Helping Ivy League-educated, overachievers find meaning and clarity in their career | Speaker, Clarity Coach, Entrepreneur

Huw coaches founders and their leadership teams to create clarity, attain alignment, and unleash their potential. He has worked with CEOs of VC and PE backed software and technology companies on both growth trajectories and supported them through turnaround or transition.

Huw is a 3-time founder, investor, and speaker turned executive coach. His corporate career centered around his work at Goldman Sachs, Rackspace, and Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund with $160bn under management. While at Bridgewater Associates he was a Senior Management Associate responsible for Portfolio Analytics. In 2016 he acquired and later sold Jungle Disk, a cybersecurity company previously owned by Rackspace. He co-founded CyberFortress, a VC-backed insurtech startup in 2018 (where he also became a Talentism client!). He also co-founded Porthcawl Holdings, a value-driven technology holding company, investing in startups and businesses in the SaaS and bitcoin space.

Huw holds an MBA from Harvard Business School where he was a Ford Scholar and Baker Scholar, and holds undergraduate and masters degrees in mathematics from Oxford University,

Huw is a proud Welshman who lives with his wife and young son in San Antonio, Texas. He is a board member of the local Entrepreneurs Organization responsible for the Accelerator program, helping budding entrepreneurs scale their businesses to 7-figures. He is also Vice President of Programming for the Harvard Business School Club of San Antonio. His compulsions include identifying gifts in adversity, creating inspiring visions, radical self-discipline, and running 100 mile races in the mountains.

Huw Edwards

There are two versions of people as they become more successful:

The version that: 
- Struggle to say no to opportunities they don’t really want
- Lose themselves to external validations and expectations
- Feel a constant desire to get as far away from everything
- No longer feel at home with their success

Or the version that:
- Turn down good opportunities to protect space for great ones
- Stay rooted in what actually matters to them
- Make decisions that get people uncomfortable, and feel completely at home in them
- Feels completely at peace with their success

If you don’t love your Mondays as much as Saturdays, you’re probably no longer aligned with who you are, what you want, and where you want to be.

3x Founder, Harvard MBA, ex-Bridgewater Associates, Goldman Sachs | Executive Coach | Helping ambitious founders/CEOs unleash their potential and purpose

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10 years sober. No notes. 

PS Happy St David’s Day. 

#NoRegrets #BestDecisionEver

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Read newsletter 

Read the newsletter here: http://newsletter.h3.xyz/

It takes guts to care.

It freaking hurts when things don’t work.

People who do extraordinary things fear this hurt too.

But they care deeply enough to risk disappointment over and over again if they have to.

Hard things aren’t hard because they’re hard. 

They’re hard because you don’t trust yourself.

The difficulty is rarely even in the situation.

It’s more in the state we walk into it with. 

Trust your training.

Trust your experience.

Trust your abilities.

Trust yourself a little more today, and much more tomorrow. 

A simple art of making hard things easier.

3 resources to help you say no more.

1. TED Talk: The Art of Saying No by Kenny Nguyen
https://lnkd.in/gvjGfrjF

2. Book: The Power of Saying No by Dr. Vanessa Patrick
https://lnkd.in/gd3vMPPz

3. Podcast: How to Say No – We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle
https://lnkd.in/g7GGrYZs

Every yes is a step away from freedom.

Make it worth the while.

Would you choose your life again?

The responsibilities, pressure, decisions, mistakes, and wins.

All of it.

Yes?

It’s great that you never let go of what it is you really want, even as you grow into greater success.

No?

You may have lost your power of autonomy.

And your success doesn't entirely feel like yours anymore.

In today’s issue, I explored the thin line between “I have to” and “I choose to”.

Quite a good read that uncovers how to sustain the love for your craft yesterday, today, tomorrow, and ever.

A life you don’t grow to hate.

Read the newsletter here 👇

There’s something elite performers tend to experience as they become more successful. At the beginning, everything is a choice. Then the path, risks, 

The power of autonomy

Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to General Meade that could have changed the course of the Civil War.

He never sent it.

And that decision, to sit in the silence instead of reacting, was one of his greatest acts of leadership.

The most expensive decisions I've seen elite performers make were in half a second before they said yes or no.

And some regret a bunch of them.

Because they didn't stop long enough to hear themselves really choose.

Over the weekend, 1,190 readers learned 4 key habits for making the most profitable and aligned decisions, even under pressure.

Miss the issue?

Find the link in the comments ↓

My patience has been tested.

I’ve been misunderstood.

My grit, gut, and fortitude have been tested.

But this post is about feeling misunderstood sometimes.

I’ve realized it’s actually a luxury for people not to get you.

What if it simply means you're thinking at a higher level?

Think about it.

How do you explain to someone who shares no connection with the internal source that pulls you to do what you do, to understand why it makes sense, no matter how crazy it sounds?

How many can you convince?

Imagine the struggle, energy, time, and even resources it can take from you.

All for what?

I explored ways to make peace with being misunderstood for a happier life in my last newsletter.

Over the weekend, 1,191 readers received this.

Miss the issue?

Find the link in the comments ↓

What are you becoming through the suffering?

Two things happen when you set a goal.

You nail it or miss it.

If you win it, you savor the excitement.

And if you miss, you're not self-sabotaging.

You know you still got paid with more discipline, courage, self-trust, and a lot more from the experience.

The journey and what you've become so far will fuel you to try again.

So no matter how hard it is, you'll find your way back up.

If you feel empty when you hit a goal or linger in the weight of missing it, your goal was probably very ambitious.

But it lacked a personal meaning to draw happiness or strength for what’s to come. 

Over the weekend, 1,283 readers learned 4 great steps to filter ambitious goals for a happier experience.

Miss the issue?

Find the link in the comments ↓

Life wires us to explore...to find out.

To be more, do more, chase more, win more, learn more, and keep evolving.

But life is not what you're really exploring.

It's you.

Some people get stuck exploring what works.

It's not their fault.

They just:

- Lack patience and self-trust
- Don't trust their conviction to act
- Pay attention to what everyone else is saying
- Hold onto things that made them successful

Exploring you demands:

- Patience to say no to good opportunities, and yes to long-term value
- You sit tight and trust your conviction
- Pay deaf ears to what the hell people have to say
- A f*ck-fear mindset to reinvent yourself

Don't be afraid to explore yourself. 

There's so much more you're yet to find out about you.

P.S: My view...

Give people ownership.

Let people still see themselves in what they do before, during, and after they work with you.

Let them bring themselves to the performance.

Your structure should be flexible enough to let them keep the joy of being their authentic self.

There's a thin line between discipline and squashing the flame that makes people feel great.

The autonomy to choose is key to sustaining high performance.

Over the weekend, I shared practices to avoid losing yourself to external pressure as you achieve greater success.

Miss the issue?

Find the link in the comments ↓

Have a good read.

Every day, you're making dozens of decisions.

How many times have you experienced carrying a quiet tension between what you decided and what you actually meant?

This goes beyond saying yes or no to people or opportunities.

It’s also about what you say to people.

How fast you react to something only to regret it later.

We’ve all got something that helps us make the most aligned and profitable decisions.

And it’s just mostly never put to use.

The silence between decisions.

I explored this silence as an ally to make better decisions for a happier life.

You can read it here 👇

Every day, you’re making dozens of decisions. And in almost every single one, there’s a moment between the question and the answer. It could be a spli

Open article: The silence between decisions… by Huw Edwards • 2 min read

Being ambitious is great.

But be honest…

Do your current goals excite you?

Or are they just a logical move?

Most people burn out from chasing goals that slowly disconnect them from themselves.

Your goals can't just be ambitious.

Make them personal.

It's more thrilling.

I explored a different way to think about ambition in today's issue.

A good read for people who care about high performance.

Read it here 👇

You know how planning and working on a goal takes your focus, energy, and more. It's more like you're choosing how you spend your time. Most people qu

You set the goal, then it shapes you...

It’s actually cool to be misunderstood.

But wait.

It feels cool if you truly, completely believe in what you’re doing.

That way, external understanding becomes irrelevant.

You’re still open to healthy feedback.

But you’re not losing your mind because people don’t get what you’re on about.

I explored the luxury of being misunderstood in today's issue.

You can read it here 👇

There are times when you’ve felt misunderstood. One of the toughest things about this feeling is how much energy we spend trying to close the gap betw

Open article: The luxury of being misunderstood by Huw Edwards • 2 min read

Carlos Alcaraz was playing the French Open final against Jannik Sinner.

The match wasn't going well.

He'd already lost two of the first three sets, and now Sinner was one game away from winning it all.

Sinner was up 5–3, 40–0. That's three championship points. Three chances to close the door.

It already looked like a write-off.

But Alcaraz was focused on the next point.

He saved one point, then another, then another.

From there, he fought through a tiebreak to take the fourth set. Suddenly it was 2–2.

Then, in the fifth and deciding set, after 5 hours and 29 minutes, Alcaraz won the French Open in another tiebreaker.

And he did it all because somewhere inside, he refused to concede.

 He focused on the points he could still win, not the ones he lost.

 Indeed, it’s never really over until you say so.

Barb Betts is a highly acclaimed keynote speaker, CEO, and relationship strategist with more than 23 years of success building multi-million-dollar businesses and leading high-performing sales teams. A respected voice in sales and leadership, Barb has spent over a decade in leadership within the largest trade association in North America, where she has championed advocacy, professional growth, and industry transformation at the local, state, and national levels.

She has partnered with prestigious organizations including Fidelity, Fairway Mortgage, Horsepower Brands, LVMH, and Thelios—helping leaders and teams drive growth, retention, and revenue by building authentic, trust-based relationships.

Barb is the author of the forthcoming book The Relationship Advantage: Unlock the Life-Changing Power of Human Connection, which explores how prioritizing relationships is the ultimate strategy for success in business and life. Her award-winning podcast, Relationships Are Your Superpower®, equips thousands of listeners with actionable tools to strengthen trust, deepen connections, and create lasting impact.
Known for her high-energy, relatable presentations, Barb helps audiences rethink how they connect, lead, and grow. Her sessions blend inspiration with strategy, leaving professionals not just motivated but ready to take action.

Based in Southern California, Barb lives what she teaches—building a thriving career while nurturing meaningful relationships with her family, friends, and community. Her mission is simple yet powerful: to prove that relationships aren’t just part of business—they are the business.

Barb Betts

When I got the call to be on the Rising Star panel at NSA, my first reaction was a combination of excitment….and why me? 🫠

Just two years ago, I was still only speaking in the real estate industry and running our real estate business. And now I’m sitting on a stage with speakers who have spent years, decades even, building their careers. It felt like such an honor, and also a little surreal. Like, do I really belong here?

Because when I looked around, I saw experience, success, and people I deeply respect. And I felt like the freshman in the room. 🩷

But I kept coming back to this. 

I don’t need the longest track record to have something meaningful to share. I just need to show up and speak from what I know, what I’ve lived, and what I believe.

So I did.

I talked about building an authentic brand, being visible, the power of relationships, and what it really means to be great on stage. Not perfect, but present. And I poured my heart into it. 🩷

And what happened next surprised me the most.

Speaker after speaker came up to me asking, how do you build relationships like that? How are you so intentional? How do you stay connected? 🚀

And it hit me. The thing that has felt so natural to me for so long is the thing so many people are craving.

In a world full of strategies and content, people are still asking how to connect.

And the answer isn’t complicated. It’s intentional. It’s consistent. It’s human.

I walked into that room feeling like the least experienced person on the panel. I walked out reminded that you don’t need decades to make an impact. You just need to show up, share your truth, and use your gifts.

You might feel like the freshman in the room, but don’t underestimate what you bring to the table. Someone in that room needs exactly what only you can offer 💗

It was an honor to share the stage with you Brittany Hodak, CSP Anton J. Gunn Paul Epstein  Quinn Conyers  Hilary Billings 

And thank you Rory Vaden, MBA CSP CPAE for believing in me.  This success would not be possible without you and Brand Builders Group support!!!

Keynote Speaker | Human Connection expert | Helping People, Leaders and Organizations leverage the power of Authentic Relationships | Empowering YOU to Be REAL, Relatable + Confident 🩷

Another day, another speaker updating their demo reel 😂😂 but stay with me, because this part matters.

When I first stepped into speaking, I wanted to talk about everything. 

Leadership, sales, culture, confidence, communication. 

Hi… that was me. 🙋🏻‍♀️

And the truth is, I DO speak on all of those things and to all these audiences. But what I didn’t have yet was clarity. A clear point of view. A clear through line. 💡 

If I’m being honest, I was a little vanilla. Saying a lot, but not anchoring it in what I know is actually true. 

This reel reflects the shift.🚀🚀

Because here’s the reality. 

We are living in a disconnected world. 

Leaders are being asked to grow without losing their culture. 

Teams are expected to perform while staying engaged and connected. 

Sales professionals are trying to build trust in a more skeptical world.

And the answer isn’t more marketing, more automation, or more AI… although I love AI. 🫠

The answer is Human Connection + Real, Authentic Relationships . 🔥🔥

That’s what changes everything. In leadership, in teams, in sales, and in culture. Because relationships aren’t a soft skill or an add on. They are the strategy. They drive trust, retention, referrals, revenue, and long term growth.

That’s what this reel finally captures.

If you’re an organization, bureau partner, or event partner looking for a message that brings this to life with a combination of inspiration and strategy, I’d love to have a conversation 🩷🩷

I respect Rory Vaden, MBA CSP CPAE so much. Not just because he’s a NYT bestselling author and one of the most brilliant minds on personal branding, but because he’s been my mentor.

He’s the one who told me, “You are most powerfully positioned to serve the person you once were.” Those words changed the entire direction of my life and career.

So when Rory agreed to endorse my new book The Relationship Advantage — and it landed on the COVER — I genuinely cried.

Rory, I am so grateful for you!! Thank you so much. 🙏🤓🩷

Pre-order your copy of The Relationship Advantage today: https://lnkd.in/dbk28UJ8

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The Battle

Huw Edwards

Barb Betts

Followers

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Performance ScoreHuw Edwards's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreBarb Betts's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Huw Edwards

Barb Betts

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);}Huw Edwards's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreBarb Betts's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreHuw Edwards's LinkedIn Performance