by George Sotiropoulos | Aug 19, 2025 | Business Value, Dependency on Owner, Scaling the Business
“You just want to sit on your lazy ass all day.”That’s what the founder said to his son — the CEO — when the son tried to get a key investment approved to keep a major client.The deal never happened.The client walked.The business shut down a few months later.But let’s...
by George Sotiropoulos | Aug 7, 2025 | Business Value, Scaling the Business
Adrian called me in a panicDanny his CEO had just resigned out of the blueNo real explanation but had cleared out his office and stormed home.I tried to call Danny to find out what the hell was going on.No response and no reply to my inquiries.Adrian called for an...
by George Sotiropoulos | Aug 6, 2025 | Customer Experience, Business Value, Scaling the Business
Marc was brought in as a new CEO after a decades long stint elsewhere as CFO.He was sharp, tough, and came with a mandate: “Get margins up fast.”So he did what many CFOs do.Started cutting.Ad spend.Team bonuses.Customer experience costs.New product...
by George Sotiropoulos | Aug 5, 2025 | Business Value, Customer Experience, Scaling the Business
Ben Franklin said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.”But if he saw how some business owners run their books…He might’ve added: “…and a dollar saved the wrong way is two fifty down the drain.”Let me explain.Kareem owns a digital consulting agency. Lean team, good...
by George Sotiropoulos | Jul 18, 2025 | Business Value, Scaling the Business
I met Selim three years ago at an owner’s roundtable.He had a team of 18.Gross revenues were around $4 million.The business looked solid from the outside — even admirable.But when I asked, “How’s the cash flow?”He winced.“We’re doing OK… it’s just tight because we’re...
by George Sotiropoulos | Jul 7, 2025 | Business Value, Dependency on Owner, Scaling the Business
Another tale from my trips to Greece.There’s a legendary souvlaki shop in the village — the kind of place with loyal regulars, packed tables, and word-of-mouth that stretches for miles.Except now… it’s shut down.No “on vacation” sign.No reopening notice.Just silence...
