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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...

You can’t have a little scroll on Insta these days without seeing post after post about “How to grow a £10m AI only businesses with no employees using a £20 a month ChatGPT account.

Ok mate. Sure.

Whilst I think AI is a great tool for some things, you won’t build a business if you can’t lead humans. That’s true now, and I honestly think it will be true 50 years from now.

The issue is, there are so many business owners out there that still struggle with this. Ask me how I know? I used to be a terrible leader.

Obviously I didn't know this at the time. I was trying my best with zero help and no mentor. I learned on the job and in real time.

What I learned is that I was simply thinking about it the wrong way.

In today’s One Idea to Win in Business, I give you my top 3 lessons to help you reframe leadership and build a winning team.

We’ve all got an “Uncle Paul”...you know the type, turns up every Christmas, hasn't achieved much beyond trials at West Ham when he was 14 and yet somehow leaves you feeling like you’re the one who hasn't done enough with your life.

In today's One Idea to Win in Life, we're looking at the Galatea Effect and how to build true inner confidence that doesn't need Uncle Paul or anyone else to validate you.

One Idea to Win in Business

Something to Help You Lead

Three Leadership Lessons I Learned the Hard Way

I was a hopeless leader for the first 5 years of the business. I learned that I didn't need a £40k a year mentor, or a Masters in Leadership, I just needed to reframe how I thought about the role. When I did, everything changed.

These are my biggest takeaways from leading 250 people over the years and together building a company that generates £2m a week in recurring revenue.

Company – the very word company (used interchangeably with the word business) by its very definition means “more than one person”. Let’s not pretend for one minute that a company’s success is down to the Founder alone...or often at all.

True leaders understand the people they hire, coach, mentor, and promote are the engine room of the business. They propel you forward. I notice businesses locally where the Leader clearly doesn't share this view. They call themselves the “boss” and act like one...and the business usually stays small or the same size for years on end. Could be a coincidence, but maybe not.

The Boss – whilst we are talking about the word boss, to build something very special you need to reframe who the boss really is.

We currently have a team of 100+ people...that means as the Cofounder, I have 100 bosses. They delegate to me. My job is to make their job easier. Leadership is an act of service, not one where you are being served. Are there times you need to make a call, and the team need to act on that? Of course, but in general, I work for them, in reaction to their wants and needs.

Culture – you will notice the first half of the word culture is cult. Leadership (for me) is about creating a cult following inside the business.

Create something that “outsiders” look at and think “what happens in there that makes them pull together like they do?”. You don’t need to go full Willy Wonka, but your business should be a very aspirational place to work.

A cult atmosphere where everyone is focused on the shared mission and know their roles inside out.

You nail these, and add in AI as a tool to help you manage it all, then the sky’s the limit. But think AI will replace all humans and the need to lead them I think you may have a nasty surprise...despite what the 23 year old with a rented Lambo on Insta is telling you.

One Idea to Win in Life

Something to Build Real Confidence

The Galatea Effect – How to Build True Inner Confidence

The biggest separator between people that tend to attempt big things and get big results, whether that be business or life and those that don’t....confidence.

But building confidence in 2026 can be tough. We all have confidence knockers.

We’ve all got that one person in our lives that everyone seems to listen to...it could be “Uncle Paul” or your mate’s Dad... you know they type. They carry themselves like they’ve built 5 skyscrapers and rented out all the floors, even though when you stack it up, they achieved basically.... nothing.

That doesn't stop them belittling you, your achievements or what you are trying to accomplish.

You might see them once a year at Christmas, but they always have the same effect on you. You leave their presence feeling like you aren't doing enough.

This is where the Galatea Effect enters the chat. This mindset technique teaches us that true confidence comes from what we believe we are capable of.

Interestingly enough, it teaches us that praise from others can be as damaging as Uncle Paul’s Christmas Dinner putdowns. External praise leads to rented confidence....we are looking for confidence we can own.

And that comes from within.

But how?

Here are 3 practical steps to build proper internal confidence.

Write your own casefile – write down 3 things that only someone with real capability could have done. You might have some key achievements of yours in your memory bank, but committing them to paper makes you objectively observe your own capability.

Go before you feel ready – the version of you that “smashes it” turns up after you start the “thing” not before it. You know this. So, press go.

Teach the thing you doubt - Explain a decision, a skill, or a piece of advice to someone less experienced than you. You can't fake competence in real time in front of another person...and hearing yourself do it well is often the fastest way to notice you actually know what you're doing.

Imposter syndrome thrives on the belief that you need people to witness you being good at what you do. It doesn't. Who cares what they think...good or bad.

You know you. You know what you are capable of.

So much of your confidence has to be built in silence and on your own, proper Galatea style.

...have some of that Uncle Paul!

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!