Shawn Freeman

Technology Coach & Founder | Proven technology leadership to help you grow a profitable future proof business.

You’re not just running an MSP. You’re building something bigger. 

But right now, it feels like you’re stuck working in the business instead of leading it.

You’re juggling too many roles, managing clients, fixing daily issues, and trying to grow your monthly recurring revenue. The competition is fierce, and figuring out how to break through feels overwhelming.

I get it because I’ve been exactly where you are.

In 2011, I founded my own MSP. It started small, with all the typical struggles. Feeling trapped in the day-to-day grind, pricing uncertainty, struggling to delegate effectively, and the constant stress of finding quality clients. But through relentless refinement of systems, positioning, and leadership strategies, I scaled that MSP to seven figures. In 2020, I successfully exited with a high-value acquisition.

Now, as the founder of Impactful MSP, I help ambitious MSP owners like you achieve sustainable, long-term growth, without burning out or getting lost in the weeds.

👉 Here’s the truth:
Your technical skills aren’t the problem. The real challenge is building a business that runs profitably, consistently, and without you trapped in the day-to-day grind.

You don’t need random tactics or one-size-fits-all frameworks.

You need proven strategies, clarity, and the right mentorship to:
✅ Define a mission, vision, and core values that guide every decision you make.
✅ Scale your MRR fast with systems that work, no fluff.
✅ Stand out in a crowded MSP space with a unique differentiator.
✅ Attract and retain high-value clients who pay what you're worth.
✅ Simplify operations so you stop being the bottleneck.

You know you're capable of more, but you're unsure of the next step.

That's why you need me:
I've lived the MSP journey. I’ve felt the stress of unpredictable revenue, tough client churn, competing in a saturated market, and the struggle to lead while overwhelmed. But I also cracked the code to breaking through, and I’ve helped MSPs scale to seven figures and beyond using my coaching methods.

My clients have:
→ Increased MRR by 25%+ within months.
→ Closed larger, more profitable deals with ideal clients.
→ Built scalable systems that run without micromanagement.

This isn’t theory. It’s battle-tested strategy from someone who’s been in the trenches.

If you're serious about becoming the go-to MSP in your market and ready for predictable, scalable growth, send me a DM with the word 'IMPACT' and let’s talk about your next level.

No fluff. No hype. No BS. Just results.

Vice President - Alberta

I saw this meme and laughed a little too hard.
Because if you run an MSP, you’ve lived this.

When everything works, the question is,
“Do we even need IT?”

When one thing breaks, it becomes,
“Why are we paying for IT?”

That reaction is normal.
And it’s also something you can mostly prevent.

Here’s how:

First, meet with your clients a few times a year.
Not to review tickets, but to talk about their business
and what’s actually happening in their environment.

Second, make the invisible work visible.
Show what you’ve been monitoring, preventing,
and quietly keeping off their plate.

Third, translate that work into business outcomes.
Instead of tools and acronyms, explain what it meant
for uptime, risk, productivity, and their team’s day.

Fourth, have real strategy conversations.
Ask where they’re stuck, what’s slowing them down,
and offer clear suggestions to fix those problems.

That’s when clients stop seeing IT as a cost
and start seeing you as part of the business.

And yes, some clients still won’t engage, meet,
or act on recommendations no matter what you do.

That’s usually a fit issue, not a service issue.

Not every client is right for a proactive MSP.
And it’s okay to offboard the ones who aren’t.

If you’re running into this with clients, DM me.
I’m happy to help you navigate those conversations.

I help MSP Founders Build and Scale Outstanding IT Companies (just like I did - using proven systems with actual long term results)

Stop lowering your prices. Start raising your standards.

They said, “Your price is too high.” and you hesitated.

We’ve all been there.

That sinking moment when doubt creeps in:
→ “Am I asking too much?”
→ “Should I lower my price?”

Every time you discount, you’re not just lowering price.
You’re lowering the belief in your value.

The clients who demand discounts often:
→ Micromanage your process.
→ Undermine your expertise.
→ Expect the world, but pay for peanuts.

And they rarely stay satisfied.

Contrast that with your best clients:
→ They don’t choose you because you’re cheap.
→ They choose you because you deliver.

Because the right clients don’t see price as a hurdle.
They see it as a reflection of your worth.

So why do we feel the need to discount?
It’s simple: We fear losing the opportunity.

But saying yes to the wrong clients
means saying no to your best work.

Your value isn’t for everyone and that’s okay.

You’re not competing to be the cheapest.
You’re striving to be the most impactful.

How do you stand firm on your pricing?

1. Focus on outcomes, not deliverables.
• Clients pay for results, not for tasks.
• Be the solution to their biggest challenges.

2. Pre-qualify clients upfront.
• Communicate your value clearly.
• If they can’t see it, they’re not your client.

3. Embrace the power of saying no.
• It’s not rejection, it’s alignment.
• Your time is too valuable to spend on the wrong fit.

The next time someone asks you to lower your prices
say this instead: “I focus on delivering results that last.
That’s why I don’t cut corners, or prices.”

Because great clients don’t go for the cheapest option.
They go for the best.

Shoutout Case Kenny for the quote!

Entrepreneurship isn’t about avoiding failure.
It’s about learning how to get back up.

You’ve faced challenges most people walk away from.
But you didn’t. You stayed in it.
And that’s what makes you an entrepreneur.

Success doesn’t follow a clear path.
It’s not something you plan step by step.

There are detours, slow days, and a lot of uncertainty.
But if you’re still showing up, you’re on track.

This video nails the reality of entrepreneurship:

Fail fast. Fail hard. Fail often.
↳ But always get back up.
↳ Every failure teaches you a lesson.

Setbacks don’t mean you’re off track.
↳ They show you what’s not working.
↳ So you can figure out what does.

Progress isn’t loud.
↳ It shows up in small steps and quiet wins.
↳ But all of it stacks up over time.

Resilience is what matters.
↳ You don't have to be perfect all the time.
↳ Just willing to come back better than before.

So remember: You’re not failing. You’re figuring it out.

Because entrepreneurship isn’t a talent.
It’s a skill you build, one lesson at a time.

Learn, adjust, then try again.
That's how you win.

👇 What’s one thing failure taught you?
♻ Repost to remind someone they’re not alone in this.

Sometimes there’s nothing to do but monitor.

Happy Friday MSPs!

If your business can’t run without you, you don’t really
have a business... you have a very demanding job.

A lot of owners don’t realize this until they step away.
They take a few days off and everything backs up.

Not because the team is lazy.
Because you’re the default answer.

Something comes up and the instinct is to come to you.
→ Not to think it through.
→ Not to try to solve it.
→ Just to ask.

Over time, that creates dependency.
And most of the time, it’s unintentional.

If the answer always comes from you,
your team never learns how to figure it out.

Part of growing a business is changing that dynamic.

Your team needs space to think.
Space to decide.
Space to get it wrong and learn.

One of the most effective things I did was simple:

I took real vacations and made myself unavailable.
→ Not as a test.
→ Not as a stunt.
→ Just as a boundary.

And something interesting happened.

Problems still came up.
But the team figured them out.

They rented tools.
They made calls.
They solved things without me.

Before that, they would’ve just waited.

That’s when you know things are shifting.
When the business keeps moving without you.

Being able to step away and come back
to a functioning business is real freedom.

If everything stops when you’re not available,
and your business is too dependent on you, DM me!

Episode four of Beyond Technology is now live!

This episode is about the work behind great stories.

My guest is Aidan Campbell, co-founder and CEO of
2C Media Inc., a studio focused on long-form storytelling.

Aidan helped build 2C Media into a trusted partner for
organizations that care about meaning, trust, and craft.

We talk about how storytelling evolves alongside media
and technology without losing its human core.

Aidan shares lessons from building resilient systems,
navigating real technology failures, and balancing
efficiency with creativity behind the scenes.

We also explore how tools can support people instead
of replacing them, and why trust and collaboration
matter so much in creative and leadership work.

Thank you Aidan for joining me for this episode.

And thank you Entrepreneurs'​ Organization Calgary
and 2C Media Inc. for helping bring this podcast to life.

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel
or listen on your preferred podcast platform.

Links to both are in the comments.

If you are or know a strong Calgary leader who should
be a guest on the podcast next season, send me a DM.

New episodes drop every second Monday.

I hope you enjoy S1 EP4: “Aidan Campbell: How
Storytelling Stays Human as Media Evolves.”

Big goals are easier to achieve than small ones.

Let me explain why.

Small goals feel safe, attainable, and realistic.
But big goals do something small goals can’t.
They give you room to adjust.

When the vision is big, you don’t rely on a perfect plan.
You think creatively, look for help and try different paths.

When something doesn’t work, you don’t quit.
You adapt and stay in the game.

You know where you want to go, you’re just
figuring out the best way to get there.

Failure isn’t fatal, but failure to try again is.

There’s a quote I love that says,
“You didn’t fail. You fell. As long as you get up, you win.”

That’s what big goals give you.
And that’s how real growth happens.

You set the destination and keep trying until you win.

If you have big goals for your MSP in 2026
and aren’t sure where to start, send me a DM.

I’d be happy to help you map the way forward.

The most important shift in entrepreneurship is
moving from short-term planning to long-term thinking.

Not because short-term goals are wrong, but because
long-term goals change how you operate day to day.

With a longer horizon, there’s less pressure
to force every decision to work immediately.

Instead of locking yourself into a single path,
you give the business room to iterate and evolve.

You can test ideas, reroute when things aren't working,
and make decisions based on direction, not urgency.

I’ve seen this make a real difference as companies grow.

Teams become less reactive.
Conversations get clearer.
Progress becomes more intentional.

I talked about this with Jeff Humphreys
on Episode 185 of The Calgary Sessions.

We also discuss:
→ Acting before everything feels certain
→ Building businesses around trust and relationships
→ Paying attention when something feels off
→ Measuring success by impact, not just numbers
→ Designing companies to last

Huge thanks to Jeff for having me on!
Links to the full episode are in the comments.

Most MSPs don’t have a lead problem.
They have a referral problem.

Not even a lack of referrals,
but a lack of intention behind them.

Great referrals don’t come from asking harder.
They come from building a business worth talking about.

When clients clearly understand your value,
they introduce you to people like them.

Those leads are different.

They’re already qualified.
They trust you before the first call.
They close faster and stay longer.
And they’re usually clients you enjoy working with.

That doesn’t happen by accident.

It comes from clear positioning, clear outcomes,
and a client experience designed for the right intros.

That’s what my referral engine is built around.

I broke this entire process down into a full course
inside Empath, based on how I’ve actually scaled.

And inside my coaching, we tailor it further, so it fits
your business, goals, and the clients you want more of.

No ads.
No cold calls.
No chasing bad fits.

If you want better clients and a referral engine
that runs on trust, send me a DM.

Your MSA is more than a legal document.

Done right, it protects trust, profit, and growth.

It defines how you work, how you charge,
and how your team delivers consistently.

So it shouldn’t be something you sign once
and forget about until there’s a problem.

A great MSA should:
→ Protect your margins and set clear limits.
→ Renew automatically without yearly re-signs.
→ Include built-in rate or cost adjustments.
→ Use clear, simple language wherever possible.

If you already have one, review it carefully.
Look for anything that causes confusion or slows deals.

Does it reflect how you actually operate today?
Does it hold up when scope or pricing changes?

If you’re starting from scratch, begin with structure.
I built a customizable MSA template for MSPs.

A clear MSA does more than protect you.
It makes working with clients smoother for everyone.

No surprises, no second-guessing, no chasing scope.

Delivery runs cleaner.
Client conversations get simpler.
And your team stops needing you to step in.

If you’d like my MSA template, DM me.

If “busy” is your default state, that’s a red flag.

In almost every conversation I have with MSP owners,
how busy they are comes up within the first few minutes.

Long days, constant questions, and everything feeling
urgent usually point to the same underlying issue...

Too many decisions, problems, and priorities still flow
through the owner instead of the team handling them.

As the business grows, your role has to evolve with it,
otherwise the business never really scales past you.

You’re not there to personally solve problems anymore.
You’re there to make sure they get solved without you.

That shift starts with how you spend your time and
what work you continue to hold onto by default.

Less jumping in to fix issues as they appear,
more helping your team think through them properly.

Less answering questions reactively throughout the day,
more defining outcomes, ownership, and boundaries.

When those things aren’t clear, everything escalates
upward to you, whether you like it or not.

Not because your team is incapable or unmotivated,
but because the system trained them to rely on you.

That’s when being “busy” stops being temporary
and starts becoming the permanent operating mode.

The goal isn’t to disappear from the business entirely.
It’s to create enough space to actually lead it well.

Space to think strategically about where you’re going.
Space to build relationships that matter long term.
Space to plan beyond today’s problems and fires.

That space doesn’t come from working harder or longer.
It comes from structure, clarity, and real delegation.

This is the shift I focus on inside my coaching programs,
helping owners delegate without losing control.

If being busy feels like your baseline right now,
DM me and let’s talk through what needs to change.

12 CRM Features Every MSP Should Be Using

Most MSPs only use about 20% of their CRM.
The rest collects dust while the team stays busy.

No automation.
No reporting.
No real visibility.

If you’re just logging deals and updating notes,
you’re not using a CRM, you’re tracking data.

A CRM should simplify your world, not add work.
It should automate follow-ups, renewals, and reminders.
It should give you clarity on pipeline, profit, and priorities.

That’s why HubSpot is my go-to for most MSPs.
It’s simple to run, but powerful when it’s built right.

Here are the 12 CRM features MSPs should be using:

→ Deals and Products
→ Custom Properties
→ Contact Management
→ Sales Pipelines
→ Service Tickets
→ Meeting Scheduler
→ Reporting Dashboard
→ Marketing Automation
→ Live Chat and Bots
→ Tasks and Follow-Ups
→ Email Logging and Templates
→ Workflows and Sequences

I put all of this into a one-page cheat sheet.

If you already use HubSpot, this shows you
how to turn it into an actual growth engine.

If you don’t, it’s a quick look at what’s possible
when systems actually work together.

You don’t need another tool to scale.
You just need to unlock the one you already have.

Grab the cheat sheet below and put it to use.

Build the system once.
Let it run every day after that.

Episode five of Beyond Technology is now live!

This episode is about putting people first,
with technology working quietly in the background.

My guest is Paula Worthington, founder
and president of Worthington PR & Story.

Paula has spent more than 20 years helping brands
communicate with clarity, trust, and intention.

We talk about why strong relationships stay central
to great communication as technology evolves.

Paula shares how her team balances personal service
with efficiency, and how they decide when people lead
and when tools step in to support the work.

We also explore adapting to new platforms,
using tech intentionally, and building client trust.

Thank you Paula for joining me for this episode.

And thank you Entrepreneurs'​ Organization Calgary
and 2C Media Inc. for helping bring this to life.

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel
or listen on your preferred podcast platform.

Links to both are in the comments.

If you are or know a strong Calgary leader who should
be a guest on the podcast next season, send me a DM.

New episodes will drop every second Monday.
Excited to keep sharing these conversations with you.

I hope you enjoy S1 EP5: “Paula Worthington: How to
Prioritize Relationships and Use Technology as Support.”

Going into 2026, I’ve been talking with a lot of
MSP founders about their business goals.

Most talk about revenue targets, growth plans,
and the big milestones they want to hit.

Almost none talk about working on themselves,
especially their health, energy, or ability to focus.

Yet those are the things that shape everything else.

Putting yourself last doesn’t show commitment.
It quietly weakens the business you’re building.

When a founder is burnt out, decisions slow down,
judgment gets cloudy, and leadership turns reactive.

A healthier operator leads with clearer decisions,
more patience, and builds stronger companies.

Business isn’t something you power through once.
It’s something you have to sustain long term.

That’s why my coaching goes beyond systems
and focuses on helping you grow with the company.

Because the same template won’t fit every founder,
and leadership isn’t something you can copy and paste.

If this hits close to home, send me a DM.

Let’s make 2026 your strongest year yet.

Team meetings are one of the most important things
on your calendar if you plan and run them properly.

They’re how you keep your team aligned and moving as
a unit, especially when your business starts to grow.

When things get busier, communication starts to
fragment and conversations become more reactive.

Most of the day ends up in Slack messages,
quick check-ins, and one-off decisions.

What tends to get lost is shared thinking,
which is why a simple meeting cadence is so important.

At a minimum, every business needs 3 core meetings:

A weekly meeting to stay aligned and adjust in real time.
→ What matters this week.
→ What’s stuck.
→ What needs a decision now.

A quarterly meeting to slow things down.
→ Look at what really happened.
→ Reset priorities.
→ Decide where focus should be next.

An annual meeting to think beyond the next quarter.
→ Talk long-term direction.
→ Set meaningful goals.
→ Recap the year and prepare for the next.

These meetings create space for real conversation,
stop the same issues from looping every month,
and save time because decisions stick.

If they aren’t scheduled, they won’t happen.
If they’re inconsistent, they lose their value.

So put them on the calendar, stick to an agenda,
and protect that time like you would a client call.

If you want the agendas I use and recommend,
DM me the word MEETING.

Leadership skills don’t magically show up.
They have to be built with purpose and intention.

If you want employees who can run the business
without you, there’s a simple progression that works:

First, explain the outcomes you care about.
→ Not the tasks or every step.
→ Just what success looks like.

Next, teach them how you think.
→ How you weigh tradeoffs.
→ What you prioritize under pressure.

Then let them run with it.
→ They won’t be perfect, and they’re not supposed to.
→ Growth happens when they can try, miss, and adjust.

The part most owners skip is the last step.

You have to come back and debrief.
→ What worked and what didn’t.
→ What they’d do differently next time.

That’s where learning actually sticks.

It’s how confidence gets built.
It’s how motivation shows up.
It’s how leaders actually emerge.

If people aren’t allowed to fail, they won’t want to try.
So they stay dependent, and you stay stuck.

If you’ve got someone on your team with potential
and want a clear path to help them step up, DM me.

Why speed, autonomy, and accountability all start with trust. As a business grows, decision-making naturally slows down. What used to happen in one co

Open article: Scaling Trust: The Leadership Multiplier Most Founders Ignore by Shawn Freeman • 4 min read

Scaling Trust: The Leadership Multiplier Most Founders Ignore

Reminder: Your value as an MSP goes far beyond
reactive support, security, and tickets alone.

You get a perspective most business owners never see.
A front-row seat to how other companies operate.

Over time, patterns start to show up.

When you see something working well at one client,
you can bring that insight to another.

Not as theory or best practice.
As something you’ve seen work in real life.

This is also why niching your ICP helps so much.

When you work with the same type of business,
you learn their tools, their software, and their workflows.

You start to recognize what usually slows them down
and where small changes make a real difference.

Even without a tight niche, this still applies.

Any time you see a better way to do something, you
can help another client avoid learning it the hard way.

That’s how you move beyond being just IT support.

You become a trusted advisor who helps the business
run more smoothly, more efficiently, and more profitably.

At that point, you’re no longer competing on price.
You’re winning on insight and outcomes.

You’re the one connecting the dots, spotting patterns
and suggesting changes to save time and ease friction.

That kind of value is hard to replace.

Clients don’t switch away from someone
who makes their business easier to run.

They don’t shop for cheaper when they trust you
to help them see what’s coming next.

The best part is, this isn’t something you need to build.
You already have the perspective.

You just have to start using it and translating it
into outcomes your clients care about.

If you want help stepping into that advisory role, DM me.

COO @ Kurogo | We Create Thought Leaders Through Personal Branding | x2 TEDx speaker | Advisor, Investor & NED | Law Graduate | I talk about entrepreneurship, agency life and grief

Hey, I’m Lewis! 👋 I'm an operator, builder, and believer in doing work that matters.

For the last 4 years, I helped scale Kurogo, one of the leading personal branding agencies, as Chief Operating Officer, partnering with 300+ world-class founders, CEOs, C-Suite Execs and public figures to grow their influence and impact. I joined in September '21 and within 4 years, we scaled to a 7-figure business, with a global, remote team of 20+. We had clients across the UK, Europe, USA and MENA regions.

I have 5+ years' experience as a Non-Executive Director, particularly within the non-profit and social impact sector. At present, I continue to serve as:

- Vice Chair & Non-Executive Director, Child Action Northwest
- Non-Executive Director, Spring North

Currently, I’m travelling and building quietly behind the scenes - creating space to explore what’s next.

Lewis Alexander Baxter

It’s been a tough week.

And a harder start to 2026 than I expected.

There’s been some personal stuff going on.
Nothing I want to share publicly right now.

I’ve had to pull back on work.

Slow things down. Create a bit of space.

That hasn’t come easily. 

I've talked a lot recently about building work around life, not the other way round.

I guess this is what actually living that out looks like.

It’s been a reminder to keep the people around me close.

Not to default to busyness.
Not to disappear when things feel heavy.

And to come back to a simple, poignant message:

In a world where you can be anything, be kind.

I’ve felt that this week.

From compassionate clients.
Understanding colleagues.
Friends who’ve checked in.

I’m really grateful for it.

Life can feel fragile at times.

And moments like this are an important reminder of what actually matters.

Age 18, I had no interest in a gap year or solo travelling.
 
Age 27, something had shifted.

When I step back, the thing that stands out most isn’t necessarily the places I visited. 

It’s how significant it felt to be away from home, and away from work, for nearly 3 months.

Because as a teenager, it just didn’t appeal to me then.

Not in the way it seemed to for other people.

Several friends had gap years.

They spoke about travelling constantly.

I listened, but honestly... I never felt the pull myself.

From 18 to my early 20s, I had no interest in travelling on my own.

And if I’m honest, I don’t think I even questioned that at the time.

I absolutely LOVE travelling, though.

That came from my mum, predominantly. 

My parents and I went on some great holidays, and I know how fortunate I was.

But, until last year, the idea of jetting off to the other side of the world, didn’t appeal.

Over the last year or two, following Lukas and Ellie (and others), hearing how they’d travelled, explored the world, built space into their lives, planted something.

So spending 3 months late last year across four countries, meeting strangers, having unfamiliar conversations, learning how to sit with my own thoughts…

That version of me wouldn’t have made sense to 18-year-old me.

I was an only child.
I spent a lot of time on my own.
I never had a huge group of friends (only a few close ones, and we often moved in different directions).

So stepping that far outside my comfort zone, even at 27, felt significant.

Let’s not underestimate that.

We’re quick to tell ourselves we’re “late” to things. That we should’ve done them earlier.

That having adventures somehow has an expiry date.

But even at 27, it felt like a big move.

A stretch.

And I don’t think age matters when it comes to travel.

It doesn’t matter if you do it at 18.

Or 27.
Or 46.

It still takes courage.  

In the end, it came down to saying yes. And giving myself the chance to have the trip of a lifetime.

A reminder that it isn’t as out of reach as it can feel.

--

P.S. Have you ever surprised yourself by doing something much later than you thought you would?

P.P.S. Hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I’m on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

22,000 people have chosen to follow my thoughts on work, life and whatever else I end up thinking out loud here.

So, thank you. 🙏 

I’m not entirely sure why I celebrate follower milestones.

But I do. So… here we are.

Since Jan 1st, this little corner of LinkedIn has grown by almost 2,000 people.

(This feels slightly surreal, given I’ve been on here for 9+ years and for a long time it was mostly me, my dad, a few friends, and the occasional recruiter checking in!)

This recent growth has come from the hiring posts I’ve been sharing. 

Each week, I share a roundup of genuinely good agency roles across marketing, social and communications. Roles I’d actually send to a friend.

Last week, an amazing copywriter saw one of those posts, applied, and now has an interview lined up. This alone made the whole thing feel worth it!

The goal of my content? 

To provide as much value as I can, share what I’m learning about scaling agencies and operations, and connect great people with companies doing interesting work. 

--

So, if you’re new here, hello! 👋

Probably a good moment to reintroduce myself.

I’m Lewis. Age 27.

A northerner now living in London.
A law graduate turned agency operator.
A believer in doing work that actually matters.

👉 Until Oct '25, I was COO at a leading personal branding agency, helping scale it into a seven-figure, fully remote business working with founders, CEOs and senior leaders globally. Learnt so much!

👉 I love travel (and was lucky enough to spend late last year in Australia, Fiji, Bali and New Zealand).

👉 I’m hugely passionate about the charity sector, and currently sit on two charity boards. 

👉 After my own battles with mental health, and losing my mum aged 21, I talk openly about grief and human leadership (and encourage others to do the same)

Right now, I’m building a few things:👇 

- An operations consultancy, working with agencies on ops, finance & hiring
- FUNC, an online marketplace for functional drinks and better-for-you products
- A new agency in a space I genuinely love (more on that soon!)

And this year, I’m designing work around life, not the other way around. 

More travel, more gym, more life, more 'me time'. 

If you’re here for hiring, leadership, building from 0-1, or the more human side of work - welcome. 

And if you’ve been here a while… thanks for sticking around. 🙏

For a long time, I built my life around work.

Now it’s time to do things differently.

Eight weeks travelling gave me the space to see it properly.

I still haven’t fully defined what “success” looks like for me this year.

Or exactly how my values will shape work, charity, friendships.

But one thing is clear.

This year, I will intentionally design work around life.

Not the other way round.

(I shared this with my nan yesterday and she said: "Go you!")

Really, this pattern started earlier than I realised.

School and sixth form took up most of my week.

Studies came first. Everything else fitted around them.

Then in 2018, I started my law degree.

My first year of full-on, demanding study.

Daily lectures. Tutorials. A lot of reading.

Life fitted in where it could.

In 2022-23, I had a full-time job alongside my final year.

And I stayed in that same role, as COO, inside a scaling agency - right up until mid-October 2025.

Each phase made sense at the time.

None of it felt unreasonable.

And in many ways, it had to be that way.

Friendships and relationships occasionally played second fiddle.

Family too, at times.

The gym. Fitness. Health. Often deprioritised.

And “me time”? Not consistently enough, if I’m honest.

I don’t regret any of it.

The last 6+ years taught me discipline, resilience, and how much I’m capable of.

But travelling, and actually slowing down, brought something back into focus.

Work matters.
 
But it’s still just one part of a full life.

I want work that supports how I live.

Not a life that constantly bends itself around work demands.

Maybe that means fewer hours.

Maybe more flexibility.

Maybe it’s just being more intentional with boundaries.

I don’t have all the answers yet.

But this feels like the right place to start.

I'm curious, what are you trying to make more space for this year?

--

♻️ Please repost if this message resonated.

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that matters.

One of the biggest lessons I learned in 2025:

Under-communication creates more problems than you ever anticipate.

In October, I shared a post announcing I was stepping away from a business to go travelling.

At the time, I didn’t think much of it.

In my head, the plan was clear.

I was still supporting one of our consultancy clients after leaving.

The team knew that.

I knew that.

But the client didn’t.

They saw the LinkedIn post before hearing anything privately, and their first reaction was:

“Lewis has left. Who’s my point of contact now?”

From my perspective, nothing had changed.
From theirs, their point of contact had suddenly disappeared.

Their knowledge gap came down to one thing:

I hadn’t given them the courtesy of a heads-up.

People rarely struggle with your decisions. They struggle with not knowing them.

This year, I'll operate by a few simple rules:

- Send the courtesy message.
- Share context early, not reactively.
- Keep people informed, so they’re not left guessing.

Over-communicating isn’t a weakness. It’s how trust actually gets built, especially as things grow.

When people don’t have clarity, they fill in the gaps themselves.

And it’s usually not the version you had in mind.

So, if you're a leader, manager, project lead or freelancer...

Remember,

Clear communication isn’t optional.

It’s part of the job.

--

♻️ Please repost if this message resonated.

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that matters. I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around.

I’ve been using the phrase “designing work around life, not the other way round” a lot recently.

Partly because it captures something I’m trying to be more intentional about.

And partly because I’m still figuring out what it actually means for me.

It doesn’t necessarily mean working less.
Or escaping responsibility.
Or building some perfectly balanced, always-calm life... (I don’t think that exists).

What it does mean, I think, is starting from a different place.

Instead of asking: “What does my work demand of me?”

I’m trying to ask: “What kind of life do I actually want to live, and how does work support that?”

It’s a small shift, but I’ve noticed it changes how I think about most decisions.

For me, this isn’t a binary thing.

It’s not something you “achieve” and tick off.

It’s a mindset.

A process.

A way of noticing when work is taking over more space than it deserves, and deciding, consciously, whether that’s a trade-off I’m happy to make right now.

Some weeks, work will come first. 

Other weeks, life might take the front seat. For some family time and space to think.

Designing work around life, for me, is about being intentional in those choices - rather than defaulting to work winning every time.

These are a few of the questions I’ve been asking myself lately, and maybe they’re useful for you too:

- What am I optimising for right now (travel, energy, learning, money)?
- If nothing changed for the next three years, would that be okay?
- What parts of my work give me energy (and which drain it)?
- What does a “good” week actually feel like?
- Where am I saying yes out of habit?
- What am I protecting time for?

I don’t have crystal clears answers to all of these.

Some of them shift depending on what life looks like at the time. But asking them has already shifted how I approach my work, and how much space I'll allow it to take up.

It feels less about getting it right, and more about paying attention as things change.

Curious, what does designing work around life look like for you, in practice?

--

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. Right now, I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

5 awesome agency marketing jobs YOU can apply for this weekend:👇

--

1/ Account Director 
Raptor 
Salary: £55K - £65K (DOE) 
Location: London

Raptor is a culture-led, youth-first marketing agency working across brand, social, experiential and real-world engagement. In this role, you’ll lead 2–3 key client accounts end-to-end, owning integrated campaigns, managing budgets, driving account growth, and leading a team of up to 6 in a fast-paced environment.

--

2/ Content Manager (Executive Thought Leadership) 
Triangle 
Salary: £30K - £35K (DOE) (+ bonus) 
Location: UK-based 

Triangle are a thought leadership and personal branding agency working with an exclusive group of leading CEOs as well as C-Suite executives at billion-dollar companies who want to leverage their own personal voice to transform their business. In this role, you’ll turn podcast-style executive interviews into high-performing LinkedIn posts and long-form content, combining writing, research, content strategy, and strong client communication.

--

3/ Senior Account Executive (PR) 
Citizen Relations 
Salary: £31K - £34K 
Location: London

Citizen are a global PR agency focused on building authentic connections between brands and communities. In this role, you’ll take ownership of client programmes, managing timelines, developing media materials, pitching press and talent, supporting crisis comms, and presenting campaign results, while mentoring junior team members. A great opportunity to grow your career in PR.

--

4/ Senior Social Media Executive
Plus 1 Communications
Salary: £30K (DOE)
Location: Windsor

Plus 1 Communications are a global creative and communications agency working across consumer, lifestyle and culture-led brands. In this role, you’ll lead end-to-end social campaigns, creating high-impact content, running paid social, and optimising performance across Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube and X - helping shift social from reactive posting to strategically led, high-production work that matches the agency’s award-winning creative standard.

--

5/ Podcast Producer (Personal Brand)
7xContent
Salary: £25K-£35K
Location: Remote-first

7X are a specialist video-first podcast agency helping world-leading creators and brands turn conversations into high-impact content engines. In this role, you’ll own the strategy and production of Creator Playbooks - leading the founder’s podcast end-to-end, while also driving the marketing engine behind Callum’s personal brand and 7X’s content funnel across YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and email.

--

Every week, I share fresh roles across marketing, social and comms. All posted in the last 10 days, with salary shown.

♻️ Repost to share these opportunities with your network.

A lot of people go back to work tomorrow.

The inbox. Client calls. Team meetings. The familiar pace returning.

Before that kicks off, I’ve been thinking about a slightly different question.

Not simply 'what do I want to achieve this year'?
But 'how do I want to live while I’m doing the work'?

There’s something appealing about resolutions. They sound good in theory.

I’ve never been great with resolutions 
(and this will be the second year I haven't set any).  

They're pretty unforgiving. 

Binary. 

You’re either “on track” or you’re not.

And once you fall off, it’s easy to write the whole thing off (and just wait until the next year when you can set them again...)

Values feel more forgiving.

And, I think, more useful.

They’re not a checklist. Rather, they're a way of showing up.

Yesterday, I shared that in 2026 I’m intentionally designing work around life.

That isn’t a goal with a finish line.

It’s a lens I’m trying to come back to.

It shapes:

- how often I spend time with my family
- how present I am in my closest relationships
- how I treat the gym, health and my diet this year 
- how I think about travel (not as a break from work/life, but part of it)
- how I protect space, energy, and attention when everything feels busy

None of that looks especially impressive on paper.

But it changes how the days, the weeks and the months feel.

And maybe that’s the point.

So before work starts pulling at you tomorrow, maybe take a moment today. 

To decide what deserves protecting this year, even when work tries to crowd it out.

What do you want more of outside of work?

And what values will guide your decisions when things inevitably get busy?

No one’s going to ask you those questions.

You have to ask them yourself.

--

♻️ Please repost if this message resonated.

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that matters.

5 agency marketing jobs YOU can apply for this weekend:👇

--

1/ Senior Account Executive - Publicity (Film & TV) 🎬
Substance Global
Salary: £30K - £34K (DOE)
Location: London (Hybrid)

Substance Global are an independent, insights-led digital marketing agency working across Film, TV and entertainment, with teams in London and globally. Known for their collaborative culture and creative ambition, they deliver high-profile campaigns blending strategy, publicity and innovation. In this role, you’ll support Film & TV publicity campaigns, working on media liaison, client relationships, screenings, premieres and events. A fast-paced role for someone organised, confident and plugged into Film & TV culture.

--

2/ In-House Content Creator
HonestBrands
Salary: £40K - £50K (+ bonuses) 
Location: Remote (UK / Barcelona preferred)

HonestBrands run a beginner-to-advanced e-commerce training community helping people build real brands across Amazon, TikTok and Shopify. Content sits at the centre of growth. Your job is simple: create a high volume of high-quality content that drives demand. You’ll work closely with the founders on organic, paid and long-form content that builds trust, attracts the right audience and scales repeatable content systems.

--

3/ Senior Account Executive (Public Relations)
Group42
Salary: £28K - £30K (DOE) 
Location: London

42 Bruton, part of Group42, are a high-growth boutique PR agency working with ambitious scale-ups and challenger brands across the UK and US. Known for sharp positioning and clean execution, they deliver storytelling that drives real audience and investor engagement. You’ll support PR and digital campaigns across lifestyle, FMCG, travel and tech, working on media relations, content and client comms.

--

4/ Account Executive
adam&eveTBWA
Salary: £30K (+ bonuses)
Location: London

adam&eve\TBWA are a global creative agency built on the belief that emotion drives business growth. As the European hub for one of TBWA/Omnicom’s longest-standing global clients, the London team delivers fully integrated campaigns across ATL, digital, social, CRM, POS and internal comms. You’ll support the day-to-day delivery of international campaigns alongside senior account, creative and partner teams.

--

5/ Marketing Assistant
Signal Group
Salary: £26.6K - £26.8K
Location: Watford

Signal Group are a growing, people-focused marketing organisation delivering collaborative, detail-driven campaigns for a range of clients. They place strong emphasis on developing talent and long-term growth. In this role, you’ll support campaign delivery, brand consistency, research, performance tracking and reporting. A strong entry-level opportunity to gain hands-on experience across marketing.

--

Every week, I share fresh roles across marketing, social and comms. All posted in the last 10 days, with salary shown. 

♻️ Repost to share these opportunities with your network.

PS. Check out my comments section for links to every role.👇

We’re very good at being busy.

But, we don’t check in nearly enough on our energy.

Meetings.
To-do lists.
Deliverables.

Important, yes. But only part of the picture.

Some of the things that matter most aren’t obvious while you’re in the middle of it.

Energy. Presence. How you feel at the end of the day, when the laptop closes.

I’ve been paying more attention to that lately.

Not simply what I’m working on, but how the work leaves me feeling.

Energised. Or, drained.

Because you can be doing all the “right” things, ticking off tasks from your to-do list, and still finish most days feeling depleted.

Intentional life design, I’m realising, starts in these small moments.

In patterns you notice early, before they harden into defaults.

What consistently gives you energy.
What slowly takes it away.
What you’ve normalised, simply because it’s familiar.

So if there’s one thing worth paying attention to this week, maybe it’s this:

At the end of each day, pause for a moment and ask yourself:

Did today’s work give me energy, or take it away?

Answer this honestly.

You could even treat it like a simple energy audit - 'red, amber, green' your tasks, or loosely score them based on how much energy they gave you.
 
(I might write more on this separately).

Because how your work feels, day after day, matters more than we often admit.

Curious, when you think about your last few working days: what’s been giving you energy lately?

--

♻️ Repost if this resonated.

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around.

Today reminded me how much depth can exist in a short conversation.

Even with someone you’ve never actually met.

Earlier today, I chatted with George for 30 mins.

We’d been connected on LinkedIn for about six years.

But until today, we’d never actually spoken.

And as it turns out, I first reached out back in 2019.

Today was the first real conversation.

We started with work.

Marketing. Social media. Creative careers. Where things are heading. The challenges and the opportunities for companies and those looking for new opportunities. 

Then, quite naturally, it shifted.

Mental health and wellbeing - particularly for men.

Grief and loss. Identity.

Family. Relationships. The stuff beneath the surface.

All with someone who, until today, was effectively a stranger.

What struck me most was how easy it felt once we moved past the polite first few minutes.

Many of these topics can feel hard to talk about - especially as men, and especially with people we don’t really know yet. 

There’s often a sense you should keep things light and 'professional'. 

(especially when you've connected originally on LinkedIn)

But when there’s openness on both sides, it doesn’t feel forced.

It feels human.

It was a rich, thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation. 

The kind that reminds you how much depth can fit into a short window of time (if you let it).

One more thing that feels worth sharing:👇 

George has a book coming out next week.

"Be A Man About It: Building a Healthier Idea of Masculinity" (22nd January) (more details in comments) 

After the conversation we had, I’m genuinely looking forward to buying it and sitting with it properly.

Stephen Fry described it like this:

‘An absolutely fascinating enquiry into the nature of masculinity, coming at a time when it's really needed."

If the book carries even a fraction of the openness, depth and honesty that came through in our call, it’ll be an important one.

So, thank you, George. I’m really glad we finally connected properly.

Today made me realise how much we often leave unsaid, and how powerful it is when we don’t.

--

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. Right now, I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

Most people don’t have a time problem.

They have a thinking problem.

Or more accurately, they’re trying to think and execute at the same time.

This rarely works.

One thing I’ve been paying more attention to lately is separating strategy time from execution time.

Intentionally. 

Because when everything is 'execution mode', you default to reacting.

Emails. Slack. Tasks. Requests. WhatsApp messages.

And when thinking time is squeezed into the 5- or 10- minute gaps between meetings, it never really gets the space it needs.

There are a few ways I’ve seen this work well:

1/ A dedicated strategy day each week (I'm trialling next week!)
2/ Every morning (for ~2 hours) as locked-in thinking time
3/ Or, weaving smaller “thinking blocks” into each day

There’s no single right way. Do what feels right for YOU. 

And if anyone tells you that their way is the 'best way'...

Don't listen to them...

I was listening to a podcast clip with Leila Hormozi, and I wanted to share one line with you:

“If your week isn’t planned by Sunday, you have already lost the week.”

And for me, this makes perfect sense.

Not because Sunday planning magically solves all your problems. But because unplanned weeks get dictated by everyone else’s priorities.

Strategy time is where you decide:

- What actually matters this week
- What doesn’t need doing at all
- What can wait

Execution time is where you do the work.

Mix them together, and both will suffer.

So if things have felt busy but oddly unproductive lately, maybe this is the place to look.

Not “how can I do more?”

But: "When is my thinking time?"

--

♻️ Repost to share this message. 

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. Right now, I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

taplio

The Battle

Shawn Freeman

Lewis Alexander Baxter

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The Battle

Shawn Freeman

Lewis Alexander Baxter

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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);}Shawn Freeman's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreShawn Freeman's LinkedIn Performance