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...

When we started, it was 2 of us in a room. The days were long, phones barely rang, the only conversation was between the two of us. Despite this, I was a big extrovert. It’s what made coming from a large corporate firm of 500+ to our small garage start up even harder.

I spent my social time as busy as I could. Plans most evenings, and the weekends were always packed. Feeding my need to be around people to make up for the long, lonely weekdays.

I counted down the months until we could hire more people, fill the office with lots of new faces. But as the business grew and this became a reality, something VERY unexpected happened to me.

In today’s One Idea to Win in Business we talk about how growing a business (like having kids) can create a lasting change in your personality.

One of the biggest reasons we put off “doing the thing” whatever “the thing” is...is what other people will think of us. Today, in One Idea to Win in Life, we look at the Spotlight Effect and why this might be holding you back from doing what you’ve always dreamed of.

One Idea to Win in Business

Something to Recognise in Yourself

Be Prepared: How Scaling a Business Can Totally Change YOU

As a big extrovert, coming from a huge company to launch a startup of just 2 people was hard. At the start I was desperate for people, noise, conversations. So I fed my extrovert personality with social events. Lots of them.

I craved the same from my business. I counted down the months until we could get ourselves a proper office and fill it with people. 2 people joined, then another 3. All of sudden 15 people.

Had I survived the early days with just my cofounder to speak to and phones that barely rang? We now had more employees, more noise and more meetings.

But as this all started to progress and we went beyond 20, people, 50 and then to 110...something happened to me.

All of a sudden over 100 people have purposeful direct access to me, no matter how amazing they all are and how good the interaction, it can take a lot out of you. Hundreds of conversations a week, thousands of questions a month.

"I must remain outwardly happy and approachable” I think to myself every morning.

Whereas this used to come naturally, these days it doesn't. There’s no denying it...it’s changed me.

I crave other things now.

I've never been more introverted. Evening plans involve a sofa, 2 kids, and some cartoons. I don't even go to the awards events to collect our trophies anymore (ha!).

The weekends are even quieter. Not because I don't like people, but because I need to recover, and have space to think.

And here’s the strange bit. The change in my personality has matched exactly what the business needed from me at each stage

Think about it.

In the early days, no one wants to come and work with you. You have zero track record and carry all of the risk.

It’s a huge sales job to attract people. So being very outgoing, very sociable, and constantly selling your business to prospective employees is what I was good at, and had to do weekly. Perfect for an extrovert.

Fast forward a decade or more, and we are now the Sunday Times Employer of the Year. Everyone wants to work here.

And so, the job has shifted in line with my personality. Although the welcomes are warm and in-depth for those that make the cut, the main task is twofold.

1. We have to filter more people out than we accept.

2. I need long periods of quiet thinking time to ensure we are doing the best job possible for our customers and our team members. Perfect for an introvert.

The version of me that started a business, was not the version of me needed to scale it. 

This game changes you, but those changes have worked perfectly in conjunction with the needs of the business. 

One Idea to Win in Life

Something to Unlock Action

Why the Fear Holding You Back is Just an Illusion

92% of people never achieve their goals or lifelong ambitions, according to a study by Scranton University. Amongst the reasons cited were perfectionism, procrastination, financial constraints. But the main one?

Fear of failure and judgement from others.

People wait their entire life to do something they have always dreamed of because they are worried about what their Aunty Susan will say at Christmas.

The reality is...far less people are watching you or concerned with your actions than you think.

Psychologist Thomas Gilovich from Cornell University studied this and gave it a name.

The Spotlight Effect.

It’s the human tendency to believe people are paying far more attention to us than they actually are.

In one experiment, students were asked to walk into a room wearing a very embarrassing T-shirt. The participants predicted that about half the room would notice it.

In reality? Only a small fraction did.

The point is, most people are too busy worrying about themselves...and ironically what others (including you probably) are thinking about them!

The spotlight you feel shining on you most of the time… isn’t really there.

Yet this illusion holds people back for years. They don’t start the business. They don’t ask the question. They don’t post the idea.

Because they imagine everyone is watching and judging, but honestly, most people barely notice. So, this is your sign, it’s not too late for 2026 to be the year you just do the thing.

.....no one will notice anyway!

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!