Last week, I hosted my Campfire group at my home for a full day of conversation, connection, and clarity.
We gathered on the deck, warmed by the sun and the view and checked in with where we were in life. Each of us brought something real. A business challenge. A personal reflection. A quiet worry. No masks, no ego, just honest sharing.
From there, the day unfolded naturally. Powerful group discussions in the morning. Smaller conversations over lunch and dinner. Time to listen, reflect, and offer support. We covered everything from the future of our businesses to relationships, identity, family, and meaning.
It was the kind of day that felt simple on the surface but left a deep imprint, the sort you carry forward quietly.
What made it even more meaningful for me was opening up my house, the space I’ve been crafting over the past 10 months, through renovation, resilience, and more than a few late nights. Sharing that space with others, and seeing it hold such energy and openness, was incredibly fulfilling. I'd love to do more of it.
What is Campfire?
Campfire is a confidential peer group for business owners and CEOs who want to grow in work and life. It's a place to work through the knotty challenges of work and life with other men who’ve walked a similar path. Being an entrepreneur is rich with confronting experiences. You may have no boss, but just as much need for support, challenge, and a wise ear as anyone. Partners and friends mean well, but can’t always give you what you need. Talking honestly with fellow Directors or business partners doesn’t feel straightforward. And transitioning from running something, working out who you are without it, or what comes next for you, for your family, for your sense of self — can be complex. A Campfire Circle is a place to reflect and take stock. A place to be held to account for how you say you want to grow. As a leader. As a man. A father. A partner.
Who is in a Circle?
Everyone on a Campfire Circle has run or is running an ambitious business. Some on the group may recently have left their company and find themselves navigating the post-exit phase. Others are deep in the swirl of building something now. All have experience of the complexity and challenges that come from leading. We have members who’ve built and sold businesses, raised investment of all sorts, invested their own money, merged businesses, bought out partners, done franchises, done JVs, de-merged, survived board room battles, been let go from their own company, floated their company, had to go back into their company having left, and on and on — across renewable energy, travel, children’s products, tech, consultancy, SaaS platforms, and beyond. The miscellany of backgrounds is what makes the range of experience so diverse, and so valuable.
How It Works
The groups come together every 8 weeks, from morning to dinner, for a fully hosted day (by Toby — an ex-CEO, trained coach, and facilitator). We support, challenge, and back each other in whatever we’re facing. In the summer, we go away for a two-nighter, somewhere beautiful. The meetings have three main components:
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Peer Coaching: Members bring challenges or big questions to the group, and a group coaching structure brings out the wisdom around the table.
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Accountability: Members make commitments to themselves, starting with an annual planning exercise, and are supported and held to account for taking action by a small sub-group.
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Reflection: We have regular time and structured exercises to help take stock of where each of us is, what needs to change, and where we’d like to be heading.
There is also a ‘red flag’ that can be raised by any member outside the main meeting structure if an urgent group chat is needed to support someone with something pressing. Some of our time is spent in conversation around a circle, ideally a fire. But we also get out in nature together. Swim in the sea at our summer meeting. And break bread around a table each time.
Campfire has been a big part of my personal journey. When life hit one of its hardest moments, this group became a space where I could bring the mess, not just the highlight reel. It helped me navigate what felt like an unsolvable problem and walk a path toward something much better.
That day reminded me of how far I’ve come and how powerful it is to sit in a circle with people who get it.
If you're a man looking for deeper conversations and a community that supports both your ambitions and your inner life, I can’t recommend Campfire highly enough.
And if you’re looking for a unique, inspiring space for your next offsite, retreat, or leadership session — my home is now available for day hire. It was built for days like this.
