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The Weekly Mental

I’m Dan Kirby - the founder of The FAM! I will be coaching you

I’ve been an active founder for over 22 years

I didn’t come from money. My parents had no business experience. I worked like a demon, bootstrapping and exiting x2 7-figure digital businesses in that time

But!

I also burnt out twice, narrowly missed bankruptcy and divorce. And was diagnosed with clinical depression. All as a direct result of not being able to switch off as a founder

I spent 6 years - after blowing my life up - searching for methods to balance being an ambitious founder with the desire for peace of mind, good health & strong relationships

Through this search I discovered something that no-one tells you

The power of Awareness. To create peace. Freedom from the tyranny of your thoughts, negative emotions and fears

I feel I have a duty to share this with you

So I sold the shares in my business of 20 years to launch Founders Are Mental.

I have created the service I wish had existed for me

I got success…

  • But my experience in the dark side turned out to be a gift. I learnt a better way to be

  • I can now switch off when things are kicking off…

  • Enjoy peace of mind. Be present. Resting. Resetting. Connecting with loved ones, and myself.

  • I can now be a founder - but without feeling so much of the drama. I am finally free of the mental headf**k that we face

  • This all came down to one thing: Awareness

I called this way of being “The Groove”

  • I found my mental freedom by discovering and staying in The Groove

  • So I set up Founders Are Mental

  • To share The Groove with you: Body, Mind, Awareness, Motivation, Tribe

  • Then if you join The FAM, we will help you to Stay in The Groove - whatever that is for you

  • Building a business can make you mental in a bad way. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You are the asset - and you can’t do this on your own

  • Join us today

My biggest success

Girl dad

I am the dad of 3 daughters. My greatest success is they all like to hang out with me!

In 2023, I went to Primavera Festival, Barcelona with my 13 year old, where we danced to Depeche Mode, met Four Tet and were broadcast at the back of the decks in Boiler Room

Also in 2023 my 19 year old invited me to a rave in Fabric nightclub in London. Which we did (pictured)! Until 4am, dancing to Booka Shade and YOTTO. I am completely sober.

Whatever business success I have had pales into insignificance next to these facts… it was only breaking through to my Awareness that kept my family together.

As I say - Stay in The Groove 🕺🏼💃🏽🪩

Other Mental stuff I’ve done

Top 2.5% global podcast host

Back in 2017 my previous business - The Tech Dept - blew up (in a bad way). I turned it around, but boy was it “a learning experience”.

Rather than feel shame about it I decided to spill my guts and speak to other founders about times they got it wrong and what THEY learnt.

Within 48 hours it was #2 in the Apple Podcast Entrepreneurship charts

It ended up in the top 2.5% of all global podcasts

Guests include:

Listen at www.honeyIblewupthebusiness.com

Creator of Getahead Festival

I had the idea for a 24 hour urban festival to help people get ahead without burning out. I wanted ‘27 year old Dan’ to learn about mental health. The last thing he’d do would be to go to a mental health event. But a 24 hour rave - yeah baby!

So we set up a Community Interest Company to pursue that mission. Supporters included Calm, Ministry of Sound and Red Bull. I’m no longer involved - but it’s still going :-)

I wrote a 5000 word Mindset Manifesto for it - which you can read here. There was an album raising money for a musicians mental health charity - featuring new music from The Prodigy: listen here

Creator of The Tech Off

As a promotional event for my company The Tech Dept I came up with The Tech Off - “the lovechild of TED talks and WWE”.

The Tech Off became an international - even cultural - event. But the more outrageous we made it, the bigger it became. Then a BAFTA-winning film director thought it could become a feature film.

So a movie pilot was made, with me as the lead character ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Filmed by Michael Timney - the guy that films “An Idiot Abroad” with Karl Pilkington - who said it was one of the funniest shoots he’s ever worked on. Which I am very proud of! #idiot

You can watch The Tech Off: The Movie Pilot here.

Completer of Sahara Fun Run

In April 2022 I did 6 marathons in 7 days - self sufficient - in the Moroccan Sahara, completing The Marathon des Sables - known as “the world’s toughest footrace”. We called it our Sahara Fun Run - for the lols - and raised £14,000 for children’s charity KidsOut - which helps underprivileged kids have fun experiences.

You can see my training diary on the Sahara Fun Run Instagram page.

And so you know, before doing this I was not in any way “a runner”. I committed to this daft expedition as a way of kicking my ass to create better fitness habits for my 50’s. And it’s worked!

I was interviewed about the race - which I completed the week after I had Covid! - in this episode of Honey I Blew Up The Business.

“We’re actually kind of cosmic twins”

Dan Sullivan - my friend, coach and mentor - speaking about me in this episode of Honey I Blew Up The Business

“You're an organiser of your own fun things, but you're also an organiser of other people's fun things. And you have a unique ability of combining a lot of multidimensional fun things into major experiences”

Dan is the founder and president of The Strategic Coach Inc, the leading entrepreneurial coaching company in the world. Over the past 40+ years he has provided teaching and training to more than 30,000 entrepreneurs

“You often have no outlet to talk properly about what it’s like. The FAM is invaluable for that.

“To talk confidentially in a safe space with peers - things you cannot discuss with colleagues, business partners or family.”

Richard Conroy 

Book a call

Schedule to speak direct to Dan - our founder - to understand more, see if we are a good fit plus learn a simple tool to help build your Awareness

Join The FAM!

Knowing what to do - and the benefits it brings - is great. But sticking to it - like any practice - is easier amongst others that ‘get it’ and will hold you accountable

Stay in The Groove

Learn ways to get peace of mind, and switch off systematically in only a few hours a month - from your own office

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