The aim is not to see more, but to see what matters The recent World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina was a timely reminder that numbers only...
Are You Looking at the Wrong Numbers?
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Business Strategy
Don’t Just Build a Business, Build a Life
When my wife, AnneMarie, and I first started talking about moving to Portugal, we never discussed tax rates, weather forecasts or property prices....
From Crossing the Road to Crossing the Atlantic
This month I have spoken about letting go. Letting go of decisions. Letting go of the need to be controlling everything. And letting other people...
Every Answer Creates Another Question
Over the past two weeks I've shared two unexpected lessons that turning 50 taught me. The first was that I could finally step away from the...
The Most Valuable Asset You Don’t See on Your Balance Sheet
If you have been watching the World Cup over the last few weeks you may have observed one thing. The best managers do not appear to make many...
The Day I Forgot It Was Monday
The Day I Forgot It Was Monday In mid June I turned 50. Rather than celebrating with one big party or a long holiday, AnneMarie and I decided to do...
The Three Decisions That Define The Second Half Of The Year
"In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is...
Is Your Business Still Taking You Where You Want To Go?
"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want." Ben Stein Most business owners can...
The Cost of Flying Blind
"What gets measured gets managed." Peter Drucker Imagine you are the pilot about to fly a long haul flight. The pilots don't calculate the route...
The Most Dangerous Plan In Your Business
In May, AFC Bournemouth achieved something remarkable. A club with one of the smallest budgets in the Premier League secured European football for...
Your Business Doesn’t Need More From You
Over the last few weeks, we’ve explored a pattern that many growing businesses quietly experience. Not a lack of demand Not a lack of ambition Not...
The Most Expensive Decision You Make Under Pressure
There’s a sentence that appears in almost every growing business eventually. Usually said under pressure. Usually said when everyone feels...
Growth Can Expose Weaknesses You Couldn’t Previously See
Next month will mark our tenth anniversary of moving to live in Portugal. In that time, we have seen how seriously forest management is taken...
You’re Not Overworked, You’re Misallocated
Last week I started with a simple question: “How are things?” With, for many of us, the most common answer being “Busy. I’m not sure exactly why.”...
What Do You Really Mean When You Say “Busy”?
“Being busy is a form of laziness — lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.” Tim Ferriss “How are things?” We get asked this question all the...
You Don’t Need More Clients—You Need Better Pricing
Over the past month, I’ve written about pricing from four different angles.Not as a calculation, but as something far more influential: A reflection...
The Most Expensive Decision You’re Not Making
By now, you probably don’t need convincing. Over the past few weeks, we’ve looked at pricing from different angles. Not as maths, but as: ...
Five Signs Your Pricing Needs to Change
By now, you probably don’t need convincing. You know pricing isn’t just maths. You know it shapes perception. You know it affects the...
When the World Shakes, Your Cash Flow Speaks
When I finished work last evening I came down to have dinner with my wife and CNN news was on the background. My wife said, “Don’t expect any good...
If You Have to Explain Your Price, It’s Already Too Low
Last week, we looked at why most businesses undercharge. Not because of strategy, but because of protection and lack of confidence. This week, we...
Apple Didn’t Wait to Be Valuable, They Priced Like It
There’s a quiet belief that sits underneath most founder-led businesses, which rarely gets said out loud. But it shows up everywhere. In...
The Margin Leak You Can’t See in Your Accounts
Across March I’ve been exploring the idea of operational debt. The small compromises businesses make over time that quietly accumulate friction....
Operational Debt and the Cost of Doing Nothing
Over the past few weeks we’ve been exploring the idea of operational debt, the small compromises businesses make over time that quietly accumulate...
Operational Debt: When the Founder Is Still Cooking Every Dish
Last week I introduced the concept of operational debt, explaining that the small compromises businesses make over time that slowly add friction to...