🖥️ The man inspiring the next generation of Black CEOs - Dean Forbes (Founder of Forbes Family Group/CEO of Forterro)
The routines behind Forterro's CEO, Dean Forbes, and how he stays focused while leading one of Europe's top software companies.
When we imagine CEOs or founders, there’s often a familiar image we expect: a certain university, a certain race, a certain gender, a certain look. But over time, more and more people have broken that mould. And guess what? I’ve got the perfect example for you - Dean Forbes, Founder of Forbes Family Group and CEO of Forterro.
From being an academy player at Crystal Palace FC to now leading Forterro, one of Europe’s top software companies, Dean Forbes’s journey is unusual. After his football dreams were cut short at 17, he faced homelessness and debt. Determined to turn things around, Dean landed a telesales job (yes, cold calling) at Motorola, and began his journey from footballer to founder.
Today, he builds and scales software businesses by day and mentors the next generation of founders by night. But how does Dean keep performing at such a high level? Luckily for us, Dean has documented a lot of it on his YouTube channel. Let’s uncover three core themes that keep him showing up, again and again and again.
1. Ever thought about having a driver? 🚗
A friend of mine is adamant that he’ll get a driver the moment he can afford one. At first, it sounded like such a foreign concept. Who has someone drive them around all day? Isn’t that for celebrities and passenger princesses? But the more he explained, the more it started to make sense. People have drivers to optimise their time, not to flex.
For Dean, a driver is a performance tool. His routes are planned the night before with backup options, removing unnecessary decisions and protecting his mental bandwidth for what matters. This is called decision fatigue — the idea that the more decisions you make in a day, the worse your judgment gets over time. Studies have shown that we make around 35,000 decisions per day, and the quality of those decisions declines as the day progresses. In one well-known study, judges were more likely to grant parole at the start of the day or right after lunch - not because of the case facts, but because they were mentally fresher. Crazy.
So, a driver isn’t about status, guys. It’s actually about having the extra time to do more.
2. He’s very serious about his fitness 🏋🏾♂️
You know your body’s an engine, right? You get it serviced (health check), add a few mods (a new haircut), and push it to perform. But here’s the part most people skip: the coach. If professional athletes need one, what makes you think you don’t?
Depending on travel, Dean trains 2–3 times a week with a Personal Trainer and uses 4-week blocks mapped across 12-week seasons. He builds strength and size in winter, then leans down with running and biking in spring. It’s not random. It’s planned and strategic. The technical term for this is called periodisation. Coaches use this to plan training in cycles, adjusting volume and intensity over time so the body doesn’t just adapt, but improves. Studies show this method leads to better strength gains, improved performance, and can reduce injury.
Dean basically treats his training like a business. He reviews his performance quarterly and makes tweaks based on what’s working, just like he would do with Forterro.
3. He meticulously organises his time 🕰️
Time is the most expensive currency.
Time is the most expensive currency.
Time is the most expensive currency.
I have to remind myself of that every time I’m late to meet someone, or they’re late to meet me.
For Dean, his Executive Assistant is the chief architect of his calendar, designing his weeks with a lot of precision. With multiple businesses, a family, and high-stakes decisions daily, Dean’s calendar allows for chaos without collapsing under it.
One study published by Harvard Business Review tracked how CEOs spend their time — and the findings were clear: time allocation is one of the strongest indicators of leadership performance. The most effective leaders are those who ruthlessly protect and purposefully design their time…just like Dean.
🤲 The Takeaways
Lesson #1 → Having a Driver Is a Performance Multiplier
Dean’s driver is more about leverage than luxury. It frees up time and mental energy so he can focus on what matters most.
Lesson #2 → Treat Your Body Like a Business
Dean trains in 4-week blocks, reviews his performance quarterly, and adapts based on season. Your body is like a business, so maintain it like one.
Lesson #3 → Time is everything
Dean can’t do everything. He builds a calendar around extremely important activities and surrounds himself with people who manage it to perfection.
Wanna be like Dean?
That’s all for this week, friends.
Until next Monday,
Vince
Feels like Dean's process is driven by time management and having the engine to perform within the time that he has. I can only imagine that his experience of being an academy footballer is something which should be spoken about more within the football industry, as those fundamental skills could be integral for young players who are facing being released each year.
Thanks for another dope read, Vince!