22 September 2026Why Are We Still Talking About This?
You are halfway through a meeting when something comes back onto the table that you could have sworn had already been dealt with.
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Thinking published between the decisions.
Short pieces on decision quality, leadership solitude and the discipline of stepping out of the noise. The same thinking that shapes every Active Time Out.
22 September 2026
15 September 2026When Everyone Wants an Answer and You’re Still Working Out the Question
There are moments when everyone around you seems to want an answer. The difficulty is that sometimes you are still trying to work out what the question really is.
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8 September 2026When You Can Feel the Storm Coming and Don't Know What It Will Be
You can feel it before you can explain it. Your business is busy, customers are buying and nothing is obviously wrong. Yet you know when the effort going in is no longer producing quite the movement it once did.
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25 August 2026The Decision That Keeps Coming Back
It came up at the last leadership meeting. There was a good discussion, several views were expressed and everyone agreed it needed to be sorted. Then the meeting ended. Nothing dramatic happens. It simply remains undecided. And undecided things have a habit of taking up considerably more space than they deserve.
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18 August 2026When Everyone Is Busy and Nothing Is Moving
There is a point in building a successful business when something that has served you remarkably well starts to become less useful and it can be difficult to spot. Nothing is broken. The numbers may be good. You have capable people around you. Yet the decisions still come back. The interesting question is not whether what got you here was right or wrong. Clearly, much of it worked. The question is whether all of it still belongs in what comes next.
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11 August 2026When What Got You Here Stops Working
There is a difficult moment in the life of a successful business when nothing is obviously wrong, yet something no longer feels quite right. The business is still performing, customers are buying, your people are busy, the numbers may be respectable and from the outside, there may be little reason for concern.
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4 August 2026Every Founder Needs One Place
Success changes a business. It also changes the person carrying it.
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28 July 2026The Decisions Nobody Else Sees
There comes a point in the life of almost every founder when the hardest part of the job is no longer building the business.
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22 July 2026The Pressure Nobody Sees
The pressure of running a business rarely arrives in a single moment. It builds quietly. A difficult conversation is postponed. An important decision waits until tomorrow. Another responsibility finds its way back to your desk. Before long, you are awake...
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7 July 2026Where Greater Performance Really Begins
Somewhere in your business there is a decision that refuses to leave you alone.
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30 June 2026The Progress Nobody Sees
When people speak about progress in business, they usually speak about the things that can be measured.
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23 June 2026The Decision Before the Decision
You may believe that the most important moment in leadership is the decision itself.
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19 June 2026Business as Usual
Over the past few days, many of us have watched events unfold across Belfast with a mixture of sadness, disbelief and concern.
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9 June 2026Discernment: The Leadership Competence Nobody Talks About
There is a curious paradox at the heart of modern leadership. Never before have leaders had access to so much information, so many tools, so many opinions and so many answers. Advice arrives continuously. Data is abundant. Technology promises insight at...
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26 May 2026The Mission Stays in your Head
There is a moment in the life of many businesses when the danger is no longer loud.
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19 May 2026The Most Dangerous Person in the Age of AI
The most dangerous person in business over the next decade will not be the leader who rejects artificial intelligence. Nor will it be the leader who embraces it enthusiastically. It will be the leader who slowly loses the discipline of thinking for...
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14 May 2026THE ALCHEMISTS CIRCLE
YOUR PERSONAL BOARD
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12 May 2026Why Some Leaders Never Quite Fit
Curiosity, Cliff Events and The Alchemists Among Us
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5 May 2026AI Can Do Your Strategy. Only You Can Make the Decision.
There is a quiet shift happening in leadership.
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28 April 2026You Already Know
You knew before the meeting, before the numbers, and before anyone else said a word. Something is not right. Nothing has failed and nothing is obviously broken, however it does not sit properly.
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21 April 2026Clarity Before You Decide
I have learned this the hard way. It is rarely the decision that causes the problem.
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7 April 2026Are you built for this ?
There comes a point in most businesses where the game changes and the number of moving parts increases.
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1 April 2026When the Cost of Being Wrong Increases
Over the past few weeks something has changed.
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24 March 2026The Roundabout You Do Not See Coming
When the pressure is high. When the game has changed. When the next decision matters.
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18 March 2026Solitude at the Top
As your business succeeds, the nature of leadership changes.
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10 March 2026The Weight of the Next Move
When the pressure is high When the game has changed When the next decisions matter Leadership decisions carry more weight as businesses grow. The next move may shape the future of the company, the team, and the value of what has been built.
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3 March 2026When the Game Has Changed and You Know It
When the pressure is high. When the game has changed. When the next decisions matter. There is a point in every serious business where momentum is no longer protection. What worked before is no longer sufficient. Judgement becomes the asset
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24 February 2026When Your Success Starts Creating Risk
Growth increases consequence. As scale increases, forgiveness decreases. What once felt like momentum can quietly become exposure. This week’s Alchemists note explores the point where success itself creates new risk — and why judgement beco
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17 February 2026Recognition Is Not Enough
Recognition is not enough. Many leaders sense when a shift is required. Few act before momentum decides for them. That threshold determines performance. Good → Greater Greater Thinking → Greater Decisions → Greater Performance Clarity → Con
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10 February 2026When Good Is Working and Still Not Enough
Good performance can be the hardest place to pause . When nothing is broken, yet something still needs to change. This week’s newsletter explores the early signal leaders often override, the moment between good and greater, when clarity, co
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3 February 2026When Nothing Is Broken and Yet You Cannot Stay Here
When nothing is broken, leadership decisions become harder not easier . Many founders and CEOs reach a point where the business is performing, yet something no longer fits. This week’s Alchemists newsletter explores that moment, when judgem
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28 January 2026Clarity Usually Arrives Before the Decision
Clarity rarely arrives at the moment of decision. It shows up earlier than that, when the day has not yet started, the noise has not yet arrived and judgement is still forming. This week’s newsletter reflects on that quieter moment many lea
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20 January 2026When Things Are Working - Something Still Feels Off
Success does not always arrive with clarity. Sometimes the business is performing, decisions are being made, and momentum continues, yet something no longer fits. This week’s newsletter explores that moment. The space between progress and r
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20 January 2026When Speed Stops Helping
When responsibility grows, speed can feel reassuring. Often, it comes at a cost. This week’s Alchemists note explores the moment when momentum stops helping and why judgement needs engagement before action. Read quietly.
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20 January 2026When the Pressure Is High
Not all decisions should be made quickly. When responsibility is real, clarity matters more than pace. This week’s Alchemists note reflects on the moment before the move, where judgement forms and interference falls away. Read quietly.
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16 December 2025THE ALCHEMIST WITHIN → PART 4
Most founders experience a plateau long before they experience failure. It is rarely operational. Rarely strategic. Almost never about motivation. It is an identity signal. Today we release Part 4 of The Alchemist Within : The Plateau Befor
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2 December 2025THE ALCHEMIST WITHIN → PART 2
Every founder reaches a point where pressure stops feeling external and starts feeling personal. High-pressure decisions do not expose weakness. They expose the architecture behind a leader’s instinct. Every founder and CEO builds a decisio
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25 November 2025THE ALCHEMIST WITHIN → PART 1
There is a point in every leader’s journey where their internal operating system becomes visible. Not because they slow down. But because the complexity around them speeds up. Decisions become heavier. Pressure sharpens. The margin for erro
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18 November 2025Level 5 Solitude → The Space Where Greater Leaders Are Forged
THE SPACE THAT MOST LEADERS AVOID. THE SPACE WHERE GREATER LEADERS ARE FORMED. At The Alchemists, we see a pattern in leaders who are operating at the edge of performance. They are not overwhelmed. They are not lacking ambition. They are no
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11 November 2025The Boy on the Touchline
Every leader has an origin story, a moment that shaped how they see pressure, performance, and purpose. For The Alchemists, it began on a muddy rugby touchline, a father, a son, and a lesson that would become the foundation, for everything
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4 November 2025🧭 Even the Strong Need Somewhere to Practise
🔹The DNA of Greater Even the strongest leaders reach a point where the pressure is constant. It’s not weakness. It’s the weight of responsibility and proof that you’re still in the game. That’s why The Alchemists exists. 🪞 Your Practice Fie
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28 October 2025🔶 The Space Between Pressure and Performance
Pressure isn’t the problem. It’s what happens when it stays unspoken. Leaders know this instinctively — yet most still carry it alone. That’s why Your Personal Board exists: a confidential group of peers designed to help founders and CEOs t
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21 October 2025Sharpening the Vision
When the pressure builds at the top, clarity becomes clouded. Not from a lack of ambition, but from isolation. Every leader carries a mission. But even the best lose sight of it when the noise gets loud. That’s why vision isn’t found in sol
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14 October 2025🧠 Experiential Neuro-AI for Leaders
When AI makes it easier than ever to get answers, the real leadership advantage is knowing how to think . At The Alchemists , we see a quiet danger emerging, leaders under pressure beginning to trust the machine more than their own mind. Th
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7 October 2025When the Pressure Outruns the Patience
When the Pressure Outruns the Patience In leadership, speed often feels like proof of progress. But there’s a point where momentum turns to noise, where the drive to perform begins to drown out the very clarity we need most. At The Alchemis
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7 October 2025🌳 The Story of Planting an Oak
From one acorn → a living legacy. 🌱 The greatest transformations begin with something small. An acorn in the soil. A question in the mind. A decision made under pressure. In 1996, Sir John Whitmore reminded me: “We are more like an acorn wh
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23 September 2025🏎️ The Corner Comes Fast: 5 Musts for Staying at the Top of Your Game
🏎️ The Corner Comes Fast Business at the top feels like racing at 200mph. Every quarter is a lap. Every board meeting a corner. Every decision a pit stop that can win or lose years of progress. Formula 1 drivers train for this pressure with
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16 September 2025Ignore the F*ckers Day
We’ve decided it’s time to make it official: 👉 Friday 19th September is the first ever “Ignore the F*ckers Day.” Why? Because every founder, CEO and entrepreneur knows those people . The ones who: Write 20 ways to say no before even trying
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9 September 2025You’re in the Room… But Do You Belong Here?
You’re in the room… but do you belong here? Most founders and CEOs know the feeling. From the outside, success looks obvious. On the inside, it’s emptiness behind the smile. No real feedback. No straight talk. Endless second-guessing. That
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2 September 2025If You’re the Only Engine, You’re Already Overheating.
If you’re the only engine, you’re already overheating. Founders and CEOs don’t usually break because of the market. They break because they’re carrying it all. Every decision flows through them. Every fire is theirs to put out. Every result
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27 August 2025When Everyone Says You’re Right > That’s the Problem.
When everyone says you’re right > that’s the problem . Most founders don’t get derailed by the market. They get derailed by silence. No pushback. No challenge. Just polite nods around the table. That’s the echo chamber. And it kills clarity
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19 August 2025You’re Not Alone. It Just Feels That Way.
“The Market Won’t Break You. 3:48 AM Will.” Most founders don’t get beaten by the market. They get beaten by 3:48 AM. Not cashflow. Not strategy. Not even the board. It’s isolation. The silence at the top that kills clarity, confidence, and
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12 August 2025🐴 There’s a Reason Unicorns Don’t Exist (As People or Businesses)
🛑 Stop chasing unicorns. They don’t exist. Not in the wild. Not in the real world. And not in your business or your life. Yet leaders get sold the myth every day, the perfect growth story, the flawless exit, the next magical move that makes
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5 August 2025🦊 The Fox in the Henhouse
🦊 You scaled it. You systemised it. You brought in the “right people.” And now you’re quietly wondering if you’ve just f*cked up everything that’s next. That advisor. That investor. That scaling partner who cared more about margins than mis
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29 July 2025Freedom From. Freedom To. And the Pressure in the Space Between.
Freedom From. Freedom To. And the Pressure in the Space Between. You’ve made it. You got out. You built. You survived. You succeeded. So why does it still feel so unclear? At The Alchemists, we work with founders and CEOs who’ve earned thei
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22 July 2025As a Founder or CEO, what if shifting to Leader as a Performance Coach was the edge that stops you f*ing up what’s next
You’ve built something real. Something good. But when you’re the one leading it, the pressure to get the next part right is intense. The questions get bigger. The stakes get higher. And the old way, being the one with all the answers, stayi
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15 July 2025Swing… Hit : Leading in the Space Between
🏌️ Swing… Hit. > Honour the Space Between. As The Open returns to Royal Portrush, the silence will be deafening. Imagine you’re Rory McIlroy. Recently crowned in a Green Jacket after 11 years of trying. Back home. Back where it started. Bac
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8 July 2025🧥 Are You an Empty Raincoat?
🧥 I’ve been thinking a lot about Charles Handy’s Empty Raincoat lately. Not as a business metaphor. As a mirror. There are moments in your career — maybe in your life — where everything looks right on the outside. The coat fits. The success
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1 July 2025🎯 Your Board Has One Job.
🚨 Your Board Has One Job. But Who’s Got You? You’ve built a good business. Maybe even a great one. And as you grow, the advice is clear: “Surround yourself with a strong board. Stack it with NEDs. Get serious governance in place.” That’s no
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24 June 2025WHY MOST PEOPLE DRAW RED FLOWERS WITH GREEN STEMS.
🎨 Why Most Leaders Still Draw Red Flowers with Green Stems ( And why we use LEGO at board level ) At The Alchemists , we don’t believe in manuals. We believe in masterpieces. But most leaders we meet have spent years being taught to colour
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17 June 2025🎰 The Casino of Scaling
“Every decision you make is a bet on the future.” I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. Because most of the founders, CEOs, and MDs I work with aren’t just making decisions. They’re making bets. On their people. On their timing. On th
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12 June 2025🐭 “AI: Or How the Mice Finally Got Earth to Work Properly”
🚨 BREAKING NEWS: The mice are back. And this time… they’ve upgraded. 🐭💻🌍 You thought AI was here to help you write better emails? Wrong. It’s here to finally finish the experiment they started millions of years ago, turning Earth into a gia
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10 June 2025Leadership at the Speed of Change: Are You on the Burning Platform Yet?
🔥 You don’t always see the fire. But you do feel the heat. There’s a moment, before the decision, before the fallout, where something inside you knows: “I’m still here… but I’m not sure I should be.” Most leaders ignore it. They wait. Delay
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3 June 2025When Fast in and Fast out Money F*cks It All: The Bootstrap debate
Putting the cat amongst the pigeons… We’ve glorified the “fast in / fast out” model for years. Raise. Scale. Exit. But what if that very formula is f*cking up the founder, the team, and the soul of the business? I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it.
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27 May 2025The Return
You’ve changed. But the world around you didn’t pause. That’s the tension many leaders feel after doing the inner work: You’re ready to return— but this time, it has to be different. Not faster. Not louder. Just… clearer. Part 6 of the Iden
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20 May 2025The Other One: The Business You Haven’t Built (Yet)
You already built the business. But what about the one you haven’t? The one that’s been quietly burning… > in your notebook > in your gut > in the back of your mind after a long day running the “real” one. The Other One. The one that feels
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13 May 2025Stillness as Strategy
You’ve let go of the old identity. You’ve released the grip. You’ve named the fear. Now what? This is the moment few talk about. The stillness after the letting go. The space between no longer… and not yet. And for leaders who’ve built thei
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6 May 2025The Inner Exit > Reinvention
We’ve been going through our own reinvention. Not a rebrand. Not a restructure. A deeper shift. Letting go of the version of The Alchemists that got us here so we can hold space for what comes next. And what we’ve found is this: The biggest
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29 April 2025The Tension Between Letting Go and Leading On
You can feel it before you can explain it. You’ve built something real. You’ve led through the highs and lows. You’ve stayed strong when others wavered. But now the real challenge isn’t external. It’s internal. It’s the quiet tension betwee
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22 April 2025The Mask of Competency
You’ve always been the one who knows. The one who delivers. The one people turn to when things need sorted, fixed, led. Competency built your reputation. But lately—if you’re honest—it’s become something else. A pressure. A mask. A quiet fe
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15 April 2025I Don’t want to F* It Up! To Making It
You probably won’t say it out loud. But you feel it. Especially in the moments that matter most. There’s a moment you might recognise. It doesn’t appear in board reports or strategy decks. But it shows up in quiet pauses, late nights, and t
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7 January 2025Why Business Owners and CEOs Should Join the Alchemists Forum in Challenging Times
Leadership in tough economic conditions is a lonely and daunting path. The weight of every decision is amplified, risks seem higher, and the pace of change is relentless. As a business owner or CEO, you are expected to provide answers, but
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24 December 2024The Alchemists Forum 2024 Year in Review
Throughout 2024, the Alchemists Forum newsletters offered business owners and CEOs a wealth of insights, strategies, and practical tools to help them lead with purpose, build resilience, foster collaboration, and drive innovation. Each mont
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19 December 2024A Tribute to Charles Handy: The Man Who Shaped My Thinking and the Alchemists Forum
On 13th December, the world lost one of its most profound thinkers and influential voices in the field of leadership and organisational change: Charles Handy. His passing marks the end of an era for those of us who were inspired by his idea
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12 December 2024Carbon and Regeneration: A Business Imperative for Solving the Climate Crisis
Carbon is the foundation of life and a critical element shaping our planet’s climate and ecosystems. Yet, the excess carbon in our atmosphere and oceans—driven by human activity—has disrupted the natural balance, fuelling the climate crisis
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4 December 2024It’s Lonely at the Top—And Arguably, It Should Be
As a business owner or CEO, you’ve likely felt it: the loneliness that comes with being at the top. It’s an undeniable reality of leadership. The decisions you make ripple through your business, your team, and your life. The responsibility
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26 November 2024Unlock Real-Time Solutions and Build an Enduring Business with the Alchemists Forum
Running a business demands constant decision-making, clarity amidst chaos, and a relentless focus on growth. As a business owner or CEO, you often face the dual challenge of solving today’s problems while laying the groundwork for tomorrow’
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12 November 2024Harnessing Blue and Green Minds Through Active Time Out: The Path to Sustainable High Performance
By balancing Active Stress with Active Rest , we not only enhance our performance but also nurture our physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
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5 November 2024Embracing Failure and Resilience: A Guide for Male Business Owners, CEOs, and Entrepreneurs During Movember
As we enter Movember, a month dedicated to raising awareness and support for men’s health, it’s a timely moment to explore how business leaders can address not only their professional challenges but also their mental and emotional well-bein
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29 October 2024If You Don’t Change, Nothing Will
Your Mission to Transform Yourself, Your Leadership Team, and Your Business to Embrace ESG and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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22 October 2024The Stockdale Paradox: A Crucial Mindset for Business Owners, CEOs, and Alchemists
As a business owner or CEO, navigating uncertainty and adversity is an inevitable part of leadership. To successfully lead through these challenges, one must balance two essential elements: hope for the future and a clear-eyed understanding
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15 October 2024Leadership, Transformation, and Lessons from Success and Failure: How Harley-Davidson’s Journey Shaped My Identity as a Leader
As a business owner and CEO, leadership is a journey shaped by insights, experiences, and the people you encounter along the way. For me, one of the most transformative leadership experiences came from studying the turnaround of Harley-Davi
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8 October 2024Embracing Dyslexia as a Business Owner and CEO: Unlocking Your Unique Performance, Confronting the Dark Side, and Finding Your Tribe
As a business owner or CEO, confronting and embracing dyslexia can be both empowering and challenging. Dyslexia, often misunderstood as a limitation, can also be a source of untapped potential and strength.
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1 October 2024The Power, Benefits, and Unique Value of Joining a Confidential Business Peer Group specifically for Business Owners and CEO’s
Business peer groups have proven to be transformative environments for CEOs and business owners, offering collective wisdom, accountability, and support.
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24 September 2024The Value of Having a Executive Performance Coach Like Alan Branagh: Inspired by Bill Campbell, Sir John Whitmore, and Tim Gallwey
Alan Branagh , a seasoned performance coach with over 40 years of global corporate experience, has built his coaching philosophy on lessons learned directly from two of the greatest pioneers in performance coaching: Sir John Whitmore and Ti
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18 September 2024The Power of High Performance Coaching and Peer Groups: Unlocking Greater Performance for Business Owners and CEOs
In the world of elite sports, success hinges on more than just talent; it requires expert coaching that refines skills, enhances mental resilience, and sharpens strategic thinking. This same model of coaching, grounded in sports and busines
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10 September 2024The Identity Shift: From Business Owner to Business Leader
The journey from being a business owner to becoming a business leader is a transformative process that requires more than just a change in title—it necessitates a profound shift in identity, mindset, and approach.
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3 September 2024Embracing the Inner Path of Leadership: My Journey as a Business Leader Inspired by Joseph Jaworski
As a business owner and leader, I've always been driven by the pursuit of success—growth, profitability, and market leadership. But over time, I realised that true leadership involves more than just achieving external milestones.
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27 August 2024Good to Greater: The Power of Leadership, Discipline, Dispelling the Myths and 'Your Personal Board'
In the relentless pursuit of business excellence, many leaders face the daunting task of guiding their organisations from being merely good to achieving something greater. This journey is not a sprint but a marathon, requiring not only stra
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20 August 2024Why you as a Business Owner and CEO should 'hire' the Alchemists Forum and Alan Branagh’s Executive Coaching
As a business owner and CEO, you face unique challenges and pressures that demand more than just traditional business advice. The responsibilities on your shoulders are vast, and the decisions you make have far-reaching consequences for you
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13 August 2024The Power of Stand Up Paddling (SUP) and SUP Surfing: Embracing the 'Blue Mind', a personal journey
There is an inexplicable serenity that envelops me each time I step onto my stand up paddleboard or catch a wave while SUP surfing. It's a profound connection to the water, a dance with nature that transcends the physical and delves into th
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7 August 2024The High Performance Advantage: Harnessing the Power of a Quiet Mind for Business Success
The path to sustained success is often characterised by high performance and the ability to maintain a quiet, focused mind.
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30 July 2024Embracing Environmental Transformation: A Guide for Business Owners and CEOs
As the world grapples with pressing environmental challenges, business owners and CEOs face both an obligation and an opportunity to drive meaningful change.
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23 July 2024Why Business Owners and CEOs Should Strive to Grow Enduring Businesses: Insights from Jim Collins
Jim Collins, a preeminent author and business strategist, has profoundly influenced how we understand business success through his extensive research and landmark books, such as "Good to Great," "Built to Last," and "Great by Choice." Colli
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16 July 2024The Business Hero's Journey: How Taking Active Time Out Transforms Leaders and Businesses
In the bustling world of high-stakes business, there was a CEO named Sarah. She was known for her relentless drive and 80-hour workweeks, and her company was growing, revenues were soaring, but something felt amiss. Stress levels were high,
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9 July 2024Unlocking the Alchemist Within: Transformative Insights for Business Owners and CEOs
In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, the ability to innovate and adapt is more crucial than ever. One of my most influential books when setting up the Alchemists Forum was Charles Handy's "The New Alchemists" which offers profoun
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3 July 2024The Unseen Shadows: Navigating the Dark Side of Post Exit & Business Retirement
When John Michaels sold his tech company for a staggering sum, he thought he’d finally reached the pinnacle of success. He was ready for a life of relaxation, free from the constant pressures of the business world. Yet, within months, John
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25 June 20247 Key Principles for Male Business Owners, CEOs and Leaders to Beat Burnout
In today’s fast-paced business environment, the pressure on male leaders is immense. As a business owner or CEO, staying at the top of your game while managing stress and avoiding burnout is crucial for your health and the success of your o
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18 June 2024Unlocking Greater Performance: Embracing Excellence Over Expansion - A Blueprint for Building an Enduring Business
In the high-stakes arena of business, the relentless chase for growth often eclipses the true essence of success. As business owners and CEOs, the prevailing wisdom pushes us toward equating success with size, valuing expansion metrics over
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12 June 2024Unlocking Greater Performance: The Value of an Executive Performance Coach for Business Leaders
In today's fast-paced, high-stakes business environment, the demands on executives and CEOs have never been greater. The pressure to make quick, effective decisions, lead with confidence, and inspire teams can be overwhelming. Enter the exe
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10 June 2024Your Leadership Journey from Opportunist to Alchemist
In the ever-evolving landscape of business, the most successful leaders are not just those who achieve their goals but those who transform the very environment they operate in.
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28 May 2024'Unlocking Greater Performance & Success': 25 Compelling Reasons to Join The Alchemists Forum Business Owner & CEO Confidential Peer Group
Success often hinges on the ability to leverage the collective wisdom and support of a trusted network. Joining the Alchemists Forum Business Owner & CEO Confidential peer group isn't just a smart move; it's a strategic investment in your o
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21 May 2024Unlocking Greater Performance and Resilience: Understanding the Chimp Paradox
Burnout has become increasingly prevalent, affecting individuals across all levels of professional success. Whether you're experiencing burnout or operating at the top of your game, understanding the principles outlined in 'The Chimp Parado
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21 May 2024Learning from "Animal Farm": Lessons in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Business owners
As business owners and CEOs, we often seek inspiration from various sources to navigate the complexities of our roles and the ever-changing landscape of our industries.
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23 April 2024Navigating the Challenges of Leadership: The Power of The Alchemists Forum Peer Support
As a business owner or CEO, the weight of responsibility often rests squarely on your shoulders. Key decisions, company direction, strategic clarity, and personal growth—it's a monumental task, and the burden can feel isolating.
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18 April 2024The Enemies Within: Exploring the Dark Side of Being a Business Owner and CEO
In the dynamic world of business leadership, there exists a shadowy reality that often lurks beneath the surface: the internal challenges faced by CEOs and business owners. While the spotlight may shine on their achievements and successes,
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19 March 2024Rethinking Rewards: Insights for CEOs and Business Owners
In the world of business, motivating employees and driving performance are critical to success. Traditionally, many CEOs and business owners have turned to rewards such as bonuses, incentives, and praise to incentivise their teams. However,
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28 February 2024Harnessing the Power of the Alchemists Forum’s ‘Your Personal Board’: A CEO’s Secret Weapon
Each and every day, CEOs and business owners often find themselves navigating complex decisions, ethical dilemmas, and personal challenges.
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23 January 2024The Value of an Alchemists Active Time Out for CEOs, Business Owners and their Businesses
In the fast-paced world of business, where decisions are made in the blink of an eye and strategies evolve at the speed of technology, the importance of taking an intentional pause is often underestimated.
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4 December 2023The Power of Connection > Clarity > Confidence
Why Joining the ALCHEMISTS FORUM > Your Personal Board will Transform Your Leadership Journey.
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17 October 2023Do you identify as a ‘business alchemist’?
All members of the Alchemists Forum identify as ‘Business Alchemists’, but what does this mean? Let’s start by outlining exactly what our chair Alan Branagh, defines as a business alchemist: "A business alchemist is an individual who posses
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26 September 2023Coaching for Connection, Clarity & Confidence
Small group coaching can be an incredibly effective tool for both business and personal growth and development. At the Alchemists Forum, our coaching enables members to build meaningful connections, resulting in clarity and confidence. Howe
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27 July 2023Supercharge Your Growth with High Performance Business Coaching
Gaining insight into your own growth and development can be a daunting task. It's often hard to see yourself objectively and find solutions to your own issues.
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28 February 2023Member News: Dominic Walsh, Hospital Services Limited
Belfast and Dublin-based health technology company Hospital Services Limited (HSL), led by Alchemists Forum member, CEO Dominic Walsh, announces expansion into England with a new £1.7m East Midlands HQ.
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26 January 2023Why adventuring could be your answer to achieving an agile, successful business
This month the Alchemists Forum had the pleasure of welcoming Neil Laughton to our in-person speaker session. Neil Laughton is a successful business entrepreneur, multiple Guinness World Record breaking adventurer and a former Royal Marine
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14 December 2022An Audience with Russell Kelly, Managing Director, Fuelwise
In a world increasingly dominated by corporations (and wealthy individuals) owning businesses in the private sector and public utilities controlled by faceless venture capitalists, seemingly only answerable to shareholders, many employees a
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4 August 2022The Work Life Balance Conundrum
“Work-life balance may become an antiquated term soon. Framing our work, life, interests, family, friends, and everything else we do in ‘My Lifestyle’ is a far more realistic way to view it.” Jim Collins (2020)
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13 July 2022How to Handle an Unsolicited Offer
When an acquisition offer turns up out of the blue, knowing what to do is a huge call – and business owners need to get organised fast. The Alchemists Forum are collaborating with international specialists CapEQ to give a quick guide to und
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29 June 2022Three Biggest Changes in Business and Leadership Coaching
Business leaders are becoming more aware that they need to see their enterprises as separate entities rather than an extension of themselves. Whether that’s because there’s just been a lot more written about “Building an enduring business”,
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6 June 2022Business exit strategies: five ways to sell your company
Business exit strategies: five ways to sell your company The decision to sell your business is a big call – and can seem drastic and final. Outlining a vision of how and when to exit will help you with later decisions like choosing the righ
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5 May 2022Pro and Cons of Raising Capital
The challenge of securing capital to grow a company can be both exhilarating and daunting. Get it right and those scale-up dreams are likely to come to fruition. Get it wrong and your plans can be seriously derailed. Entrepreneurs cannot es
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14 April 2022Alchemist INside Forum - Stuart Harvey, CEO, Datactics
Datactics, a fast-growing Belfast-based tech company, providing data quality and matching software to a growing number of international banks and Government departments, has seen its team double in size over the last 18 months, creating man
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5 April 2022Neuroscience and “8D Audio” – the key to stressbusting your business?
Stress is dominating the workplace, costing employers huge sums in absenteeism and reduced productivity, never mind the longer-term mental health implications on management teams and their staff. A 2020 ONS survey reported that mental healt
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1 April 2022How to Acquire Businesses Successfully
M&A is notoriously difficult to get right, but increasingly is still the best option for seizing opportunities by scaling up. It’s not just why and where to acquire, but how that matters. The Alchemists Forum is collaborating with internati
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4 March 2022Engaging Employees through Change
While change is essential to the growth and success of any organisation, it often creates fear and anxiety among a workforce. Employees who feel they have no control over the process or the impact it will have upon them can become uncoopera
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10 February 2022Leading Change within an Organisation
Change in business is inevitable. It can happen internally or as a result of industry change, and it can be planned or reactive. Leading change within organisations is necessary for business leaders to build an enduring company and maintain
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11 January 2022Preparing for change and anticipating the road ahead
The only constant in the world of business is the certainty of change. It is imperative as a business leader who strives for success, that you prepare for change. If you don’t, your business may just fall behind the competition who are comm
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9 December 2021The ultimate morning routine for success
To create the levels of personal, professional, and financial success you desire, you must first dedicate time each day to becoming the person you need to be, one who is qualified and capable of consistently attracting, creating, and sustai
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12 November 2021How the coming togetherness of people will help you reach new business heights
Over the past decade, Owen Eastwood, author of ‘Belonging - The Ancient Art of Togetherness’ has worked with some of the most elite teams and groups across the globe, including Gareth Southgate's England Football team, the Command Group of
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20 October 2021Do I really have the time to devote to a peer group?
For many of us, the past 18 months has been an extremely challenging time on both a personal and professional level. As a an individual, you will have no doubt overcome unprecedented obstacles. However, the later part of 2021 is looking muc
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30 September 2021Why the success of your business depends on multiple intelligences
Intelligence is one of the most talked about subjects in psychology and despite this, there is no one definition of what intelligence is. Howard Gardner, an American developmental psychologist is renowned for his theory of multiple intellig
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2 August 2021Why we should all strive to be Alchemist Leaders
Before we delve into the power that alchemist leaders can have on the success of a business, it is important that we first consider the qualities of an alchemist.
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11 June 2021The Alchemists Forum addresses the everyday pressures felt by CEOs and business owners
It comes as no surprise that those who ‘sit at the top’ carry a heavy load on their shoulders to ensure the smooth day to day running of a business. Although many aspire to work their way up, more often than not, the responsibility factor i
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16 April 2021Why all business leaders and CEOs will benefit both professionally and personally from 1-2-1 coaching
As a member of the Alchemists Forum you will benefit from both the advice and learnings you take from your membership group, as well as several one – to - one executive performance coaching sessions with your chair.
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30 March 2021The importance of psychological safety in building your successful high-performance business culture
Psychological safety is defined by Harvard Business School’s, Amy Edmondson as “a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes”.
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16 February 2021Why embracing Virtual Communication is so important for your business
As the world’s population remains subject to the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been forced to re-think conventional methods of doing business. It is no longer viable to fly out to meet a new client, meet with colleagues in-
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3 February 2021How to build a team that performs
Very few businesses if any, can achieve success without the support and hard work of a dedicated team. However, it is important to realise that there is a big difference between a working group of employees and a team. Working groups are co
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20 January 2021Top five ‘headaches’ felt by Business Owners & CEOs
The Alchemists Forum’s chair, Alan Branagh has spent many years coaching, mentoring and offering advice to a diverse range of business owners and CEOs worldwide. Although their industries and specialisms differ, a constant in the lives of m
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23 November 2020The Power of the Podcast
If you are among the many business professionals who are afraid of hearing the sound of your own voice, now is the time to get over that fear and embrace podcasts!
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28 October 2020How Covid-19 has changed the way we are approaching business
It is no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic has seriously challenged our sense of security, determination and decision making in the way we run our businesses. With rules and reason changing from day to day, now more than ever we find oursel
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15 October 2020An Audience with… Rory Sutherland
Whether you’re an Alchemist, an Emerging Alchemist or not yet a member of the Alchemists Forum, you’re invited to ‘An Audience with Rory Sutherland’, personally hosted by your chair Alan Branagh.
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2 October 2020Unlocking Greater Performance: Top 5 Reasons to join a Business Performance Group
As the Business Owner, CEO, MD, or leader of an organisation of any size, the isolation and loneliness that often comes with this role may seem like a small price to pay for the rewards, recognition, and power that comes with the job. Howev
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1 October 2020Meet the Member - Dorcas Crawford, Senior Partner at Edwards & Co
What does it mean to be a member of the Alchemists Forum? It means being part of a highly supportive group of individuals who offer advice, insight and moral support for all sorts of personal and business dilemmas.
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3 September 2020Take Time Out to Win
The Alchemists Forum chair Alan Branagh, outlines below how ‘taking time out to win’ is a highly effective business performance method for CEOs and business leaders. From experience, Alan believes that adopting this business model will driv
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