Back in my Mideast FX days, I built something that—looking back—makes me shake my head.
Using our trading volume and the pricing flows we saw all day long, I created a pricing screen that became thebenchmark for the entire region.
Banks marked their books off it.
Hedge funds relied on it.
Analysts refreshed it all day long.
My page became the unofficial “gold standard” for indicative pricing.
And what did I charge for it?
Nothing.
Not a pound.
Not a penny.
Because I had bought into the delusion that spraying “value” everywhere like a caffeinated firehose would magically boomerang business back to us.
It didn’t.
Instead, every month we had the same ridiculous arguments with “clients” who gave us zero volume but somehow wanted to influence the screens they weren’t even paying for.
And I wasn’t bold enough back then to say what I should have said:
“Give me flow and I’ll listen.
Until then, go **** yourself and mark your own screens.”
I bring this up because I met my wife’s cousin’s husband yesterday who was in town for a major conference.
And he is part of a multi-million dollar business whose entire business is literally selling the kind of data and market colour I gave away for free
Recurring Revenue.
Predictable Revenue.
Scalable to the nth degree.
While I was in hustling mode, scrambling for deals every day, chasing income and overlooking the gold (i.e. the equity that could be created) and giving it away for free.
I wish I had someone who could have slapped me in the face by pointing it out.
And it reminded me of something I see every week with business owners:
You can be brilliant… and still miss the gold underneath you because you’re too busy sprinting after pennies.
If I had today’s mindset back then, that story would have ended very differently.
It’s a mistake I don’t repeat — and one I help my clients avoid in their own companies.
So ask yourself today:
Where is the gold in your business that you’re giving away… or worse, not even seeing?
We’ll dig deeper into this all week.
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P.S. I’m not the “systems,” “finance,” or “fix your processes” guy.
I help you fall in love with your business again—Because it finally gives you the life you want today
While setting you up to exit on your terms tomorrow.
Join my list for blunt insights and practical strategies to build a business that gives you your life back – and the power to walk away, when you’re ready, on your terms