What does success really look like once you’ve “made it”?
In this powerful conversation, I sit down with entrepreneur and former RocketMill CEO Sam Garrity for a deep and emotional exploration of ambition, success, fear, leadership, culture, mental health and reinvention.
Sam shares how RocketMill grew from a Yellow Pages idea to a high-growth agency, built on people-first culture and relentless belief. He opens up about anxiety, panic attacks, childhood trauma and the fear of embarrassment that silently shaped his drive.
He reveals the benefits and the cost of being “all in”: the emotional load, the mental space it consumed, the presence he lost at home, and why selling the company brought grief and joy.
This episode dives into:
• Panic attacks, anxiety and the roots of self-belief
• The fierce drive behind RocketMill, and the application behind “All in” mentality
• Culture, leadership and why behaviours matter more than values on a wall
• The emotional reality of selling a company, the euphoria and the grief
• Rebuilding identity, relationships and purpose after the exit
• Breathwork, emotional release and healing old wounds
• Why pride, integrity and community now matter more than ever
It’s raw, human, inspiring and full of lessons for anyone chasing big goals, navigating change, or trying to understand what success really means.
0:00 – Introduction
5:13 – “You alright mate?” — honest check-in
7:28 – Redefining success through purpose
9:04 – Success evolving through childhood → adulthood
17:27 – Ambition vs purpose
19:09 – What really drives Sam
21:11 – Upbringing, instability & resilience
27:05 – Fear of failure & self-belief
31:12 – Embarrassment, failure & reframing it
42:26 – Early career: Express, Daily Mail & culture
55:36 – The birth of RocketMill
1:00:00 – Betting the farm & starting from nothing
1:02:07 – “Are we all in?” — the RocketMill mentality
1:07:32 – Sacrifice: being there but not present
1:12:32 – Advice to founders: be braver
1:13:59 – Pushing the boulder uphill
1:26:17 – COVID: guaranteeing 200 jobs
1:28:50 – People-first culture in action
1:30:17 – Selling the company — everyone wins
1:39:31 – Euphoria & grief after the sale
1:50:00 – Breathwork, emotion & healing
1:51:26 – Community, Samaritans & purpose
2:00:45 – Seek pride in everything you do
2:02:34 – Storytelling card
2:05:26 – Closing reflections
A profound conversation for founders, leaders, parents, creators, anyone striving to succeed while staying grounded, healthy and human.
Brown Bear Audio – Elite podcast studio. 👉 https://brownbearstudios.co.uk/
Carpenter Box – Accountancy & advisory specialists. 👉 https://www.carpenterbox.com/
Rivervale – Making motoring manageable. 👉 rivervale.co.uk
Produced by: H2 Productions – h2productions.co.uk