Phil Neil
Serial Entrepreneur | TEDx Harvard Square Speaker | I help founders lead with courage and build with clarity
My name is Phil Neil.
I built my first company from nothing, scaled it from $200K to $70M in under a year, and walked away with an 8-figure exit. Before I ever bet on myself, I was a top seller inside Fortune 500s — Bayer and Saint-Gobain.
Then came the part nobody puts on a highlight reel.
A warehouse fire that wiped out my exit payout. A co-founder betrayal. A $5M scam. I found myself in Cancun with my kids, completely broken — having to choose between my company and my family.
What I learned the hard way
Founders don't fail because they lack talent or drive.
They break because no one prepared them for what leadership actually demands — the pressure, the isolation, the decisions made with everything on the line. When founders break, the business follows. I lived that.
Now I make sure it doesn't happen to the founders I work with.
What I do now
I speak on stages — including TEDx Harvard Square — and I advise founders and CEOs navigating the toughest moments of building a company: scaling fast, deciding under pressure, and rebuilding after setbacks.
Through Founders Compass — my 8-week cohort program — I help founders develop the pattern recognition, resilience, and clarity to lead through the moments that define them.
Who I work with
- Founders scaling fast — and feeling the pressure that comes with it
- CEOs facing a defining decision they can't afford to get wrong
- Leaders rebuilding after a setback and searching for clarity
How I can help
Founders Compass (8-week cohort): My signature program. A small group of founders, eight weeks, and the frameworks I wish I'd had when everything was on the line.
Founder Clarity Session (90 min): One deep conversation on the exact moment you're in — scaling, deciding, or rebuilding — and a clear path forward.
Decision Pressure-Test (30 min): You bring the decision keeping you up at night. I pressure-test it with you, fast and honest.
Book a session with me
Whether you're scaling, deciding, or rebuilding — let's get you clarity on the moment you're in right now.
P.S. I host the Founders Compass podcast — real conversations with founders about the wins, the losses, and everything in between.
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