As a doctor, former financial advisor, and property investor, I'm sharing the lessons I learned from being a busy, time-poor professional to building a life of time and financial freedom. 

My journey to financial freedom began with the standard advice of getting a great job, working hard, and hoping the system would take care of me.  After 20 years of service in the Royal Navy and as a doctor, I realised this was a myth.  This standard narrative will only take you so far, and I have started to seek better ways to build time and financial freedom for myself and my family. This realisation inspired me to share my journey and the lessons I've learned with you. 

My journey led me to earn my MBA, work as a financial adviser in London, and eventually transition into entrepreneurship. Investing in property and sharing financial lessons through our financial education start-up Building Out.  

I hope that sharing these lessons will help you on your path to Building Out a life of time and financial freedom.  The journey can be challenging, but it's certainly worth it!

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter at: 

www.building-out.com

Good luck on your journey!

Nothing on our website, blog, socials or newsletter is designed to provide financial advice and is for educational purposes only. For individual financial advice on your circumstance, please seek the advice of an FCA-approved advisor.

Diarmaid Mcmenamin

I know doctors earning £300k who feel poorer than teachers on £45k.

Not in money.
In time.

They sold their calendar for a salary.
And the handcuffs fit perfectly.

I call this the 1% Life Trap:

You want a 1% lifestyle.
But you’re not willing to do 1% thinking.

So you take the shortcut:
A high-paying job that quietly owns your evenings, weekends, and headspace.

It looks like success.
It behaves like captivity.

Here’s what actually works (and it’s boring):

→ Years of reinvesting profits
→ Delaying lifestyle upgrades that lock you in
→ Building assets that don’t need your presence to earn

No hacks.
No flexing.
Just patience and leverage.

The uncomfortable truth:

Financial freedom isn’t about earning more.
It’s about building things that earn without you.

And it usually starts small.

One question changed everything for me:

“What could I build between 7 pm and midnight?”

A post.
A product.
A system.
A tiny asset.

Do that consistently and something strange happens:

Your income stops being the main thing.
Your options start to multiply.

If this made you uncomfortable,
it’ll probably help someone else too. ♻️

As a doctor, former financial advisor, and property investor, I’m sharing the lessons on the path from being a busy, time-poor professional to building a life of time and financial freedom.

Earn £100,001 in the UK…
and your next £1 can be taxed at 60%.

Not a typo.

Not a loophole.

Not a fringe case.

It’s how the system actually works.

Here’s the part most high earners never get told:

Between £100,000 and £125,140, you lose £1 of Personal Allowance for every £2 you earn.

By £125,140?

Your entire £12,570 tax-free allowance is gone.

That creates a stealth marginal tax rate of 60%.

This catches:

→ Doctors

→ Consultants

→ Partners

→ Anyone drifting “just over” £100k

And it feels like being punished for progressing.

The fix is boring — and extremely effective.

Reduce your adjusted net income below £100k.

Most commonly:

→ Pension contributions

Do that and you:

• Get tax relief

• Restore your Personal Allowance

• Avoid the 60% trap

Example:

A £10,000 pension contribution

can save ~£6,000 in tax.

That’s a 60% instant return.

No investment risk.

No market timing.

Just understanding the rules of the game.

Most people don’t have a tax problem.

They have an information problem.

If this helped, someone in your circle is probably walking straight into it. ♻️

Many of the most successful entrepreneurs didn't quit their jobs to start their businesses. Here's why:

They kept their day jobs.

They built on the side.

For years.

Here's what that means for you:

Your salary isn't a prison.

It's oxygen for your business.

When you bootstrap while employed, you remove survival-mode decision-making.

You can say no to bad deals.

You can wait for the right opportunity.

You can take calculated risks.

The best entrepreneurs don't leap without a safety net.

They build the net first.

There's a code on your payslip that controls how much money you take home.

Most people have never looked at it.

It's called your tax code—and if it's wrong, you could be overpaying hundreds or thousands each year.

Here's how to decode it:

1257L = The standard code for 2024/25

→ The "1257" means you can earn £12,570 tax-free

→ The "L" means you get the standard Personal Allowance

BR = Basic Rate

→ All income from this job is taxed at 20%

→ Usually appears on second jobs

→ If you only have one job with BR? Something's wrong.

K = Negative Allowance

→ Your benefits (company car, private health) exceed your allowance

→ Tax is added to your income, not subtracted

W1, M1, or X = Emergency Code

→ HMRC doesn't have your full details

→ Tax is calculated per pay period, not cumulatively

→ Often means you're overpaying

The 30-second check:

1. Find your tax code on your payslip
2. Compare it to last month
3. If it's changed and you don't know why—investigate

HMRC makes mistakes.

Employers make mistakes.

The money doesn't come back automatically.

You have to notice.

Your employer is giving you free money every month.

Are you taking it?

Under auto-enrolment, your employer must contribute to your workplace pension.

The minimum is 3% of your qualifying earnings.

But here's what most people miss:

→ Many employers match higher contributions (up to a point)

→ If you contribute 6%, they might contribute 6%

→ That's a 100% return before any investment growth

The numbers:

If you earn £35,000 and increase your contribution from 5% to 8%, you might unlock an extra £1,050/year from your employer.

Over 30 years with modest growth? That's potentially an extra £70,000+ in your pension pot.

From a 3% contribution increase.

The action:

1. Check your payslip for current pension contributions
2. Ask HR what your employer's matching policy is
3. Increase to the matching ceiling if you can afford it

It's not investing advice.

It's maths.

Free money is free money.

"Quit your job to follow your passion" is dangerous advice. Here's what to do instead:

Some of the world's most successful founders kept their day jobs for years while building their businesses.

Why?

Their salary paid for:

→ Rent

→ Food

→ Transport

So every pound their business earned could be reinvested.

No desperate decisions.

No "I'll take any deal to survive."

No burning the ships.

The "burn the ships" mentality sounds heroic.

But it kills more businesses than it saves.

Build the bridge while you're standing on solid ground.

The best entrepreneurs share a mantra: "Fail fast."
Here's what they mean:

It's not because failure is good.

Because slow failure is catastrophic.

Slow failure:

→ Drains your money

→ Drains your time

→ Drains your spirit

Fast failure:

→ Teaches you quickly

→ Preserves your runway

→ Let's you try again

The difference between successful entrepreneurs and everyone else?

They extract wisdom from failure before the resources run out.

Speed isn't about rushing.

It's about learning faster than you burn.

The best business ideas don't come from brainstorming in a coffee shop. They come from:

Domain fluency.

When you deeply understand an industry, you start to see:

→ Where existing players are complacent

→ Which customer segments are being ignored

→ What outdated processes does everyone accept?

Your professional expertise isn't a cage.

It's a lens.

A surgeon sees device inefficiencies.

An accountant spots cash-flow gaps.

A lawyer notices outdated processes.

Stop brainstorming.

Start observing.

The next great business might be hiding in the frustrations you experience every day at work.

Many people try selling things they don't believe in.
Here's the problem with that:

They hate it.

They feel "dead inside."

Then they find something they genuinely care about.

Different result.

Why?

When you deeply understand a product or service—when you've experienced the problem yourself—you're not selling.

You're sharing.

Belief is irresistible.

Customers sense inauthenticity instantly.

They feel when you're chasing a trend vs. solving a real problem.

Build around belief, not convenience.

Would you buy your own product?

If the answer isn't immediate, you're building a job, not a calling.

Imagine building extraordinary success.

Employing thousands of people.

Giving away millions to charity.

Creating something that genuinely matters.

And then realising:

"I missed it all. I wasn't there for my family. I was always in meetings, always on planes."

This is the confession of countless successful entrepreneurs.

Children grow up.

Parents pass away.

Moments disappear.

Here's what they wish they'd done:

Define the finish line before you start running.

What does "enough" look like for you?

What's the actual number?

At what point do you stop chasing and start living?

Success without boundaries is just another prison.

You own index funds, but do you really know what you own?

Every company on earth is sorted into exactly 11 boxes. Not 10. Not 15. Eleven. Energy. Materials. Industrials. Consumer Discretionary. Consumer Stapl

Open article: Here's How To Understand The Bigger Picture Of Investing in Stocks by Diarmaid Mcmenamin • 7 min read

Here's How To Understand The Bigger Picture Of Investing in Stocks

I’ve been posting online for 3 years.

The biggest mistake I made in year one?

Waiting until I was an “expert.”

Five words fixed it:

Document. Don’t create.

Here’s the difference:

Creating = pretending you’ve arrived
Documenting = showing the journey

One demands polish.
The other demands consistency.

Think about it.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians ran for 20 seasons.
It was just daily life.

No scripts.
No genius.
No grand theory.

Meanwhile, most people stay silent because they think they need Star Wars.

Perfect.
Cinematic.
Finished.

That’s the trap.

Your audience doesn’t want a hero who’s already won.
They want a peer a few steps ahead.

Someone learning.
Adjusting.
Figuring it out in public.

Document the reps.
The mistakes.
The small wins.

Post from the middle.

That’s where trust is built.
And where expertise quietly shows up.

In 2006, the best marketers won with Google AdWords.

In 2012, it was Facebook organic reach.

In 2018, Instagram.

Today?

TikTok and LinkedIn.

This isn’t marketing.
It’s day-trading attention.

The playbook never changes:

→ Go where people already look
→ Arrive before attention is priced in
→ Give value before you ask for anything

Most businesses do the opposite.

They show up after ads get expensive.
They sell before trust exists.
They talk about themselves, not the person scrolling.

That’s why it feels like shouting into the void.

Here’s the unfair advantage for time-poor professionals:

You already have expertise.
You already solved real problems.
People already want what you know.

You don’t need better content.
You need better timing.

Attention is still cheap in a few places.

It won’t be for long.

The window always closes.

“Soft skills” is a terrible name.

They’re the hardest skills in business.

Every truly successful person I know built their career on four of them:

1. Self-awareness
Know your strengths.
Exploit them relentlessly.
Stop obsessing over weaknesses that don’t move the needle.

2. Kind candour
Tell the truth without making people defensive.
Clarity without cruelty.
Honesty that strengthens relationships instead of burning them.

3. Humility
Stay willing to do the work, regardless of title.
The moment you feel above certain tasks, you’ve started to decay.

4. Gratitude
Pay attention to what’s already working.
This is the quiet fuel that prevents burnout and entitlement.

Most professionals over-invest in technical skills.

They under-invest in the skills that decide:
→ Who gets trusted
→ Who gets promoted
→ Who people actually want to work with

Over a 30-year career, these compound brutally.

The question isn’t whether you’re technically good.

It’s whether people want to keep building things with you.

♻️ If this resonates, it’ll help someone else too.

Waiting for a “lump sum” before using your ISA is backwards.

It feels sensible.

It’s financially expensive.

Here’s why:

Your ISA allowance resets every April 6th.

Use it.

Or lose it.

- £20,000 per year

- Tax-free growth

- Forever

Miss a year and that allowance is gone for good.

Now zoom out.

A couple maxing both ISAs for 25 years?

That’s £2m+ sheltered from tax.

Not through brilliance.

Through consistency.

The fix isn’t clever.

It’s boring.

Set up a £1,667/month (ot whatever you can afford) direct debit on April 6th.

By year-end:

→ Allowance maxed

→ No decisions required

→ No willpower needed

Waiting for motivation costs money.

Automation compounds it.

Every time.

Every April, thousands of UK workers are owed money by HMRC.

Most never claim it.

Here's why it happens and how to check:

When you start a new job without a P45, your employer puts you on an "emergency tax code."

These codes (W1, M1, or X) calculate your tax based on each pay period in isolation—not your cumulative earnings for the year.

The result? You often overpay.

The problem? It doesn't automatically correct.

How to check if you're owed money:

1. Look at your Year-to-Date (YTD) figures on your payslip
2. Compare total tax paid against what you should owe based on your annual income
3. If the numbers don't match, contact HMRC

Or wait for your P60 at the end of the tax year and do the same calculation.

The money is yours.

But you have to claim it.

HMRC's number: 0300 200 3300

Online: Check your Personal Tax Account on [GOV.UK](http://GOV.UK)

30 seconds of checking.

Potentially hundreds back in your pocket.

Open article: Welcome to GOV.UK by gov.uk

There's a section on your payslip you've probably never read.

It's literally labelled with your National Insurance number.

And it matters more than you think.

Your NI number is your lifetime identifier.

It tracks:

→ Your right to work in the UK

→ Your contributions toward the State Pension

→ Your entitlement to NHS services and benefits

If it's wrong on your payslip, your contributions might not be recording.

That means:

- Gaps in your National Insurance record
- Potentially lower State Pension
- Problems proving your work history

The check takes 5 seconds:

1. Find your NI number on your payslip
2. Compare it to your National Insurance card or official letter
3. If they don't match, tell HR immediately

It's rarely wrong.

But when it is, the consequences compound over years.

Small check. Big protection.

You don't need to be an accountant to protect your money.

You need 30 seconds and four checks.

Check 1: Gross Pay(5 seconds)

→ Does this match what you expected?

→ Any overtime/bonuses included correctly?

Check 2: Tax Code (5 seconds)

→ Has it changed since last month?

→ If yes, do you know why?

Check 3: Net Pay (10 seconds)

→ Does this match your bank statement?

→ Any unexpected differences?

Check 4: YTD (10 seconds)

→ Is cumulative gross roughly on track for your annual salary?

→ Any obvious discrepancies?

If all four check out: file the payslip somewhere safe.

If any look wrong: investigate before your next pay day.

This isn't paranoia.

It's pattern recognition.

Problems show up in patterns.

Monthly checks catch them early.

30 seconds to protect your income.

Worth it.

Do You Know The Number That Really Drives Your Wealth?

On Monday, we went through what a payslip actually means. Have you ever looked at your salary and thought it seemed good, but still felt like you neve

Open article: Do You Know The Number That Really Drives Your Wealth? by Diarmaid Mcmenamin • 8 min read

Your salary is lying to you.
Here's why:

I know a surgeon earning £400,000 who feels broke.

And a teacher earning £45,000 who's quietly building wealth.

The difference isn't intelligence.

It's the gap.

Income is a flow.

Wealth is a stock.

The delta between what comes in and what stays?

That's the only number that determines if you'll ever be free.

↳ Stop measuring success by your salary

↳ Start tracking your "investable gap"

↳ Automate 10-20% before you see it

The wealthy aren't smarter than you.

They have a non-negotiable gap.

Sara Simmonds

CEO Impact Innovator | Helping Purpose Driven Entrepreneurs Scale to $1 Million, $50 Million and Beyond | Follow Me For Systems On Sustainable Growth 🌎

With 100K+ followers, 14 years controlling $ Billion buying budgets generating $200M+ for corporates

Plus $10M+ growth for purpose led founder results and $50M+ in positioned expansion - I built the organic growth system for entrepreneurs I wished existed when I needed it most.

My $150K Lesson:

2007: Co-founded Sharkah Chakra, world's first award-winning impact jeans brand. Featured in Vogue, GQ. Winner/ 30 team members.

The insight: As a $Billion Dollar buyer, I saw what made offers succeed at scale. When I built my own brand, I realized most entrepreneurs don't think like buyers - they think like sellers.

The breakthrough: I stopped asking "What expert should I hire?" and started asking "What would make ME approve this budget?"

The answer: ONE Category of One business - fully integrated, perfectly aligned, impossible to ignore.

That shift changed everything

Impact Innovator OS - The Integrated Growth System

I built ONE system that integrates everything a Purpose Led Entrepreneur needs to scale:

Strategy - Your custom path to scale
Offer - Your Category of One Offer
Sales - Your revenue engine
Mindset - Your breakthrough leadership

Everything in-house. Everything you own. Forever.

My System Results:

£0 to £300K in 12 months without agencies
100K+ organic following through owned systems
Multiple 6-figure months, 40-hour weeks
Zero debt, 100% profitable

Founding Member Results Using This System:

Eugenie & Luis: $1M+ additional revenue
Ami: 0- $300K launch
Carol: $200K Sell out launches and scaling to $30MN
Rachel: $500K funding round achieved 
Jo: $2MN -$4MN Sales Increase 
Marie & Jason: Eliminated $144K agency costs
Alexandra: Closed $75K funding deal 
Paula: Scaled and exited in 12 months
Elizabeth: Ideal to Launch and 18 International Awards, plus Amazon Prime Distribution
Simon: High Ticket Offer launched in 90 days and Best Selling Author of his niche


Founding Member Access (Limited):

▸ Foundation: $15K - Build Your Category of One (12 months)
▸ Scale: $30K - Scale Your Growth System (12 months)
▸ Empire: $60K - Full Integration & Implementation (12 months)

(All programs replace $150K+ in agency costs with ONE in-house system you own forever)
(Limited spots)

For purpose-led entrepreneurs ready to scale to $1M, $50M and beyond as a Category Of One:

▸ Next Masterclass: "5 Systems to Build Your Category of One Business"
▸ Newsletter: Weekly buyer intelligence insights
▸ Strategy Session: 45-min Category of One assessment

→ DM 'SYSTEM' for founding member details
→ DM 'MASTERCLASS' for registration link
→ DM 'NEWS' for newsletter

Business Mentor

I Just Got Back From 5 Incredible Weeks In Argentina and Uruguay 

I went from not knowing one single person in the country

To build a Dream 100 network In 30 days

Don't get me wrong, there were moments when I felt super lonely

One of them was arriving on an island at a tiny town 

where hardly anyone spoke English

It was right at that moment, my mum called me (her intuition working big time)

Are you ok? she asked. "Well, maybe I am a bit lonely, but we all get lonely, I said."

The difference is how we choose to handle it

I decided there and then to apply my Dream 100 network building principles

One of the key foundations I teach here at Impact Innovator OS

It's the idea of One to Many

Put yourself in the right environment (I was in Jose Ignacio, Uruguay fabulous place)

Next Step 

Be super focused on who you want to connect with and why

Then allow your own unique power and light to shine

And allow yourself to receive more ...

Here is how this worked in ACTION 

I followed my intuition to a relaxed, beautiful beach bar

And most importantly, did not look myself away when I felt lonely and vulnerable

And wanted to just give up

I kept going, putting myself out there

I sat at the bar - alone and embraced the moment

Got into the vibe, relaxed, and let go

Then heard some fellow English speakers

Stood up, took action, went over, said Hey, I'm Sara great to meet you, I'm here on my own and would love to connect

The rest is history

Amazing people introduced me to amazing people, who invited me to incredible events

And I built not only a new dream 100 network in Uruguay, but also in Buenos Aires.

Connection is all you need, with yourself first and then with those around you

It's time to Shine Your Light

Together, we will transform our world

Love Sara

Founder Impact Innovator OS | The #1 Buyer Intelligence Growth System for Purpose Led Entrepreneurs to Scale to $1M-50M as a Category Of One Leader In Their Niche

Together We Will Transform Our World 

How I overcame My Fear Of Being Out Of Control 

Climbing this glacier I was truly terrified.

I got over it - by applying my 3 steps to let go of control

As a Purpose Led Founder 

I used to try and control everything  

But that just led to burnout and working 247 getting nowhere fast

5 years ago i started hiking seriously ( turning a once in 10 years to once every two weeks)

Business, Mindset and Energy are all intertwined

And success is systemizing Business, Mindset and Energy

Life is Circular

Winning Systems Are Holistic 

And that is EXACTLY How I overcame my fear of being out of control

Step 1 - Think of Your Energy as a system - only so much mental, physical and emotional energy

Step 2 - Thinking of yourself as Social - your not meant to do things alone 

Step 3 - Set Big Audacious Goal - Focus on the present take one step forward each day


Climbing this glacier i was totally scared - now Im laughing but it was not funny at the time

I had set the goal, and guess what had not worried about it at the time

I prepared

I showed up with the right mindset

And I let myself be social and ask for help

I did not try to do this alone

I did this with experts

I let them hold my hand when I walked up

I let them hold my hand when I walked down

I listened to their expertise - I did not try to take selfies whilst walking on ice that is razor sharp

The Result - I followed a system, managed my energy, allowed myself to be supported

Succeeded - Climbed to the peak of the glacier without falling down

Success happens - one relationship, one system and one step at a time.

linkedin.com

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Talks about #impact, #entrepreneurship, #productinnovation, #businessinnovation, and #businessmentorship

MY CFO Sophia, said to me on Saturday (when we met IRL)

Sara, I love your Simple System to Scale 

One roadmap

It works wherever the team is in the world

They can scale without you

We just proved it, after I was away on a remote trekking expedition 

The team was scaling without. me

And I could relax, and let go, feeling fully supported 

Sophia Shared this

These are the 3 elements we as a  team all understand clearly

1. What Our Category of One Positioning IS

( We help Purprose Led Founders Scale to $1-$50MN)

2. What our High Impact offer is

(One In house sustainable growth system that gives our founders category of one results in 30 days)

3. WHO our ICP IS

( Purpose led founders, conscious leaders, and innovators)

And HOW to sell without you

Using One Team Process, everybody understands: One Team Chat, One Team Meeting

The good and bad  problem today is that teams can be remote

At Impact Innovator, our team is from

London
Texas
Miami
Bangalore
Bali 

We are across continents, yet everyone understands that our positioning, offer, and system are simple

Today, I have one word for you

SIMPLIFY

Simplify All you do

To One Roadmap, One System, One Mentor

Simplicity =  Success

If you would like to unlock your One System To Scale

Join Me live next Tuesday in my masterclass, where I will lay out the simple 5 step roadmap to sustainable scale.

This is an intimate cameras on session, where I answer how you can get buyers to buy from you as the ONLY choice 247.

Join us, link below to sign up

https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

Together, we will transform our world

Love Sara

No alternative text description for this image

How I Stopped Being Overlooked And Became A Category Of One 

One of my favourite words is "Cringey" or "to Cringe."

Do you use it in the US?

We use it here in London, to Cringe means to look fine on the outside

But to be feeling totally naked, exposed, and seen on the inside for who you really are, or are not, or think you are.

The problem today is trying to be like everything else - we all do it, even if we think we are being our REAL AUTHENTIC SELF, we are not

We are all trying to look and be like other people

But buyers don't want to buy from lookalikes

They want to buy from trailblazers, pioneers, buccaneers, innovators, stars

They want to buy from founders who have become so incredibly comfortable 

With their own quirks, own uniqueness, no matter how out of the box that is, and their own story

Buyers want to buy from founders who LOVE, and OBSESS over the GREATNESS of their own offer

I have a catch phrase I say to our members, "Your Real Power Is YOU."

That catchphrase comes from me having to face myself in the mirror and follow my own category of one roadmap

Because here is the thing

If you "cringe" at ANYTHING about your positioning, offer, story, or packaging, people feel it

If you're "trying too hard" to be the same, or to be different, or to be an innovator, or to be radical 

The game changer for me was following my own formula to strip away anything I was doing that was not authentic

To create my own language, to polish my offer, my packaging, and how I show up in the world

To be uniquely Sara AKA Stara

To let go of fitting in, and to embrace standing out

Your Real Power is YOU

The quicker you embrace being uniquely you, the faster you scale, the faster you make a real impact

To find out my 5 step roadmap to unlock how you can lead as a Category Of One Join me in my Live Masterclass Next Tuesday

Link is here to sign up: https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

Together we will transform our world

Love Sara

BECOME CAT OF ONE IN 30 DAYS

So excited, I just heard one of our members signed a multi billion dollar partnership... 

(90 days ago, they were treading water)

Here is my Billion Dollar Buyers Guide

That empowered them to achieve this goal (after years of trying)

Growing a business with a purpose with a founder who has a heart

Isn't easy ... Let's be real

In my Live masterclass yesterday, someone shared this

"Sara, with so many competitors today, business is hard, but your systems make it easy to stand out and scale."

Being overlooked is a real problem today for founders

And here's the thing, it's no one's fault

Buyers will love you, they just got to understand these 7 things

Sara's Billion Dollar Buyers Guide

1. Your Unique Business Hook

2. How your Offer changed your world first

3. How your Offer changes others' worlds second.

4. Why you are a must have now and forever

5. How to sell you in one sentence 

6. Who your followers are

7. Why are you the number one in what you do

This list is the game changer for 2026, to stand out, get seen, get sell in, and get sell out

Give buyers instant clarity on your unique power and purpose

Let your brilliance shine

If you'd like to know more billion dollar buyer secrets, sign up for my newsletter here:

https://lnkd.in/dsVQABvv

Together we will transform our world

Love Sara

7 BILLION DOLLAR BUYER SECRETS

Yesterday I was talking About The Importance Of Trusting Yourself

You can have the best innovation, the best business, the best purpose

But if you don't trust yourself to cross the river

You never will 

You will stop just at the edge of certainty

How do I know that?

Because that used to be me

I would put in motion a great innovation or a great system

But I would not give it time for the innovation or the great system

To cross the river to success

I would get scared, I would freak out with the uncertainty of it all 

Here is what I learnt 

What I do 

And a key system I teach our members

You want to go SLOW in the foundation you are building

Take your time building your High Impact Offer Foundation

Breathe,

Give yourself the grace to BELIEVE IN Yourself

And Honour Your Innovation that is uniquely yours, without abandoning this or copying others

From fear

And

You want to

Go FAST in Implementing without waiting to be perfect

Because you ONLY become perfect through repetition of your actions and your process

You only become perfect by doing

You don't become perfect by waiting on the sidelines

My message for today: Just Do IT

Whatever you dream of for yourself this year

Commit and Trust Yourself To Make It a Reality

Life IS Short, Make Each Day Count

Together we will transform our world

PS. If you would like more insights on how to lead an impactful life, sign up for my newsletter here:

https://lnkd.in/dsVQABvv

Founder Impact Innovator OS | The #1 Integrated Growth System for Purpose Led Entrepreneurs to Scale to $1M, $50M and Beyond as a Category Of One Business

Cross The River With Me

Hey, Sara Simmonds here. Welcome to the Impact Innovator Community.

Here is a story about Carol, one ofthe  members

Carol is an awesome ex-Harvard, Cartier Award winner, and brilliant innovator. 

Despite her credentials and working harder than anyone I know, her sales were inconsistent. 

Some months are great, others scaling felt impossible.

Sound familiar?

Using my $Billion Dollar Buyer System

In 30 days, we helped Carol close $200K in a sell-out launch. 

No massive following. 

No chasing attention.

No "Send me an email."

 Just a complete change in how we helped Carol package and optimise her offer.

How? 

I spent years as a billion-dollar buyer controlling $100M+ budgets. 

My success secret?

I chose less than 1% of what I saw. The other 99%? Filtered out. Invisible.

The formula the1% have? 

These Five things:

One: They were Category-of-One. Competition became irrelevant.

Two: One clear offer. Not five confusing ones.

Three: A movement, not just customers.

Four: Mindset mastery. Success is 90% psychology.

Five: They owned their system. No agency dependency.

Here's the truth: knowing these secrets is step one. 

Understanding HOW to implement them is step two.

That's what I break down in my free live masterclass. 

I keep it intimate, just 25 founders, so I can address your specific challenges.

If you're tired of being overlooked while others get all the attention, click below and reserve your spot.

https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

See you there.

Last Night I Had Dinner With One Of My Mentors PETER SAGE And Our Awesome Friends

Peter helped me get out of my comfort zone and made me see WHY mentorship is the game changer

For every entrepreneur 

I met Peter 10 years ago

He helped me shift my mindset from being "Comfortable" playing small 

To be "Uncomfortable" with the status quo 

Here are the 5 shifts being uncomfortable changed in my life

1. I started to focus 10X more on the present - what changes I could make each moment

2. I let go of GOOP - One of Peter's favourite phrases, listening to "The Good Opinion Of Other People

3. I stopped listening to "the noise" of the media

4. I started listening to my own heart - and hearing the impact it wanted to make

5. I worked my a**s of to "DO the work" and realise my true path 

Being a top 1% mentor myself ( because I experienced the transformation in my life first)

Having a top 1% mentor changed my trajectory to live a life of meaning, impact and legacy

Because I stopped being afraid and started to show up in my unique brilliance

Imagine what having a top 1% mentor can do for yours?

Together we will transform our world

Love and Gratitude Sara

There IS A SECRET Formula To Sell Out

Today I'm sharing this formula with you LIVE

But this is not for everyone

It is ONLY for you if you're a purpose led founder

With a mission to make an IMPACT

And you are tired of waiting for a breakthrough

You are ready for a proven system to 

Get noticed by buyers

As the ONE 

Get instant buy in and instant sell out

We have had over 150 sign ups, and my team told me

We have just 3 spots left to join us LIVE today

The link is below to sign up:

https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

Drop a READY below, and I will look forward to answering your questions live

How to transform your purpose, to sales, and to legacy

Together we will transform our world

Love Sara

TODAY UNLOCK THE 5 SECRETS TO BUILD YOUR LEGACY

My category of one purpose connects with people faster than AI ever will 

(If you want to scale faster in 2026 ready my 5 secrets below)

I realised in my temple last week with my community

People don't deeply connect with you through words

I mean deep like wanting to build a friendship, relationship, or sale with you

They don't connect with you through numbers

(Although great numbers are impressive)

And

They don't actually connect with you through status

(status sounds good, but it either attracts fake friendships or followers, or rubs people up the wrong way)

The Truth: In HOW people ACTUALLY connect with you

It's through the FEELING you give them when they meet you

That feeling is an inner feeling

They want to be part of your tribe

I always say to our members here at Impact Innovator OS

The fastest way to gain new business

Is to OBSESS over your Ideal Client

That's the first step

The Gold is the second step that builds the REAL connection is 

To become a Category Of One 

I have built and refined the Category Of One formula over the last decade 

The formula applies to you as a person, you as a founder, you as a brand ...

And your brand itself

People connect to people who are a Category Of One

They become drawn to you and your business and your brand

Like a magnet

So if you want to skyrocket your sustainable growth in EVERY area of your life this 2026

Across ALL your relationships, do this:-

Sara's  5 Step Category Of One Formula 

1. Unlock your unique power and embrace the real you

2. Stop burying your unique power, hiding it, or pretending it does not exist

3. Shine your unique light from your heart in all that you do

4. Show Up In Your Unique Power Consistently

5. Stop chasing and allow yourself the space and time to connect to people who truly value what you do

It's time to unleash your unique brand magnetism on the world

If you would like to find out HOW DM light below to join us

Or sign up for my live masterclass next Tuesday, where I will share the 5 secrets to stop chasing and start leading as a Category of One Founder, Brand, and Business.

https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

Together, we will transform our world

Love Sara

5 STEPS TO BECOME A CAT OF ONE

So I'm about to jump on the Closers.IO podcast, and honestly? I'm a bit nervous.

Not because I don't know my zone of genius - how to scale your unique purpose!

But because I'm walking into a room of professional salespeople... and I didn't grow up in sales.

I grew up in buying - and learning $Billion Dollar Buying Intelligence

Which is precisely why Closers.IO invited me on as their expert today

Because here's what I DO know: 

If you want to sell and scale in the world of endless competitors today

You've got to know how to become a category of one.

Here's what most people miss: Category of one isn't ONE thing you do.

It's EVERYTHING you do -

SIMPLE. Systemised and aligned into one roadmap.

That's how I close $15K to $150K deals at a 40% conversion rate.

Not through tactics. Through absolute clarity.

When you own your category, you don't compete. You convert.

The moment you become a category of one, price becomes irrelevant 

If you want the inside track on what that roadmap is, join me in my live masterclass next Tuesday. 

Link below to sign up 👇

https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

Together we will transform our world

Love Sara

Why I Never Talk About Business On Saturdays

One Reason:

We need space each day and each week to zoom out

Think about it

How much of your time do you spend zoomed in?

Hyper focused on the nitty gritty of your day?

Hyper focused on getting that result?

Here is what I learned

Results do not come from

Hyperfocusing on the goal
Obsessing over the goal
Worrying about the goal

Results come from

Hyperfocusing on your process
Obsessing over your system
Joyously expecting the realisation of your goal

Learning to Zoom out resets your mind

Taking time every day and each weekend to zoom out and get lost in nature

It's a great way to do this

Remember this

Balance is the way to win

Together we will transform our world

Love Sara

Most founders believe they need a louder brand, a better-looking website, or a “more unique” offer.

That’s exactly why they stay overlooked -
while less capable competitors get picked.

I’ve spent years inside billion-dollar buyer rooms, watching how real decisions actually get made.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Buyers don’t choose the “best” offer.
They choose the one that aligns with five specific decision criteria most founders never see.

On January 20th at 1:00 PM EST,
I’m hosting a private masterclass where we break down all five.

No surface-level tactics.
No marketing tricks.

Just the real buyer levers that make decision-makers see you as the only obvious choice, and confidently say yes.

Here’s a preview:

Why “trying to be different” often works against you, and what top buyers actually use to decide who wins.

How purpose-led founders sell out $200K launches in 24 hours, without ads or agencies.

The two hidden mechanisms that turn unpredictable growth into sustainable momentum you own.

This is the same framework I used to approve and greenlight over $100M in buying decisions.

Founders have applied it to scale from $1M to $50M+:
→ Without bloated agencies
→ Without stacked systems, they don’t control
→ And without burning out

Seats are limited, and this won’t be made public.

Register now to unlock the private pre-training before we go live.

🔗 Save your seat: https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

If you want to learn how to be the only choice in your niche

Join my Live Today in my $Billion Dollar Buyer Secrets Masterclass

If you are a founder with a burning mission inside you

To make a difference in the world, this is for YOU

Here is why

This year, we are sitting at an amazing crossroads

We are in the middle of the biggest wealth transfer in history

It is the generational wealth transfer to millennials and Gen Z 

$87 Trillion Wealth Transfer

And this generation cares about one thing more than anything

That is buying with purpose

They know that what you buy defines who you are, and your legacy

But here is the thing

Buyers are overwhelmed with choice right now

And they don't want more choice

What they want is The ONLY Choice

So if you are a Founder, Coach, or Consultant who

Is tired of being overlooked or undervalued

And want one simple roadmap to become The Only Choice

Join me today, this is not a recording, this is LIVE with me, Sara Simmonds

These secrets are making founders over $7 Figure increases to their business

So if you want this year to be the year you break through and scale

Join me today, click this link: https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

Together we will transform our world

Love Sara

BECOME THE ONLY CHOICE TODAY

Ten years ago, I made myself a promise.

One day, I would walk the trails of El Chaltén, Patagonia - not as an escape, but as a reminder of why I chose this path.

Last year, I did.

That hike wasn’t just about mountains.
It was about walking the path of innovators who refused to compromise what mattered.

The one who carried me through the hardest years was Yvon Chouinard - founder of Patagonia, the billion-dollar brand that was never meant to be one.

Yvon wasn’t a businessman chasing wealth.
He was a broke mountain climber who wanted better gear.

So he taught himself blacksmithing.
Made tools for his friends.
Sold them from his car for $1.50 each.

He didn’t set out to build a unicorn.
He just refused to betray his values.

When being a purpose-led founder nearly broke me 
when every part of me wanted to quit 

I remembered his words:

“Impossible is the lamest of excuses.”

And I realised something important:

Quitting doesn’t make life easier.
It just postpones the dream.

Because dreams don’t quit.
They wait.
And they come back louder.

What stopped me from walking away was understanding this:

Everything is figurable-outable including sustainable growth.

Just as Yvon built for climbers, I spent the last 10 years building for purpose-led founders.

When there was no roadmap, I created one.
And that work became Impact Innovator OS.

So here’s the question I keep coming back to:

What would change if you realised your purpose isn’t the obstacle, it’s the path?

Most founders think they need a louder brand, a prettier website, or a “more unique” offer.

That’s why they stay invisible...
While weaker competitors get chosen.

I spent years inside billion-dollar buyer rooms watching how real decisions are made.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Buyers don’t choose the “best” offer.

They choose the offer that aligns with 5 specific buyer decision criteria almost no one understands.

On January 20th at 1:00 PM EST,
I’m running a private masterclass.

We’re revealing all 5.

Not surface-level tactics.
Not marketing tricks.

The real buyer levers that make someone see you as the only obvious choice and confidently say yes.

Here’s a taste:

1. Why “being different” actually backfires, and what top buyers use instead to decide who wins the deal.

2. How certain purpose-led founders sell out $200K launches in 24 hours with zero ads or agencies.

3. The 2 hidden mechanisms that turn random growth into sustainable momentum you actually own.

This is the same playbook I used to approve and greenlight over $100M in buying decisions.

Founders have used these frameworks to scale from $1M to $50M+:

→ Without hiring bloated agencies,
→ Without stacking systems they don’t control,
→ And without burning out.

Seats are limited.
This masterclass will not be public.

Register now to unlock the private pre-video series before we go live.

Save your seat: https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

Krystal Lopez, Gabriela Longhi and 31 other attendees

5 Billion-Dollar Buyer Secrets Masterclass | Make Customers Choose YOU!

Have you started the New Year trying to fix your brand, your website, or your offer, thinking that’s why sales feel slow?

That’s exactly why most founders get overlooked while weaker competitors close faster.

After years inside billion-dollar buyer rooms, here’s the real truth:

Buyers don’t choose the best offer.

They choose the one that activates 5 specific psychological switches.

We’re going live TOMORROW

📅 January 6 at 12 PM CST

We’re excited to have you tomorrow for this private masterclass, where I’ll break down exactly what those switches are and how to use them to make buyers say yes, fast.

No fluff.

No theory.

Just real decision-making levers.

153 founders already registered

Only 7 spots left

Start your year with the skills that actually drive revenue.

Book your seat here: https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

How I Sold A Billionaire a 50K Offer in 7 days (using my buyer intelligence framework) 

I was talking to one of my team members the other day, explaining my buyer intelligence framework

That I teach Founders

Sara's 5 steps in Sustainable scale

1. Transform to a Category Of One
2. Focus on what you deliver that is a High Impact Offer
3, Implement a Social Selling Game Plan
4. Build a "Real Power Is You" Mindset
5. Stemise everything

And we got talking about step 3 Implement a Social Selling Game Plan

The first time I used this method, I built a $300K launch from scratch

The second time, I sold a Billionaire a $50K High Impact Offer in 7 days

The secret sauce of HOW I did that - I will reveal in my LIVE Masterclass Next TUESDAY

If you want to lift the veil on digital marketing, that is so simple that anyone can do this

And on what buyers really want to buy today to close 5, 6, and 7 figure deals

Join me LIVE:

https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

Link Below to Sign UP

If you want to transform your business in the next 24 hrs read this 

The problem today is this

No one needs more or wants more; they want less

They want:-

The Founder that is a category of one

The Coach who has a proven system

The Consultant who is a game changer

And they want to know 

How are you category of one

What your proven system delivers

And how you are a game changer

In less than 5 seconds

If you can't deliver, you're losing out to the founders who can

To find out how you can stop blending in and start leading as a category of one

Join me live tomorrow in my free masterclass. 

The link is here to sign up (Only 25 spots)

https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

Trustpilot Reviews

⏳ Two days to go.

Most founders think they need a louder brand, a better-looking website, or a more “unique” offer.

That belief is why they stay invisible -
while objectively weaker competitors keep getting chosen.

After years inside billion-dollar buying rooms, I can tell you the real reason:

Buyers don’t choose the best offer.
They choose the offer that aligns with a small set of buyer decision criteria most founders never see.

This Sunday at 12:00 PM EST, I’m hosting a private masterclass where I break down all five.

No surface-level tactics.
No marketing hacks.

Just the real buyer levers that make someone see you as the obvious choice and confidently say yes.

What we’ll cover:

Why “being different” often backfires and what top buyers actually use to decide who wins

How purpose-led founders quietly sell out $200K launches in 24 hours without ads or agencies

The two hidden mechanisms that turn random growth into momentum you actually own

This is the same framework I used to approve $100M+ buying decisions.

Founders using it have scaled from $1M to $50M+
without bloated agencies, tool overload, or burnout.

⚠️ Limited to 25 business owners. Not public.

👉 Save your seat before doors close: https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

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The Battle

Diarmaid Mcmenamin

Sara Simmonds

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Diarmaid Mcmenamin's LinkedIn Performance

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