to come.

Do first, chat later.

One Idea to Win in Life

Something to Change Your Life

Is it Time to Rethink 2026 Already? The Misogi Principle Explained Simply

Be honest. Unless you’re some kind of robot, a fair few of your plans or “resolutions” for 2026 are probably gathering dust in your “to recycle” bin already. The issue with poorly planned goals or habits is that the minute your “perfect” streak is done, most people give up.

There is also a tendency to play it too small too.

No chocolate until Easter. 5am starts. 50 star jumps before breakfast.

Small, boring and easily skippable.

If this is you, there is another way. The Japanese call it Misogi.

Instead of lots of small challenges, you pick one big one, and the beaty is you have all year to plan it...and do it...don’t forget the do it part!

One uncomfortable thing. Slightly scary. An “outside your comfort zone” challenge for the year.

The rule of Misogi is simple:

It should be hard enough that you’re not 100% sure you can complete it. It can’t be unsafe or reckless. But it has to stretch you. This change, this challenge whatever it is, will define your year. You should look back in 5 years and say “ah yes 2026, that was the year I....(fill in the blank).

Because when you complete one meaningful challenge, it shifts identity.

You stop being someone “trying to be disciplined” and start being someone who does difficult things.

Here’s how to apply it:

Step 1: Choose Something That Makes You Nervous
Public speaking. A marathon. Launching something. Quitting something. If it doesn’t create a flicker of fear, it’s too small.

Step 2: Train With Intent
This isn’t a “coming soon” type challenge. You’re not posting this with “big things coming” on Instagram. Tell those close to you so you can benefit from their support and just go...do it.

Step 3: Complete It Before Year End
No moving the goalposts. Finish it. Win it. Or at least give it everything.

You might need 20 new habits. Maybe it’s one big life changing thing a year.

“But it's only 1 thing a year” is the biggest pushback. Years fly by. 5 years, 10 years. If you have spent that time achieving one big life changing achievement each year, where will you be in 3 or 5 years, or a decade down the line. You will have totally changed yourself and your outcomes...and not a habit tracker in sight!

Win or Wonder?

Ask Me a Question…

No matter where you are on this mad journey. Starting out, scaling up, or somewhere in the messy middle feel free to ask me anything.

Business, life or mindset, I read and reply to every question. The best ones will get featured in future editions of Winformation, with your permission of course!

To ask, just hit “reply”, type your question and send. That’s it. No forms. No fuss.

Until next week! 

Let’s win, together!