About Leon Hardwick 👋
I'm not a thought leader. 🤔 I'm more of a thought compiler—someone who's taken the scars and learnings from the field and turned them into useful frameworks and stories. 📖✨
The Real Story 📖
I've spent over 20 years deep in the trenches of B2B tech—helping companies build smarter, scale faster, and sort out the operational chaos between sales, marketing, and customer success.
Not in theory—but in the room, in the revenue ops stack, and in the fire when things went sideways.
I'm the co-founder of Handshakr, a fractional CRO, and a systems-first builder who's worked across SaaS scale-ups, enterprise consulting, and founder-led ventures. These days, I split my time as a business leader, investor, entrepreneur—and increasingly, as an author and content creator.
From RevOps to Real Talk
I didn't plan to write books or record podcasts. I started creating content because I was tired of hearing the same old advice from people who hadn't lived the mess.
Everything I publish—whether it's a playbook, a blog post, or a podcast—is drawn from my own scar tissue: lessons learned from blown quarters, misaligned teams, and GTM machines that looked great in a slide deck but fell apart in execution.
I write to make sense of what I've survived—and to help others do the same.
You'll find all that here:
- 📚 Books like All Revved Up, Global Sales Animal, 101 Lesson 1:1, Devil Years Pier, and the upcoming Blueprints & Bruises
- 🎙️ Podcast episodes from The Handshakr Huddle
- 💭 Essays and frameworks that unpack what it means to build, break, and rebuild with clarity
Beyond the Boardroom
Lives in the UK 🇬🇧 with wife Vanessa (a powerhouse surveyor in her own right) and three kids: Morgan, Maisy, and Maddox 👨👩👧👦
On weekends, coaching mini rugby 🏉—trying to teach teamwork, resilience, and how to get back up after a hard tackle (on and off the field) ⚡
Caffeine-fuelled business operator ☕ who believes in honest conversation over corporate theatre 💬. Still owns a gym 🏋️♂️—but these days trains for energy, not ego. Life moves in seasons 🌱
If you're into content that's honest, lessons that come with bruises, and systems that actually work—this is your space too.
Speaking & Recognition 🎤
Sharing insights and frameworks from the field at conferences, events, and wherever honest conversations about RevOps and business growth are needed. 📈💡
Conference Speaker 🗣️
Regular speaker at industry events, sharing practical frameworks and real-world insights from the trenches of RevOps.
Industry Expert 🎯
Recognized thought leader in revenue operations, helping teams navigate the chaos between sales, marketing, and success.
Workshop Leader 📚
Leading hands-on workshops and training sessions focused on practical implementation and immediate results.
My Journey: From Funnels to Frameworks
Revenue Operator & Enterprise Deal Closer 💼
2000–PresentStarted on the front line, chasing targets. Over two decades, I've sold into some of the biggest companies in the world, closed over £100 million in career revenue, and sat inside more broken GTM machines than I care to count. That work taught me something simple but brutal: the biggest deals fall apart not because of poor pitching, but because of poor systems.
Co-Founder, Handshakr 🚀
2020–2023Co-founded Handshakr—a platform to help revenue teams collaborate across sales, marketing, customer success, and partnerships. It wasn't just software—it was an answer to years of commercial misalignment. We built tools that helped B2B teams connect the dots, work together, and close deals faster and cleaner.
Author & Content Creator 📚
2021–PresentNever planned to become an author. Started writing because I had something to say—about the mess, the mistakes, and the mechanics of real work in RevOps, sales, and leadership. That writing turned into books: All Revved Up, Global Sales Animal, 101 Lesson 1:1, Devil Years Pier, and the upcoming Blueprints & Bruises.
Host, The Handshakr Huddle 🎙️
2023–PresentLaunched The Handshakr Huddle—a podcast for the builders, fixers, and realists. It's not theory. It's not startup theatre. It's raw, candid conversations with founders, operators, and leaders who've had to build, break, and rebuild. The kind of stories that happen behind closed doors.
Where I'm Focused Now 🧱
CRO at OpX.io
Embedding Continuous Improvement into modern GTM systems
Founder at Cardiff Giant Holdings
Investing in and supporting ventures with more than just capital—with systems, structure, and scar-tissue insight
Writer and Content Creator
Turning lessons from the trenches into frameworks, books, and conversations that help others build better
Coach, Husband, and Dad
Raising three kids (Morgan, Maisy, Maddox), married to Vanessa (who runs her own surveying firm), and running a co-working space with a gym. Plus mini rugby coach—because everything I know about leadership, feedback, and chaos management... I also learn from six-year-olds in cleats
If you're building something real, repairing something hard, or rethinking how to grow without breaking—welcome. 🤝
That's been my journey too. 🌱
My Approach 🎯
"My background is a mashup of RevOps, SaaS scale-ups, consulting, and trying to get people to talk to each other across the sales–marketing–customer success divide. 🤝💬"
Practical Over Perfect ⚡
Battle-tested advice designed to be implemented immediately. 🎯
Honest Over Polished 💎
Real frameworks from the trenches, scars included. ⚔️
Human Over Corporate 🤝
Conversations that go beyond buzzwords and corporate varnish. 💬
Let's Connect 🤝
Whether you're a reader, fellow builder, podcast guest, or just someone who wants to chat about RevOps chaos—drop me a line. 📧💬