Most founders I work with weren't looking for a coach when we started talking. Their business had turnover, but they were becoming tired of the grind and being the bottleneck in a business that by now was supposed to be free of them, and provide them with freedom.
The path ahead wasn't clear.
Some are pushing hard for growth. Some are getting ready to step back. Some are sitting with a decision that's been on the desk too long. What they have in common is that they're building something real — the un-shiny, un-glamorous, humble businesses that quietly hold the economy together — and they'd rather not do the next stretch of it alone.
Why "Upstream"?
The work you do on yourself today shapes the leader — and the business — you become tomorrow. Every mindset shift, every difficult conversation practised in advance, every honest look at a blind spot: these are the small upstream investments that compound into a very different downstream self.
That's what this coaching does. Not quick fixes. Not corporate theory. The unhurried, considered work that changes how you lead — and, over time, changes what you build.
I spent my thirties co-founding a fully managed resourcing and compliance business serving 5-star London hospitality and the Royal Households. We scaled from zero to £30m revenue, two thousand people organisation with a private-equity exit — and I spent most of that time being the single point of failure. If any part of that sounds familiar, I'm happy to compare notes.
Today I'm a leader in data privacy and AI governance at a global business, and a Cambridge-trained executive coach. Different surfaces, same underlying question: how do you make sense of your world, find the clarity inside it, and take action on what matters?
How I can help
The rhythm
Once to twice-monthly one-to-one sessions. Emergency short sessions when a board meeting, a difficult hire, or a decision needs walking through in advance.
The relationship
Independent, non-judgmental, and separate from anyone else in your business — no investors, no advisers, no colleagues at the table. Three term lengths to choose from: three months to test the fit, six months for real change, twelve months for the long game.
The register
Practical, not therapeutic. We'll talk about margin, key-person risk, the client who's gone quiet, the conversation you've been putting off — and, underneath all of that, the leader you're becoming while you handle it.
