From Decorating Walls to Inspiring Minds

I’ve just had the best week since I started my business 12 years ago. In the space of a few days, I delivered three Masterclasses across the country, two on Productivity and one on Mental Resilience.
 
Each session was an absolute joy to deliver, and the feedback was outstanding. One of the highlights was running my Mental Resilience Masterclass for associate partners at Cooper Parry during their Partner Track offsite day.
 
For those who don’t know them, Cooper Parry is a fast-growing UK accountancy and advisory firm with hubs in the Midlands, London, and Manchester. They’ve expanded rapidly through acquisitions and are now positioned as one of the UK’s leading next-generation professional services groups.
 
I want to thank April Homer (Chief People Officer), Caroline Jones (Head of People), and Claire Davis (Head of Performance, Growth and Excellence) for inviting me to share proven tools to build mental resilience and reduce stress.
 
The group was fantastic, and we even finished with a bit of fun spinning basketballs, and a couple of ex-players in the room showed us how it’s really done!
 
 
Looking Back to Move Forward
 
As I stood there with this dynamic group, I couldn’t help but reflect on how far I’ve come. When I first started this business, I was still working as a painter and decorator. My car was so old that for important meetings, I would hire one to make a good impression.
 
I met clients in hotels or coffee shops because I was living with my mother and couldn’t invite them home.
 
Things were tough, but in hindsight, those struggles were a gift. They forced me to grow in character and resilience. When life knocks you down, the key is to get back up.
 
If you fall 65 times and get up 66 times, you win. Success is rarely about never falling; it’s about always rising again. And what makes you rise? Hope and belief.
 
Without belief, you never keep going. Without hope, you stop trying. But with both, you keep moving forward until you make it.
 
 
Stories of Hope Against the Odds
 
This truth isn’t just found in my journey; it’s reflected in so many inspirational lives: 
 
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones – The Black Farmer Who Defied the Odds
 
Wilfred grew up in inner-city Birmingham in the UK as one of nine children after his family moved from Jamaica. Life was far from easy, and as a young black boy in 1970s Britain, his dream of owning a farm seemed impossible.
 
Yet he never stopped believing. After years of working in catering and television, he saved enough to buy land in Devon, despite having no farming experience. Against all expectations, he built The Black Farmer brand, now stocked in major UK supermarkets.
 
His story is a powerful reminder that with belief and determination, you can create opportunity where others see barriers.
 
 
Colonel Harland Sanders – Success at 65
 
Most people know the smiling face of Colonel Sanders from KFC buckets, but few know his backstory. He faced countless failures, losing jobs, failed businesses, and even being rejected over 1,000 times when pitching his chicken coating recipe.
 
Yet at the age of 65, when many people retire, Sanders didn’t give up hope. He believed he could succeed, and eventually built one of the world’s largest fast-food empires. His story reminds us that it’s never too late if you have belief and persistence.
 
 
What This Week Taught Me
 
This week has reminded me of three simple truths:

• Tough times are a gift. They shape your resilience, character, and ability to bounce back.
• Belief fuels progress. If you don’t believe in yourself, it’s hard to convince anyone else to believe in you.
• Hope keeps you moving. When you have hope, you’ll keep getting up, again and again, until you break through.  

We all experience struggles and challenges, but it’s how we respond that counts. My week with Cooper Parry reminded me not only of how far I’ve come, but also of the power of belief and hope in helping us all to bounce back stronger.
 
 
Thoughts for the week

1. When have you faced setbacks that later became a source of strength?
2. Do you genuinely believe in your ability to succeed, even when things feel uncertain?
3. Where in your life do you need to hold on to hope and keep trying?
4. What would “getting back up one more time” look like for you this week? 

 
Well, that’s it for this week. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and keep believing.
 
Warm regards

John

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