
Spinning Gold into Hay
“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
End Burnout — Fall in Love with Your Business. Full Access and all calls $997. Get Your Spot

“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

Before leaving for RAK with the family, I sat down and made sure three different client milestones were completed and delivered, so that nothing left

Before heading to Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) with the family for a couple of days I had to stay home for the LG technicians to

A digital agency owner I’ll call David lost a pitch last year to a competitor who charged nearly double his price. Same scope. Same deliverables.

There’s a documentary called Jiro Dreams of Sushi about a man named Jiro Ono who runs a ten-seat sushi restaurant in a Tokyo subway station.

After my post of Sophia on a horse, I received the following email. Hi George, I went to that polo club on Monday. My daughter

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

Spend more time with family. Earn more while working less. Fire bad clients. Buy back your time.”
You’ve heard all the promises.
You’ve probably even paid for them.
But if they’re so common, why do so few actually live them?
This one’s for the business owner who knows the script… but hasn’t seen the ending.
Let’s find out why. And fix it.

You’re up late. You’re up early. And even when you’re out, you’re still “in.”
The phone buzzes. The inbox explodes. Your team can’t breathe without your approval.
It’s not just stress.
It’s business-induced sleep deprivation.
You built this company for freedom — so why does it feel like a trap?
Especially if you’re pushing 7 figures and feeling stuck in the grind..

You ever been stuck in the mud?
I mean really stuck—wheels spinning, engine revving, mud flying everywhere… and going nowhere.
That was me at a Boston concert in ’86.
It’s also most business owners I meet today.
They’re busy. Covered in stress.
But progress? Zero.
This post isn’t about music or mud.
It’s about the silent killer of your business valuation—and how to spot it before it buries you.

You gave it everything.
Time. Energy. Sacrifice.
And now, just when you thought you’d step back…
The wind hits harder.
The exit you imagined feels further away.
This one’s for the business owners still sprinting through the storm — not because they want to, but because they have to.
If the finish line feels like it keeps moving…
It might be that you’re just running the wrong way …. against the wind.

What does your business do when you leave the building?
Many owners dream of a real vacation—one without guilt, panic, or inbox chaos.
But too many can’t step away without something breaking.
They’re not weak. They’ve just built the business wrong.
If your holidays feel more like landmines than getaways…
You’re not alone.
But you can fix it.
Here’s a 60-second gut check worth taking