Over the holidays I caught up with some reading including Dan Kennedy. He talked about Good Enough. How to not waste time and money trying
35 years ago right before Christmas I was in Berlin. Table after Table were set up with memorabilia you could buy from the Old East
We all remember Carrie Fisher at Princess Leia… but she was also the jilted girlfriend in the Blue Brothers. She has caught up with Jake
Beat … Beat…. Beat… “Another One Bites the Dust” The music would blast The lights would flash And he came out. Heaving curls… set after
Tomorrow we fly back to Dubai. It has been enjoyable being back in London and Wales Revisiting places I used to live and work and
Happy New Year. Today was a brilliant sunny day in Wales … warm enough to take a nice walk while still needing to bundle up
Well… this is it. The last day of the year. Thank you — to my clients, partners, friends, colleagues, and everyone who let me into
Not long ago, Salesforce proudly announced it had slashed roughly 4,000 customer service jobs, handing the workload over to AI bots instead. The message was
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 —
Most founders overcomplicate their business and chase low-value customers. Discover how to simplify, systemize, and scale your business for profit, positioning, and exit — even if you’re stuck in the grind today
“Just pick a dress!”
That’s me this morning — negotiating like a hostage negotiator with a 4-year-old who couldn’t decide what to wear.
What would have worked much better? A uniform. A hard system (which she will be required to wear starting next week Tuesday).
And that’s when it hit me —
Most founders don’t have uniforms in their business.
They’ve got chaos, decisions, firefighting… every single day.
Here’s the wake-up call (and the solution)
“Why are you grabbing their shoes?”
My wife wasn’t wrong — and her comment hit harder than I expected.
Because I’ve seen too many business owners make the exact same mistake — and stay stuck for years because of it.
Read on and see if this common life and business killer looks familiar and what you can do about it.
“I didn’t want the business. I just wanted my dad.”
A reader sent me that after my last post — and it remined me of the song Cat in the Cradle.
His father built a profitable company from nothing.
But it took everything from him.
Time. Health. Connection. Life.
When he finally offered it to his son —
the answer was no.
Not because the business didn’t make money.
But because no one else could survive it.
Founders, if you’re building something no one wants to inherit…
Maybe it’s time to change what you’re building
He built it for his son.
His son didn’t want it.
And now the business is gone.
Founders — your legacy only matters if someone actually wants it.
Let me show you how to make sure it’s worth passing on — or selling for millions.
I haven’t trimmed my beard in two weeks.
Not because I’m lazy.
Because the only guy I trust is out of town — and I’d rather look like a werewolf than let the wrong hands touch my face.
That’s loyalty.
And if your business doesn’t have customers who feel that way about you — you’re leaving a goldmine untapped.
Let me tell you why the best clients are the “wolfmen”…
(And why you never, ever let them go.)
I saw a restaurant commit business suicide.
I watched a project lose its sponsor and still gain value.
And I spent 7 weeks away — not because I’m rich.
But because I built for control.
Most entrepreneurs build themselves a cage.
Q4 is about unlocking the door — and stepping into open roads and open skies.
If you want real control over your time, money, and relationships…
Stay tuned.
What if the client you’re afraid to lose… is actually the one suffocating your business?
I’ve fired clients before.
Some readers hated me for saying that.
Some unsubscribed.
But what happened next was a lesson in revenue, sanity, and scaling.
Blindly believing that the “client is always right” can be a recipe for killing your business margins and your family life.
Sign up to receive daily insights, actionable strategies, and expert advice to help you free up your time, boost profits, and build a sellable business.