It was a hot summer day in New York. I was 16, and my dad was running an ad campaign for a South African company he was launching in the U.S., featuring the world’s first wind-up radio. TV advertising was a big deal at the time, so he had 20 phones set up in a call center, ready to hire a team to take orders through the night. I admired his boldness — but it seemed risky. What if no one responded?

I asked if I could run the call center myself. Instead of hiring a team, I ran a long phone line into my bedroom and took four calls overnight. I lost some sleep, but I made him $400 — and saved thousands in overhead. That product went on to generate over $30 million in sales within a few years.

That moment sparked a lifelong interest in smart, creative go-to-market thinking: using resources wisely, managing risk, and guiding great ideas to success.

Since then, I’ve worked with businesses of all kinds — from single-product startups to global companies with thousands of SKUs. From consumer gadgets to software platforms. I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to move a product from idea to success — and what causes great ideas to stall out along the way.

My focus today is helping ambitious founders and teams find the right path to market — one that minimizes risk, aligns with their goals, and unlocks their full potential. Whether I’m speaking with a Fortune 500 company, an independent shop owner, or an end-user, I love helping them understand what makes a product or service truly disruptive.

What draws me in are ideas that challenge the status quo — the ones that improve, innovate, or define entirely new categories.

If you're building something with that kind of potential, let’s talk.

— StJohn
(Pronounced “Sin-Gin,” in case you’re wondering!)