The Functional Founder with Themi Stergianos

This episode explores a hard truth I’ve learned after years of building businesses: culture doesn’t fail because the values are wrong. It fails because leaders stop reinforcing them. I share the breakthrough that changed how I built my company, why I nearly walked away from the business altogether, and how creating what I call the Lab Manifesto became the foundation for building a team that could...

This episode challenges one of the biggest assumptions founders make about motivation: that financial rewards are the ultimate incentive. I share why I’ve completely rethought the way I approach compensation, after realising that not everyone is driven by equity, bonuses, or bigger salaries. Some people value flexibility. Others want recognition. And if you reward everyone the same way, you risk m...

This episode is about a reality every founder eventually faces: letting someone go when you genuinely wanted them to succeed. I share a difficult week inside the business, where we had to part ways with a team member we believed in deeply. The talent was there. The potential was there. But leadership isn’t about avoiding uncomfortable decisions. It’s about protecting the culture, values, and futur...

This episode explores a mistake I see founders and sales teams make all the time: they assume objections are the problem, when the real issue sits much deeper. After coaching a client struggling to convert high-value deals, I uncovered two patterns that were quietly killing their sales. They weren’t getting in front of the real decision-makers, and they had started losing confidence in the value o...

This episode explores one of the most important skills a founder can develop: the ability to reframe challenges before they become reasons to quit. I share a simple conversation that completely shifted my perspective on difficult seasons — and why the struggles we try so hard to avoid are often the very experiences that give success its meaning. Whether it’s cash flow pressure, losing key team mem...

This episode is about the moment I realised something unhealthy was quietly growing inside my business  and why founders cannot afford to stay passive when culture starts slipping. As our company expanded, new hires, pressure, and operational growth started creating tension between people. Small signs at first. Easy to dismiss. But I’ve learned that toxicity in a team doesn’t disappear on its own....

This episode is for the founders carrying pressure no one else sees. I talk honestly about the emotional reality of building a business when everyone around you gets paid, the company keeps moving, but you’re the one going home without a salary. The exhaustion. The masks founders wear. The quiet burnout that builds when your business depends entirely on you to survive. And then came the uncomforta...

This episode is about one small ritual that completely changed the culture inside my business. Every Tuesday morning, before we talk targets, operations, or performance, we start with one question: What do I feel like expressing? Simple on paper. Surprisingly powerful in practice. I unpack how this process — what we call the “Wiffle” — helped us build deeper trust, stronger communication, and a te...

This episode is about one small ritual that completely changed the culture inside my business. Every Tuesday morning, before we talk targets, operations, or performance, we start with one question: What do I feel like expressing? Simple on paper. Surprisingly powerful in practice. I unpack how this process what we call the “Wiffle” helped us build deeper trust, stronger communication, and a team c...

In this podcast, I share my journey towards building an authentic business. I discuss the importance of transparency, especially in leadership, and how being open about my salary has fostered trust within my team. I emphasise aligning personal and business goals to create a legacy that enriches others. By being genuine and raw, I believe we can open up new opportunities and inspire those around us...

This episode is a direct challenge to myself first, and then to every founder and team I’m responsible for. I reflect on a lesson that was imprinted in me at 13 years old, and why I’ve been holding back from teaching it as directly as I should. Because building a business isn’t just about strategy or vision. It’s about execution. Speed. Accountability. And creating a culture where things actually...

You’re not burnt out because of the business. You’re burnt out because you’ve disappeared from your own life. This episode is a raw reflection on something founders don’t talk about enough: what happens when you give everything to your business, your team, your family and nothing back to yourself. I open up about losing creativity, feeling stretched across every role, and the pressure of being “ne...