Business Value
The Perfection Blind Spot
Friday night was one of those perfect Dubai evenings. Good wine at happy hour. Then a short walk to a neighbouring restaurant where alcohol wasn’t
December 15, 2025
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Friday night was one of those perfect Dubai evenings. Good wine at happy hour. Then a short walk to a neighbouring restaurant where alcohol wasn’t
This week had one theme: Owners sabotaging themselves — not from stupidity, but from the illusions that sound smart. Let’s review the carnage… MONDAY —
Yesterday I shared the story of Jason Weaver — the young Simba voice actor who chose $100,000 plus lifetime royalties over a $2 million upfront
“Poor man wanna be rich… rich man wanna be king…and a king ain’t satisfied until rules everything”-Bruce Springsteen “Badlands” Bruce wasn’t talking about business owners.
Last month, A Business owner “Sam” pulled me aside to tell me about his ex-employee – a brilliant operations manager — Sarah — who walked
“But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome
This week I had one theme: Business owners who fail because of the beliefs that run their business. Four stories. Four different owners. Four ways
He was looking to sell his business and wanted to get the best price. His high-priced consultant told him… “It needs to be bigger.. now”
“You know you need to fire her.. right?” “But she’s nearly half my revenue…” “True and she’s killing you and your business by a thousand
I’m back at the outdoor café on a perfect 25°C morning — the same place the PigeonWaffe dive-bombed me last week. This time I made
If you could go back in time, what would you tell your 18-year-old self? Most people say things like: “Don’t be so stupid.” “Grow up.”
This week was about one thing: How otherwise smart business owners slowly — and often proudly — destroy the very thing they spent years building.
“Sarah Connor?” (Insert heavy Arnold Austrian accent.) “Yes…” That moment in The Terminator when you realise this machine will do anything — absolutely anything —
I told you about my trip to Greece Every restaurant in Greece used to end your meal with a complimentary fruit platter. Fresh watermelon. Perfect
November in Dubai is when we finally “spread our wings” and sit outside again after six months of being slow-roasted alive. So there I was,
$20 for a litre of orange juice. At my daughter’s 6th birthday party venue. “Do we at least get an open bar?” I asked my
Four business owners. Four different industries. Four ways to fumble the gold already in their hands. This week wasn’t about motivation. It was about mirrors.
My friend runs music festivals — 50,000 people per day. Sounds massive, right? Except after paying venues, artists, vendors, security, insurance… he’s left holding crumbs.
At one of my Profit & Dine Dinner Masterminds, Bruce — owner of a cybersecurity company — was losing it. “Everyone wants something for free…”
“Because that’s not how it’s done.” Five words that have killed more businesses than any recession. Yesterday I shared how I gave away a million-dollar
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
Yesterday I talked about that Aaron Rodgers Netflix special — the part where he breaks down how the same throw can have wildly different odds
I started watching a Netflix special on Aaron Rodgers the other night. What grabbed me wasn’t the drama. It was how he spoke about probability.
“Spoke to the VP at XYZ. He said no — the Chairman already has a charity they support, so they won’t be participating.” Boy… big
“I like your post directly sent to my attention. Lets see what time does hahahhah you are actually a funny man…” A blast from the
There’s a moment every business owner hits. Not the breakdown. Not the burnout. The moment before that — when you realise you’re fooling yourself. This
This week’s stories all had one thing in common: They started in the wreckage. The mirror moment — when the problem wasn’t “out there,” but
Mark had everything most business owners dream of. A company pulling seven figures. A loyal team. Even a nice villa, with a view that made
Last Friday, during the SBC M&A Deep Dive, one of the participants said something that nailed what’s wrong with most business owners in our region:
At a recent event, I met the owner of one of the top PR agencies in the region. She was brilliant — sharp, strategic, and
Friday night was one of those perfect Dubai evenings. Good wine at happy hour. Then a short walk to a neighbouring restaurant where alcohol wasn’t
This week had one theme: Owners sabotaging themselves — not from stupidity, but from the illusions that sound smart. Let’s review the carnage… MONDAY —
Yesterday I shared the story of Jason Weaver — the young Simba voice actor who chose $100,000 plus lifetime royalties over a $2 million upfront
“Poor man wanna be rich… rich man wanna be king…and a king ain’t satisfied until rules everything”-Bruce Springsteen “Badlands” Bruce wasn’t talking about business owners.
Last month, A Business owner “Sam” pulled me aside to tell me about his ex-employee – a brilliant operations manager — Sarah — who walked
“But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome
This week I had one theme: Business owners who fail because of the beliefs that run their business. Four stories. Four different owners. Four ways
He was looking to sell his business and wanted to get the best price. His high-priced consultant told him… “It needs to be bigger.. now”