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 —
He went in for a routine surgery.
The doctor made a mistake.
Now the business is dead…
And the family has nothing.
This is why you build something that can outlive you.
Read the full story — and ask yourself one hard question.
The moment a restaurant stops treating you like a guest — and starts treating you like a transaction — they’ve already lost.
This week in Greece, I watched one of my old favourites collapse into mediocrity.
The reason? A slice of watermelon.
Most businesses chase transactions.
Smart ones? They build cult followings.
I just watched a beachside restaurant out-earn, outlast, and out-love its competition — without slashing prices or begging for tips.
Here’s what they really sell… and what your business could be missing.
One seafood restaurant in Greece raised prices — and still packed every table.
The others? Empty chairs and desperate staff.
Here’s the small decision that made the difference — and how it applies to your business today.
He had 18 staff, $4M in revenue, and not enough cash to pay himself right.
The problem wasn’t growth.
It was margin starvation — and it nearly sank him.
Find out what we did (and what most owners avoid until it’s too late).
“I think we’re selling to the wrong people…”
That’s what Mark told me over coffee.
He was burned out, buried in support tickets, and wondering why all the growth efforts were going nowhere.
He didn’t need a new product.
He just needed to fire the wrong clients.
Here’s what happened next.
What if your most profitable move was firing your biggest client?
That’s what Rebecca discovered.
One client was draining her energy, hijacking her time, demanding discounts, and blaming her for everything.
She was terrified to cut the cord.
45 days later?
– 3 new clients
– Higher profit margins
– More energy
– And peace she hadn’t felt in years
Sometimes subtraction is the real multiplier.
A beachside restaurant went to war with the club next door.
They got what they wanted… but lost everything in the process.
A cautionary tale about envy, strategy, and why scarcity thinking kills.
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