Hello Friend!
This week marked a shift ā not just in my calendar, but in my body, my pace, and my focus. After months of anticipation, I finally underwent surgery on my knee ā a procedure Iāve needed since last summer. While the rhythm of the week was slower than usual, the reflections were deeper. In this edition, I want to share how I navigated a week of reduced movement, while still staying connected to the work I care about ā and the people Iām lucky to do it with.
š Endeavour: A Slower Week, But the Work Carries On
With surgery on the horizon, I knew this week would be different. I deliberately slowed down ā or rather, was forced to ā but thanks to the team at Endeavour, things kept moving.
Most of the activity this week centred around coaching. While summer is usually a quieter period for business in general, our coaching programmes are still going strong. Some of my colleagues delivered one-to-one sessions, and weāre continuing to support our clients as they navigate their own mid-year transitions.
From my end, I took more of a backseat role this week. It wasnāt about launching new projects or delivering sessions ā it was about making sure that the foundations weāve built remain steady, even when I step away for a bit.
Thatās something Iāve been thinking about a lot recently: how to build systems that are not only strong but sustainable. Systems that can function when Iām not at the centre of them. The goal has never been to build something that depends entirely on me ā itās to build something that enables others to lead, grow, and support as well. This week was a small but important test of that. And Iām proud of what I saw.
šļø GROWTH Schema: Episodes, Transitions & A New Space on the Horizon
On the podcast front, I was able to keep things ticking along ā even while on crutches.
The 66th episode of the GROWTHSchema podcast drops this week. It features Nick Spiteri Paris, CEO of Bigbon Group, and the conversation is one of the most honest Iāve had in a while. Titled āFrom Fitting Rooms to Boardrooms: Leading in Retail Todayā, this episode looks at what it means to lead in a fast-paced, high-turnover industry ā not just from a strategy perspective, but from a deeply human one.
We talk about evolving from operational work to executive leadership, how to build trust in big teams, and what vulnerability actually looks like at C-level. Nick opened up about his own leadership journey, and the conversation reminded me that titles change, but the personal work is always ongoing.
Meanwhile, in the background, a transition is happening. Just before my surgery, I visited a potential new space, and while itās a bit smaller, it feels right. Once Iām recovered, weāll see how it develops. Until then, Iām recording what I can, editing whatās ready, and doing my best to keep the energy of GROWTHSchema alive.
š©ŗ Personal: Surgery, Recovery & the Reality of Slowing Down
On Monday, I underwent ACL reconstruction surgery ā an injury I picked up during a Scouts activity last summer. Since then, Iāve been managing limited movement, occasional dislocation, and a general sense that I wasnāt fully in control of my body. It wasnāt stopping me from living, but it was restricting me. And I could feel it ā physically and mentally.
The surgery itself went well. I was calm going in, mostly because I knew that for once, I didnāt have to do anything. I just had to let the doctors do their job and focus on what comes next: recovery.
Recovery, though, isnāt as passive as it sounds.
Since Tuesday, Iāve been learning how to walk again ā slowly, on crutches. Iāve been doing daily physio exercises, even when theyāre painful. And Iāve been hearing the same thing from every health professional Iāve met this week: āPush through the pain, or you wonāt improve.ā
That message sticks. Not because itās heroic, but because itās frustratingly true. Recovery isnāt a moment. Itās a series of uncomfortable, repetitive actions that move you forward a few degrees at a time.
Itās boring. Itās tiring. But itās necessary.
This week, Iāve also been balancing a strange kind of mental fatigue ā that sense of being active in your mind but inactive in your body. Iāve found myself more irritable than usual, more impatient. Not because I expect a miracle recovery, but because I hate not being able to do things on my own.
And yet, Iāve also been grateful ā for the support of my girlfriend, my family, and my team. For the ability to work ahead. For having people in my corner who remind me that asking for help isnāt a weakness ā itās just a different way of being strong.
š§ Final Thoughts
This week didnāt feel particularly productive on the surface. But it was still a week of progress. Not loud, not flashy ā but essential.
Healing is slow work. Delegating is slow work. Building something sustainable takes time. And Iām learning that just because the pace is different, doesnāt mean the purpose is lost.
If youāve had a week that felt off-rhythm, off-brand, or just off ā maybe youāre in your own season of slow growth. And maybe thatās exactly where you need to be right now.
As always, thanks for reading. And thank you for sharing this journey with me.
Until next week, Grow Beyond.