After 15 years in corporate retail – managing teams, running big budgets, and climbing the ladder – I left a career I was great at… to build something that felt more like me.
That “something” was a successful marketing consultancy, which evolved into a small business cooperative – where I helped founders grow their visibility, reach and revenue.
But even with all that success, something felt… off.
I kept seeing clients not follow through. Not because they didn’t care, but because something deeper was in the way.
So in 2019, I paused everything, retrained in life coaching, NLP and positive psychology – and came back with a whole new approach.
Most business problems aren’t strategy problems.
They’re confidence problems. Clarity problems. “What if I mess this up?” problems.
Hi, I’m Sam Burgess
Business mentor, mindset coach & your go-to when you’re stuck in your own head.
What working with me feels like:
Direct, practical and kind.
I’ll challenge your assumptions, call you out (gently) on what you’re avoiding, and hold space when the doubt creeps in.
This isn’t cheerleading. This is co-creating momentum.
I won’t throw fluff at you. I’ll give you strategy and support – because both are required when the stakes feel personal.
Why clients come back:
Because I don’t do one-size-fits-all.
I see the patterns underneath the stuckness.
And I’m not afraid to go off-script to get you the breakthrough you actually need.
The credentials bit:
13 years in corporate retail (Swarovski, Topshop, Arcadia, Alexon Group) – so I understand business from the inside out.
Built and ran a marketing consultancy & small business cooperative before pivoting into coaching/mentoring full-time.
Over a decade mentoring more than 100 small business owners across industries.
Featured on BBC Breakfast, Channel 5 News, in The Telegraph, METRO, Psychologies, Stylist – because people trust my take.
Fully qualified in Positive Psychology, NLP, Life Coaching, Consumer Psychology (and still learning).
My podcast hit over a million downloads.
And: my clients return. Some stay for years. Some drop in when they’re stuck. Because the support works – and they trust me to tell them the truth.
You’ll find me by the sea with my family (partner, toddler son and mini dachshund), hunting sea glass, or shopping the way I live – small, sustainable and secondhand.
Hove is home.
And supporting small businesses isn’t just my job – it’s my way of life.
