Founder First is a 12-month development experience for business owners who recognise that the next stage of growth will not come from working harder, attending another networking event or consuming more content.
It comes from becoming a better founder.
Over the past decade, I have had the privilege of working with leadership teams across organisations including EY, Fujitsu, the NHS, Ulster Bank and many others. One pattern appears repeatedly.
Businesses rarely outgrow the capability, clarity or capacity of the person leading them.
When founders struggle, the business eventually feels it. When founders become clearer, more focused and better supported, the business tends to follow.
I created Founder First to address that reality. It is a practical operating system designed to help founders improve the way they think, lead, perform and make decisions, whilst building businesses that are commercially successful and personally sustainable
HEALTH. WEALTH. FREEDOM.
Everything within Founder First is built around three outcomes.
HEALTH
Not about fitness for the sake of fitness. It’s about having the energy, resilience and capacity required to lead effectively over the long term.
WEALTH
Building a business that creates profit, opportunity and financial security — rather than simply creating more work.
FREEDOM
Creating options. More control over your time. More ability to step back. More opportunity to focus on the things that matter most.
These three areas are interconnected. When one is neglected, the others eventually suffer.
Founder First follows a structured journey throughout the year.
We begin with clarity. Founders spend time understanding where they are today, where they want to be and what success genuinely looks like for them. For some, this is the first opportunity in years to step away from the day-to-day demands of the business and think strategically.
Once clarity is established, attention turns towards systems. Many founders unknowingly become the bottleneck within their own organisation. The challenge is not a lack of effort — the challenge is that too much depends on them. Through practical frameworks, planning tools and operating rhythms, founders begin creating businesses that rely less on constant intervention.
Performance comes next. Not performance in the motivational sense, but performance in the practical sense: energy, recovery, focus, decision-making and capacity. Through tools such as WHOOP and structured weekly and quarterly reviews, founders gain a clearer understanding of the factors influencing how they show up each day.
Leadership becomes the next focus. As businesses grow, leadership becomes increasingly important — communication, accountability, culture and people development all become essential skills for founders who want to scale effectively.
From there, the conversation shifts towards freedom.
Can the business operate without the founder being involved in every decision?
Can they create more time for strategic thinking, family, travel or new opportunities?
Can they move from being the operator to becoming the architect?
Finally, we explore legacy — not simply what founders want to achieve, but why they are building it in the first place.
At the centre of Founder First sits the Founder Operating System.
Most businesses have systems for finance, sales, marketing and operations. Very few founders have a system for managing themselves.
The Founder Operating System brings together both business performance and founder performance in a single framework.
Founder Dashboard. KPI Scorecards. Quarterly Rocks. Revenue and Pipeline Tracking. Energy and Recovery Tracking. Weekly and Quarterly Reviews.
The purpose is not to create more administration. The purpose is to help founders make better decisions through better awareness
FOUNDER EXPERIENCES
Throughout the year, members come together for a series of carefully curated experiences designed to challenge thinking, encourage implementation and create meaningful conversations.
Recent sessions have included an Operations and AI Workshop at Windsor Park and a Brand Strategy Workshop at McConnell’s Distillery
Future experiences cover areas such as leadership, communication, systems, growth, planning and founder performance.
These sessions are intentionally practical. The objective is not to leave inspired for a day. The objective is to leave with something that improves the way you lead your business.
COMMUNITY
One of the most valuable aspects of Founder First is the quality of the room.
Building a business can be rewarding, but it can also be isolating.
Founder First brings together a small, deliberately capped group of founders — up to 20 at a time — who understand the pressures, responsibilities and challenges that come with growth.
The relationships formed through the programme often extend well beyond the formal sessions. Members regularly support one another through introductions, advice, opportunities and honest conversations.
SUPPORT BEYOND THE EVENTS
Founder First is not built around a single monthly workshop.
Members have access to an online platform containing resources, recordings, templates and tools, alongside group support, accountability structures and regular touchpoints throughout the year.
The aim is simple: to ensure founders have access to the right support when they need it, rather than waiting for the next event in the calendar.
IS FOUNDER FIRST RIGHT FOR YOU?
Founder First is designed for ambitious founders who are already achieving success but recognise there is another level available to them.
Not through working longer hours. Not through adding more pressure. But through greater clarity, stronger systems, better leadership and more intentional decision-making.
If that sounds familiar, the best place to start is by completing the Founder First Scorecard. It takes less than five minutes and provides an honest snapshot of where you currently stand across Health, Wealth and Freedom.
Places inside Founder First are limited to a cohort of 20 founders at a time. If this is the right fit, join the waiting list for the next intake.