Christian. Founder. Author. And above all, someone who loves to create.
This is the story of my why, and where it came from.
My whyThe historyMy why
“I am most myself when I am creating, with a purpose, from a blank page, with no limits[and by myself?].”
It took me a long time to see it. I thought my why was about people, or growth, or helping others figure things out. But when I looked at the moments I felt most alive, they were all the same. The energy didn't come from the audience or the outcome. It came from the act of creating. Leave me alone with a blank page and I'll work for twelve hours straight without noticing the time go.
Izzie, my wife, is the opposite. Her why is bringing order to chaos. I produce the raw material and she makes sense of it. That's how we wrote two books together.
For me the best feeling in the world is simple: this didn't exist, now it does, and it matters. I care more about the impact than the recognition.
The history of my why
I grew up on an estate in Hackney, East London, with my mum and my sister. Hackney wasn't easy, but it's where my drive was born. My mum showed me what sacrifice and faith look like, and I wanted more for us.
From a young age, anyone in business fascinated me. “They have an ability to turn nothing into something.” I didn't meet many people like that in Hackney, so whenever I did, I soaked up everything they said.
At Danehill Ventures, a Christian summer camp for young people (then called Haslemere Ventures), I made a short film. I came up with the idea, wrote it, filmed it, edited it and showed it to anyone who'd watch. Even then I loved making something from a blank page, especially if it made people laugh.
I started out in business in 2009 managing Google Ads. In 2011 I started my own company, Clear Ads, from a blank page. Fifteen years on, I'm still building it.
Working through the Why Am I process, I finally named what I'd always felt: I'm most myself when I'm creating.
Books, videos, events. I still wake up early, excited about what I get to make next.
Built to create
An Amazon advertising agency I founded in 2011 and have led for around 15 years.
The Loser Takes It All, Why Am I? with Steve Simonson, and DaiLY. See them.
Finding my own why changed how I live and work. Now my passion is helping other people find theirs. Read their stories.
Amazon advertising lessons for sellers and brands. [channel link]
Small, invite-only gatherings I run each year, from a Scottish island to Morocco. [confirm wording and any events you attend]
Beyond work
My faith sits at the centre of who I am. I've spent 15 years working with young people, and I speak at youth camps and churches. I live in Dorset with my wife, Izzie. [Confirm what personal detail you want public]
