Simon Drake

My career has always been about people and establishing traction. I started at McDonald’s, training new managers as stores opened, then coached with Dale Carnegie before building my own niche business from nothing to £1m. Since then, I’ve led strategy and engagement for every business I’ve been part of, as an independent Consultant – then onto established brands such as Sales Geek and ERA Group. I recently co-founded a Fractional Sales Agency in the UK – positioning it to circa £150,000 ARR for year 2 from a standing start. I’ve now personally supported more than 100 founders and senior leaders as they launched businesses of their own over the past 5 years.

What shaped me is seeing brilliant, experienced people stall. It’s rarely a lack of expertise. They aren’t clear on their position, they try to do everything, or nobody knows what they do. Traction comes from getting very clear, very quickly, on what matters, and managing it.

As Founding Principal and Managing Principal for the North of England at The Principals Group, I help senior leaders sharpen their offer, focus on the clients who value it, and align everything they say online to bring in steady inbound enquiries that convert. I use my own LinkedIn playbook, which I created and which brings me inbound leads every day.

I’m also a Co-Founder of a business called “Elephant In The Room Training”, which my wife runs. She has lived experience of cancer, and she now goes into employers to support them in navigating the impact of cancer in their workplace. We have now got this training into the NHS.