18 Days, 3 Clients, and a Lot of Dog Chats: First Notes from the Founder's Seat

Eighteen days ago, I closed the laptop on a career I knew and opened it on a blank page called Accsellerate.

The result so far? Three fantastic clients signed, more coffees consumed than I can count, and a calendar that is, for the first time in a long while, completely and utterly my own.

I’m exhilarated. I’m exhausted. And I’m talking to my wife and our two dogs more than any senior leadership team I’ve ever collaborated with. (Their feedback on Q3 pipeline strategy is, admittedly, limited)!

This is the real-time, honest download on my first few weeks out on my own…what’s been brilliant, what’s been humbling, and why I’m certain I’ve made the right call.

The Highs (and they are high)

1. The Joy of Momentum: Decisions now happen at the speed of thought. There are no quarterly planning cycles for a good idea, no internal committees to navigate. If a client needs a new playbook to win a deal next week, we build it this week. That direct line between action and impact is incredibly energising.

2. Getting My Hands Dirty Again: I’m closer to the actual work than I’ve been in years. I’m not just advising on strategy; I’m in the trenches tightening sales funnels, making the calls that generate the opportunities, fixing the gaps in a sequence, and building the repeatable systems that make revenue predictable. The satisfaction of seeing that work move the needle immediately is immense.

3. The Power of the Network: The single most humbling and wonderful part of this journey has been reconnecting with people. Old colleagues, founders I’ve admired from afar, friends-of-friends who have been so generous with their time and advice. Every conversation has been a source of energy and support.

4. The Validation of Early Wins: Let’s be honest, nothing settles the nerves like signing your first clients. Kicking off with three brilliant, ambitious tech companies has been the perfect validation for the leap of faith. It confirms the Accsellerate proposition is landing: companies need right-sized leadership and practical, human execution to bridge the gap between potential and performance.

The Realities (and they are grounding)

1. The Weight of Total Accountability: There’s nowhere to hide. Every promise, every deliverable, and every deadline has my name written on it. It’s a powerful motivator, but it’s also a little nerve-jangling knowing the buck doesn’t just stop with me…it starts here, too.

2. The Sound of Silence: I genuinely miss the quick, informal "got five minutes?" chats at a colleague's desk. You don't realise how much you rely on that easy-access sounding board until it's gone. For now, my wife, a select, trusted few (and the dogs!) are doing a stellar job of listening.

3. The Constant Context-Switch: In a single day, I might be the Head of Sales for a client, my own SDR doing outreach, the Head of Marketing writing a blog (hello!), and the Finance department trying to understand HMRC! It's a mental workout. The challenge isn't doing the tasks; it's protecting the deep-work time needed for client strategy from being nibbled to death by admin.

Building the New Operating System

When you're the business, you have to build the systems to run yourself. I’ve quickly realised that if I don’t guard my time like it's my most valuable product, it will simply evaporate. Business development doesn't happen by magic between client calls.

So, I'm building new habits. Less a rigid set of rules, more of a personal framework to stay sane and focused:

• Daily Non-Negotiables: An hour for pipeline and follow-ups. 30 minutes for content creation. 15 minutes for the small operational stuff. These are appointments with my own business.

• A Weekly Review: What did I do this week that moved revenue forward? What's blocked? What can I cut next week to focus on what truly matters?

• Founder Sanity Checks: Ask for help before I think I need it. Ship small, ship often (Done > Perfect). And most importantly, walk the dogs, even (especially!) on the busiest days.

Why I’m So Glad I Jumped

Because this is it. This is the work I want to do. The responsibility is bigger, yes, but the sense of purpose is bigger, too. Eighteen days in, I honestly couldn't be happier. This is just the beginning, and I know the road ahead will have its bumps, but right now, it feels exactly where I'm supposed to be.

If you’re a founder navigating that messy middle - scaling past your first revenue hurdles, trying to make growth more predictable, or getting your GTM strategy ready for the scrutiny of a fundraise, I’d love to hear your story.

The first coffee is always on me.