
What is Your Customer Lifetime Vintage?
One of my favourite stories is the Barefoot winery acquisition I shared before. Where the seller closed a deal to sell his wine business that

One of my favourite stories is the Barefoot winery acquisition I shared before. Where the seller closed a deal to sell his wine business that

The Christmas story has a dark chapter to it. When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and

Adeste fideles, laeti triumphantes, Venite, venite in Bethlehem. Natum videte, Regem angelorum: Venite adoremus, venite adoremus, Venite adoremus… Dominum. When I was a kid

One more sleep shouted my girls as they tear apart the last box on their advent calendars. One more sleep until Christmas Watching their joy

We woke up early our first day in London. “Let’s go show the kids the Christmas Decorations in Harrod’s windows.” I proposed. They would love

This week you would have noticed a pattern. Many businesses don’t fail just because of competition, the economy or the markets. They failed long before

“Winterwonderland!? Get ready to get ripped off” Admission – Cha Ching Unlimited Ride Pass for kids – Cha Ching Meals – Cha Ching Rides for

One by one the University of Chicago MBAs lined up to meet the older man who accompanied the young female Goldman FX trader who was

“Growing sales killed my business.” It was sad.. resigned.. And his voice has been in my head since the event.. John had followed the

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

Recurring revenue is one of the four levers investors love. Money that arrives like clockwork. Predictable. Bankable. The kind of revenue that lets you plan

Yesterday I told you about a company that nailed its niche. Fuel delivery to your doorstep. Specific. Underserved. Painful enough that people happily paid for

Yesterday I talked about the four levers investors care about. Today we start with the first one: profitable niches. And I want to tell you

Here’s something that stings when you first hear it. Investors don’t care how hard you work. They don’t care about your 5am starts, your grinding

This week wasn’t random. It was about understanding what you’re really selling. And having the spine to protect it. We started with the dog grooming

“Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in.” My favourite line from my least favourite Godfather movie. And I hear it

I live next to the Headquarters of one of the largest Grocery chains in the Middle East. They have a full-size café which is the

“I’m really sorry that because I’m so attractive, you chose this expensive restaurant for our date.” She raised her glass for a pour. At the