Jon Graves

Jon Graves Entrepreneur. Deal maker. Growth strategist. Completed 17 acquisitions. As an angel investor, I back entrepreneurs who are bold enough to build

Currently leading Northern Telecom, Soda IT, and more, I thrive on turning opportunity into momentum.

A folding iPhone….How are we all feeling about this?I’m a bit confused on it…..
10/09/2026

A folding iPhone….

How are we all feeling about this?

I’m a bit confused on it…..

09/09/2026

Maybe we need to reframe what business actually is.

Business is one big experiment.

None of us really knows what's going to happen.

And AI has made that reality even more obvious.

None of us have lived through this particular phase of technological change before.

We don't know exactly how it's going to affect our industries.

We don't know exactly how customers will behave.

We don't know which technologies will win.

And we certainly don't have all the answers.

So perhaps the answer isn't to pretend we do.

Perhaps it's to create a culture where it's okay to experiment.

It's okay to try something.

It's okay for it not to work.

It's okay to learn from it.

It's okay to try again.

When people have permission to experiment, something important happens.

They become more confident.

They're more willing to put forward ideas.

They're more willing to challenge the status quo.

And they're more willing to discover what might actually work.

Because innovation doesn't usually come from having absolute certainty.

It comes from being willing to explore the unknown.

You don't need to know exactly what's coming next.

You need to build a team that's confident enough to figure it out.

09/09/2026

🍕 WHO WANTS UNLIMITED
PIZZA? 🍕

There’s only 10 tickets left for this week’s Thursday Night Pizza Club, so book your ticket before they’re gone.

Unlimited, free-flowing meat and meat-free pizza slices from 5.30pm–8.30pm for just £9 per person.
🎟️ Book now:
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/pizza-club-10th-september-2026
🔞 Strictly 18+
Come hungry! 🖤🤍

09/09/2026

Really excited to have Josh Jones, Rahul Kohli and Jack Wilson joining us at Ottos on October 2nd for a Comedy Night! Book your tickets here: https://ottosbar.co.uk/comedy-club

Been a bit quiet on socials for the last few weeks…We've had corporate meet-ups across the group, various meetings, plen...
09/09/2026

Been a bit quiet on socials for the last few weeks…

We've had corporate meet-ups across the group, various meetings, plenty going on behind the scenes and another acquisition or two… 👀

But the rumours are true.

Alongside a very long-term best mate of mine, I've bought in Morley Bottoms. 🍕🍺

I've always loved the hospitality space. Admittedly, I couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery… but I MIGHT just be able to organise one in a bar. 😂

We've already got plenty planned:
🍕 Brand new menu coming this week
🍺 Hawkstone, Peroni & Pepsi on draught going live this week
🕐 Extended opening hours coming shortly
🛵 Pizza delivery through Uber Eats launching
🍕 Pizza Club Thursdays continuing — adults only
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 And we're working on a family version every Sunday

The Sunday plan is simple:
All-you-can-eat pizza for TWO HOURS.
£9 adults | £7 kids.

Literally bring the family down on a Sunday, fill the kids full of pizza for £7 and send them into the new week happy. 😂🍕

Launching shortly... Watch this space!

There's loads more we want to do with the place over the coming months.

For me, it's about bringing quality food, a great atmosphere and sensible pricing to Morley Bottoms and having a bit of fun while we're doing it.

£3 a pint this Thursday on selected lines during Thursday's Pizza Club... Get booking here https://ottosbar.co.uk/

09/09/2026

Sometimes we focus so much on what someone can no longer do that we forget to ask what they can still offer.

Toby was the lead horse.

Eventually, he became sick and couldn't be ridden anymore.

But that wasn't the end of his contribution.

There was still so much Toby could offer.

And I think people are exactly the same.

We can be very quick to define someone by their role.

Their job title.

Their past achievements.

What they're good at.

Or even what they can no longer do.

But every person has more potential inside them than we probably realise.

Sometimes it just takes someone to see it.

Someone to give them a different opportunity.

Someone to ask a different question.

Someone to believe there is more they can contribute.

Your current role doesn't define your full potential.

And as leaders, perhaps one of our most important jobs is helping people discover the abilities they haven't even realised they have.

Because there could be incredible talent, creativity and experience sitting right in front of us.

We just haven't unlocked it yet.

Who in your team has more potential than they're currently being given the opportunity to show?

08/09/2026

Sometimes you don't realise you're running on adrenaline until you finally stop.

Julia from Business Horsepower shared a story about taking a sabbatical.

Her first stop was a horse rescue in Colorado.

On the flight there, she lost her mobile phone.

No big deal, perhaps.

But when she arrived at the ranch, something much bigger happened.

She suddenly had no structure.

No meetings.

No emails.

No deadlines.

No one telling her where she needed to be.

She even asked the people at the ranch: “When do I need to come and feed the horses in the morning?”

Their answer?

“Whenever you want.”

She didn't know what to do with that freedom.

She described essentially collapsing for a week.

Because she'd been living on adrenaline.

And when the adrenaline stopped, her body finally caught up.

I think so many business leaders can relate to this.

We're so used to being busy.

Always solving.

Always responding.

Always pushing.

We convince ourselves that we're coping because we're still getting things done.

But sometimes we're not coping.

We're running on adrenaline.

And eventually, the body sends the bill.

Rest isn't something you earn after you've worked hard enough.

It's something you need before your body decides for you.

Perhaps the question isn't: “Can I keep going?”

Maybe it's: “What happens if I don't?”

08/09/2026

We may need to rethink what leadership actually means.

For generations, business was built around a very simple model:
One person at the top.

A hierarchy underneath them.

The leader had the information, made the decisions and told everyone else what needed to happen.

And in an industrial era, that model made sense.

Information was limited.

The factory manager might genuinely know more about what was happening than almost anyone else in the organisation.

But the world has changed.

Today, your people have access to an incredible amount of information.

They can see what competitors are doing.

They can research new technologies.

They can spot emerging trends.

They can learn from experts anywhere in the world.

And sometimes, they may know something the person at the top doesn't.

That creates an interesting question.

What if the future of business isn't just about better leadership, but better teamship?

Instead of one person being expected to know everything, imagine an organisation where everyone contributes what they know.

Where knowledge isn't concentrated at the top.

Where people share information, challenge ideas and think collectively.

The leader doesn't have to be the smartest person in the room.

They need to create a room where everyone can contribute their intelligence.

That's a very different way of thinking about leadership.

And perhaps it's exactly what modern organisations need.

Do you think businesses are still too focused on leadership when they should be thinking more about teamship?

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