Award-Winning Entrepreneur. Built the Hard Way.

No rulebook. No shortcuts. Just real experience from building, scaling and learning in public.

This is a work in progress. The journey, the thinking, and the lessons as they happen.

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ABOUT ME

Building Excellence.
Beyond the Rulebook

I’m John Foster, an award-winning entrepreneur and founder in the mortgage and insurance space.

I built my first business from the ground up, earning six figures before the age of 21 and scaling to seven figures before 30. In 2021, I was named Entrepreneur of the Year in Essex.

There was no traditional path. With few GCSEs and no academic background, I learned by doing. Making decisions in real time, getting plenty wrong, and figuring things out the hard way rather than following a textbook or a playbook.
Today, I run and scale multiple businesses and spend a lot of my time thinking about growth, people, acquisitions and what actually makes a business last beyond its founder.

itsjohnfoster exists to document that thinking in real time.
What’s working. What isn’t. And what I’m learning along the way.

6 Figures Earned

Before the age of 21

Entrepreneur of the Year

Named in Essex (2021)

7 Figures Scaled

Before the age of 30

Learning by Doing

No rulebook or textbook

Business Philosophy

How I Think

What got you here will rarely get you to there.

Most businesses don’t fail because of a lack of ambition or effort. They stall because founders get stuck inside what they’ve built.

“Real businesses are messy. Decisions are rarely clear-cut. You learn by making calls, living with the outcome, and adjusting fast.”

Growth Creates Complexity

The skills that get a business off the ground are rarely the ones that scale it. Growth creates new problems—more people, more complexity, more risk. Ignoring that reality doesn’t make it go away.

Anti-Theory Approach

I’m sceptical of theory-led advice and one-size-fits-all frameworks. I share how I think about decisions openly and honestly, based on thousands of hours in the trenches.

Building for Optionality

I believe in building businesses that create options. Options to grow, to step back, to acquire, or to exit on your own terms.

"This site exists to document that thinking in real time. What’s working. What isn’t. And what I’m learning along the way.
No hype. No filters. Just the work."

Podcasts & Conversations

Conversations that go
beyond surface-level success

On podcasts, I talk honestly about building businesses from scratch, scaling teams, buying companies, getting things wrong, and learning fast.

“No polished scripts. No motivational fluff. Just the reality of running and growing businesses.”

If you’re looking for a guest who brings lived experience, strong opinions, and a grounded view of growth, I’d be glad to join you.

Note

On my socials I share all my recent episodes.

Acquisitions & Partnerships

Strategic Growth & Succession Planning

Alongside growing Fosters Financial, I’m actively exploring the acquisition and partnership of professional service businesses.

Mortgage Brokerages

IFAs

Commercial Brokers

Will Writing Firms

Thinking about succession or stepping back?

If you’re thinking about succession, stepping back, or simply want to understand your options before making any decisions, I’m always open to a sensible, confidential conversation.