The Founder’s Ascent.
Your own climb. An inspirational webinar to light the spark, a challenge to share with your team, the full Mental Toughness assessment with 1:1 coaching, and a real summit with an Everest summiteer — a private UK hill day, or Kilimanjaro itself. One measured journey that builds the mindset your business is really running on: yours.
A complete personal programme — from £3,950, or with your summit on Kilimanjaro from £4,100 plus + local partners costs (minimum additional £1,914).
You coach everyone else. Who’s building you?
As the founder, your mindset sets the ceiling for the whole business — but it’s the one thing that never gets worked on. You read the books and listen to the podcasts, yet under real pressure the old patterns win. The Founder’s Ascent fixes that the way a real mountain does: measure where you actually are, coach the gaps, and prove the change — not just feel inspired for a fortnight.
Inspiration that fades
A great talk lifts you for a week. We follow it with a challenge and coaching that make the shift stick.
Mindset you can’t measure
“Resilience” is usually a guess. We measure your mental toughness with the world-leading MTQ — a real baseline.
Working in, never on, yourself
You invest in the business and the team. This is the rare investment in the operator at the centre of it.
Four stages. One personal climb.
Each stage builds on the last — from first spark to embodied, evidenced change — with the MTQ assessment taken at the start and re-taken at the end to measure how far you’ve come.
Every stage earns its place.
Light the spark.
The problem: you’re busy, sceptical of “mindset” fluff, and short on time. What happens: you get free access to Ricky’s “Follow Your Dreams” keynote — the story from a Glasgow council estate to the summit of Everest — and the shared language of mental toughness the rest of the programme builds on.
The impact — a fresh perspective and the honest question: how tough is my thinking, really?
“Your ability to tell the story authentically and with humility brings your adventures powerfully to life. We salute you.”
Matt Smith · Head of Public Sector, Citrix UK&IBring your people with you.
The problem: personal development can feel selfish and solitary. What happens: you host a virtual challenge to a shared summit — for your team, your clients or your wider network (up to 100 people) — logging everyday activity toward one goal, with a cause worth climbing for.
The impact — you lead from the front: your people move with you, and your network sees it.
In a recent corporate challenge, 182 of 300 people took part — 61% — logging nearly 8,000 km between them.
Zendesk · Everest Base Camp virtual challengeMeasure it, then build it.
The problem: you can’t improve what you don’t measure — and no-one gives the founder honest, structured feedback. What happens: you take the world-leading MTQ mental-toughness assessment, and Ricky coaches you 1:1 on exactly what your data reveals — confidence, control, commitment and challenge.
The impact — a clear baseline and a personal plan, coached where it will actually count.
Where it becomes real.
The problem: mindset work learned at a desk rarely survives real pressure. What happens: you take your coaching onto a real mountain, 1:1 with Ricky. Choose a private UK hill day — a genuine summit close to home — or go all the way and make your summit Kilimanjaro, the Roof of Africa (5,895 m), on a guided 2027 expedition. Either way, the thinking meets real effort, altitude and weather, with your MTQ results in hand.
The impact — mental toughness embodied under real conditions, and a summit you’ll remember for years.
“The expedition leader — Everest summiteer Ricky Munday — led the expedition flawlessly. The feeling on the summit is something each of us will never forget.”
Jim Fairbairn · CEO, Megger Group · KilimanjaroProof, not promises.
The problem: most personal development leaves you with a feeling and nothing to show. What happens: you re-take the MTQ and compare it to your baseline — the distance travelled, in black and white.
The impact — evidence of change you can see, not just a good week on the hill.
Mental Toughness in the Death Zone.
Listen as Ricky describes how he responded positively to failure & adversity after turning back just below the Death Zone on Everest in 2017, before returning in 2018 to reach the summit.
Worth it — and worth putting a number on.
Bought as separate services, the Founder’s Ascent stacks up like this. As one personal programme it comes in below the sum of its parts — and delivers something the parts never could on their own: proof of the change. Your final stage — the summit — is yours to choose.
Choose your summit
- Webinar + shareable virtual challenge
- Full individual MTAP + 1:1 coaching
- A private 1:1 hill day with Ricky
- Measured MTQ re-assessment
- Everything in the programme, plus…
- A guided 2027 Kilimanjaro expedition (5,895 m)
- Led personally by Everest summiteer Ricky
- In-country & travel arranged directly (from £1,914)
A guide for the 1:1 programme, delivered privately with Ricky — every place is scoped to you, so your quote will differ, and each element is available on its own. Strictly limited: only a handful of 1:1 places run each year. The Kilimanjaro option includes your guiding; you arrange your in-country costs (from £1,914) and travel directly, exactly as on the expedition. Prices exclude VAT.
“I cannot recommend Ricky highly enough - the feedback and engagement across the firm was outstanding. Ricky is able to inspire you to work on your goals and realise that anything is possible.”
- Louise McCosh, Managing Director of FD People
Owners and leaders. Real results.
Ricky has worked with founders, blue-chip teams, professional bodies and the public sector — delivering talks, challenges and coaching that people remember and act on.
“I cannot recommend Ricky highly enough — the feedback and engagement across the firm was outstanding. He inspires you to work on your goals and realise that anything is possible.”
Louise McCoshManaging Director, FD People“A tough challenge in those conditions but a truly rewarding day. Looking forward to the next event with you.”
Stuart SearleOwner, SRS Partnership“Another great adventure with expert-level guidance and support. Already looking forward to what we can do next.”
Jonathan RedmanNetwork Engineer, Société GénéraleLoved your own climb? Take your whole company.
The Founder’s Ascent is the personal version of our flagship corporate programme. When you’re ready to build the same mental toughness across your team — talk, challenge, MTAP and a real outdoor challenge, with the change measured end to end — that’s the Everest Package.
Blue-chip teams. Real results.
Ricky has worked with small business owners, blue-chip companies, professional bodies and the public sector — from FTSE names to charities — delivering talks, challenges and coaching that people remember. As the founder of an award-winning social enterprise Ricky understands the pressures you face. As an experienced executive leader, he can relate to the strategic & operational challenges you deal with daily.
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“This was a truly memorable talk from an extraordinary man. Ricky’s story is straight from the heart; he is disarmingly honest about the hurdles he has had to overcome, and that still exist. His achievements are immense but there is no sense of bravado in how he talks about them; humility and passion for what he does. It’s quite evident that he had us all enthralled, and inspired.”
Barrie Laurie - Partner, French Duncan
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“Ricky delivered a truly inspirational talk to ICAS staff. Tales about his experience of reaching the summit of Mount Everest and the triumphs of pulling together as a team were perfect for inspiring achievement. Ricky left us motivated to set goals, work towards them with a laser focus, and try again if we don’t first succeed."
Keith Watson - Communications Director, ICAS
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“I set the Ricky the task of speaking to the team on challenging themselves in times of adversity. Amazing how many synergies there were to Ricky’s incredible Everest ascent that can be applied to every day business life. The team were in awe of what he had to say - thanks again for inspiring my team!”
Cameron Wade - Global Vice President, Keyloop
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“We were very lucky to welcome Ricky back to Deloitte to share his story with the team. Ricky’s story is fascinating, thought-provoking and inspiring - as is his work with his social enterprise Inspire Alpine. I would thoroughly recommend speaking to Ricky if your looking for someone to motivate your team to make the best of themselves whatever their age or background.”
Kevin Johnson - Partner, Deloitte
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"An inspiration - both as a speaker and as a fellow human being. Great stories, factual and informative but pitched appropriate for the audience. So pleased you finally made it to the top of Everest - can't wait for the next talk to hear all about it."
Philippa Kennard - Programme Director, NERC
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"We all enjoyed listening to Ricky's back story leading to Everest. His determination to achieve his life goal is a true inspiration. It gave us all a real insight into overcoming adversity and how to keep focused on your end goal. If you want something enough you can make it happen. In addition to this, his ability to tell the story authentically and with humility brings his adventures powerfully to life.
Matt Smith - UK & Ireland Sales Director, Citrix
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"Thanks Ricky for a superb talk at our client event. What's interesting to me is how relevant Ricky's talk is to so many people. Our audience of business owners were inspired and entertained, but equally one of the actions I took down was for me to introduce Ricky to my local high school where my kids go. Ricky's message is, in my view, critical for young kids to hear too."
Alan Smith - Business Coach, ActionCOACH
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"We are a smaller school group in a specialist provision. Many lack resilience and motivation. You could literally hear a pin drop. Ricky pitched his presentation perfectly and everyone enjoyed. The pupils still talk about him! Truly inspirational."
Fiona Milligan - Hillpark Secondary School
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"Wow! What a fantastic way to spend a Monday morning. Our students were mesmerised by the stories of perseverance and resilience to summit Everest and complete the Marathon des Sables. The messages that failure is part of the learning journey and anything is possible couldn't have been clearer. I couldn't recommend Ricky highly enough"
Sarah Campbell - Headteacher, Settlebeck School
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"There's talks, then there's a truly spellbinding talk from Ricky Munday. Still reeling from hearing it at Bohunt Trust INSET day yesterday."
Ben Wilcox - Assistant Head, Bohunt Wokingham
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"Ricky's story on scaling Everest is inspiring in itself, but even more so, was the theme of tenacity after falling off his life wagons and just getting back on again. And again. And again. Just brilliant. Look out for the work Ricky does with young people to help them find their purpose and realise potential ."
Julie Diver - Founder, 39steps
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"You could literally hear a pin drop as our pupils listened with complete fascination to Ricky's amazing, inspirational adventure proving that determination and never giving up helps achieve dreams. We absolutely loved having Ricky visit and was amazing to see how engaged and how inquisitive our pupils were with his adventures. You never know, you may have inspired the next future generation of explorers!"
Lynne Scott - Sandwood School
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"A truly inspiring talk by Ricky, enjoyed by students and staff alike. Ricky was able to engage with even the most challenging students because he was very 'real'. This is not a story about something that has just come easily but a dream achieved through hard work and determination. Now more than ever, young people are needing to learn to be resilient and look after both their mental and physical well-being. I would highly recommend booking this talk as it will apply to anyone, whatever stage they are at in life."
Chantal Dean - Assistant Head Teacher, Pewsey Vale School
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"Ricky delivered an inspirational lecture to our 4th year students, awesome advice and very clear messages delivered in an engaging manner. A first class service provided by someone who wants to make a difference for society."
Craig McLaughlin - Associate Dean, University of Strathclyde
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"Ricky's talk to 170 staff about following our dreams and overcoming obstacles in the Marathon des Sables and his Everest attempts had us all totally gripped from start to finish. Feedback from staff has been tremendous and everyone so appreciated Ricky's openness and honesty about how he had overcome the various obstacles during his life and achieved such fantastic things. Had we all been in the same room, it would have been "pin drop" quiet - as it was, the comments on the Teams chat expressed everyone's appreciation of this incredible story."
Sarah Burwood - Health Improvement, Public Health England
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"Yesterday we enjoyed a great day helping clients plan what they need to do in the next 90 days...mindshifts galore. We were priveleged to have Ricky enthrall us with his journey to date. You could hear a pin drop at some points. His tales of his epic experiences and finding his purpose really resonated.
Yvonne Webb - Business Coach
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"Ricky attended an induction session for the BA Accountancy students at Glasgow Caledonian University, he gave them an incredibly inspiring talk. He discussed how he had progressed through his career and then spent sometime discussing his Everest adventures. Both students and staff were mesmerised and inspired by him. I would not hesitate to recommend him!"
Wendy Mazzucco - Senior Lecturer, Glasgow Caledonian University
Start your ascent.
Book a free 15-minute call and Ricky will shape the Founder’s Ascent around you — your goals, your team, your summit — and come back with a plan.
Book a call