
Cutting Corners that Kill Your Business
I told you about my trip to Greece Every restaurant in Greece used to end your meal with a complimentary fruit platter. Fresh watermelon. Perfect

I told you about my trip to Greece Every restaurant in Greece used to end your meal with a complimentary fruit platter. Fresh watermelon. Perfect

November in Dubai is when we finally “spread our wings” and sit outside again after six months of being slow-roasted alive. So there I was,

$20 for a litre of orange juice. At my daughter’s 6th birthday party venue. “Do we at least get an open bar?” I asked my

Four business owners. Four different industries. Four ways to fumble the gold already in their hands. This week wasn’t about motivation. It was about mirrors.

My friend runs music festivals — 50,000 people per day. Sounds massive, right? Except after paying venues, artists, vendors, security, insurance… he’s left holding crumbs.

At one of my Profit & Dine Dinner Masterminds, Bruce — owner of a cybersecurity company — was losing it. “Everyone wants something for free…”

“Because that’s not how it’s done.” Five words that have killed more businesses than any recession. Yesterday I shared how I gave away a million-dollar

Back in my Mideast FX days, I built something that—looking back—makes me shake my head. Using our trading volume and the pricing flows we saw

Yesterday I talked about that Aaron Rodgers Netflix special — the part where he breaks down how the same throw can have wildly different odds

I started watching a Netflix special on Aaron Rodgers the other night. What grabbed me wasn’t the drama. It was how he spoke about probability.

“Spoke to the VP at XYZ. He said no — the Chairman already has a charity they support, so they won’t be participating.” Boy… big

“I like your post directly sent to my attention. Lets see what time does hahahhah you are actually a funny man…” A blast from the

There’s a moment every business owner hits. Not the breakdown. Not the burnout. The moment before that — when you realise you’re fooling yourself. This

This week’s stories all had one thing in common: They started in the wreckage. The mirror moment — when the problem wasn’t “out there,” but

Mark had everything most business owners dream of. A company pulling seven figures. A loyal team. Even a nice villa, with a view that made

Last Friday, during the SBC M&A Deep Dive, one of the participants said something that nailed what’s wrong with most business owners in our region:

At a recent event, I met the owner of one of the top PR agencies in the region. She was brilliant — sharp, strategic, and

“Mirror Mirror on the wall… what is my business telling me after all?” There’s a punch in the gut many business owners face – the

This week’s stories had one thing in common — control. The illusion of it. The cost of it. And what happens when you finally learn
Giles was the smartest owner in the room. In fact he would tell you .. the smartest in any room. Rules and contracts didn’t really

There’s an Owner I once knew — let’s call him Mark. Mark had built a thriving business over fifteen years. A loyal team, great clients,

Ever worked with someone who built a process for everything — except getting anything done? A client once told me about a manager like that.

We took my daughters to the community Halloween party yesterday. In the gaming section was a station where you threw a Velcro ball against a

I had drinks with my client the other week. He runs an eight-figure company. He doesn’t go to the office anymore. Takes his daughters to

Two businesses. Same profit. Different value. One was chaotic — late invoices, key clients dependent on the owner, constant fires. The other? Calm. Systemised. Predictable.

Could your business survive 90 days without you? Take some time to think about it… If not, how about 60 Days…. Or 30 Days…. Or

Tim Ferris – 4 hour work week, and Emyth are great reads but they are often misunderstood. Many business owners read them and think they

If so… there were much easier ways to do that… Such as volunteering at the local neighbourhood sweat shop. Or digging a swimming pool in

The first time I ever really delegated something important…it blew up in my face. The client wasn’t happy.The delivery was off.And the person I trusted

Yesterday, we talked about what happens when the best salesperson becomes the worst manager. He was a star broker. The kind of guy who could

He spent three decades building it.
When it was finally time to walk away… no one wanted it.
He made one fatal mistake—one that 7-figure founders make every day without realizing it.
The worst part?
He didn’t even see it coming.
This isn’t a story about business.
It’s about the blind spot that kills exits before they even start.

He built the company.
Closed the biggest deal of his life.
Finally made it.
But instead of celebration, he got silence.
Cold dinners. Missed memories.
And one question from his daughter that nearly broke him.
This isn’t about revenue.
It’s about what success costs when you build it wrong.
I wrote this for the founder who thought the grind would end—but it didn’t.
It just got worse.

Most business owners don’t realize it…
But there’s a silent shift that happens somewhere between year 3 and year 10.
It doesn’t show up on the P&L.
It doesn’t get mentioned in strategy sessions.
But it kills freedom, ruins families, and traps even the most successful founders.
I wrote this for the ones who feel it—but can’t name it yet.
Read it. Then ask yourself:
Is this already happening to me?
Sometimes the truism is in front of you face to face.. last night it was the idea that who you spend your time with can play a big part of how successful you become. I saw the power of that in Sophia Moulin’s Epicon Iftar where I spent 5 hours speaking with successful family offices and investors and enjoyed the amazing conversations… I

Three years ago, a business owner had millions on the table. He wasn’t quite investor-ready, but with a few smart moves, he could have been.
We mapped out a plan. He didn’t say yes. He didn’t say no. He just disappeared.
Now? His numbers have dropped, and the best offer he can get is pennies on the dollar.
Opportunity doesn’t wait. It knocks—once.
Are you ready when it does?

At the gym, I used to see a guy who was obsessed with one thing—getting bigger arms.
Every day, he went straight to the curl station, lifting faster and harder, convinced this was the secret.
But no matter how much effort he put in, nothing changed.
Then one day, he disappeared.
I see business owners make the exact same mistake.
And it’s costing them time, money, and real growth.
And something else.. which I’ll touch on over the next few days..

Every business owner carries a weight. Some wear it like a badge of honor, convinced it’s just part of the grind. Others don’t even realize it’s holding them back. But there comes a moment when you have to ask—am I actually moving forward, or just pushing the same rock uphill over and over again?
I met someone recently trapped in this cycle. His story might sound familiar.

Most business owners focus on growth, but very few think about this one thing—until it’s too late.
And to it bluntly: This one thing is 100% guaranteed that it will happen to you. The only question is how and on whose terms.
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