“Sometimes the difference between struggling to survive and thriving is smaller than it looks. A little more cash flow. A little less pressure. One problem solved. One opportunity found. One useful connection. One clear next move. The right next steps for you depend on where you are starting from, where you want to get to, and the capacity you have right now.”
Simon Hedley
One of the first questions I often ask people when it’s time to get real and get to work is:
Where are you at today?
One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that meaningful relationships begin when we’re willing to be honest about where we are.
When people first meet, conversations often stay at the surface. People put on the “masks”.
We talk about what we do. Where we live. How busy we are.
The highlights.
As relationships develop, whether as friends, clients, mastermind members or collaborators, those conversations become more real.
We start talking about what’s actually happening.
What’s working. What’s difficult. Where we’d like to go.
That’s why I ask…
Where are you at today?
Not because I’m interested in labels. Not because one stage is better than another.
Simply because understanding where you are today helps me think about and share how I might genuinely help.
That might be through an introduction. A strategic conversation. A book. A resource. A piece of technology. A new connection. An opportunity. Or simply pointing you towards someone better placed than me.
It’s the beginning of a more meaningful conversation.
Over the last 20+ years I’ve been building relationships, businesses, communities, educational resources, software, books and advisory services. Today, those are increasingly coming together as one connected ecosystem that we’ve architected and incubated.
We can all appreciate that different people need different things.
Someone who is underwater doesn’t usually need the same introductions, resources or opportunities as someone who is already thriving.
As an ecosystem on any one day people can find themselves in any of these stages, and we work with people at every stage, from those rebuilding after difficult periods to founders, investors and organisations generating hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions, each month.
The purpose of this framework isn’t to define who I work with.
It’s to understand where you are today, so we can have a more relevant conversation.
So, as a practical starting point, we’ve found that value in using one simple measure.
Approximately how much money is currently coming in each month?
Not your net worth. Not your assets.
Not your business valuation. Not your profit.
Simply the approximate amount of money coming in each month.
Your personal cash inflows.
Why?
Because after more than two decades of working with people across the UK, the USA and around the world, I’ve found it’s one of the quickest ways to understand where someone may be today and what is likely to help them most.
It isn’t the whole story.
Someone may have significant assets but very little cashflow.
Someone else may have substantial income alongside substantial commitments.
That’s okay. This isn’t an accounting exercise.
It’s simply a practical way to be real and begin a conversation and connect you with the people, ideas, knowledge, technology, resources and opportunities that are most relevant to you.
Negative or no monthly cashflow
More money is going out than is coming in.
The immediate priority is creating stability and getting your head back above water.
Explore Underwater →
Up to £5,000 per month coming in
You’re keeping things moving, but life probably feels harder than it should.
The focus is creating consistency, resilience and more options.
Explore Survive →
£5,000 to £10,000 per month coming in
Momentum is building.
You have more choices available and it’s time to become increasingly intentional about where you’re heading.
Explore Flow →
£10,000 to £25,000+ per month coming in
Whether you’re bringing in £10,000 a month or £250,000+, the conversations evolve as your opportunities, responsibilities and ambitions grow.
Now the conversation shifts towards greater freedom, leverage, long-term value and impact.
Explore Thrive →
This stage isn’t defined by income.
It’s about using your experience, relationships, influence, knowledge, time or resources to help other people move forward.
Because success becomes even more meaningful when it creates opportunities for others.
Explore Contribute →
These aren’t rigid categories.
Most people recognise themselves in one stage more than the others, and many sit somewhere between two. The purpose isn’t to label you. It’s to help us start in the right place.
These stages aren’t based on published academic research or a government definition. Instead they’re based on more than 20 years of working with individuals, entrepreneurs, business owners, charities, investors and organisations across the UK, the USA and globally.
They’re also influenced by the practical realities of modern life.
Having somewhere to live. Being able to put food on the table. Getting around. Supporting a family. Building a business.
Having enough capacity and enough options to create the life you want, rather than simply getting through the next month.
I’ve found that almost everyone I meet can recognise themselves somewhere within these stages.
Each stage is defined by how much capacity a person has, not simply how much they earn.
My mission is simple.
To Make The Difference.
I believe the world already has extraordinary people, ideas, technology and resources.
Yet millions of people still struggle with problems we should be better at solving.
I believe we can do better.
Over the last 20+ years we’ve built books, software, businesses, communities, educational resources and advisory services.
The next step is bringing those pieces together into one connected ecosystem.
An ecosystem that helps connect people. Share knowledge. Remove unnecessary barriers. Use technology wisely. Create opportunities. Reduce unnecessary suffering.
This will help more people move from being underwater, to surviving, to flowing, to thriving, and ultimately to contributing.
Because the goal isn’t simply individual success.
It’s to help create a world where everyone has the opportunity to realise their potential.
A world where more people have the chance to thrive.
And where no one is left behind.
So…
Where are you at today?
For more than 30 years, I’ve had the privilege of helping people from many different walks of life.
Some were trying to get their heads above water. Others wanted to create more flow, build extraordinary businesses, or use their success to make a greater contribution.
I’ve learnt that my role isn’t to push everyone towards the same solution.
It’s to understand where you are today, where you’d like to be, and help you move from one to the other.
Sometimes that means sharing a book or podcast. Sometimes it’s making an introduction. Sometimes it’s a single strategic conversation. And sometimes it grows into a long-term advisory relationship.
The right next step depends on your current capacity.
These stages are not a ceiling.
Many of the clients, partners, investors, founders and leaders I work with operate significantly above these levels.
That matters.
Because the purpose of this framework is not to define the limits of who I work with.
It is to create a simple starting point for understanding what may be most useful.
If you’re underwater, the priority is stability.
If you’re surviving, the priority is capacity.
If you’re flowing, the priority is leverage.
If you’re thriving, the opportunity is greater freedom, impact and contribution.
Ultimately, I want to help more people flow and thrive.
I believe when more good people have more options, more resources and more room to breathe, we can do more good together.
Actually I believe that if can come together optimally that We Are More Than Enough, and we can Make The Difference.