Please note that this title is currently out of stock but is available for pre-order. While we don’t have an exact publishing date yet, it is expected to be available within approximately 4 to 6 weeks.
£10.99
Ashley Mills grew up in a Yorkshire mill town, a mixed-race boy raised by a single mother in a world of gangs, prejudice, and poverty – and didn’t meet his Jamaican father until he was thirty. On paper, the odds were against him. In reality, they were forging the resilience, focus, and drive that would take him all the way to the top. From the backstreets of Morley to elite boardrooms in Zurich and Dubai,
Built Without a Blueprint is part gripping memoir, part resilience playbook – revealing the mindsets, strategies, and hard truths that turn life’s toughest starting points into unstoppable momentum. Each chapter closes with a Blueprint -distilled lessons on resilience, identity, leadership, and legacy. If you’ve ever felt like an outsider, wondered how to turn absence into advantage, or wanted to lead on your own terms, this is your guide.
If you connected with Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, Brit(ish) by Afua Hirsch, or Maybe I Don’t Belong Here by David Harewood, this is your next unforgettable read.
“Ashley Mills’ story is proof that where you start doesn’t define how far you can go – a powerful call to action for resilience, representation, and belief.”
— RIC LEWIS, Founder of The Black Heart Foundation, Chair of The Crown Estate, Executive Chairman and CIO of Tristan Capital Partners, and The Powerlist 2019’s Most Powerful Black Briton.
“Ashley’s story touched me, inspired me, and taught me the meaning of true resilience – and how being different can be a superpower.”
– MUSTAFA SHAMSELDIN, Senior Vice President, PepsiCo; Forbes Top 50 Storyteller.
“An unforgettable memoir of hard-won lessons and an invitation to reflect on your own story – to craft your own blueprint in service of others.”
– STEVEN D’SOUZA, Senior Partner, Korn Ferry; bestselling Author of Made in Britain and Shadows at Work.
“Built Without a Blueprint is a lifeline for anyone who has felt unseen, a rare blend of raw emotion and vital business wisdom.”
– RAKI R. PHILIPS, Regional President, Accor; CEO & Middle East Businessperson of the Year 2023.
“Ashley Mills transforms the pain of father absence into resilience, authenticity, and leadership, a role model for anyone seeking to break cycles and transcend struggle.”
– GARY R. HAYES – Jungian Psychoanalyst, Faculty Member at the International School of Analytical Psychology, Zürich.
“Built Without a Blueprint carries both heart and tenacity, and shows how resilience becomes leadership.”
– DR. SELINA NERI, CEO, Dean & Co-Founder of the Institute for Future Readiness; Thinkers50 Radar Class of 2025.
“A beautiful example of the treasures we find when we search our stories for wisdom. Ashley Mills has given us a guide for using the past to elevate the future, a wonderful gift.”
– MICHAEL STANFORD, D.Prof, Managing Director, Summit Leadership, and author of Leadership Transition: How Leaders Turn Chaos Into Growth
“Built Without a Blueprint is more than a memoir, it’s an invitation to see adversity not as limitation but as the foundation for leadership, resilience, and growth.”
– JOHNY ZAKHEM, Group Chief Financial Officer and Business Officer, Raffles & Fairmont Hotels.
“Reading Built Without a Blueprint, I felt inspired. Ashley Mills’ story of resilience and identity spoke directly to my own journey, offering not only hope but also practical insight on leadership, belonging, and growth.”
– DR. YUSAF H. AKBAR, Professor of Management and Strategy, Central European University, Vienna.
“Ashley’s career and life story are powerful examples of what can be achieved through determination, curiosity, and purposeful leadership. His ability to transform challenges into opportunities and to inspire those around him has always set him apart.”
– IULIANA ISARESCU, Chief People Officer, Piaget, Richemont Group.
“As someone who knows what it means to push through limits on the track and in life, I found Built Without a Blueprint deeply moving, a testament to resilience, identity, and the strength it takes to succeed against the odds.”
— MARK RICHARDSON OLY, Olympian, former World Champion 4x400m, and Senior Client Partner & EMEA Practice Lead, Korn Ferry.
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ASHLEY MILLS is a Senior Partner at Korn Ferry, the world’s leading executive search and leadership advisory firm. Born to a single mother in a working-class Yorkshire town, he built a global career spanning London, Paris, Geneva, Zurich, and Dubai. Holding an Executive MBA with a specialisation in Occupational Psychology, Ashley combines behavioural insight with practical leadership experience. Through Built Without a Blueprint, he shares his journey of overcoming fatherlessness and breaking cycles, inspiring others to lead, live, and build legacy on their own terms.
