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.

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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

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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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

Hi! I'm Stephanie! I'm passionate about building impactful partnerships, enabling businesses to grow, and making sure the social impact community thrives. With over a decade of consistently generating seven and eight figure annual revenue for companies, I understand what it takes to drive success.

Over the last 15 years working with non-profit, government and for profit businesses, I've developed a unique process for building community and generating revenue through a partnership growth mindset. I've been fortunate to develop programs and partnerships that have touched lives across the globe, from India to the United States and beyond. I've created thousands of ecosystems and opportunities that unite governments, educators, employers, and donors to make tangible change.

I believe that together we can achieve great things and am committed to paving the way for a more inclusive, impactful future.

Stephanie Wilson

This weekend I’m spending time at the ISET National Gathering, and I want to name how meaningful it is to be here.

Being in this space is a reminder that workforce development is not just about programs, funding, or outcomes on paper. It’s about people, place, and self-determination. Indigenous communities have been doing this work for generations, building pathways rooted in culture, community knowledge, and lived experience.

What stands out most is the care and intentionality behind the conversations. 

Listening comes first. 
Relationships come before solutions. 
Progress is measured not just by numbers, but by trust, relevance, and long-term impact.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn, to listen, and to be present in a space led by Indigenous voices and priorities. 

Moments like this quietly reshape how you think about the work and how you show up when you return home.

#ISETNationalGathering #ISETGathering2026 #Indigenous #WorkforceDevelopment #Community

Thanks to Jelly Academy for organizing such a collaborative space and to Digital Moment | Moment numérique for the opportunity.

Cross-Sector Growth Strategist | $100M+ in Government & Partner Funding Secured | Nonprofit • Tech • Education • SaaS | Founder – The Uplift Collective

The last five days have been full.

Full in the sense of listening carefully, asking questions, and sitting in rooms where people are genuinely trying to figure out how we do this work better.

Across different events, sectors, and conversations, the thread has been consistent.

How do we build systems that actually serve people, not just programs?

How do we prepare for the future of work without losing sight of the humans navigating it right now?

How do we move past performative solutions and into ones that are grounded, inclusive, and durable?

There’s also a reality I’m hearing more clearly now than ever.

Funding is tight. Budgets have been cut. Teams that once sent three or four people to conferences are now sending one. Many are attending virtually, not by choice, but by necessity.

I’m genuinely grateful to conferences and organizers who make that possible. Access matters. So does recognizing that for many organizations, showing up at all right now takes intention and sacrifice.

What that’s changed is the weight of being in the room.

More people are carrying insights back to their teams. 

More responsibility to listen well, synthesize, and translate what matters into action. Fewer spectators. More stewards.

The conversations I’ve been part of haven’t been about trends for the sake of trends. They’ve been about tradeoffs. Priorities. What we protect when resources are constrained.

Spending this time with practitioners, funders, educators, Indigenous leaders, and workforce builders has been a reminder of why this work matters to me.

Not because the answers are easy.

But because when conditions are tight, clarity matters even more.

It was so great to reconnect, meet new people and learn from so many amazing individuals! Until next time friends!
Wendy Baker Darian Kovacs ♾️ Allain Lauzon Mary Stack, BA, CPHR Jasmeen Sidhu, Ph.D. Allan Govender Virginia Gluska Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia Eleanor Hawkins Nausheen Ali Fatima Saadeddine, MBA,PMP,CHRP,ESPT  Jade (Jadelyn) Psutka Allison Bear BComm Barbara Wilson,🍁CCDP® Lisa Stephenson-MBA, CRSP Kelly Johnson

It was unfortunate that so many people had travel cancelled so they couldn't attend after all - I see you!

#Cannexus2026 #ISETGathering2026 #Community #NonProfit #EmploymentServices #Indigenous #Learning

We have a beautiful owl that lives in the trees near our driveway. Usually across the way. Easy to admire from a distance.

Last night, I went out to grab wood for the stove before bed and nearly jumped out of my skin. 

He was sitting right on the front porch railing. Completely still. Just watching. Probably hunting. Definitely unbothered by me.

I froze. Slowly backed into the house. Turned off the lights.

Then I stood in the dining room, in the dark, and watched him for a while.
No noise. 

Just this quiet, unexpected moment of sharing space with something wild and calm and entirely unconcerned with my plans for the evening.

It was incredible.

Sometimes the best moments are the ones that do not mean anything more than exactly what they are.

#Wildlife #NotAPhotographer #CountryLife 

Alyx Parks and Stephanie Martin - I thought of both of you immediately after it happened.

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The Uplift Collective

https://www.upliftcollective.ca/the-partnership-blueprint-five-proven-steps-for-forging-successful-partnerships

the-uplift-collective

I grew up in a small town in rural eastern Ontario.

When I finished high school, I had no idea what I wanted to be. I just knew one thing very clearly. I did not like school the way it was structured. Sitting still. Being talked at. Memorizing instead of doing.

So I took a year off after high school to try to find my way.

It felt uncomfortable. Most of my friends knew exactly what they wanted to do. Everyone was heading off to university. I felt behind. A little lost. Like I had missed some memo everyone else received.

After that year, I still did not know what I wanted to be “when I grew up.” But I did know I needed some form of post secondary education. I needed skills. I needed momentum.

I chose college and enrolled in executive administration.

It was hands on. Practical. I learned a lot. I worked three jobs to cover rent and school. I learned how to manage money because I had to. Those years shaped my work ethic and my sense of responsibility in ways I still carry with me.

After graduating, I got a job working for a municipal councillor. What started as a role turned into six formative years. It exposed me to government, policy, community, and how decisions actually get made. That path eventually led me into the nonprofit world, where I found my purpose. That part of the story is for another day.

For a long time, I was embarrassed to say I did not have a university degree.

I was screened out of jobs automatically because it was mandatory. I questioned myself more times than I can count.

Do I regret not going to university?

Yes and no.

No, because I do not think I would have thrived there at that point in my life.

Yes, because there were real opportunities I never got access to because I did not have that piece of paper.

Both things can be true.

I am sharing this because I see so many people feeling pressure to follow a single definition of success. A single path. A single timeline.

Education matters. Credentials matter. But lived experience matters too.

Learning by doing counts. Working your way through school counts. Taking a longer or different route counts.

There is no one right way to build a career.

Chart your own path. Pay attention to what energizes you, not just what looks good on paper. 

Choose the pathway that works for how you learn, how you move, and who you are becoming.

#CareerPath #Employment #FindYourOwnPath #NonProfit #Education

Photo is me from 2008, still trying to figure things out.

Some of the most valuable parts of my work live in the things I no longer consciously think about.

After years of building, reviewing, defending, and negotiating government budgets, so much of what I do has become instinctive. 

You stop noticing the hundreds of small decisions you make because you have internalized how funders think, where flexibility actually lives, and which details quietly matter most.

Recently, I had the chance to sit with that experience and write it all down. 

Not the big frameworks or the obvious rules, but the small things you only learn by doing the work. 

The wording choices that reduce scrutiny. 

The assumptions that do not need to be over engineered. 

The places where people think they are locked in, but are not.

There was something unexpectedly grounding about translating years of lived experience into something clear and usable for a client. 

Not to impress. 
Not to overcomplicate. 
Just to make the work easier and less stressful for the people doing it.

This kind of work reminds me why I enjoy what I do. 

Helping smart teams feel more confident, more capable, and less constrained by rules that often feel heavier than they actually are.

If you have ever felt weighed down by process or rules that seemed immovable, I promise there is often more room to breathe than it appears.

#BudgetDevelopment #ProposalDevelopment #NonProfit #GovernmentFunding

One thing I think everyone should try at least once is learning someone else’s job.

Not the polished version. The real, day to day work. The setup. The decisions no one talks about. The small things that keep everything moving quietly in the background.

When you work in teams, so much of that effort becomes invisible. Systems run. Tools connect. Processes exist. You rarely stop to think about how much experience and judgment it takes to make things feel that seamless.

Until those people are not there.

And you have to do one small piece yourself.

You realize how many choices live inside what once looked simple.

Lately, I am spending an absurd amount of time learning tools.
Not the exciting kind. The tiny, fiddly ones. Payment systems. Tool connections. Settings I did not even know existed.

Learning to do something you have never done before, or something that was always someone else’s role, builds more than skills.

It builds appreciation.

It changes how you show up the next time.

#ProfessionalDevelopment #GrowthMindset #Entrepreneurship

I really hate getting a no.

Not because I expect everything to work out, but because I put a lot into the work. Time. Thought. Energy. And more than that, belief. I care deeply about what I do and about the teams and ideas behind every proposal. That makes the no’s land harder than people realize.

Early on, I took them personally. Every declined submission felt like a judgment, not just of the work, but of the care behind it. And honestly, I still feel that sometimes. Loving the work makes you more exposed, not less.

What changed over time was not the feeling. It was what I did with it.

I started sitting with the no’s longer. Looking for patterns. Paying attention to what funders questioned, what they ignored, and what clarity actually meant in practice. Every no taught me something I could not have learned any other way.

That learning adds up. Today, more than 40 percent of what I work on gets approved. Not because the no’s stopped hurting, but because I stayed curious instead of shutting down.

Lately, there have been a lot of yes’s for clients. And I feel genuinely excited for them every single time. 

I also know the no’s will come again. They always do.

When they do, I will feel them. And then I will learn from them.

Because caring about the work is not a weakness. It is the reason the yes’s mean so much when they arrive.

#GovernmentFunding #BusinessDevelopment #ProposalDevelopment

I’ve learned that authenticity isn’t about having a fixed identity. It’s about staying honest as things shift.

I have spent years being the reliable one. 

The person who could hold a lot, absorb uncertainty, and keep moving anyway.

That works. Until it does not.

Because eventually you realize how much energy it takes to live up to a version of yourself that was built for other people’s expectations.

Letting go of who you think you are supposed to be does not mean losing drive or ambition. It means releasing the pressure to look a certain way while you are building something real.

Authenticity is not a reveal or a brand decision.

It is a daily choice to show up aligned, even when that alignment keeps evolving.

And that choice changes everything.

#BeTrueToYourself #Authenticity #Leadership #NonProfit #StartUp

One of the best parts of a panel on AI and the next generation at the AI Policy Conference yesterday was that it did not try to wrap anything up neatly.
Instead, it named the complexity.

AI is already embedded in education, work, and daily life. Young people are forming relationships with systems that shape how they think, learn, and see themselves. Institutions are trying to respond in real time, often without data, shared frameworks, or room to pause.

At the same time, many of the loudest predictions about jobs and disruption have not fully materialized. Change is happening, but unevenly. Slowly in some places. Abruptly in others.

What emerged was a quieter but more useful set of questions.

How do we equip young people to be creators, not just users?

How do we protect without pretending we can stop what is already here?

How do we build literacy, judgment, and human skills that remain valuable no matter how tools evolve?

There was no single answer, and that felt right.

This is long-term work. It requires humility, collaboration across disciplines, and a willingness to sit with uncertainty without defaulting to fear or hype.

If there was a through-line, it was this: the future will be shaped less by the tools themselves and more by how thoughtfully we choose to integrate them.

Panel participants:
Justin Hendrix, Tech Policy Press
Shingai Manjengwa, Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
Namir Anani, P.Eng., ICTC-CTIC
Laurent Charlin, Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
André Côté, The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University 

Thankful to Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute for access to the AI Policy Conference and for putting together such a great event!

#AIPolicy #YouthAndAI #Talent #GovernmentofCanada

Creativity is my word for 2026.

Creativity in how I approach work, rest, and everything in between.

Creative problem solving.
Creative contracting.
Creative time off.
Creative experiences.

Creativity is what lets you ask better questions instead of accepting the default answer. It is how you find options where others see constraints. It is how you design work and life in ways that actually fit.

In 2026, the only box is that there is no box.

More room to experiment.

More permission to rethink how things are done.

More trust in the idea that there is almost always another way.

Here is to a year of curiosity, flexibility, and building something that feels as good as it works.

#Focus #GrowthMindset #HeresTo2026

I never thought I would be an entrepreneur.

In fact, quite the opposite. I was convinced I did not have the “it” that founders and leaders are supposed to have. 

I wanted stability. The person who imagined working for others my whole life and being perfectly content doing that.

And for a long time, that made sense.

What I did not realize then is that entrepreneurship does not always look like taking big risks. Sometimes it looks like taking responsibility. For your values. For your time. For the kind of work you want to put into the world.

I did not wake up one day wanting to start something of my own. I arrived here slowly, through experience, through necessity, and through a growing understanding of what I needed in order to feel grounded and aligned.

Entrepreneurship was not a goal. It was a response.

And maybe that is the part we do not talk about enough. Not everyone sets out to build something. 

Some of us end up here because staying the same stopped being an option.

Did you ever picture yourself doing what you are doing now?

#Entrepreneuship #CareerFocus

Woke up to a weirdly satisfying thing this morning.

I’ve had a watch since July that tracks something called body battery. 

I’ve seen it end the day at five more times than I’d like to admit.

Today I woke up at one hundred. First time ever.

That’s it. That’s the post.

#WeekendVibes #QuietWins #SlowDown

READ THE QUOTE IN THE IMAGE!

Now read it again!

Who. You. TRULY. Are

NOT the version that feels easiest to explain.

NOT the version that keeps everyone comfortable.

NOT the version that fits neatly into a role you learned to play well.

Being yourself is not about being loud or visible all the time.
It is about being honest. With your values. With your limits. With what actually matters to you now, not who you were five years ago.

I have learned that the more energy you spend trying to meet expectations that are not yours, the dimmer everything feels. The work. The relationships. Even the wins.

The moments where things start to open up again usually come from a small shift. 

Saying no when you would normally say yes. Choosing alignment over approval. 

Letting yourself evolve without needing to justify it.

Your light is not something you manufacture.
It is something that shows up naturally when you stop hiding parts of yourself to fit the room.

And the right rooms do not require you to dim it in the first place.

#BeYourself #BeAuthentic #ISeeYou #Leadership #Teamwork #BetterTogether

One thing I keep coming back to in conversations lately is timing.

A lot of organizations are doing the right work. Strong ideas. Capable teams. Real demand. And still, things are not moving the way they expected.

Not because they are doing something wrong.

Because the system itself is in motion.

Calls are delayed or quietly reworked.
Programs get folded into other initiatives.
Priorities shift before anything ever reaches a public intake.

From the outside, it can feel confusing. Like you misread the landscape or missed a signal. In reality, the rules are still being rewritten.

This is where patience becomes strategic.

Not passive patience. Active patience. The kind where you keep preparing, strengthening, and paying attention while resisting the urge to force momentum.

A lot of the work right now is helping teams sit with that uncertainty without spiraling. Adjusting plans without abandoning them. Staying ready without trying to rush a system that is not ready yet.

Sometimes the smartest move is not to push harder, but to hold steady until the timing catches up to the work.

#FundingStrategy #GovernmentFunding #NonprofitLeadership
 #StrategicPlanning #SystemsThinking

Join an upcoming FREE workshops to better prepare for what's coming!  https://lnkd.in/e_KQt4jg

Stop beating yourself up!!!

Don’t think you do that?
Here’s what it actually looks like in real life:
- Replaying a conversation on the drive home.
- Second-guessing a decision you already made with the information you had.
 - Assuming a mistake says something about who you are, not just what happened.
 - Feeling like you should have known better, been faster, clearer, stronger.

Sound familiar?

We’ve been taught that self-criticism equals accountability.
That if we’re hard on ourselves, we’ll improve faster.
That pressure produces excellence.

But more often, it just produces exhaustion.

Beating yourself up usually shows up when expectations are high, outcomes are uncertain, and you’re carrying more responsibility than anyone sees.

It’s a signal.
The problem is that self-criticism rarely makes us better.
It just makes us smaller.

So how do you stop when you catch yourself doing it?

1️⃣  Name what’s actually happening.
 Instead of “I screwed this up,” try “This didn’t go the way I hoped.”
 Facts calm the nervous system. Stories inflame it.

2️⃣ Separate intent from outcome.
You can have good intentions and imperfect results at the same time.
Both can be true. Only one needs fixing.

3️⃣  Ask one forward-looking question.
Not “What’s wrong with me?”
But “What’s the next small adjustment I’d make if this came up again?”
That’s it. No spiral required.

If you’re trying to be a good person and you try to do the right thing, that's all that matters.

Growth doesn’t require punishment.

It requires honesty, rest, and the willingness to keep going.

And if you’re reading this thinking, “This sounds like me” then it probably is.
You’re not alone, and you’re not doing it wrong.
Be a little kinder to yourself today.

#BeKind #PersonalGrowth #FallingNotFailing #SelfImprovement #Leadership #Teamwork

You may not control the events that happen to you
 but you can decide not to be reduced by them.

That choice is one I see leaders, founders, and builders struggle with more than almost anything else.

Because a setback can quietly turn into a story about who you are.
A hard moment can shrink your confidence if you let it.
One decision, one missed opportunity, one tough season can start to feel permanent.

But it isn’t.

You’re allowed to be impacted without being defined.

You can acknowledge what hurt without letting it harden you.

You can learn from something without carrying it as proof that you’re not enough.

Resilience isn’t pretending things didn’t affect you.

It’s choosing not to let them take more than they already have.

If you’re in the middle of something heavy right now, this is your reminder

You’re still standing.
You’re still growing.

And YOU get to decide what this chapter means next.

#NonProfit #Leadership #StartUp #GrowthMindset #Resilience #NonProfitLeadership

I watched a video and could not stop thinking about how early we learn to edit ourselves.

Kids start out loud, curious, unapologetic. They ask strange questions. They take up space. They are fully themselves without checking the room first. And then, slowly, they learn when to quiet down. When to blend in. When to stop standing out.

What stayed with me is how familiar that feels in the professional world.

At some point, many of us learn the same lesson.

Tone it down.

Stick to the playbook.

Do not be the odd one out.

Over time, that sparkle does not disappear. It just gets managed. Contained. Brought out only when it feels safe or appropriate.

And yet, the work that actually moves things forward is almost always shaped by people who think differently. 

The ones who question defaults. 

The ones who see patterns others miss. 

The ones willing to sound a little strange before they sound right.

If you have ever felt yourself shrinking to fit a role, a title, or an industry norm, consider this a reminder. 

That part of you is still there. It has just been waiting for space.

BRING BACK THE SPARKLE!!

Step off the well worn path.

Nothing meaningful has ever been built by people who only followed the herd.

https://lnkd.in/emWvkws2 
His Youtube Channel to give him a follow: https://lnkd.in/ehb-AESd [I couldn't find the above video on the channel]

#BringBackTheSparkle #BeYourself #BeAuthentic

If you have ever hit a word limit halfway through answering a funder’s question, this is for you.

One of the hardest parts of writing proposals is answering every part of a funder’s question while staying inside a tight word or character limit.

Especially when appendices or extra attachments are not allowed.

You cannot skip components. You also cannot explain everything.

So when space is tight, here is a rule that helps.

Every sentence must do more than one job. Ideally three.

A strong sentence should:

 1 describe what you are actually going to do

 2 signal eligibility and alignment to the funder’s priorities

 3 imply milestones, outcomes, or credibility

If a sentence only does one of those things, it is a candidate for removal or compression.

This is how you stay compliant and persuasive without running out of room.

It is not about writing less.

It is about making every sentence work harder.

If you have ever hit a word limit and wondered what to cut, start here.

#ProposalDevelopment #GovernmentFunding #NonProfit #Charity

Growth is what you do with what happens.

That is how better decisions get made over time.

#WednesdayWisdom #GrowthMindset

One thing I wish more people understood about funded projects is how messy they usually are behind the scenes.

From the outside, a successful contribution agreement looks clean.

A defined plan. 
A neat timeline. 

It gives the impression that everything is stable and predictable.

That is almost NEVER the case.

Most funded projects are delivered while markets are shifting. 
Project timelines wobble. 
Plans get pulled forward or pushed back. 
Teams make trade offs in real time, often without the luxury of perfect information.

What funders are really assessing in those moments is not whether risk exists. It is how it is understood and managed.

Strong applications and delivery organizations are not the ones pretending everything is fine. 

They are the ones that show judgment.
An ability to adapt without overreacting. 
A plan that can flex while still holding together.

There is a skill in knowing what to surface and what to hold steady. 
In demonstrating resilience without amplifying uncertainty. 
In showing that the work will continue even when conditions are not ideal.

Funding success is rarely about having a flawless story.
It is about proving you can keep moving when the story changes.

#Resilience #NonProfit #GrowthMindset #StartUp #GovernmentFunding

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The Battle

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