http://www.geared4success.co.uk/

Geared 4 Success, East Quay House, Plymouth (2026)

28/04/2026

𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸, 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 👊🏼

Or whatever Elvis said!

I’ve been completely swamped throughout April. New projects, new collaborations, new staff interviewed, and a lot of charity work behind the scenes.

And if I’m honest, I haven’t felt this enthused in over a decade.

It’s funny how enthusiasm can fade and then suddenly come flooding back. And it’s got nothing to do with motivation. For me, it’s all about alignment and the combination of small positive ingredients that holistically equate to one successful outcome.

The magic formula:

1 x handful of the right people
1 x cup half full
3 x exciting new concepts
1 x haircut
0 x alcohol
6–8 hours of sleep a night
1 x morning latte
5 x daily calls/emails to decision makers
3 x weekly meetings booked with collaborators
1 x sprinkle of sunshine

And voilà… there you have it. My winning recipe for enthusiasm that yields results.

Hope everyone’s having a strong month 👊

04/04/2026

Happy Easter, everyone 🐣

Easter for me symbolises new beginnings. It’s a time when new ideas, new plans, and new energy align with the start of a new season.

If you’ve been sitting on a few ideas, now’s the time to reignite that back burner and get things moving forward.

My diary is pretty much maxed out throughout April already. As most people know, I’m passionate about making a positive impact, and even more so when collaboration and strong partnerships can create something far-reaching and meaningful.

I’m genuinely excited to be working with some incredible people and organisations this year. In fact, I haven’t been this excited about new projects since starting in business over a decade ago, and I can’t wait to start sharing more next month.

So, try and use this time to reset, refocus, and push something forward that you’ve been sitting on.

No more overthinking. No more stalling. It’s time to start delivering.

Happy Easter 🐣

31/03/2026

If you snooze, you lose… and I really believe there’s something in that.

Back on the 06:55 train to London today, and there’s something special about these early starts in Spring. No noise, no rush, no chaos yet. Just that quiet moment before everything kicks off.

You hear the city waking up. Lights flicking off as the sun rises. The first coffee of the day always tastes better than the last. The first train rolling in seems to have more purpose. It’s a gift to experience this before the school run and commuters put an end to the calm.

Most people are still in bed… but this is where the day starts to take shape for me. And when it looks like this, only positive things can happen, right?

This is Plymouth, my hometown, and the epicentre of my success.

Whatever you’re doing today, go smash it.

29/03/2026

The clocks have officially gone forward, which means one thing… British Summer Time is here.

We’ve survived the six month British winter… just about. No more leaving the house and coming home in the dark. Lighter mornings, longer evenings, and finally a bit of life back in the day.

There’s something about this time of year that shifts energy. Mood feels better, motivation picks up, and everything just feels that little bit more achievable.

For me, it’s always a reminder to reset, refocus, and push forward with intent. More daylight. More opportunity. No excuses. Let’s make it count 👊🏼

23/03/2026

𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁-𝘂𝗽 ⚡️

But, what was, or is, the most exciting part of starting your business?

🚀 The freedom?
🎯 The risk?
💰 The first sale?
🧠 The identity shift?
🧱 Theorising the build stage?

I’ve been running successful businesses for over a decade. Built teams. Built systems. Built turnover. Built structure. Yet, for me, nothing quite matches the electricity of a start-up.

And, my new venture has taken me right back to the thrill of that start-up phase, here in London.

Today I've had two office viewings, one in Fitzrovia, and the other in Waterloo. Two very different locations, two completely different energies, but both giving me that unmistakable startup buzz.

Now, I’m asked a lot of questions about which is best for people starting up... serviced offices vs leasing long term. Flexibility vs commitment. Speed vs structure.

And I’ll break that down properly in a future post because that decision alone can shape your first 24 months.

Because, here’s a quick reality check…

Around 20% of UK startups fail within the first 12 months. Roughly 60% fail within the first three years. And by year five, closer to 50–70% won’t be around depending on the sector.

That’s not meant to scare anyone. That’s to remind you that enthusiasm without structure is expensive… or potentially catastrophic. So don’t let the dream cloud the discipline required.

My advice? Be totally present at the beginning. The theory. The blueprint. The number-crunching. Ensure you've covered all bases otherwise what you're building may crumble around you in the not too distant future.

But, although I personally love the beginning phase, some of you might actually hate startups and prefer scaling something stable instead.

Let’s hear what gives you that buzz or gives you the eebie-jeebies, I genuinely want to know 👇

14/03/2026

I watched Louis Theroux, Inside the Manosphere last night and found parts of it genuinely unsettling.

What struck me most wasn’t just the hostility towards women. It was how many of the voices presenting themselves as “leaders” or “entrepreneurs” clearly aren’t building anything meaningful at all.

Real leadership and real business are built on responsibility, accountability, and respect for people. Not resentment, ego, and outrage.

These online figures claim to be teaching young men how to succeed, yet many of them are doing the exact opposite. Instead of encouraging discipline, purpose, and self-improvement, they promote bitterness and division.

That isn’t leadership. And it certainly isn’t entrepreneurship.

The sad part is that many young men who follow this content are genuinely searching for direction. They want purpose. They want to understand where they fit in the world. Unfortunately, what they’re often given is anger disguised as advice.

As a father, that worries me. Because what young men actually need is much simpler:

• Better role models
• Honest conversations
• A sense of belonging
• Real examples of discipline, accountability & respect

There is a huge difference between helping men become strong and encouraging them to become cold, cynical and resentful.

Strength builds people up. Resentment tears everything down.

The documentary itself was fascinating. But it was also a difficult reminder of how easily influence can be mistaken for wisdom. And how important it is that better voices step forward.

If any young people are interested in learning about real business, real work, and how you can genuinely help others through what you build, feel free to reach out to me. I’m always happy to have a conversation and share what I’ve learned along the way.

08/03/2026

𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏’𝒔 𝑫𝒂𝒚

Across my businesses, I have the privilege of working with many talented and dedicated people. One statistic that always stands out to me is that over 70% of our workforce are women.

These individuals play a vital role in the success of the organisation every single day. From supporting students and professionals, to driving innovation, compassion and resilience within the workplace, their contribution is significant and deeply valued.

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to recognise not only the achievements of women globally, but also the impact they have within our own teams and communities.

To all the women across our workforce and beyond, thank you for the work you do and the difference you make every day.

08/03/2026

‘𝐒𝐮𝐩 𝐏𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐬… 🍺

I have recently been reminded of a quote from BrewDog founder James Watt suggesting things like ‘ignore advice’ and that ‘learning from mistakes is for losers’.

Whoops!

Now, I understand the rebellious ‘punk’ mentality behind that thinking. Disruption and confidence are often part of building something new. But my philosophy around entrepreneurship is very different.

I’ve always structured my businesses through a framework I devised back in 2015, the BEAST framework.

I’m delving into this a lot in a book I’m currently working on, which explores building businesses based on structure, psychology and real-world experience. Not ego!

𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 🏗️
Create something real that solves a problem.

𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗲 ⚡
Take action. Ideas mean nothing without ex*****on.

𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁 🔄
Stay teachable. Learn, adjust and improve when reality gives you feedback.

𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 📈
Grow what works with structure and discipline.

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 🌱
Success should mean more than money. It should create opportunity, freedom and a life worth living.

Because in my experience, sustainable businesses are built on learning, structure, and constant improvement.

If you’re more aligned with the James Watt school of thought, good luck to you. You probably won’t be taking advice from me anyway. But if BrewDog’s journey has taught us anything, it’s that ego-driven leadership eventually meets reality.

That’s why I believe entrepreneurship should be about learning, resilience, and lifting others with you.

That’s when BEAST mode is activated!

03/03/2026

𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘃𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀

I get asked this a lot. And the honest answer is always the same…

There really is no one size fits all and it all depends on your structure, your vision, and yes, your bank balance.

Both have their place. Both can be the right move at different stages. The mistake is picking one because it sounds more ‘successful’ on paper.

Here’s how I look at it.

𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲
Great for:
Early-stage businesses
Lean teams
Testing a market or a new location

You’re buying flexibility.
Short contracts, minimal setup, predictable monthly costs.
Internet, utilities, meeting rooms, reception, all wrapped up.

The upside:
Low risk
Fast to move in and out
Cash flow friendly

The trade-off:
Higher cost per desk
Limited control over branding and layout
You’re building inside someone else’s environment

Serviced offices are brilliant when speed and flexibility matter more than ownership and control.

They’re not a weakness.
They’re a strategy.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀
Best for:
Established businesses
Growing teams
Longer-term plans

You’re buying control.
Your own space, your own culture, your own rules.

The upside:
Lower cost per square foot long term
Full branding and layout control
Stability for staff and operations

The trade-off:
Long leases
Upfront costs
You’re committed whether you grow or not

A lease makes sense when your numbers are proven and your demand is consistent.
Not before.

The mistake I see most often is that people lease too early to look established. Or they avoid leasing too long out of fear. Both are emotional decisions. Neither are strategic.

The right question isn’t “what do successful businesses do?” It’s “what does my business need at this stage?”

Flexibility beats ego early. Control beats convenience later. Build the business first. Then give it the space it’s earned.

If you’re choosing between the two right now, choose the option that protects cash flow, not pride. Growth doesn’t care how nice your office looks.

It cares how long you can stay in the game.

02/03/2026

Like most of the best ideas, this is simple and ridiculously satisfying to watch.

Does anywhere in the UK have this?

Geared 4 Success

28/04/2026

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31/03/2026

29/03/2026

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