"I hit my revenue goals but feel empty and unmotivated. Is this normal?"

Ryan's question hits different - because post-success depression is real, and most founders don't talk about it. James Johnson and Freddie Birley unpack why achieving your goals can leave you feeling deflated instead of euphoric.

In this Post Bag episode, James and Freddie explore the four energy levers that determine how you feel after a big win: purpose, people, progress, and pausing. They dive into why founders constantly move the goalposts, how this burns out your team, and why celebration isn't just nice-to-have - it's essential.

Together they unpack:

• The four energy levers and how to diagnose which one you're missing
• Why achievement never feels as good as you expect (and the Ironman trap)
• How constantly redefining success robs you of celebrating wins
• Why your team burns out when you don't pause to acknowledge progress
• The difference between celebrating yourself versus celebrating your team

👆 Feeling burnt out after a big milestone? You're not alone. Send your founder questions to hello@peer-effect.com or find Freddie Birley on LinkedIn.

About the Post Bag The Peer Effect Post Bag is where James Johnson and Freddie Birley, both founder and VC coaches, answer real questions from founders navigating the chaos of building and scaling businesses. No fluff, just frameworks that work.

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"If I had taken investment in the early years, it would've wrecked me. I wouldn't have been able to deal with investors breathing down my neck."

George Sullivan turned his obsession with trainers into The Sole Supplier, a business driving £50 million GMV annually - without a single investor. His biggest insight? Bootstrapping isn't just about keeping control; it's about growing at a pace that matches your capacity as a founder.

In today's episode, I'm joined by George Sullivan, founder and CEO of The Sole Supplier, Europe's leading sneaker marketplace. After discovering parkour at 13 and building various side hustles, George launched Sole Supplier at 22 and has grown it over 12 years to work with the world's biggest brands, building a team of 30 and generating billions in content views. His journey includes navigating untreated ADHD, rejecting the toxic hustle culture narrative, and proving that sustainable growth beats venture-backed chaos.

Together we unpack:

• Why taking investment would have destroyed his business in the early years
• How ADHD can be both a superpower and a liability in fast-growth environments
• The danger of being bamboozled by credentials and investor pressure when you're young
• Why quality beats quantity and hustle culture is destructive for motivated founders
• How to validate spending decisions when bootstrapping with limited resources

👆 If you're a founder questioning whether you need investment to scale, or struggling to balance ambition with sustainable growth, this conversation will completely reframe how you think about building a business on your own terms.

About George Sullivan

George Sullivan is the founder and CEO of Sole Supplier, a leading sneaker marketplace that has driven over £50 million in GMV annually. After starting with parkour and various entrepreneurial ventures, George built Sole Supplier from the ground up without external investment, working with major global brands and building a community-focused platform. Over 12 years, he's proved that bootstrapping, when done strategically, can create a sustainable and successful business without sacrificing founder autonomy.

Connect with George Sullivan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-sullivan-tss/

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"Everyone finds networking awkward - you're not alone."

James Johnson and Freddie Birley tackle your real founder questions in the Peer Effect Post Bag. No guests, no case studies - just honest answers to the stuff keeping you up at 2AM.

In this episode, James and Freddie answer the question every founder dreads: "I'm terrible at networking with clients. It feels forced and awkward. How do I actually get good at building genuine relationships?" Their answer? Stop performing and start being curious.

Together they unpack:

• Why everyone secretly hates networking (and how to reframe it)
• The power of asking questions you genuinely want answers to
• Freddie's go-to conversation starters (and his emergency "do you have pets?" exit question)
• Why one deep conversation beats meeting 100 people
• How to make networking a skill you actually practice, not just endure

👆 Got a founder question keeping you stuck? Send it to james@peer-effect.com or find Freddie Birley on LinkedIn. Your question could be answered in the next Post Bag.

About the Post Bag The Peer Effect Post Bag is where James Johnson and Freddie Birley, both founder and VC coaches, answer real questions from founders navigating the chaos of building and scaling businesses. No fluff, just frameworks that work.

More from James:

Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

"Don't be afraid to be vulnerable. Networking isn't transactional, it's about building genuine connections."

Mark Shepherd turned a LinkedIn post about mental health and meeting for drinks into Gathr, a 10,000-member community of VCs, founders, and PE investors. His biggest insight? Authentic relationships beat business card collecting every time.

In today's episode, I'm joined by Mark Shepherd, founder and CEO of Gathr, Europe's leading community for founders and investors. After starting his career in strategy consulting and venture capital, Mark built what began as "London Tech Drinks" into a carefully curated network that prioritises genuine peer connections over transactional networking. His journey includes an unexpected MasterChef appearance, battling OCD and anxiety, and discovering that the best business relationships are simply friendships with people who share your mission.

Together we unpack:

• Why networking as a word is "horrible" and what you should focus on instead
• How to identify the right rooms to be in and why curation matters more than size
• The power of reciprocity and giving before taking in building lasting relationships
• Why vulnerability and authenticity create stronger connections than any sales pitch
• The art of quality introductions and why one perfect intro beats five mediocre ones

👆 If you're a founder who finds networking uncomfortable or transactional, this conversation reframes it as building authentic peer relationships that support both your business and mental health.

About Mark Shepherd

Mark Shepherd is the founder and CEO of Gathr, Europe's leading community of VC investors, PE investors, founders, and advisors. What started as a LinkedIn post has grown into a 10,000-strong community with events ranging from intimate 12-person dinners to sector-specific breakfasts for senior investors. Mark's mission is simple: help founders and investors build genuine peer connections that transcend transactions.

Connect with Mark Shepherd on LinkedIn.

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"Don't waste your chips on bad hands."

Dimitar Stanimiroff has been through multiple exits, some successful, some painful shutdowns. He co-founded WePow(acquired) and Heresy (shut down after 3.5 years). His biggest financial return came from joining Stack Overflow, not founding his own company.

In today's episode, I'm joined by Dimitar Stanimiroff, a seasoned SaaS founder, operator, and investor who's experienced both sides of the exit coin. After co-founding WePow and seeing it acquired, he started Heresy, raised $1M in venture funding, and ran it for 3.5 years before making the difficult decision to shut it down. He then joined Stack Overflow as an operator and helped scale it, resulting in his biggest financial return to date.

Together we unpack:

• Why "quitting on time feels like quitting too early" and the real cost of staying too long
• How to think of your entrepreneurial journey like poker chips; finite resources you can't waste
• The hard reality of shutting down a business after raising venture capital
• Why his mentor Joel Spolsky told him to quit just months after launching
• When plateauing milestones become warning signs it's time to fold

👆 If you're a founder struggling with the decision to persevere vs. pivot vs. shut down, this conversation provides a framework for making one of the hardest decisions in business.

About Dimitar Stanimiroff

Dimitar Stanimiroff is a seasoned SaaS founder, operator, and investor. He co-founded WePal (acquired) and Heresy, and helped scale Stack Overflow, Handshake, and CrossBeam to over $100M ARR. As an angel investor in B2B SaaS, he's backed Patch.io, Lightdash, and others from pre-seed to Series A. His biggest insight: think of your time as poker chips and don't waste them on bad hands.

Connect with Dimitar Stanimiroff on LinkedIn.

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"I had to let everyone go and run the entire business myself."

Tara Button's Buy Me Once had raised £3 million and grown to 14 staff. They were burning through cash faster than they could raise it. The choice: close the business completely or go solo with AI automation.

The result? Q4 2024 revenue exceeded Q4 2023 (with the full team) and they made their first profit ever.

In today's episode, I'm joined by Tara Button, bestselling author and founder of Buy Me Once, a mission-driven e-commerce business finding the longest-lasting products on the planet. When facing a critical cash crisis in 2024, Tara made the radical decision to let go of her entire 14-person team and rebuild the company using AI automation, despite having zero coding experience.

Together we unpack:

• How to identify which business tasks are truly critical (hint: it's less than you think)
• The step-by-step process she used to replace entire departments with automations
• Why she worked 16-hour days building email scrapers and inventory systems with ChatGPT
• How founders can start implementing AI automation without ripping everything up

👆 If you're a founder feeling overwhelmed by operational complexity or wondering whether AI can really replace human work, this conversation will open your eyes to what's possible.

About Tara Button

Tara Button is the founder of Buy Me Once, an e-commerce platform dedicated to finding the longest-lasting products on the planet to combat throwaway culture. After her business idea went viral in 2016, she raised over £3 million and authored the Amazon bestselling book "A Life Less Throwaway." When her business faced a cash crisis in 2024, she made the bold decision to rebuild it as a one-person operation using AI automation, resulting in their most profitable quarter ever.

Connect with Tara Button on LinkedIn.

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Why You Can't Sustain What You Don't Enjoy

Nick Baker left his successful consultancy after 25 years, burnt out from always being "on." He became a non-exec, convinced he'd never return to operational leadership. Then UK Padel came along, and he became CEO because he genuinely loved what they were building.

The lesson? You can endure anything temporarily, but you can't sustain what you don't enjoy.

About Nick Baker:

Nick is the CEO of UK Padel and former co-founder of Alpha FMC, which he took through private equity investment to a successful IPO. After spending 25 years in financial services and stepping back from executive roles, Nick found himself drawn back into operational leadership through his passion for racket sports and building something he truly believed in.

Together we unpack:

• Why genuine passion for your business isn't just nice-to-have; it's essential for long-term success
• How to know when it's time to step away and make yourself redundant the right way
• The secret to staying authentic as you scale (hint: stay involved in delivery)
• Why founder-led selling works so well and how to maintain that edge

👆 If you're a founder feeling disconnected from your business or wondering how to sustain your energy for the long journey ahead, this conversation will give you clarity.

About Nick Baker

Nick Baker is the CEO of UK Padel, which operates multiple padel clubs across the UK and runs the country's biggest national tournaments. He previously co-founded Alpha FMC, a financial markets consultancy that he grew over 25 years before taking it through private equity investment to a successful IPO. Nick is also an active angel investor, having backed over 75 startups, and serves as chairman for several businesses.

Connect with Nick Baker on LinkedIn.

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The CEO who takes all the meeting notes isn't leading. They're sabotaging their own team.

They feel comfortable doing what they're good at rather than tackling new parts of their role.

But what if the founder-to-CEO shift wasn't about doing different things?

What if it was about fundamentally seeing your role differently?

In today's episode, I'm joined by Jennifer Clamp, a founder coach who specialises in supporting founders through the founder-to-CEO transition. Jennifer works within the Founder Coaches Network, helping founders reinvent their role and stay ahead of their organisation's growth through personal development.

Together we unpack:

• How micro-behaviours can completely undermine your attempts to delegate
• The shift from valuing "doing" to valuing "being" as a leader
• Why mindset changes are more powerful than behavioural changes
• How to discover your unique version of being a CEO

👆 If you're a founder or leader feeling like you've reached capacity but know there's more you want to achieve, connect with us below.

About Jennifer Clamp

Jennifer Clamp is a founder coach specialising in the founder-to-CEO transition, with a particular focus on supporting female founders. She helps founders reinvent their role and stay ahead of organisational growth through intentional personal development. Jennifer's approach emphasises mindset shifts over behavioural changes, helping leaders move from doing-focused to being-focused leadership.

Connect with Jennifer Clamp on LinkedIn.

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