From Surfboards to Strategy- Keith Fairhurst's Journey to Profitable Purpose

Meet Keith Fairhurst. He wasn’t born into business. In fact, he grew up in a family shaped by war and frugality—his parents from the working-class streets of Liverpool during WWII, later starting fresh in South Africa in the 1950s.

Back then, the dream was simple: Get a stable job, stick with it for 40 years, and retire with a pension. But Keith’s dream? It started with a surfboard.

At 13, Keith wanted to ride the waves—not just metaphorically, but literally. So, he found a way to fund it. Leatherwork was booming, so he learned the craft, made belts and bags by hand, and sold them at school. His first lesson? You can turn your curiosity into cash.

That experiment led to a bigger idea: test small, learn fast, and never wait for permission.

From leather belts to national marketing roles, to building and selling companies—Keith’s path is anything but linear. He’s lived the scrappy start-up grind and the corporate climb. But through it all, one insight stayed true: Selling isn’t just a skill—it’s the heartbeat of every great business.

Today, Keith helps founders who are great at what they do but struggle to sell what they’re worth. This episode unpacks the truth behind the 94% of businesses that fail to sell—and what you can do to make sure you're not one of them.

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