Listen "People Make Pyllon: Patience, Purpose and the Long Game with Douglas Emslie"
Episode Synopsis
In this episode of People Make Pyllon, Paul speaks with Douglas Emslie, a runner, entrepreneur and long-time coaching client who spent over 25 years building a global events business before selling it for over $1 billion.
But this conversation is about more than business. It's about what it takes to build something that lasts, and how running can reflect that process. Douglas shares the lessons he's learned from a career lived at scale, the importance of consistency during turbulent times, and why people and purpose matter more than pace.
They also explore Douglas’s personal path through grief, change and reinvention. That includes the launch of TrailCon, a new event designed to bring the trail running world together in a more open, collaborative way.
Whether you're building a business, a coaching practice or a life in motion, this one is full of ideas worth holding on to.
In this episode
What building a billion dollar business teaches you about endurance
How running supported Douglas through grief, travel and transition
The story and vision behind TrailCon
The value of long term thinking in business, sport and life
What the trail world needs next
How purpose and people build resilience
🔗 Stay connected
Subscribe to The Ultra Life, Paul's weekly letter:
👉 https://pyllon.substack.com
Watch films and episodes on YouTube:
👉 https://youtube.com/pyllon
Follow on Instagram:
👉 https://instagram.com/pyllon
👉 https://instagram.com/pyllonultra
Interested in coaching or collaboration?
👉 https://pyllonultra.com
But this conversation is about more than business. It's about what it takes to build something that lasts, and how running can reflect that process. Douglas shares the lessons he's learned from a career lived at scale, the importance of consistency during turbulent times, and why people and purpose matter more than pace.
They also explore Douglas’s personal path through grief, change and reinvention. That includes the launch of TrailCon, a new event designed to bring the trail running world together in a more open, collaborative way.
Whether you're building a business, a coaching practice or a life in motion, this one is full of ideas worth holding on to.
In this episode
What building a billion dollar business teaches you about endurance
How running supported Douglas through grief, travel and transition
The story and vision behind TrailCon
The value of long term thinking in business, sport and life
What the trail world needs next
How purpose and people build resilience
🔗 Stay connected
Subscribe to The Ultra Life, Paul's weekly letter:
👉 https://pyllon.substack.com
Watch films and episodes on YouTube:
👉 https://youtube.com/pyllon
Follow on Instagram:
👉 https://instagram.com/pyllon
👉 https://instagram.com/pyllonultra
Interested in coaching or collaboration?
👉 https://pyllonultra.com
More episodes of the podcast The Pyllon Ultra Pod
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21/11/2025
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