Unfold and Rise

Wow, what a morning Sterling Business Network yesterday , truly one of the highlights of Men’s Health Week so far for me! The topic of conversation was: “Work-Life Balance, Founder Burnout, and Mental Wellness in Entrepreneurship” and I was honoured to have been invited as one of 4 Experts on the panel of speakers.

I made some great new connections and caught up with familiar faces, and it struck me that 2-3 years into networking, in my 4th year of running the business, I’ve built a support network that really feels like a business family. Which is incredibly important as a solopreneur - this can be a lonely and overwhelming business, no matter which sector you’re in.

Proudly wearing purple to raise awareness and funds for The Lighthouse Charity , to support the wellbeing of those in the construction industry, I enjoyed bouncing off the other panelists having insightful conversations about burnout, stress, causes, prevention, solutions, the work-life juggle - and the nods and murmurs of agreement in the room showed that every single person had felt these pressures as a business leader or entrepreneur.

What seemed to strike a chord with many was, as Eileen from Solihull Health Check Clinic put it: “It’s been amazing to witness the vulnerability of the panelists speaking about their own difficulties and journeys to overcome burnout and stress, as it opens up our eyes and makes it ok for us to put our hands up and say we’re not ok - and that’s ok too”.

Events like this, and normalising conversations about mental health IS the process of change in action.

The more we have the courage to open up, listen, self-reflect, make small changes, and share our experiences, then the more we ARE the change-makers, gradually shifting attitudes towards mental health, and impacting generations after us. It may take time but it’s shifting.

Thank you to all who spoke with me, to Jennifer Henderson , Sarah Boycott , and the Sterling Business Network Networks team for hosting such a great event. Thank you to my fellow panelists Nick French , Ronaldo Hare , and for the inspiring conversations.

My research & my work with men aged 35-45 keeps showing the same thing: You aren’t bad partners or mentally checked out because you don’t care.

There’s disconnection because nobody ever shows you what the small things actually cost - or what a difference a tiny shift could create.

Your default might be scrolling while she talks, going quiet & shutting down when things get tense, or providing everything financially but not showing up emotionally. Assuming she knows she’s loved because bills are paid & you give her a quick kiss every morning as you leave for work.

These small habits compound over time into distance neither of you intended, until one day you look up & wonder where the excitement went, if you have anything in common anymore.

Good news! Small habits work both ways, try these:

• Put the phone face down, look at her. She’ll feel the difference immediately - even if neither of you says a word.
• Ask: “Do you want me to listen or help you solve it?” That one Q helps her feel seen, supported & understood, not managed.
• Say: “I need a moment to think - but I’m not going anywhere.” It keeps the connection intact even when the conversation is hard.
• A genuine check-in “How are you really doing?” Connection doesn’t need a crisis, it needs consistency & care.
• A hand on her back, a kiss that lasts more than 6 seconds. The Gottmans proved that a 6-second affectionate touch closes distance fast.
• “I’ve had a hard day - I just need 20 minutes to decompress.” She stops taking it personally, you stop feeling pressure & taking it out on her.
• Tell her specifically what you love about her. Provision & presence are not the same thing, she needs both.

Men who make these small shifts to intentionally reconnect - consistently, not perfectly - tell me their relationships feel different within weeks. Their partners notice.

That’s the compound effect applied to connection.

So, which one will you try today? Comment below 👇🏼

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The Lighthouse Charity supports construction workers and their families in the UK and Ireland. Open to anyone who works within construction from crane operators, site foreman, and the trades to admin support, quantity surveyors, business owners and beyond - the charity provides essential Emotional, Physical and Financial wellbeing support.

It’s the charity’s first ever next week, during , and I’m getting involved by wearing something purple everyday from 15th-19th June. I’d love your support in fundraising and celebrating the charity’s 70th Anniversary 💜

As an Associate Coach for the charity, I see first-hand the impact of the support the charity gives. From practical support such as food deliveries to tide someone over as they transition jobs, to emotional support from fantastic counsellors, and the work that I and other life coaches do in creating After Care space and support for individuals who want to maximise their potential.

I hear time and again the gratitude of people in receipt of support. The charity receives no government support whatsoever, they function purely through fundraising efforts and sector sponsors.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘂𝘀, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗼, 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀. Or support me by sharing my page link and the campaign with your networks.

Thank you 💜

The Lighthouse Charity

6 months left of 2026 and Men’s Health Month feels like the right time to ask: how are you doing?

Like, really?

I speak to successful, driven, capable men who often say the same thing underneath it all: exhausted, disconnected, depleted - not quite sure when life started feeling like just getting through the day rather than actually living it.

My research with men aged 35-45 tells me clearly: most men don’t want more success. They want peace of mind, genuine connection, and to feel present enough to enjoy the life they’ve built.

These 5 habits won’t fix everything overnight. But practised consistently, I guarantee they’ll change how you feel:

•Stop saying yes when you mean no. Every time you agree when you want to say no, you abandon yourself. Saying no when you mean it opens up space for your yeses.

•Rest without guilt. Your nervous system needs to recover just like your body does after a hard gym session. Start training yourself that it’s safe to slow down, otherwise your body will decide for you.

•Be present with your loved ones. Phones away, eye contact, affectionate touch. Actually listen. Even 15 minutes of quality time makes a real difference.

•Keep the promises you make to yourself. Every broken promise chips away at your self-respect. Every kept one builds it back - however small.

•In conflict, get curious instead of defensive. Breathe, stay in it, ask questions to understand them. One of the hardest habits to build and an absolute game-changer in relationships.

Peace is cultivated one small, consistent choice at a time.

Give yourself permission to prioritise yourself - you’ll have more ease, more energy, and more of yourself to give to the people who matter.

Which habit do you need most right now? Comment below 🙏🏽

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As a men’s coach, I see time and again how the drive and passion that makes a founder, entrepreneur, or business leader so successful is often the very same thing that leads to burnout and an imbalance in your personal lives and wellbeing.

And I say that as this very person - someone who, despite knowing all of this cognitively as a wellbeing coach - hit burnout last April.

I had to take 8 weeks off, be militant about conserving my energy, really establish and communicate my boundaries, and experiment with what tools actually worked for me to 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮.

So I’m really looking forward to speaking on this very subject at the Networks Power Brunch - Thursday 18th June at Broad Street, Birmingham - alongside the brilliant .hare , Sarah Cook, and Nick French 🙌🏽

If you’re a business owner, entrepreneur or leader who’s exhausted but can’t seem to stop - come and be in this conversation.

DM me for a discount code and I’ll send it straight over! Booking link in bio 🙏🏽.

I said this to a room full of 50 business leaders last week. You know me - brutally honest but with a lot of heart!

Men’s Health Month encompasses not just physical health checks and step challenges but the less visible - the pressures of life, feeling disconnected and numb, men like you quietly running yourselves into the ground and not knowing how to stop, while everyone assumes you’re fine because everything looks fine and why should you complain as you have everything?

But this is where the real work is - in being honest with yourself, and when you’re ready - honest with those around you and leading others to do the same.

The same drive that makes a man successful at work can slowly erode everything at home. His relationship. His presence as a father. His sense of who he actually is outside of what he produces.

That’s not a workplace problem or a personal problem. It’s both AND they’re connected.

If you lead people - or if you ARE one of those people - this one’s worth a read. Swipe through.

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Comment or DM me PILLARS if you want to find out how sustainably you’re living your life 🙏🏽