This week I told you a story. A company that found a niche so good it felt like magic. Fuel delivered to your doorstep. A
I was a loyal customer. Weekly fuel deliveries. Used the car wash. Topped up the tyres. The kind of customer every business says they want.
“I don’t mind the price… I just hate being ripped off” My sister was shaking her head. We had just finished with a one year
Recurring revenue is one of the four levers investors love. Money that arrives like clockwork. Predictable. Bankable. The kind of revenue that lets you plan
Yesterday I told you about a company that nailed its niche. Fuel delivery to your doorstep. Specific. Underserved. Painful enough that people happily paid for
Yesterday I talked about the four levers investors care about. Today we start with the first one: profitable niches. And I want to tell you
Here’s something that stings when you first hear it. Investors don’t care how hard you work. They don’t care about your 5am starts, your grinding
This week wasn’t random. It was about understanding what you’re really selling. And having the spine to protect it. We started with the dog grooming
“Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in.” My favourite line from my least favourite Godfather movie. And I hear it
I live next to the Headquarters of one of the largest Grocery chains in the Middle East. They have a full-size café which is the
“I’m really sorry that because I’m so attractive, you chose this expensive restaurant for our date.” She raised her glass for a pour. At the
“But it’s not about the dogs…” she proclaimed. “It’s about the men in the yachts parked nearby.” I’d never heard a dog grooming community pitched
I love this story I heard at an event this week. Years ago, a founder walked into his office with nothing but a sketch of
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: Teacher, which
After several weeks away, we came home to the wonderful surprise of our Samsung washing machine being dead. Mid-cycle the beeping begins — and this
4th quarter. Bears down by 18. “Can I call them the Greedies?” my daughter Sophia asked about the Green Bay Packers. “Sure,” I said. I
This week had a theme about owners breaking their own businesses … Slowly, unintentionally, and with the best of intentions. Monday we met Skinny-Leg Arm
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
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
“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.
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