In the first episode of Performance Alchemy, Andy Simpson is joined by Paul Kelbie — entrepreneur, recruiter, fitness content creator, and founder of Incentifi, a wellness-based employee benefits startup.
They dive into Paul's unexpected journey from football coaching and recruitment to launching multiple businesses, becoming a travel entrepreneur, and building a fitness-focused brand on Instagram that grew from 3,000 to 30,000 followers in six months.
Paul shares the ups and downs of startup life, how fatherhood reshaped his priorities, and why he believes modern employee perks are broken. With energy, honesty, and humour, he explains why Incentify is rethinking how companies approach wellness, retention, and employee engagement through rewards tied to travel and health.
Whether you're a business leader, startup founder, or just trying to balance ambition and wellbeing — this conversation hits home.
🎙 Key Topics:
🔹 The reality of running multiple startups
🔹 Building a fitness brand and staying consistent on social media
🔹 Why travel should be an employee benefit
🔹 How Incentify rewards healthy habits with real travel savings
🔹 Balancing fatherhood, fitness & entrepreneurship
Show Notes & Timestamps
[00:00] – Introduction
- From David Gandy jokes to social media growth
- Paul’s early days in football coaching, modeling & recruitment
[06:00] – Founding Madison Warner & Early Success
- Growing a Rec2Rec firm before losing passion for recruitment
- The impact of fatherhood and shifting goals
[12:00] – Pandemic Pivot & Launching a Travel Business
- Starting a new business during lockdown
- Discovering opportunity in corporate travel incentives
- Partnering with London to Vegas founder James
[20:00] – The Birth of Incentify
- Why gym discounts don’t work for everyone
- Turning health habits into real travel discounts
- Building a points-based wellness platform for companies
[30:00] – Building a Brand on Instagram
- From 3,000 to 30,000 followers in 6 months
- Creating daily content as a busy dad & entrepreneur
- The power of relatability and showing the full journey
[38:00] – Closing Thoughts
- Leading by example in life, business & health
- Why discipline beats motivation
- Paul’s mission to help more dads get healthy & show up for their families
