Steve Burnett: How One Founder Grew 300% and Achieved Financial Freedom Despite COVID, Divorce, and Cancer

Steve’s journey was marked by sheer graft and some brutal personal blows. His first five years were, in his own words, madness. Eighteen to twenty hour days, six days a week. Then came a messy divorce, COVID and throat cancer.

The Founder Dependency Trap

Like many founders, Steve found himself in the classic trap. Everyone relied on him to make every decision. He sought help because his sales team was struggling and he realised he needed to learn how to step out of the way so his business could run without him.

The Uncomfortable Mentorship: Facing the Tormentor

Steve brought in Marcus and very quickly discovered this was not a cosy training course. He describes it as counselling for sales, full of uncomfortable moments, direct questions, and role plays that forced him to confront his own habits.

The turning point came when he learned to challenge and filter prospects properly. At first he thought it was rude to push back or walk away. In reality, detaching from the outcome stopped him wasting hours on buyers who were never going to buy.

The Measurable Transformation

The discomfort paid off. In spades.

• Efficiency: He went from putting in 100 percent effort to about 25 percent, yet was selling four times as much.

• Asset Growth: Between 2020 and 2024, while battling both COVID and cancer, the company’s net worth grew from £750k to £2.5m.

• Profitability: Pre tax profit rose from nearly £200k to just under £500k.

• Final Win: He closed his career with a £1.7m order. As he puts it, he started selling paper yachts and ended selling a battleship.

• Personal Return: The negotiation skills he picked up even saved him hundreds of thousands in his divorce settlement.

The Outcome: Freedom

When he sold in February 2025, Steve felt absolutely floating. The win was not just financial. He had finally proved the business could run without him.

If you are a founder trying to build a saleable asset and escape founder dependency, Steve’s story is well worth your time. It is honest, hard won, and full of lessons for anyone walking a similar path.

 

Contact Steve on Linkedin