Meet Jacob Sutton, The Owner Of Founder University
Meet Jacob Sutton, The Owner Of Founder University
Meet Jacob Sutton, The Owner Of Founder University
Eight Years, Multiple Companies, And Lots Of Mistakes… Here’s The Honest Story.
Eight Years, Multiple Companies, And Lots Of Mistakes… Here’s The Honest Story.
Multiple Companies & Lots Of Mistakes… Here’s The Honest Story.
If you’ve ever felt like your business only grows when you do, we’ve probably lived a similar journey. This page shows how I went from training to be an athlete to burnt-out founder to rebuilding everything with systems — the evolution that became Founder University.
If you’ve ever felt like your business only grows when you do, we’ve probably lived a similar journey. This page shows how I went from training to be an athlete to burnt-out founder to rebuilding everything with systems — the evolution that became Founder University.
If you’ve ever felt like your business only grows when you do, we’ve probably lived a similar journey. This page shows how I went from training to be an athlete to burnt-out founder to rebuilding everything with systems — the evolution that became Founder University.
Meet Jacob.
Meet Jacob.
Meet Jacob.
Hey friend — over the past 8 years I’ve built multiple successful coaching, consulting and digital agency businesses, and along the way I’ve hit just about every challenge, roadblock, and costly mistake possible. I built my first 7-figure company the way most founders do: talent, hustle, and way too much trial-and-error.
Eventually I realised it was never going to be scalable or sustainable if every strategy, client, and sale depended on me. So I took my company, doing over $350k/m at the time, and rebuilt everything from the ground up.
I redesigned the offer, content system, marketing strategy, sales process, and entire product into a self-sufficient set of systems that no longer needed me at the centre.
Those systems didn’t just grow my business but they’re the same systems we now use to scale every business we work with.
Hey friend — over the past 8 years I’ve built multiple successful coaching, consulting and digital agency businesses, and along the way I’ve hit just about every challenge, roadblock, and costly mistake possible. I built my first 7-figure company the way most founders do: talent, hustle, and way too much trial-and-error.
Eventually I realised it was never going to be scalable or sustainable if every strategy, client, and sale depended on me. So I took my company, doing over $350k/m at the time, and rebuilt everything from the ground up.
I redesigned the offer, content system, marketing strategy, sales process, and entire product into a self-sufficient set of systems that no longer needed me at the centre.
Those systems didn’t just grow my business but they’re the same systems we now use to scale every business we work with.
Hey friend — over the past 8 years I’ve built multiple successful coaching, consulting and digital agency businesses, and along the way I’ve hit just about every challenge, roadblock, and costly mistake possible.
I built my first 7-figure company the way most founders do: talent, hustle, and way too much trial-and-error.
Eventually I realised it was never going to be scalable or sustainable if every strategy, client, and sale depended on me. So I took my company, doing over $350k/m at the time, and rebuilt everything from the ground up.
I redesigned the offer, content system, marketing strategy, sales process, and entire product into a self-sufficient set of systems that no longer needed me at the centre.
Those systems didn’t just grow my business but they’re the same systems we now use to scale every business we work with.
Early life & Growing Up ~ 1999
Early life & Growing Up ~ 1999
I come from a big family. Growing up as the fifth of six kids in an eight person family created the perfect “goldilocks zone” for me. The right mixture of parenting, boundaries, flexibility and survival created a healthy appetite for risk, and a respectable appreciation for consequences. Both in the positive and negative directions. Like most kids growing up my parents enrolled me in sport, not for the structure or socialisation but rather as a form of baby sitting for one of their six kids. Swimming in the morning, gymnastics in the afternoon, every day — for close to a decade.
I come from a big family. Growing up as the fifth of six kids in an eight person family created the perfect “goldilocks zone” for me. The right mixture of parenting, boundaries, flexibility and survival created a healthy appetite for risk, and a respectable appreciation for consequences. Both in the positive and negative directions. Like most kids growing up my parents enrolled me in sport, not for the structure or socialisation but rather as a form of baby sitting for one of their six kids. Swimming in the morning, gymnastics in the afternoon, every day — for close to a decade.
Introduction To Elite Sport ~ 2009
Introduction To Elite Sport ~ 2009
Winning anything from a small board game or major title competition brings out the same level of intensity in me (…back then and now). Being competitive is a part of my DNA. What started as a way to occupy and drain my endless energy during my earlier years ended up becoming my full-time job. During my later schooling years, and during university I was given the opportunity to play sport at a professional level exposing me to an environment where self-improvement, extreme dedication and endless work ethics were rewarded.
Winning anything from a small board game or major title competition brings out the same level of intensity in me (…back then and now). Being competitive is a part of my DNA. What started as a way to occupy and drain my endless energy during my earlier years ended up becoming my full-time job. During my later schooling years, and during university I was given the opportunity to play sport at a professional level exposing me to an environment where self-improvement, extreme dedication and endless work ethics were rewarded.
Early Entrepreneurship ~ 2016
Early Entrepreneurship ~ 2016
As my career in the competitive world continued to develop I was able to start a business sharing what I had learned with others in the sport. Between hosting seminars, building a training app and teaching different educational video series I found a new passion for developing a business and all the skills it requires. As training to compete shifted from being my main priority I faced an overwhelming feeling that I was losing an identity that I had dreamed of for a long time. During this time my mind clung to a new identity of being a ‘business owner’ and all the new goals and sights I had my eyes on.
As my career in the competitive world continued to develop I was able to start a business sharing what I had learned with others in the sport. Between hosting seminars, building a training app and teaching different educational video series I found a new passion for developing a business and all the skills it requires. As training to compete shifted from being my main priority I faced an overwhelming feeling that I was losing an identity that I had dreamed of for a long time. During this time my mind clung to a new identity of being a ‘business owner’ and all the new goals and sights I had my eyes on.
My First Failure ~ 2019
My First Failure ~ 2019
My first business was an online coaching & training business called The Movements Method. We taught over 100 seminars around Australia, and had 1000s of clients join and use our online program to get better at their gymnastics, and body-weight strength and conditioning. While this business was a massive success between 2016 and 2019, it helped me grow a false sense of security and confidence that would teach me the hardest lesson I’ve learnt to date. During 2019 I started getting requests from other trainers and coaches to share with them what I was doing to get clients. What content, what offers, what lead gen and sales strategies were working right now. This gave me the idea to start my next business, PTGrowth. While the initial interest in what I was teaching at PTGrowth was strong, the first 6 months of my new business and everything I had spent investing in it had resulted in zero clients. During August of 2019 it actually got so bad, I needed to borrow money from my older sister, just to buy food for the week. The confidence I had built was shattered.
My first business was an online coaching & training business called The Movements Method. We taught over 100 seminars around Australia, and had 1000s of clients join and use our online program to get better at their gymnastics, and body-weight strength and conditioning. While this business was a massive success between 2016 and 2019, it helped me grow a false sense of security and confidence that would teach me the hardest lesson I’ve learnt to date. During 2019 I started getting requests from other trainers and coaches to share with them what I was doing to get clients. What content, what offers, what lead gen and sales strategies were working right now. This gave me the idea to start my next business, PTGrowth. While the initial interest in what I was teaching at PTGrowth was strong, the first 6 months of my new business and everything I had spent investing in it had resulted in zero clients. During August of 2019 it actually got so bad, I needed to borrow money from my older sister, just to buy food for the week. The confidence I had built was shattered.
Cracking The First $1 Million ~ 2020
Cracking The First $1 Million ~ 2020
To say I came close to giving up would be putting it nicely. Working 12-14 hour each days, sleepless nights spend worrying, and calculating every dollar I spent to make sure I could still buy food and cover rent each week made this short season feel endless. While I wouldn’t wish a season like that upon anyone, there is something special about having your back against the wall that forces you to go “all in”. The following year was spent perfecting the ability to craft offers, producing content, nailing marketing and honing in my sales skills. While these skills are areas of business that you will never “finish” learning, during the following 12 months I took anything anyone would teach me, and tirelessly worked on it until it worked for me. I worked until I no longer needed my sister to cover my groceries, no longer worried about where my next client would come from, and all the way up to generating our first $1 million dollars.
To say I came close to giving up would be putting it nicely. Working 12-14 hour each days, sleepless nights spend worrying, and calculating every dollar I spent to make sure I could still buy food and cover rent each week made this short season feel endless. While I wouldn’t wish a season like that upon anyone, there is something special about having your back against the wall that forces you to go “all in”. The following year was spent perfecting the ability to craft offers, producing content, nailing marketing and honing in my sales skills. While these skills are areas of business that you will never “finish” learning, during the following 12 months I took anything anyone would teach me, and tirelessly worked on it until it worked for me. I worked until I no longer needed my sister to cover my groceries, no longer worried about where my next client would come from, and all the way up to generating our first $1 million dollars.
Scaling to $300,000/month ~ 2023
Scaling to $300,000/month ~ 2023
With our first $1 million in the rear-view mirror, the next goal was set - “let’s make it $300k/month”. Part of me (…my ego) picked this number because it was more than anyone I personally knew was making. The other part of me was just freshly healing from bring broke, stressed and riddled with anxiety and so making more money sounded like it would create a bigger buffer and more security. I’m not sure what voice was louder… the one saying “let’s go forwards” or the one saying “don’t go backwards”. Either way my mind was set. We needed to increase our traffic, create a second offer, and bring on a few more team members and if everything went to plan we would have everything we needed to scale to $300k/month.
With our first $1 million in the rear-view mirror, the next goal was set - “let’s make it $300k/month”. Part of me (…my ego) picked this number because it was more than anyone I personally knew was making. The other part of me was just freshly healing from bring broke, stressed and riddled with anxiety and so making more money sounded like it would create a bigger buffer and more security. I’m not sure what voice was louder… the one saying “let’s go forwards” or the one saying “don’t go backwards”. Either way my mind was set. We needed to increase our traffic, create a second offer, and bring on a few more team members and if everything went to plan we would have everything we needed to scale to $300k/month.
Burnout ~ 2024
Burnout ~ 2024
In hindsight I wasn’t ready to have the level of success I was experiencing. We hired good people not great people, we only built systems that were “good enough”, I managed our business with a M.V.P (minimum viable product) mindset and basically just made sure I was available enough to be the glue that held everything together when things went wrong (which they did… almost daily). I’m sure the coaches, mentors and team around me knew that I was headed directly down the one-way street of burnout, but whatever we were doing was working. Our revenue climbed… $100k/m, $188k/m, $263k/m and $312k/m. Materially I felt like a hero, but the chaos around me was wearing me thin.
In hindsight I wasn’t ready to have the level of success I was experiencing. We hired good people not great people, we only built systems that were “good enough”, I managed our business with a M.V.P (minimum viable product) mindset and basically just made sure I was available enough to be the glue that held everything together when things went wrong (which they did… almost daily). I’m sure the coaches, mentors and team around me knew that I was headed directly down the one-way street of burnout, but whatever we were doing was working. Our revenue climbed… $100k/m, $188k/m, $263k/m and $312k/m. Materially I felt like a hero, but the chaos around me was wearing me thin.
Fixing What Was Broken Part 1 ~ 2024
Fixing What Was Broken Part 1 ~ 2024
With our revenue at a peak, the cracks in our internal systems and delivery strategy were showing. We needed to pause acquisition and fix the systems that were no longer servicing us at the level we needed them too. I couldn’t just out-hustle or be the glue holding the problems together. For six months I used every waking moment outside my day-to-day role in the business to rework the business from the ground up. I re-strategised our offer, price point, delivery model and proposed to the team a new way we would be attracting and signing up clients moving forwards. These changes were to equally simplify how we were doing things, as well as advancing forwards who could do them. It all came from the realisation that I built a business around what I could do, not around the best practices that would work for the team.
With our revenue at a peak, the cracks in our internal systems and delivery strategy were showing. We needed to pause acquisition and fix the systems that were no longer servicing us at the level we needed them too. I couldn’t just out-hustle or be the glue holding the problems together. For six months I used every waking moment outside my day-to-day role in the business to rework the business from the ground up. I re-strategised our offer, price point, delivery model and proposed to the team a new way we would be attracting and signing up clients moving forwards. These changes were to equally simplify how we were doing things, as well as advancing forwards who could do them. It all came from the realisation that I built a business around what I could do, not around the best practices that would work for the team.
Fixing What Was Broken Part 2 ~ 2024
Fixing What Was Broken Part 2 ~ 2024
After what felt like the longest six months of my life, I had successful designed a new offer, delivery model, and acquisition strategy for my company, tested it, and it was working, actually… it was working almost flawlessly, but we weren’t done. Like anything, with this much change it also through us into a state where our entire internal operating system no longer matched what we were doing. We needed to rework our internal systems, our automations, our SOPs, our meetings, and our way of doing the work we do. Looking back now, this was the very moment it all clicked. The following 12 months was dedicated to building the systems that would roll out our new offer, business model, and acquisition system and finally create a clean, calm and effective company that didn’t rely on me to hold it together.
After what felt like the longest six months of my life, I had successful designed a new offer, delivery model, and acquisition strategy for my company, tested it, and it was working, actually… it was working almost flawlessly, but we weren’t done. Like anything, with this much change it also through us into a state where our entire internal operating system no longer matched what we were doing. We needed to rework our internal systems, our automations, our SOPs, our meetings, and our way of doing the work we do. Looking back now, this was the very moment it all clicked. The following 12 months was dedicated to building the systems that would roll out our new offer, business model, and acquisition system and finally create a clean, calm and effective company that didn’t rely on me to hold it together.
Creating My Operating System ~ 2024
Creating My Operating System ~ 2024
My business, and likely yours too, has six areas: Your offer, content, marketing, sales, fulfilment and team. These six areas all require either a large amount of your time, effort and energy or a system that works on your behalf. As I reworked each internal strategy and system I realised I had a decision: I could choose to be the one overseeing, reviewing, planning, making decisions and doing the work or I could be the one who builds a strategy and system that allows each part of my business to thrive without my hour by hour involvement. It was this decision that built the Company Operating System I now help 1000s of Founders install in their businesses to unlock themselves from being the biggest bottleneck in their own growth and the one that their entire company is dependant on.
My business, and likely yours too, has six areas: Your offer, content, marketing, sales, fulfilment and team. These six areas all require either a large amount of your time, effort and energy or a system that works on your behalf. As I reworked each internal strategy and system I realised I had a decision: I could choose to be the one overseeing, reviewing, planning, making decisions and doing the work or I could be the one who builds a strategy and system that allows each part of my business to thrive without my hour by hour involvement. It was this decision that built the Company Operating System I now help 1000s of Founders install in their businesses to unlock themselves from being the biggest bottleneck in their own growth and the one that their entire company is dependant on.
The Big Bet ~ 2025
The Big Bet ~ 2025
After spending a further twelve months working on perfecting this new internal Company Operating System I realised that I had scaled a company to $300k/month, hated it enough to burn it down and then could build it back to 300k/month twice as quickly because it now had the right systems. Systems that didn’t require me to be the only energy source, the only decision maker, the all-mighty person that did everything. It plagued me thinking that if only I had access to systems and strategies like this from the beginning, where would my company be now. That’s when I decided to start Founder University, a consulting firm that helps founders and business owners install company wide operating systems that help them grow faster, while building a company that feels like an asset, not a chore.
After spending a further twelve months working on perfecting this new internal Company Operating System I realised that I had scaled a company to $300k/month, hated it enough to burn it down and then could build it back to 300k/month twice as quickly because it now had the right systems. Systems that didn’t require me to be the only energy source, the only decision maker, the all-mighty person that did everything. It plagued me thinking that if only I had access to systems and strategies like this from the beginning, where would my company be now. That’s when I decided to start Founder University, a consulting firm that helps founders and business owners install company wide operating systems that help them grow faster, while building a company that feels like an asset, not a chore.
Founder University ~ 2026
Founder University ~ 2026
Founder University is my hands-on advisory service for coaches, consultants, and agencies who want to scale to multiple 7-figures using a set of established and proven shortcuts. It’s built for those, who like me, were struggling with a business that only worked when they were in the middle of every task and every decision. It’s our job to help our clients install an exact copy of what offer, content, marketing, sales and fulfilment strategies are working best right now, and then work along side them to implement, customise and scale them into a robust operational structure that your business can depend on. Founder University is all about building systems you can depend on so your business doesn’t need to depend on you. Taking this path allows you to skip straight to focusing on leading your businesses growth rather than defaulting to the norm of trial and error or ‘slightly educated guesswork’.
Founder University is my hands-on advisory service for coaches, consultants, and agencies who want to scale to multiple 7-figures using a set of established and proven shortcuts. It’s built for those, who like me, were struggling with a business that only worked when they were in the middle of every task and every decision. It’s our job to help our clients install an exact copy of what offer, content, marketing, sales and fulfilment strategies are working best right now, and then work along side them to implement, customise and scale them into a robust operational structure that your business can depend on. Founder University is all about building systems you can depend on so your business doesn’t need to depend on you. Taking this path allows you to skip straight to focusing on leading your businesses growth rather than defaulting to the norm of trial and error or ‘slightly educated guesswork’.
SOUNDS FAMILIAR? JOIN FOUNDER UNIVERSITY.
SOUNDS FAMILIAR?
WORKING WITH FOUNDER UNIVERSITY
Work With Founder University
Founder University isn’t just a coaching program—it’s a step-by-step playbook to grow your online business into a successful self-sufficient company. Inside our Founder Advisory Service you will gain access to an up to date and curated selection of proven growth strategies, specifically tailored to take businesses like yours from 6- to 7- figures. Discover how to implement the right content, marketing, paid ad and sales strategies that will not only predictably grow your businesses revenue but also help systemise how it grows so you don’t need to be the only one pushing it forwards. Founder University was created to help you grow a business that feels like an asset, not one that needs constant tender love and care just to survive.
Founder University isn’t just a coaching program—it’s a step-by-step playbook to grow your online business into a successful self-sufficient company. Inside our Founder Advisory Service you will gain access to an up to date and curated selection of proven growth strategies, specifically tailored to take businesses like yours from 6- to 7- figures. Discover how to implement the right content, marketing, paid ad and sales strategies that will not only predictably grow your businesses revenue but also help systemise how it grows so you don’t need to be the only one pushing it forwards. Founder University was created to help you grow a business that feels like an asset, not one that needs constant tender love and care just to survive.
Founder University isn’t just a coaching program—it’s a step-by-step playbook to grow your online business into a successful self-sufficient company. Inside our Founder Advisory Service you will gain access to an up to date and curated selection of proven growth strategies, specifically tailored to take businesses like yours from 6- to 7- figures. Discover how to implement the right content, marketing, paid ad and sales strategies that will not only predictably grow your businesses revenue but also help systemise how it grows so you don’t need to be the only one pushing it forwards. Founder University was created to help you grow a business that feels like an asset, not one that needs constant tender love and care just to survive.
That's exactly what we did for these business owners!
That's exactly what we did for these business owners!
Michael Hazilias
Owner of Breakout Solutions
Nina Concepcion
Owner of Conscious Sales
Steve Willams
Owner of BA Growth Partners
Emma Sparrow
Owner of Sparo Studios
Jesse Astill
Owner of Astill Performance
Shane Millward
Owner of KORE Movement
Ghadi Abboud
Owner of Timeless Jump
Michael Hazilias
Owner of Breakout Solutions
Nina Concepcion
Owner of Conscious Sales
Steve Willams
Owner of BA Growth Partners
Emma Sparrow
Owner of Sparo Studios
Jesse Astill
Owner of Astill Performance
Shane Millward
Owner of KORE Movement
Ghadi Abboud
Owner of Timeless Jump
Want The Right Systems &
Support To Scale To 7-Figures?
With Founder University, you’ll gain the strategies, support, and resources needed to transform your company. Whether you’re looking to increase your revenue, streamline your operations, or remove yourself from lower level tasks, your journey starts here.
Want The Right Systems &
Support To Scale To 7-Figures?
With Founder University, you’ll gain the strategies, support, and resources needed to transform your company. Whether you’re looking to increase your revenue, streamline your operations, or remove yourself from lower level tasks, your journey starts here.
Want The Right Systems & Support To Scale To 7-Figures?
With Founder University, you’ll gain the strategies, support, and resources needed to transform your company. Whether you’re looking to increase your revenue, streamline your operations, or remove yourself from lower level tasks, your journey starts here.