Founder Coaching
My Story
I dropped out of University to build a startup. Since then, I’ve spent 13 years building companies; 1 failure (MatchChat), 1 successful exit (Sanctus) and mentored 100+ founders to flourish.
I loved building Sanctus. I lived and breathed our mental health mission. It was my passion that built our brand, closed our first customers, investors and employees. I was in flow and we got to £1m ARR quickly.
Things changed as our team and revenue grew. At ~80 people and £2m+ ARR with 100+ b2b customers, I began losing my edge. People “smarter” than me gave advice and I wavered. I got confused on what to let go of and what to hold onto. I became stressed and anxious building my dream company. I didn’t know how to be a Founder & CEO authentic to me.
You set out to build the business of your dreams, for it to work for you and you end up burning out, working for it - Sifted
I got through. I hired a CEO and created a Founder role for me. I exited in 2022 to ScaleUp Capital, bringing in £8m of investment into the business and selling £500,000 of secondary shares along the way. I moved to a board role, wrote a book with Penguin on Mental Health at Work and created an MSc Entrepreneurship Course with University of Staffordshire. Sanctus has now merged with 2 other companies maintaining our brand.
In this next chapter, I help founders travel the same roads; 1) Create a business you love being in, 2) Be yourself running it and 3) Get to where you want to go.
I’m inviting 5 mission-led founders to work with me 1:1. You’ll be revenue generating and/or raised investment, have a team around you and feeling like there’s more. That’s where I can help you most.
Topics I can support you with:
In our work together, we’ll discover what is important to you and go there. Here are some examples.
setting a clear direction and strategy
your role, loving what you do everyday
delegation, hiring and letting go
exit planning, leaving your business, selling shares, transitioning into something new
mental health, self-care, burnout prevention
relationships (employee, investors, co-founders)
personal brand, writing and social media
purpose, soul and essence of your company
Outcomes & ROI
Your business runs smoothly, you feel great and are happier and healthier than ever.
ROI: Unquantifiable sanity
Your business grows 50% - 100% in 12-24 months, because you are in flow and making good decisions with guidance.
ROI: 10 - 50 xYou transition out or exit your business with an ongoing board role and/or cash amount.
ROI: 10 - 50x
Investment: £6k - 10k per year
How I work
1 x 90min deep dive per month where we make progress on 1-2 of your biggest challenges
2 x 30 min ad-hoc check-ins per month as phone call, text or voicenote
Before each 90 min session you fill in an update sheet with key metrics, your reflections and challenges you want to work through
Your investment is £500 - £750 per month, for 3 months* and then we roll monthly
I work 1:1 or 1:2 with you and your co-founder.
*This is the price for the next 5 founders I work with.
Steps Forward
Book a connection call with me here.
We discuss where you are and where you’d like to be.
We agree or don’t agree to work together.
I send a confirmation follow up confirming our contract and session dates
Pre-session you complete an Update Sheet that includes; KPIs, personal reflections and biggest challenges
A typical 90 minute session; Framing, grounding, checking in for ~ 20 mins. Deep dive into your biggest challenges for ~50 mins. Checking out, agree takeaways and action for ~ 20 mins.
My style
I dance between coaching and guiding you. I mostly believe you have the answers, my job is to help you find them. At times, I will challenge and guide you. In critical times I will tell you what I believe you should do. All of my guidance is grounded in my own experience and I’ll share all of my startup experiences with you.
I am experienced in talking to people about their mental health. I can hold a wide range of topics within mental health. However, I am not a therapist. If something that is outside of my boundaries arises in our work together, I’ll work with you to access the support.
Testimonials:
Lauren Currie OBE, founder of UPFRONT
“Every call with James left me feeling lighter. He helped me trust myself, step into my role as CEO and leader, and celebrate my wins. When you're deep in the weeds, every problem feels unique - but they aren’t. Talking to someone who’s been where you are changes everything. For me, having someone truly see the effort and heart I was pouring into my work, and remind me that I was making the right decisions, was game-changing. Your future self will thank you for saying yes to this opportunity.”
Parul Bavishi, co-founder of London Writers’ Salon:
“Behind the scenes of most successful businesses are humans who are trying their best to maintain their founding passion, grow the business and juggle their personal life and ambitions.
I didn’t realise I needed a coach but I’ve discovered it can be difference between success and burn out.
It can mean the difference between feeling lost at sea and feeling confident you can sail through choppy waters, because you know which way you’re headed.
Having James as a coach for me and my cofounder has been transformational. Meeting with him monthly keeps us on track and provides us with clarity and focus.
He cuts through the noise of the business, tasks, and challenges to identify what’s really going on, both in the business and personally.
I think of him as our ‘founder navigator,’ shining a light on what needs to be uncovered or examined and helping us to steer ourselves where we want to go.”
Dominic Howe, Founder of Earth Systems
“James is a true entrepreneur, with a deep understanding of the founder journey. His guidance was pivotal for me, and his experience as a successful founder meant he truly understood my challenges and could offer fresh perspectives, clarity, and strategy. He has a rare ability to see the big picture while honing in on the key tasks that drive real progress. His support made a meaningful difference in my startup journey.”
Matt Trinetti, co-founder of London Writers’ Salon
“Working with James has been the single most valuable investment my cofounder and I have made in our wellbeing as founders and our relationship as business partners. James always asks the right questions at the right time, cutting straight to the heart of whatever we're wrestling with. Running a business means constantly evolving as leaders, and James has been our secret sherpa guiding us every step of the way. Every founder needs a James.”