Mentor

Do hard things - find your thing.

If you want to make a dent, change the world, build a legacy, recognise there are no shortcuts, no easy wins.  You will get challenged.  Relentlessly.

So, make it something worthwhile.  Something hard, that stirs your passion, that becomes your obsession and be prepared to work harder than you ever have, for a decade or more.

Smile at it, be curious, enjoy the journey for that’s all there is.  See the fun in being behind the 8 ball.

I learnt that above all else persistence is the one quality you need in abundance.  

But, it is also a very lonely path.  It takes an unreasonable person to take this path in life.

Having someone alongside you – just for you – can make the difference between success and failure. 

Within weeks of selling Coffee Nation I was being asked to help other entrepreneurs achieve their dreams.

Over the past 15 years I have worked with many amazing Founders, CEO’s and their boards to help them navigate the tough game of building a high growth company.

Founders love Founders. 

For this reason, entrepreneurs trust me to help them navigate not just the business challenges but also the personal journey of leading and scaling their companies.

To me, being a mentor is about building long term relationships, providing support and challenge, in the right proportions and at the right time to enable you to be the very best version of yourself, grow as a Leader, maintain alignment with your board and shareholders and help you achieve your goals.

I listen powerfully, nudge you gently yet firmly when needed and will hold a mirror up to your behaviours – to help you see yourself from above – and, how others experience you.   

Over the years I have come to respect enormously the trust and faith placed in me by the great entrepreneurs that I have worked with.  They feel safe sharing their challenges with me that they would not feel comfortable sharing with their Chair/NED/investors. 

I become their partner on the journey and could become your partner too

My approach:

  1. Confidential relationship

    Total confidentiality means you can disclose fully, creating a safe space for you to share the thorniest issues, fostering long-term collaboration

  2. Critical thinking

    Helping you see beyond the horizon, bringing a level headed approach, sound assessment and fostering wisdom when making challenging and complex business decisions

  3. Support & Challenge

    There to support you always and bringing necessary challenge and rigour ensuring you always lean in to the difficult conversations with the aim of always being ahead of the situation

  4. Your sounding board

    Bringing a fresh perspective and valuable second opinion and viewpoint, always with an independent mindset and never beholden to anyone else’s interests

  • “Martyn is simply one of the most inspiring entrepreneurs I have ever met. I was fortunate enough to work with him over a four year period, seeing me double the size of my business to create a £25m company in the food sector. I learnt a huge amount from him about how to successfully scale my business and he was absolutely integral to helping me create the exceptional team I have today. He held me accountable and we created a winning partnership. Now heading towards £40m revenues and 1000 employees we would not be the success we are if it was not for his mentorship”

    James Lipscombe, CEO, The Chesterford Group

  • “I was looking for a mentor with a strong entrepreneurial background to help me founding a telco within Vodafone in the UK. Someone who could be a real sounding board and help me establish a strong purpose and culture for my business. Martyn ticked all those boxes.”

    Sten Van der Ham, ex-CEO Talk Mobile

  • "Martyn is a world class mentor for any CEO of a high-growth business. I have had the privilege of working with him for over three years and he has been instrumental in helping me overcome many challenges and achieve my business goals. Martyn has a wealth of experience across all business functions and fully understands the founder journey and what it entails. He also appreciates the interplay between business and other areas of life and moves seamlessly between those as he supports, coaches and mentors.”

    Erik Fairbairn, Founder, Pod Point