Founders don’t get medals for starting strong. We’re measured by how we finish.
Today I ran the Richmond Half Marathon.
Not because everyone needs to run.
Not because running is for everybody.
But because it reminds me of something very real about leadership:
You don’t get over the line by sprinting the first mile.
You get there by pacing, fuelling, adjusting, and staying mentally steady when things get uncomfortable.
This week felt exactly like that.
A huge volume of tasks completed.
Partnerships progressed. Strategic conversations moving forward. One innovation discussion in particular is shaping up beautifully — watch this space 👀
We attended a fantastic Big Pitch event with Adam and the team with Jason, Nick, Mari and others — great organisation of the Big Pitch 🎉 and bold founders stepping up, strong energy in the room.
Great meeting with Hattie and Becky from Lee Peck Media — sharp thinking, smart positioning, exciting direction.
A powerful strategy session with Josh from Hampshire Business Show — more to come there soon.
And in between the business miles:
🎥 Recorded more “One Choice Away” videos — I hope they’re resonating.
👨👩👧👦 Proper family time.
🐶 And of course, Coco keeping the mood balanced as our Chief Happiness Officer.
Marathon training keeps reinforcing the same lesson I see in business every day:
Grinding creates fatigue.
Alignment creates endurance.
Running a business is a marathon — but a successful one requires strategy, recovery, strong partnerships, and consistent choices. Not heroic bursts.
Next week is half term. We’ll still be working — but in a balanced way — and celebrating the team properly.
Because sustainable growth beats chaotic growth every time.
So today, I run steady.
Tomorrow, we build steady.
What’s helping you stay steady as you head toward your next finish line?
hashtagFoundersDiary hashtagOneChoiceAway hashtagLeadership hashtagBusinessGrowth hashtagstep8up hashtagEntrepreneurLife hashtagGlideNotGrind hashtagRichmondHalfMarathon hashtagBigPitch hashtagHampshireBusinessShow hashtagLeePeckMedia hashtagInnovation hashtagBalance
Jason Sammon Dave Davies David Boddy Renata Vincoletto, MSc, CISSP Elena Angela Josh Mitchell Hampshire Business Show Dagmar Albers Ursula Tavender Innovationin Becky Lewis Hattie Kirkwood leepeckmedia Jack Adcock Tom Sammon Danielle Stevenson Drew Durkin Mark Hammond Basingstoke ITEC Ltd Adam Farrell Nick Millward Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris London Marathon Events Selina Kirkham Step8up Academy (part of Step8Up Group UK)
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