Episode #110
The Psychology of Enough: What a $100 Million Exit Taught Andrew Hulbert About Success
Andrew Hulbert went from starting a company in his bedroom in his pants to building and exiting a business for $100 million before the age of 40. An incredible achievement, but this conversation is about far more than business. Andrew’s life could very easily have gone in a completely different direction. He was wild, fiercely ambitious and willing to take risks most people wouldn’t entertain. At 15, he was brutally attacked and came within inches of potentially losing his life. Years later, those same extremes, channelled differently, would help him build something extraordinary. This episode is really about the pivotal moments that shape our lives and what happens when you’re prepared to back yourself when there are absolutely no guarantees. We talk about mindset, ambition, risk and sacrifice, and the uncomfortable truth about what it can take to achieve extraordinary things. Andrew is incredibly candid about the years when the business came before almost everything else, the impact that had on his marriage and family, and why he still wrestles with the contradiction that the very obsession he would approach differently today was also fundamental to his success. We also get into something that isn’t talked about nearly enough. What happens when you actually get everything you’ve spent years chasing? Why do so many founders struggle after selling their businesses? What happens to your identity when the goal disappears, and how do you find purpose when money is no longer the motivation? Despite Andrew’s monumental success, some of the biggest lessons in this conversation have very little to do with money. We talk about what success actually means, the risks worth taking, the price we’re prepared to pay for what we want and why achieving more doesn’t necessarily give us more of what really matters. ⸻ Key moments include: ✔ From starting a business in his pants to a $100 million exit ✔ The attack at 15 that could have changed everything ✔ Why the traits that can derail your life can also become your greatest strengths ✔ The mindset and appetite for risk behind extraordinary success ✔ Risking his marriage, mortgage and money to back himself ✔ The uncomfortable reality of what extreme ambition can cost ✔ Why founders can struggle with depression after selling their businesses ✔ What happens to your identity when the chase is finally over ✔ Preparing psychologically for life after a major exit ✔ Why making millions doesn’t necessarily make you feel successful ✔ The contradiction Andrew still wrestles with around ambition and balance ✔ Why his definition of success has completely changed ⸻ Chapters: 00:00 Andrew Hulbert on life after selling his business 01:45 From working-class beginnings to buying a farm 07:45 Getting into trouble as a teenager 11:46 The attack that nearly changed his life 15:12 A decision that could have cost him everything 18:56 Drugs, peer pressure and raising children 25:19 Finding a direction for his entrepreneurial drive 26:22 The friends who changed his ambitions 34:07 Growing up without money 38:10 Dealing with criticism and other people’s opinions 43:03 Learning to feel proud of his success 46:10 Building a business around people and culture 52:13 What the company sale meant for his employees 53:45 The reality of his extreme weight loss 58:10 Preparing for life after selling the business 01:05:16 Giving back to the parents who supported him 01:09:15 Was building the business worth the sacrifice? 01:16:16 What changed when he stopped working 01:20:01 His biggest lesson about success and family 01:26:42 Finding balance while raising children 01:31:24 Why money doesn’t guarantee happiness 01:34:11 Planting a forest and leaving a legacy 01:35:04 Why he became a platelet donor 01:40:19 Skydiving, travel and what comes next 01:43:53 The letters he writes to his children 01:46:00 Andrew’s mission ⸻ Connect & Follow Follow Ellie McKay: Website: https://onamissionpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb Follow Andrew Hulbert: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_andrewhulbert/?hl=en
