Presenter: Flic Manning

The startup world celebrates hard work, long hours and relentless ambition. But what if the way you’re working is actually limiting your business’s ability to grow? What if the very habits we associate with success are creating barriers that prevent our businesses from scaling?

A self-described square peg in a round hole, Flic Manning has spent years working within an ecosystem she loves, but one she believes needs to rethink how it operates to achieve real returns on the time, energy and resources invested. Drawing on experiences across Silicon Valley, entrepreneurship and building businesses while living with chronic illness and disability, Flic shares how being forced to work differently shaped her approach to business, productivity and growth. It’s a perspective that challenges the idea that success demands constant personal sacrifice and asks whether the systems we’ve built are actually designed to support the people and ambitions behind them.

In this thought-provoking and practical session, attendees will explore why scaling a business starts with changing how we work, not simply doing more. Through real-world experiences and three practical shifts in thinking, they’ll discover opportunities to rethink familiar habits, reduce unnecessary pressure and build systems that support sustainable growth. Whether building solo or leading a team, attendees will leave with a fresh perspective on how to build a business that can scale without requiring themselves or the people around them to break in the process.