Building Out

Owner

Founder

Heanton House Property

Property Investor

Urgent Care GP

NHS Appraiser

Portfolio GP

Macfarlane Wealth Partners

Partner

Royal Navy

General Practitioner

Doctor

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

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

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

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

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter at: 

www.building-out.com

Good luck on your journey!

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

The entrepreneurship world loves underdog stories.

"I failed 10 times before I made it."

"I lost everything before I won."

Here's what nobody tells you:

Roughly 1 in 5 first-time founders succeed.

Read that again.

Success on your first attempt isn't rare.

It's not even unusual.

You don't need a dramatic failure story.

You need:

→ A problem worth solving

→ Customers willing to pay

→ Financial discipline to stay solvent

The best "comeback story"?

Not needing one.

Diarmaid Mcmenamin

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

You don't need to be perfect with money. Just intentional.
Here's how: 

Pick a system, tweak it to fit your life, and ignore the rest.

Start with 50/30/20 if you need structure.

Add values-based habits as you grow.

Combine the two for long-term clarity.

You don't have to choose a side. You just have to choose you.

Your budget doesn't need to impress anyone. Just work for you.

I spent 6 months researching UK founders who built life-changing businesses. Here's what the data actually shows:

What I found completely shattered my assumptions about "the right time" to start. 

The myth we believe:

Founders are either brilliant 22-year-olds or wealthy 45-year-old executives with safety nets.

The reality:

- Tech founders average 30
- Fintech founders: late 20s-early 30s
- Healthcare founders: early 40s-mid 50s

Ben Francis started Gymshark at 19, delivering pizzas.

Anne Boden launched Starling Bank at 54.

Ali Parsa built Babylon in his 40s as a former refugee.

The pattern?

None of them waited to feel ready. They started with what they had, where they were.

If you're thinking "I'd love to build something but..." — you're already past the starting line. Most people never even get to the thinking stage.

The only barrier isn't your age, your job, or your circumstances.

It's waiting.

What's one small action you could take this week toward building the life you want?
What I found completely shattered my assumptions about "the right time" to start.

Here's what the data actually shows:

The myth we believe:

Founders are either brilliant 22-year-olds or wealthy 45-year-old executives with safety nets.

The reality:

- Tech founders average 30
- Fintech founders: late 20s-early 30s
- Healthcare founders: early 40s-mid 50s

Ben Francis started Gymshark at 19, delivering pizzas.

Anne Boden launched Starling Bank at 54.

Ali Parsa built Babylon in his 40s as a former refugee.

The pattern?

None of them waited to feel ready. They started with what they had, where they were.

If you're thinking "I'd love to build something but..." — you're already past the starting line. Most people never even get to the thinking stage.

The only barrier isn't your age, your job, or your circumstances.

It's waiting.

What's one small action you could take this week toward building the life you want?

One decision separates founders who survive business failure from founders who don't.

It's not strategy.

It's not funding.

It's not product-market fit.

It's financial separation.

Business credit ≠ Personal credit cards

Business accounts ≠ Personal accounts

Limited liability ≠ Sole trader

When these lines blur, a failing business becomes a personal catastrophe.

I've seen people lose their homes because they remortgaged to fund a venture.

The venture failed.

The home was gone.

Build a firewall.

Your family's security shouldn't depend on any single business outcome.

When I work with professionals who want financial freedom, there's this myth that you need to make a dramatic leap — quit the job, go all in, burn the boats.

Sometimes. But usually? You need a smarter approach:

The Three-Step Freedom Build:

1. Keep your day job (your foundation)
2. Build your freedom engines (property, business, investments)
3. Transition when ready (move forward stronger)

This approach gives you:

- Capital for the next phase
- Skills you didn't have before
- Confidence in unfamiliar territory
- Proof you can succeed

My property portfolio was built exactly this way. NHS shifts funded the deposits. Financial advisory knowledge guided the investments. Small, consistent action while maintaining income.

Not dramatic. Not Instagram-worthy. But effective.

Stop waiting for the perfect moment to leap. Start building your freedom engines right now, even if it's just 10 hours a week.

I used to wait for perfection before sharing anything.

Here's what that perfectionism cost me:

→ 6 months building in silence

→ Zero feedback until launch

→ A product nobody wanted

→ Complete restart required

The shift that changed everything:

I started sharing before I was ready.

Messy first drafts. Half-baked ideas. "I don't know what I'm doing" moments.

The result?

Real-time feedback. Course corrections. Community validation. Faster iteration.

The lesson:

Consistency over perfection. Always.

3 ways to start before you're ready

1. Share your outline before writing the content
2. Post your framework while it's still rough
3. Announce your goal before you have the full plan

Your audience would rather see regular, authentic updates than wait for the "perfect" post that never comes.

Perfection is procrastination in disguise.

Movement beats meditation.

Do you have an idea for a business but don't know how to pitch it? Here's one way to be unforgettable!

I speak to people about building a life of time and financial freedom and hear the same excuses: not enough time, not enough money, and it's too late 

Open article: How To Be Unforgettable When Pitching Your Business by Diarmaid Mcmenamin • 5 min read

How To Be Unforgettable When Pitching Your Business

People rarely buy on logic alone.
They buy:

- Belonging
- Identity
- Story
- Emotion

Your product is just the vehicle. The feeling is what people are really buying.

Think about the brands you're loyal to. Is it really because their features are 10% better than the competition?

Or is it because of how they make you feel? What being associated with them says about you?

The coffee shop that makes you feel like part of a community. The tech brand that makes you feel innovative. The car that makes you feel successful.

That's what drives purchase decisions.

Features tell. Feelings sell.

When you're building your business, ask yourself: What emotion do I want people to feel when they use this? What identity does choosing my product reinforce for them?

Because if you only compete on features and price, you're in a race to the bottom.

But if you compete on meaning? You build loyalty that transcends logic.

People will pay more, wait longer, and defend you fiercely—not because you're objectively better, but because of what you represent to them.

What feeling does your product or service create? And are you leading with that in your messaging?

I used to treat money like a checklist.
Here’s the problem with that:

Pay bills. ✓

Save money. ✓

Don't go into debt. ✓

Joyless. Mechanical. Something to get through rather than feel good about.

Then I started tracking micro-wins, and progress became genuinely motivating:

Cleared that lingering credit card? Acknowledged it.

Emergency fund hit three months of expenses? Celebrated it.

Increased pension contribution by 1%? Marked it.

These aren't life-changing amounts. They're small victories that prove the system works.

But here's what I'd missed for years: discipline without rewards is just punishment.

If your financial journey is all restriction and zero celebration, you'll eventually rebel against your own system.

The brain needs evidence that effort leads to progress. It needs dopamine hits from wins, not just the absence of losses.

Behavioural psychology is clear on this: what gets celebrated gets repeated.

So I keep a simple list. Nothing fancy. Just a note in my phone where I log financial wins. Small ones count. Consistency counts. Progress counts.

Looking back at that list after six months is surprisingly powerful. You see accumulation. You see momentum. You see proof that the boring, daily decisions add up to meaningful change.

This isn't about being materialistic or obsessing over money. It's about acknowledging progress in an area of life that's easy to take for granted until something goes wrong.

Most people only notice their finances when there's a problem. But what if you trained yourself to notice when things are working?

What's one financial win from the past year that you haven't stopped to appreciate?

Maybe it's time to mark it, even briefly. Progress deserves acknowledgment.

Even when I was earning well, I felt guilty spending on myself.
Here's why:

That dinner out? Should probably cook at home.

Those concert tickets? Maybe save the money instead.

New running shoes when my old ones still work? Feels frivolous.

Every purchase came with a side of anxiety: "Should I be saving this? What if I need this money later?"

The irony? I could afford all of it comfortably. The problem wasn't my finances—it was my psychology.

Then I set up a separate "Spending" account. 60% of my income, allocated purely for living and enjoying life.

Same salary. Same expenses. Completely different mental framework.

Here's what shifted: the decision was made before the money even hit my main account.

If it's in the Spending account, I have permission to spend it. No guilt. No second-guessing. No mental gymnastics.

Want to upgrade my coffee? It's allocated spending.

Grab dinner with friends spontaneously? Allocated spending.

Book a weekend trip? Allocated spending.

Meanwhile, my emergency fund and long-term investments were automatically being topped up from separate accounts. Future me was taken care of without current me having to sacrifice enjoyment.

This isn't about reckless spending. It's about intentional enjoyment within a structure that protects your future.

Guilt-free spending isn't irresponsible. It's a feature of a well-designed system.

The alternative—constant anxiety about every purchase—is exhausting. That mental taxation probably costs more than any financial mistake you could make.

If your financial plan doesn't allow for joy, you won't stick to it long-term. Discipline without rewards is just punishment.

What would your guilt-free fund go toward? And more importantly, what's stopping you from setting one up?

You're successful in your career, but feeling trapped.
Here’s what to do: 

You dream about building something of your own. But every time you think about starting, a voice says: "It's too late. You should have started at 25."

Here's what that voice doesn't tell you:

Anne Boden was 54 when she launched Starling Bank.

Not 25. Not 35. Fifty-four.

After decades in traditional banking, she saw what needed to change. The industry laughed. She kept building anyway.

Today, Starling has millions of customers and has reshaped UK banking.

The truth nobody mentions:

Your years of experience aren't wasted time.

They're your unfair advantage.

You've seen the problems.

You've built the skills.

You understand the market.

The 25-year-old doesn't have that.

So here's my challenge:

Stop treating your age as a liability.

Start treating your experience as ammunition.

What problem have you been watching for years that you're finally ready to solve?

Most people judge their finances by their bank balance.

Here’s the problem with that: 

"Do we have enough to get to Friday?"

"Can we cover the holiday?"

"Will this month break us?"

But that's like judging your health by whether you had a salad once this week.

Here's what they miss:

A bank balance tells you what's happening today.

Net worth tells you what's happening overall.

The Truth:

→ You can feel good in your bank account and still be falling behind

→ You can feel stretched in your bank account and still be building real wealth

Only one number reveals the truth.

The Shift:

When I first calculated my net worth, everything clicked.

I stopped focusing on survival.

I started focusing on growth.

I became obsessed with the gap between income and expenses—the space that gives you freedom to invest, create, and build.

What tracking gives you:

- A reality check (no more self-delusion)
- Early warning signs
- Motivation from measurable progress
- Calm (because you know where you stand)

One review won't change your life overnight.

But it will change the way you think.

And that shift leads to better choices, clearer priorities, and more peace of mind.

Learn more at [www.building-out.com](https://lnkd.in/ePYPd5tB)

Most people think wealth requires a big income.
Here's the truth:

I used to think that too.

Then I met people earning £200K who were broke.

And people earning £50K who were building real wealth.

The difference?

Discipline beats income every single time.

You don't need more money.

You need better systems

What does the autumn budget mean for you? Here are some traps to avoid......

Most of the people reading this blog are well-paid, busy, time-poor professionals who aspire to a life of time and financial freedom. While it's impos

Open article: Autumn Budget 2025: 3 Tax Moves Every £100k+ Earner Should Make Now by Diarmaid Mcmenamin • 10 min read

Autumn Budget 2025: 3 Tax Moves Every £100k+ Earner Should Make Now

Most entrepreneurs don't go broke because their business failed.

They go broke because of one signature.

Here's what I mean:

You set up a limited company.

You think you're protected.

Then a landlord asks you to personally guarantee a loan.

You sign it because you need the deal.

One signature.

That's all it takes to bypass every liability protection your company gave you.

The business sinks?

You sink with it.

I've watched smart people lose their homes over this.

The fix is simple:

→ Refuse personal guarantees unless absolutely necessary

→ Keep business and personal finances completely separate

→ Build a firewall before you need one

Protect your downside before you chase upside.

Here's something the personal finance gurus rarely mention: The answer to building wealth was often simpler than you thought, but you needed the journey to become capable of executing it.

The "secret" to wealth building isn't secret:

- Property investing basics are everywhere
- Business systems are well-documented
- Compound growth is literally just math

You could learn it all in a weekend.

So why doesn't everyone do it?

Because knowing and doing are completely different things.

The journey — the failures, the learning, the character development — transforms you into someone capable of building AND maintaining wealth.

Three Truths About the Circular Path:

1. You'll discover the answer was simpler than you thought
2. You needed the journey to become capable of executing it
3. The transformation is more valuable than the treasure

I see this in my own journey constantly. The freedom formula I teach at Building Out is remarkably simple. But I needed years of property investing, business building, and yes, failures to become someone who could actually implement it consistently.

Your path to time and financial freedom will likely be circular. You'll go outward to discover what you needed all along.

Trust the process. The journey is creating the person who can handle the destination.

Start your circular journey toward freedom at www.building-out.com

Here's your action step for this week:

Define your next "choice milestone."

Not a financial target like "save £50K."

A freedom target:

→ "Work 4 days instead of 5"

→ "Decline projects that drain me"

→ "Take summers off with my family"

→ "Leave my job if I want to"

Then reverse engineer the income, investments, or systems needed to unlock that specific choice.

Because financial freedom isn't a number that unlocks at retirement.

It's a series of choice milestones that unlock along the way.

Most people wait for complete freedom.

Smart people build partial autonomy now.

What's your next choice milestone?

Building in public isn't free.

Here's what it actually costs:

Time: Hours each week creating updates, responding to comments, and engaging with the community

Mental energy: Context switching between deep work and community management

Vulnerability: Public criticism, feedback you're not ready for, visible mistakes

Strategic risk: Competitors can see what's working and steal your ideas

The question isn't: "Should I build in public?"

The question is: "Are the benefits worth these specific costs for MY business?" 

My answer: Yes, because the trust, feedback, and community compound faster than the risks.

But you need boundaries:

→ Define what you'll share (metrics, struggles, lessons)

→ Protect what you won't (proprietary tech, financial models, client info)

→ Set specific time blocks for engagement

→ Don't let it consume your deep work time

Strategic transparency, not reckless oversharing.

Learn how I balance it: www.building-out.com

Should you build in public? Here's the good, the bad and the ugly of that approach:

ere's something that still makes me uncomfortable: Every week, I share my revenue numbers, my failures, and my half-baked ideas with thousands of peop

Open article: Building In Public? The Good, The Bad and The Ugly by Diarmaid Mcmenamin • 7 min read

Building In Public? The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Financial freedom is misunderstood.
Most people think it means:

→ Never working again

→ Endless vacation

→ Complete retirement

But that's not freedom.

That's just expensive boredom.

Real freedom is simpler:

The ability to spend Tuesday with your kids without asking permission.

The power to leave a job that's draining you.

The option to work because you love it, not because you need it.

This is why I built Building Out.

Not to help people retire.

To help busy professionals build the choice that changes everything.

You don't need £2M and a beach house.

You need enough passive income to make work optional.

That's when life actually changes.

What choice matters most to you?

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