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
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
“I want to finally step away from the day-to-day… and still have the business grow.”
It’s the dream.
But most owners build a business that does the exact opposite.
One that can’t grow without them.
One that dies the second they step back.
The business you’re building right now —
Will it run without you?
Or does it trap you?
Take 60 seconds to find out.
An investor asked for 36 months of revenue.
Simple request.
What he got?
Confusion.
Contradictions.
Spreadsheet gymnastics worthy of Cirque du Soleil.
He didn’t have time to play detective.
So he moved on.
And the seller — after years of sweat and sacrifice — walked away with a lowball offer.
Why?
Because confusion kills deals.
And risk? It gets priced in.
It’s every founder’s dream:
More leads.
More sales.
More growth.
Until it becomes a nightmare.
Deadlines slip.
Customers walk.
Your team burns out — or you do.
The truth is, more business doesn’t always mean a better business.
If your systems, structure, and team can’t absorb the wave — it will drown you.
Here’s how to know if your business is built to scale… or barely treading water
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