Peer Effect

Chris is the founder of runZero, a cyber asset management company. Chris has been acquired six times, IPO’d once and is one of the few black badge holders of Defcon.

Chris had one of his greatest challenges right after college at the start of his career.

The whole business was dependent on a key encryption licence which was about to be withdrawn. It would take a year to replace properly. They had less than a month.

His CEO was a great role model for Chris. He was calm under pressure and willing to take risks and had a mantra “There’s always one move left”... Chris just had to find it

Could he do it in time?

In this episode we discuss,

• Making bold moves and taking risks in business;
• Where hard work and resilience can take you;
• Why taking a step back and reassessing situations with a fresh perspective is essential.

Tune in to hear how Chris made strategic decisions that skyrocketed his career and got him to where he is today.

Want to know how Future Fit you are? Take 3 mins to benchmark yourself with our Founder Fitness Test on peer-effect.com. You might discover some surprising gaps!

Or just follow James on LinkedIn for more thoughts around coaching and being future fit.

Chris is the founder of runZero, a cyber asset management company. Chris has been acquired six times, IPO’d once and is one of the few black badge holders of Defcon.

Chris had one of his greatest challenges right after college at the start of his career.

The whole business was dependent on a key encryption licence which was about to be withdrawn. It would take a year to replace properly. They had less than a month.

His CEO was a great role model for Chris. He was calm under pressure and willing to take risks and had a mantra “There’s always one move left”... Chris just had to find it

Could he do it in time?

In this episode we discuss,

• Making bold moves and taking risks in business;
• Where hard work and resilience can take you;
• Why taking a step back and reassessing situations with a fresh perspective is essential.

Tune in to hear how Chris made strategic decisions that skyrocketed his career and got him to where he is today.

Want to know how Future Fit you are? Take 3 mins to benchmark yourself with our Founder Fitness Test on peer-effect.com. You might discover some surprising gaps!

Or just follow James on LinkedIn for more thoughts around coaching and being future fit.

Libby is the founder of Axioned, in the last 14 years they’ve got 80 people across the UK, the US and India. 

Libby lives a life that requires her to be in the UK, the US and India frequently. 

Which sounds on paper, but the reality is, it comes with it’s challenges.

And this was one of those times. 

She was in an unfamiliar place, hadn’t seen her family, including her husband, for a really long time. And she felt alone. 

And as a result, wasn’t able to give the energy to her business that she wanted to. 

In the months that from this low moment, Libby consciously inquired into how she could prevent this from happening again. 

In this episode we discuss,

• How reflecting has helped her in business and in life
• The what, when and who of questioning yourself
• Accepting that sometimes you make mistakes

Libby realised that she was much more intertwined with the business than she thought — tune in to hear how she stepped back, and how the business benefits from this perspective.

Want to know how Future Fit you are? Take 3 mins to benchmark yourself with our Founder Fitness Test on peer-effect.com. You might discover some surprising gaps!

Or just follow James on LinkedIn for more thoughts around coaching and being future fit.

Libby is the founder of Axioned, in the last 14 years they’ve got 80 people across the UK, the US and India. 

Libby lives a life that requires her to be in the UK, the US and India frequently. 

Which sounds on paper, but the reality is, it comes with it’s challenges.

And this was one of those times. 

She was in an unfamiliar place, hadn’t seen her family, including her husband, for a really long time. And she felt alone. 

And as a result, wasn’t able to give the energy to her business that she wanted to. 

In the months that from this low moment, Libby consciously enquired into how she could prevent this from happening again. 

In this episode we discuss,

• How reflecting has helped her in business and in life
• The what, when and who of questioning yourself
• Accepting that sometimes you make mistakes

Libby realised that she was much more intertwined with the business than she thought — tune in to hear how she stepped back, and how the business benefits from this perspective.

Want to know how Future Fit you are? Take 3 mins to benchmark yourself with our Founder Fitness Test on peer-effect.com. You might discover some surprising gaps!

Or just follow James on LinkedIn for more thoughts around coaching and being future fit.

Ashley co-founded Ice Cream Social which NBC invested in last year. 

Like many entrepreneurs, Ashley quit her job to start her own business with a personal goal for work — financial freedom. 

After taking on a project she didn’t have the technical ability to do, she found herself at 2 am having a meltdown. She was out of money and time.

Ashley had her back against the wall. 

She had no support, no network and no backup plan. She’d taken a big risk. And she had a child to support. 

But she needed this high-pressure environment to motivate her to take action. 

Tune in as Ashley talks about her main motivations in this moment, and how her perception of goals has shifted over the years. 

We talk about

• Her transition from “back against the wall” to freedom and gratitude
• How she maintains her positive mindset in business
• What she needs to support her working lifestyle

Ashley is hyper-focused on taking care of her mindset and being mindful of all the moving parts in her life to support her success. She offers some practical advice on how to find the right balance when things aren't right. 

Want to know how Future Fit you are? Take 3 mins to benchmark yourself with our Founder Fitness Test on peer-effect.com. You might discover some surprising gaps!

Or just follow James on LinkedIn for more thoughts around coaching and being future fit.

Ashley co-founded Ice Cream Social which NBC invested in last year. 

Like many entrepreneurs, Ashley quit her job to start her own business with a personal goal for work — financial freedom. 

After taking on a project she didn’t have the technical ability to do, she found herself at 2 am having a meltdown. She was out of money and time.

Ashley had her back against the wall. 

She had no support, no network and no backup plan. She’d taken a big risk. And she had a child to support. 

But she needed this high-pressure environment to motivate her to take action. 

Tune in as Ashley talks about her main motivations in this moment, and how her perception of goals has shifted over the years. 

We talk about

• Her transition from “back against the wall” to freedom and gratitude
• How she maintains her positive mindset in business
• What she needs to support her working lifestyle

Ashley is hyper-focused on taking care of her mindset and being mindful of all the moving parts in her life to support her success. She offers some practical advice on how to find the right balance when things aren't right. 

Want to know how Future Fit you are? Take 3 mins to benchmark yourself with our Founder Fitness Test on peer-effect.com. You might discover some surprising gaps!

Or just follow James on LinkedIn for more thoughts around coaching and being future fit.

Natalie Fee is an award-winning founder of City to Sea and 3 times author with a new book just out called “Do Good Get Paid”. 

Today, we’re back-peddling all the way to November 2017.

Natalie had been running City to Sea for 2 years at this point, and was going hard. 

She was

• Being paid 2 days a week, and volunteering the rest
• Navigating the pressures of doing a TED Talk
• In the midst of a breakup  that required her to move house

The signs of stress were beginning to show, but in an effort to keep campaigning, she pushed on. Until her body couldn’t anymore. 

Natalie embraces being a mindful person. But in the workplace, she was driven by action.

And this was her wake up call to do things differently.

In our conversation, Natalie reflects on the progress of the business since her burnout and the dichotomy of being mindful in and out of working environments.

We talk a lot about

• Different ways you can integrate more present approaches to working
• Managing workload with life expectations
• Appreciating your successes

Natalie’s journey is a powerful reflection of just how turbulent founder life can be. 

And a valuable message that you can still be successful, while things are a work in progress!

Want to know how Future Fit you are? Take 3 mins to benchmark yourself with our Founder Fitness Test on peer-effect.com. You might discover some surprising gaps!

Or just follow James on LinkedIn for more thoughts around coaching and being future fit.

Natalie Fee is an award-winning founder of City to Sea and 3 times author with a new book just out called “Do Good Get Paid”. 

Today, we’re back-peddling all the way to November 2017.

Natalie had been running City to Sea for 2 years at this point, and was going hard. 

She was

• Being paid 2 days a week, and volunteering the rest
• Navigating the pressures of doing a TED Talk
• In the midst of a breakup  that required her to move house

The signs of stress were beginning to show, but in an effort to keep campaigning, she pushed on. Until her body couldn’t anymore. 

Natalie embraces being a mindful person. But in the workplace, she was driven by action.

And this was her wake up call to do things differently.

In our conversation, Natalie reflects on the progress of the business since her burnout and the dichotomy of being mindful in and out of working environments.

We talk a lot about

• Different ways you can integrate more present approaches to working
• Managing workload with life expectations
• Appreciating your successes

Natalie’s journey is a powerful reflection of just how turbulent founder life can be. 

And a valuable message that you can still be successful, while things are a work in progress!

Want to know how Future Fit you are? Take 3 mins to benchmark yourself with our Founder Fitness Test on peer-effect.com. You might discover some surprising gaps!

Or just follow James on LinkedIn for more thoughts around coaching and being future fit.

Mike was the founder of Shape History which reached  45 people prior to his exit. He’s just releasing his book Founder Therapy, a detailed account of his experience as a founder, and how he has come to help others. 

And today, Mike takes us back to the straw that broke the camel’s back in 2019.

Mike loved what he was doing, but the pressure of it all was too much. 

And almost deliberately crashing his car was the red flag that he needed help. 

Forced to confront the traits that led him to this point — Mike had to change things fast, for himself. 

And what he was met with in this situation surprised him. 

Join us, as Mike shares what he describes as a “self-discovery part 2” post-exit and how he got there. 

We talk in-depth about, 

• Childhood experiences that led to his intial beliefs
• Trends around early retirements and what they lead to
• The 80-20 of your talents and passions when in business

Mike is incredibly honest about how this 1 incident changed his trajectory, tune in to hear how this honesty has helped him in his journey. 

Want to know how Future Fit you are? Take 3 mins to benchmark yourself with our Founder Fitness Test on peer-effect.com. You might discover some surprising gaps!

Or just follow James on LinkedIn for more thoughts around coaching and being future fit.

Mike was the founder of Shape History which reached  45 people prior to his exit. He’s just releasing his book Founder Therapy, a detailed account of his experience as a founder, and how he has come to help others. 

And today, Mike takes us back to the straw that broke the camel’s back in 2019.

Mike loved what he was doing, but the pressure of it all was too much. 

And almost deliberately crashing his car was the red flag that he needed help. 

Forced to confront the traits that led him to this point — Mike had to change things fast, for himself. 

And what he was met with in this situation surprised him. 

Join us, as Mike shares what he describes as a “self-discovery part 2” post-exit and how he got there. 

We talk in-depth about, 

• Childhood experiences that led to his intial beliefs
• Trends around early retirements and what they lead to
• The 80-20 of your talents and passions when in business

Mike is incredibly honest about how this 1 incident changed his trajectory, tune in to hear how this honesty has helped him in his journey. 

Want to know how Future Fit you are? Take 3 mins to benchmark yourself with our Founder Fitness Test on peer-effect.com. You might discover some surprising gaps!

Or just follow James on LinkedIn for more thoughts around coaching and being future fit.