The Truth of Who You Are: Why Startup Success Begins with Self-Awareness

In this launch episode of our Epic Execution podcast series — timed with the release of David Kenney’s new book, Epic Execution: Speed Up, Scale Up & Level Up — we go straight to Chapter One: “The Truth of Who You Are.”This is not your typical startup pep talk. It's a grounded, gritty, and deeply personal conversation about the foundation every founder needs before they raise capital, build a product, or scale.

Joined by Mike Parsons, Co-Founder of Epic Execution and a serial entrepreneur with global wins and war stories, David and Mike explore the uncomfortable — and liberating — truth that startups are the ultimate personal development journey.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify
👉 https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ebb17h6nrErOIwoVHy5tU

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why your greatest asset — and biggest liability — is you

• The Three Foundational Truths every founder must confront:

  1. The Truth of Who You Are

  2. The Truth of Your Why

  3. The Truth of Your Circumstances

• How to map your strengths, blind spots, and working style

• Why your “who” might matter more than your “why”

• How to build a high-performance team around your gaps — and turn vulnerability into your superpower
  
  

💡 Real Founder Story: Manuri Gunawardena, HealthMatch

The episode features the powerful journey of HealthMatch founder Manuri Gunawardena, who was blindsided when an investor pulled out after a signed term sheet. What could’ve been a setback became a defining moment, forcing deep self-reflection, resilience, and a reassessment of her leadership foundations. David and Mike unpack her story to reveal universal lessons for every founder facing doubt, rejection, or reinvention.

👥 Who Should Listen:

• Founders in the idea stage, wondering if they’ve got what it takes

• Scale-up leaders are ready to strengthen team dynamics

• Investors and advisors looking to support founders beyond the pitch deck

• Anyone looking to understand the real human engine behind great companies
  
  

🛠 About Epic Execution

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s your no-BS playbook for high-growth entrepreneurship. Hosted by David Kenney, Epic Execution features deep conversations with extraordinary founders and leaders. We focus on:

• Team selection and leadership

• Validating your way to product-market fit

• Creating genuine customer value

• Capital strategy and execution under pressure
  

Each episode delivers battle-tested frameworks, lived experience, and clarity without ego — to help you build, raise, and grow smarter.

🎧 Listen Now on Spotify
👉 https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ebb17h6nrErOIwoVHy5tU

📕 Want to go deeper? Get the book → Epic Execution: Speed Up, Scale Up & Level Up
🚀 Ready to learn the tools? Enrol now at startwithepic.com

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