Business Value
The Advisor Who Cried Wolf and Meant It
So what is it you want to see? My client was asking me earnestly. I had just come with a dozen requests and he was
September 2, 2026
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So what is it you want to see? My client was asking me earnestly. I had just come with a dozen requests and he was
“I’d have got rid of Dean four years ago. I just can’t.” Rob runs an industrial packaging distribution company. Six million in revenue, thirty-one staff,
In my last post I told you about the scowling woman at the restaurant who put a deep flurry of clouds in the experience when
They say things happen in threes. I told you about my Grumps experience by the seaside. Well within 48 hours we stopped in the Gower
“She’s a bucket of sunshine” My wife Natalie exclaimed after our waitress rolled her eyes when we said we need a minute or two to
“That’s a palace?” my daughters exclaimed. Their eyes were declaring what their mouths were too polite to say. That’s complete ***t. So they weren’t impressed
“Wisdom is worth more than silver; it makes you much richer than gold. Wisdom is more valuable than precious jewels; nothing you want compares with
I have been out of touch for a week or so. Not because I am blowing you all off but just to step back and
Friday was fun. I organised an afternoon lunch and then happy hour with over a dozen business owners and service providers. We didn’t have an
“I learned more from a 3 minute record than I ever learned in school” Bruce Springsteen – “No Retreat, No Surrender” In the mid 80s
You know what’s funny about my business? The wide variety of industries and situations I get called into that differ significantly on the surface but
Last day of FAQ week. And this one is the question that separates the owners who end up with options from those who end up
Day 2 of FAQ week. Today’s question hits a nerve with almost every owner I talk to. “You talk about building a business that runs
It’s a holiday week all across the globe with bank holidays in the West and US, Eid here in the Mideast, and Pentecost both last
I recently met a business owner generating nine figures in revenue. Multiple suitors circling. The kind of interest most owners dream about. And none of
Paul and David both started logistics companies around the same time. Both built them to roughly $8 million in revenue with teams of about 30
Yesterday I told you about the blind man and the Pharisees and how the experts who were supposed to see most clearly were the ones
In the Gospel of John there’s a scene that has always stuck with me. Jesus encounters a man who has been blind since birth and
Yesterday I ran an intimate M&A deep dive breakfast with eight professionals who all touch mergers and acquisitions from different angles and what came out
Last night I attended a hosted dinner featuring Gaston Hochar, the third-generation family owner of Chateau Musar, one of Lebanon’s most iconic wineries.Twenty-four of us
Met a guy called Adam at the gym this week. We got talking between sets and he mentioned he’d recently exited a cybersecurity firm here
Over the weekend one of my email subscribers asked if he could get in on the Pioneer deal because he didn’t have time to sign
She nailed it. So I agreed to having Mitch Martina Cleaning Company come to our house for a deep cleaning of the apartment even though
The other day I took my youngest to a new café while we waited for her sister to finish school. When we sat down the
Monday’s business growth cohort call for Fall in Love with Your Business Again went somewhere I didn’t plan. What was supposed to be a walkthrough
A carpet cleaner in Baltimore charges double what everyone else charges. He has a waiting list. His competitors slash prices to win jobs and wonder
The Answer Changed the Wine Industry. A few years ago when I was working as a Value Builder Advisor with John Warrillow’s Built to Sell
Today is St George’s Day. My namesake and patron saint. Legend has him on a horse slaying a dragon. Well forget the dragon because the
Who do you think won my business? Met a wealth advisor at a networking event a while back. Seemed sharp. We agreed to grab a
Ever walked into a room and instantly knew something stank?
That’s how a buyer sees your business—if it’s too reliant on you, a key client, or a fragile process.
I had my own “what’s that smell?” moment at the gym this morning.
It reminded me how blind owners can be to what’s festering in their business until it’s too late.
Here’s how to know where you stand—before the stink costs you everything.
One business owner I met is leaving Dubai this summer—for 3 months.
His only concern? The kids’ school calendar.
His business doesn’t need him.
Another owner? He’s starting over.
His last business collapsed because it relied on too few clients—and too much of him.
Both are focused on building real equity now.
How about you?
Will your business give you options… or excuses?
A bug in my own system.
That’s what I found this week—thanks to a friend in my corner.
It messed up results from my 60-Second Survey. And it reminded me of something powerful:
You can’t build a business of real value if you’re surrounded by yes-men or quiet bystanders.
You need people who’ll call out the bugs—especially the ones you can’t see.
Took me a bit of time to fix. Might take you just 60 seconds to start.
Most business owners say they want freedom.
Time. Peace. A business that doesn’t own them.
But saying you “want it” isn’t the same as doing what it takes.
This story is about a business owner working 16-hour days, ruining his marriage — and for what? Micromanaging his way into misery.
Wanting a sellable business is one thing.
Working for it — the right way — is another.
This one’s about the difference.
I’m not a tax consultant.
But I keep getting cold emails written like I am.
No research. No relevance. No unsubscribe link.
Just like the copy-paste advice that traps so many business owners in jobs they can’t quit.
If you’ve ever paid for “the answer” and got a mess that wasted your time instead…
You’ll get this.
This one’s for the 7-figure owner sick of templates and hungry for real traction.
Some teams are known for winning. Others… for ruining careers.
When the stakes are high and the spotlight is on, even the best talent dies in the wrong system.
So here’s the question:
If someone stepped into your business today—could they thrive without you?
Or would it bury them?
You may be running a machine… or a minefield.
Find out before it’s too late.
Take the 60-second Business Exit Readiness Survey
He was right there.
Cornered.
Surrounded.
One call would’ve ended the mission.
But the decision-maker… choked.
Not because of bad intel.
Not because of a surprise ambush.
But because of turf.
What does this have to do with you and your business?
A lot more than you think.
Because if you’ve ever handed the reins to someone who couldn’t finish the job —
You’re about to meet your Rumsfeld moment.
They had Bin Laden in their sights.
A thousand men ready to finish the job.
And the operation was called off—because of ego and turf wars.
This isn’t just history.
It’s a warning to every founder who aims to let go… but does so to the wrong person
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