Our story
No plan. Just a leap.
Two lads from the doors who decided the life on offer wasn't the one they wanted. This is how we got here, and why we think we can help you.
Where it started
We both started out knocking doors for McQueens Dairies, selling milk. It's a hard place to learn sales. You hear no all day, and you learn fast how to keep going after it.
Rory
Three years in sales
From milk I moved to door to door with Virgin, selling broadband, TV and mobiles. I hit my targets and was offered the chance to coach others internally.
Instead I moved into B2B, selling HR systems to small and medium businesses. I was good at it. I didn't enjoy it. That told me something.
Blake
Four years in sales
From milk I moved into property and acquisitions, and brought in a lot of revenue doing it.
Then remote sales at Kanda, a company offering finance to sole traders and small businesses so they could offer it to their own customers. I had the chance to climb the ladder there, until the company went into liquidation.
The leap
We'd both done well. We had some savings and a picture of a better life, but no idea where to go. So we jumped with no plan, and we've been figuring it out as we go ever since.
It's not a risk if the life you're giving up isn't the one you want. Whatever anyone expects of you.
The hardest part
Keeping faith. Being patient. Building with no guarantees and no clear view of where it ends. Life doesn't pause because you started a business, either. What's got us through is pushing on, building better habits, and working to become the kind of people who can handle it.
What we're building
Qualforge builds AI agents that give tradespeople their time back. AI is already here, but most people still talk about it as the future. For us that made it now or never.
Trades will be around long after a lot of other jobs, so the demand is real. We don't just want to take tasks off their hands. We want to do those tasks better than they could, for them. The Founders Process is us filming that, start to finish.
What shaped us
Rory grew up helping care for his sister. He had to grow up faster to protect her and be there for her every day. She's taught him more than anyone and made him a better person.
Blake had a hard upbringing. His family came apart, and he had to look after his brother and get them both out of a bad situation. He went from a troubled kid to someone who wants to help others and make a real difference.
What people come to us for
Sales, mostly. Getting into it, getting better at it, and selling your own thing. We've done all three.
Our friends would call us compassionate, patient, funny and understanding. We'll tell you straight, and we'll care how it goes for you.
What we won't advise on
- Anything illegal
- Which investments to buy. We'll share what we did, not tell you what to do
- Legal or tax questions
- Medical or mental health treatment. If things are serious, we'll point you to people who can help
Ready to chase something?
Apply for an hour with one or both of us.