A Birthday Reflection: A Few Lessons from My Journey

This week is my birthday.

And birthdays have a funny effect on us, they naturally make us pause, look back, and ask ourselves:

What really mattered?

What shaped me the most?

What would I do the same and what would I never do again?

I don’t usually share much about myself.

But this week felt like a good moment to reflect and to share a few turning points and lessons from my life and entrepreneurial journey.

Not as advice.

Just as a perspective.

I started my first business while still at university. Not with a big vision but by turning a one-person operation into something that could actually work as a company.

Over the years, I built and scaled businesses internationally. I led teams, sold companies, worked with investors, and eventually exited twice.

But what truly shaped me didn’t happen during the easy moments.

It happened when things got heavy. When responsibility grew faster than confidence. When the business almost collapsed. When investors pulled promised funding days before payroll was due. When I had to let people go on the same day to save the company. When leadership stopped being exciting and started being lonely.

Those moments taught me things no book ever could.

Here are a few of them:

First

Clarity is more important than intelligence.

Most founders I meet are smart. Experienced. Capable. What they often lack is clarity about what they truly want, what matters now, and what deserves their energy.

When clarity appears, decisions become simpler. Not easier, but cleaner.

Second:

Focus is a survival skill.

I learned what real focus is when there was no margin for error. When I had weeks, not months, to act. At that point, you stop negotiating with distractions. You stop explaining yourself. You simply do what must be done.

That kind of focus changes everything.

Third:

Leadership is emotional work.

Running a business isn’t just strategy and numbers. It’s carrying uncertainty. It’s making decisions others don’t want to make. It’s staying calm when people look at you for answers. And very often it’s doing all of that alone.

Fourth:

A business should support your life not consume it.

This one came later. Many entrepreneurs start with passion and ambition. Years later, they feel trapped, exhausted, and disconnected from the life they thought they were building. I’ve been there.

That realization changed how I think about success, growth, and leadership.

After my second exit, something interesting happened.

Founders and CEOs started reaching out not because they wanted strategies, frameworks, or clever models.

They wanted a partner. Someone who understands the pressure. Someone who helps them think clearly, challenge their assumptions, and actually move forward.

That’s how my work as a strategic advisor and coach naturally evolved.

If any part of this resonates with you and if you’re curious about the full story behind these lessons, I’ve put it together in a short booklet.

It’s not a sales document. It’s simply my journey, honestly told.

Download The Booklet Here

And if you’re at a point where leadership feels heavy, decisions matter, and clarity would help, you know where to find me.

Thank you for being here.

And thank you for walking part of this journey with me.