Friday night was one of those perfect Dubai evenings.
Good wine at happy hour.
Then a short walk to a neighbouring restaurant where alcohol wasn’t allowed, but water and a cigar were.
That suited us just fine.
As two women walked past in outfits that looked like Devo had redesigned them for OnlyFans, the girls sitting next to us burst out laughing and asked our opinion.
Conversation started.
One of them was visiting from overseas. When she found out what I do — helping business owners regain control and build companies someone would actually want to buy — she started talking about her business.
Then came the throwaway line.
“I’m here looking for alternative ingredients because the special ones from my home country are hard to export.”
I paused.
“But those ingredients are the point,” I said. “They’re what make your product different. Why not lean into that?”
She shrugged. “Logistics are difficult. Currency controls make it expensive.”
“So the problem isn’t differentiation….It’s logistics.”
She nodded.
“Ten minutes ago,” I continued, “you saw me greeting someone from your country. He built a successful commodity business dealing with exactly those issues. Want me to introduce you?”
She hesitated.
“I don’t want him stealing my idea.”
“He won’t,” I said.
“He has no interest in your industry. He’s already deep into his own.”
Still, she didn’t move.
The next day I followed up through the friend she was travelling with. Asked for the specific materials. My logistics friend was genuinely curious to help or connect her to the right people.
No reply.
And just like that, the opportunity dissolved.
I see this pattern constantly.
A Mindset over WHAT MATTERS…
Owners who won’t delegate because “no one will do it properly.”
Who won’t adjust pricing because “someone in India offers it for 50% less.”
Who won’t step back because “now isn’t the right time.”
So they wait.
….
And wait.
Meanwhile the business quietly tightens around them.
Success doesn’t come from perfect ideas guarded in isolation.
It comes from faster feedback loops.
Perfection doesn’t protect you.
Guarding your idea like Gollum doesn’t make it valuable.
It makes it small.
And sometimes, the opportunity that could have changed everything disappears on a mild December night in Dubai — unnoticed, unclaimed, unrecoverable.
If you’re looking for a way to spot these moments before they slip through your fingers, the upcoming Fall in Love with Your Business series is built around exactly that shift in thinking.
It’s still being developed, but I’m opening the early list for those who want to go first.
Sign up and you’ll be notified when it’s released next month.
Click here to add your name to the list.
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P.S. I’m not the “systems,” “finance,” or “fix your processes” guy.
I help you fall in love with your business again—Because it finally gives you the life you want today
While setting you up to exit on your terms tomorrow.
Join my list for blunt insights and practical strategies to build a business that gives you your life back – and the power to walk away, when you’re ready, on your terms