Founder Coach.
Podcast Host. Advisor.
I'm James Johnson.
I take founders from startup to scale up with a unique fusion of business consultancy and leadership coaching.
A Little Insight to My Story
Straight out of university, I was thrown into the deep end.
I landed a job turning around businesses that could relocate me anywhere in the world with just 1-week notice.
I learned what made businesses tick. And became extraordinarily comfortable with uncertainty.
After 6 years and 7 relocations — I became a founder.
It made sense.
The first business brought in awards and partnerships for 4 years. And the second went international with 88 people in 5 countries.
While it looked like success, I’d hit the danger zone.
And it didn’t feel right — I needed change.
Luckily, I’d started working with a coach, and felt empowered to make changes in a logical way.
In 2020, I sold, qualified as a coach, and started a family.
Now, I keep my client base to no more than 10 founders at a time, which allows me to balance a career the family I always wanted.
"James' intuitive, holistic approach is the perfect companion to his wealth of business leadership experience - you and your business will be in better shape for having him in your life!"
Natalie Fée
FOUNDER @ city to sea
Being Future Fit with a Leadership Coach
Only founders know the founder's experience.
And as a founder myself, I know work-life balance is not possible.
At some point, something will get sacrificed — and it’s not going to be work, is it?
This is why I focus on work-life integration.
It’s a simple concept that allows your personal life to support — and even fuel — your work.
This takes you from the old unwritten rules of:
To healthier ones of:
When you’re flexible about when you do things, and implement boundaries around what you do. There’s less guilt or shame.
You’re clear on what you need to do.
It's simplified, sustainable — and therefore, less stressful.
In my leadership coaching approach, I call this being future fit — ready for the challenges being a founder can throw at you.
"Our sessions together were always insightful and productive; James's willingness to listen carefully resulted in tangible frameworks that made a real difference in my progress.
I cannot recommend James highly enough. His insight, wisdom and strategic approach to problem-solving has proven invaluable to me in my professional development."
chelsey roney
co-FOUNDER @ Proxi
Appearances
To learn more about The Peer Effect and the work I do as a coach, check out some of the podcasts and events that I have spoken at…
Are you ready to simplify your business and life?
When I started coaching, I was able to clear out the clutter of ideas and unimportant priorities and work towards a goal that integrated my personal life and business.
Interested in doing the same?
You could benefit from a leadership coach.