grant8

The Dream Gap: Why Foundation is Everything

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 21:47:04 GMT

Ideas are cheap. In fact, they’re practically free.

Every day, I meet founders with "the next big thing." They’ve got the pitch deck, the vision board, and

enough caffeine in their system to power a small village. But six months later? Most of them have

vanished. They’ve fallen headfirst into the "Dream Gap": that massive, soul-crushing canyon between

having a brilliant idea and actually building a business that doesn't collapse at the first sign of trouble.

I’ve coached over 300 startups across 12 countries over the last 20 years. I’ve seen it all. The difference

between the founders who scale to seven figures and the ones who crawl back to a 9-to-5 isn’t

talent. It isn’t even luck and it's definitely not their big idea.

It’s the foundation.

If you’re building a skyscraper on a sandcastle base, don’t act surprised when the wind blows it over.

Most entrepreneurs are so obsessed with the "roof" (the exit, the profit, the fame) that they completely

ignore the concrete slab that’s supposed to hold the whole thing up.

The Myth of the "Born Entrepreneur"

People love the myth of the overnight success. They think you just wake up, disrupt an industry, and

buy a yacht. Balls.

Success is boring. It’s repetitive. It’s foundational.

If you aren't willing to do the unsexy work of setting up your internal systems, you aren't ready to

lead a company. I turn down about 80% of coaching requests because I can tell within ten minutes if

someone is actually ready to do the work or if they’re just in love with the idea of being a founder. (If

you want to know which one you are, check out this post on why I turn people down ).

The 5-Minute Non-Negotiable: Your Morning Routine

Most people start their day by reacting. They grab their phone, check emails, scroll through LinkedIn,

and immediately let the world dictate their mood.

Stop it. You’re losing the war before you’ve even put your socks on.

If you want to bridge the Dream Gap, you need a morning routine that is absolute, iron-clad, and

non-negotiable. I’m not talking about a 4am two-hour meditation retreat. I’m talking about 10 minutes

of intentionality that sets the tone for your entire existence.

The Rule: You must WRITE (not read).

Reading affirmations is passive. It’s lazy. Writing them forces your brain to engage. Every single morning,

you need to put pen to paper and write just three things:

1. The Big Vision: Remind yourself where the ship is heading. If you don't know the destination, any

wind is the wrong wind.

2. Your focus affirmation : Exactly why and what you are doing it all for.

3. Your 7 goals: 7 measurable goals for health, money, business, relationships, learning, giving and

fun. For each one you write what you will do next to get closer to achieving that goal.

This isn’t "manifesting" fluff. This is neurological programming. You are literally telling your brain

what to focus on before the chaos of the day hits. If you can’t give yourself ten minutes, you don’t

own a business: your business owns you.

The 7-Goal-Setting Process: Total Life Alignment

Here is where most founders get it wrong. They set "Business Goals" and ignore everything else. Then

they wonder why they’re divorced, out of shape, and miserable despite having a healthy bank balance.

That’s not success. That’s a failure in a fancy suit.

I teach a 7-goal system because your business is only as strong as the human running it. You need a

foundation across seven specific pillars:

• Health: If you’re dead, the business stops. Simple as that.

• Wealth: Money is the fuel for your mission. Don't be afraid of it.

• Relationships: Business is lonely. If you lose your tribe on the way to the top, the view will suck.

• Learning: The moment you stop being a student, you start becoming a dinosaur.

• Business: The tactical, strategic growth of your company.

• Giving: What’s the point of winning if you aren't helping anyone else?

• Fun: If it’s all grind and no play, you’ll burn out before you reach the first milestone.

You need to set specific, measurable targets for each of these. Why? Because a founder who is physically

fit, mentally sharp, and emotionally supported will outperform a stressed-out "hustler" every single

day of the week.

The Execution Engine: From Vision to Habit

"Vision without execution is hallucination." Thomas Edison said that, and he was spot on.

The Dream Gap exists because people have 12-month dreams but 24-hour habits that don't match

them. You need a system that breaks the "big scary goal" down into something you can actually do

on a Tuesday morning at 10 AM.

The Breakdown Structure:

1. 12-Month Outcomes: What does "winning" look like a year from now?

2. Monthly Milestones: What needs to happen by the end of this month to stay on track?

3. Weekly Actions: What are the specific tasks for the next seven days?

4. Daily Habits: What are the non-negotiable repeats that keep the engine running?

The Breakdown Structure:

1. 12-Month Outcomes: What does "winning" look like a year from now?

2. Monthly Milestones: What needs to happen by the end of this month to stay on track?

3. Weekly Actions: What are the specific tasks for the next seven days?

4. Daily Habits: What are the non-negotiable repeats that keep the engine running?

It’s None of Your Business What Other People Think

One of the biggest obstacles in the Dream Gap is the fear of judgment. You start a business, and suddenly

everyone has an opinion. Your mates think you're "lucky," your family thinks you're "risky," and

the "naysayers" are just waiting for you to trip up.

Let them talk.

In fact, it’s actually rude to try and guess what people are thinking about you. It’s a waste of mental

energy that should be spent on your 7 goals. As I always say, it’s none of your business what other

people think. Your only job is to build the foundation and stay the course.

The Bottom Line: Foundation is Everything

You can have the best AI tools, the slickest marketing, and the most innovative product in the world.

But if your daily habits are shambolic and your goals are only focused on your bank account, you will

eventually hit a wall.

The Dream Gap is real, but it’s avoidable.

You bridge it by being more disciplined than your competition. You bridge it by writing those affirmations

every morning when you’d rather be sleeping. You bridge it by caring about your health and

your relationships as much as your KPIs.

It’s time to stop dreaming and start building. Are you actually ready to be an entrepreneur? I mean,

really ready? Because if you are, the first step is getting your system in order.

Your First Step

I’ve put together a visual guide to the 7-Goal-Setting Process. It’s the same system I’ve used to help

hundreds of founders find clarity and scale without losing their minds. It’s a simple poster you can

stick on your wall to remind you what actually matters every single day.

Download the free 7 Goals System poster here .

Don't just read this and move on to the next blog post. Print the poster. Write your affirmations tomorrow

morning. Build the foundation. The view from the top is much better when you know the

ground beneath you isn't going to give way.

To your success,

Grant

Why the AI Naysayers Are Wrong: The Unstoppable Human Element

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 22:56:30 GMT

Listen, if you’ve spent more than five minutes on social media lately, you’ve seen it. The doom-scrolling, the hand-wringing, and the absolute panic about Artificial Intelligence.

The headlines are relentless. "AI will replace 40% of jobs by 2030." "The end of human creativity." "Will we all become obsolete?"

It’s enough to make you want to throw your laptop in the Thames and move to a cabin in the woods. But here’s the thing: the naysayers are missing the most important part of the equation. They’re looking at the tech, but they’re completely ignoring the most powerful force on this planet.

You.

The human element is the ultimate wild card. We aren’t just passengers on this ride; we are the ones built the car, designed the engine, and are currently sitting firmly in the driving seat.

If you’re feeling a bit of trepidation about what’s coming, let’s clear the air. It’s time to stop looking at AI as a threat and start seeing it for what it actually is: the greatest leverage tool in human history.

The Myth of Human Obsolescence

History is littered with the corpses of "expert" predictions that proved humans would be ruined by technology.

When the printing press was invented, people feared it would destroy our memories and undermine the authority of the wise. Instead, it democratised knowledge and sparked the Renaissance. When the industrial revolution kicked off, the Luddites smashed the machines because they thought work was over. Instead, it created the middle class and a level of prosperity previously unimaginable.

Every single time we innovate, the "sky is falling" crowd comes out in force. And every single time, they are wrong.

Why? Because humans are natural-born innovators. We are survivors. We don’t just sit there and let change happen to us; we find ways to build, adapt, and thrive. We have an innate drive to create something from nothing. AI doesn't have that. It never will.

AI doesn't wake up in the morning with a burning desire to disrupt an industry. It doesn't feel the "itch" to solve a problem that’s been bugging it all day. It doesn't have a "why."

AI is totally unemotional to its own experience. It doesn't care if it wins. It doesn't care if it fails. It’s a tool, an incredibly sophisticated one, but a tool nonetheless. You are the one with the vision. You are the one with the soul.

The Missing Piece: The Human Element

The debates you see on the news are usually dry, academic, or purely mathematical. They talk about "output," "efficiency," and "automation." What they miss is the nuance of human connection, intuition, and the "gut feeling" that every successful entrepreneur relies on.

Think about your business for a second. Is it just a series of tasks? Of course not. It’s a web of relationships, trust, and shared vision.

AI can write a contract, but it can’t look a partner in the eye and know if they’re full of it. It can analyse market data, but it can’t feel the shift in cultural momentum before it shows up in the numbers.

We are in the driving seat because we provide the direction. AI provides the speed.

When you combine the raw processing power of AI with the creative spark of a human being, you don't get "disenfranchisement." You get a superpower.

If you're still stuck in the mindset that you're competing against AI, you've already lost the game. The goal isn't to be a better calculator than the computer; the goal is to be the best possible human using the best possible tools. That’s how you achieve entrepreneurial empowerment .

Welcome to the AI Nirvana

Let’s talk about the "AI Nirvana" that the doomers don't want to mention.

Everyone is so focused on what might be lost that they’re blind to what is being created. We are on the verge of a creative explosion.

Imagine a world where the boring, soul-crushing admin that eats up 60% of your day simply vanishes. No more filing, no more basic data entry, no more scheduling nightmares. When that happens, what are you going to do with all that extra brainpower?

You’re going to create.

We are going to see entirely new industries born in the next five years that we can’t even name yet. Just as the internet created the "Social Media Manager" and the "Cloud Architect," AI is going to create roles that focus entirely on high-level strategy, human-centric design, and complex problem-solving.

Problems that have plagued humanity for decades, diseases that were too complex to model, logistical nightmares that wasted half the world’s food, energy inefficiencies, are going to be solved. Not by AI alone, but by humans using AI to see patterns we couldn't see before.

This isn't a dark future. It’s a bright one. It’s a world where human creativity is finally unshackled from the mundane.

Protecting Against the Negatives (The Adult Way)

Now, I’m not saying there won't be challenges. Every major shift has friction.

Yes, some roles will change. Yes, some traditional jobs will fade away. But rather than cowering in fear, we need to be proactive.

Iterate or Die: You need to be looking at your business right now and asking: "Where can I use this to move faster?" If you're not doing it, your competitor is. Check out my 73-point marketing audit to see where you can tighten your systems.
Double Down on "Human" Skills: Empathy, communication, leadership, and ethical judgment are now the most valuable assets you own. You can't outsource your soul.
Stay in the Driver's Seat: Don't let the tech dictate your direction. Use it to execute your vision.

If you're worried about being "replaced," it's usually because you’ve stopped innovating. You’ve become a cog in a machine. The solution isn't to stop the machine; it's to stop being a cog.

Take a strengths test and find out what makes you uniquely capable of leading in this new era.

The Choice is Yours

At the end of the day, you have two choices.

You can join the chorus of naysayers, complaining about how "it was better in the old days" while the world passes you by. You can let fear dictate your business strategy and end up as a footnote in history.

Or, you can embrace the fact that you are an innovator. You can realise that AI is the most incredible gift for someone with a vision. It’s the ultimate force multiplier for the entrepreneur who refuses to be disenfranchised.

I’ve coached hundreds of founders, and the ones who win are always the ones who see opportunity where others see obstacles. They don't ask "Will this replace me?" They ask "How can this make me ten times more effective?"

Sound familiar? It should. Because that’s the entrepreneurial spirit. It’s messy, it’s fast, and it’s unstoppable.

Stop listening to the people who are afraid of the future. They aren't the ones building it.

The AI revolution isn't about the machines. It’s about what we do with them. We are the creators. We are the innovators. And we are just getting started.

If you’re ready to stop being a victim of the headlines and start taking control of your business’s future, let’s talk. Whether it’s through entrepreneur coaching or just getting your foundations right, the time to move is now.

The "AI Nirvana" is waiting. Are you coming?

To your success,

Grant

I Turn Down 80% of Founder Coaching Requests. Here's Why (And How to Know If You're Ready)

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 22:32:46 GMT

Let’s be honest: most people in my position would tell you that they want to help everyone. They’d post some fluffy quote about "unlimited potential" and invite you to "jump on a discovery call" so they can sell you a dream wrapped in a 12-month contract.

I don’t do that.

In fact, I turn down about 80% of the founders who reach out to me for coaching.

Does that make me a bit of an arse? Maybe. Does it make me elitist? I hope not. The intention is to ensure I'm effective.

I’ve spent over 20 years in the trenches. I’ve personally founded 24 businesses in five different countries. If there’s one thing I’ve realised, it’s that most founders aren't looking for a coach, they’re looking for a miracle. And I don’t sell miracles. I sell systems, accountability, and the hard-won perspective that comes from two decades of seeing what actually works.

If you’re wondering why I might say "no" to you, or more importantly, how you can become the kind of founder I say "yes" to: read on.

The "Spark" vs. The "Curiosity"

Most founders come to me because they are "curious" about coaching. They’ve heard it’s what successful people do. They think a weekly Zoom call will magically fix their cash flow or settle their internal team dramas.

Curiosity is cheap. Commitment is expensive.

When I talk to a founder, I’m looking for a specific "spark." It’s not about how much money they’re making right now; it’s about their hunger for freedom and their willingness to set their ego on fire to get it.

I work with people who are obsessed with making their own choices. People who realise that being a "boss" is meaningless if you’re still a slave to your inbox and your overheads. If you don't have that fire, no amount of coaching is going to ignite it for you.

The Magic Pill Delusion

Here is a reality check: Coaching is not a magic pill.

If your business is a flaming inferno of half built bridges because you refuse to look at your numbers, a coach isn't a fire extinguisher. If you’re lazy, a coach isn't a shot of adrenaline.

I’ve seen founders treat coaching like a confessional. They show up, admit their "sins" (I didn't do the work, I didn't hit the targets, I got distracted by a new shiny object), and expect me to absolve them so they can feel better.

Not on my watch.

My coaching is for the founders who understand that I am the Obi One, but they are the Luke Skywalker. I provide the experience, I point out the pitfalls, and I show you the shortcuts I’ve found over 20 years from either falling through them myself or narrowly avoided thanks to my coach at the time (or Yoda, lol - love a Star Wars metaphor!).

If you’re looking for someone to do the work for you, you aren't actually ready to be an entrepreneur.

20 Years, 300+ Startups, 12 Countries

Why am I so picky? Because my reputation is built on real experience, not just coaching qualifications.

I’ve seen the 7 fatal mistakes solo founders make played out in real-time, over and over again. I turn people down because coaching is about the right fit and feeling very confident that my mentee is someone I know I can help: either because they are ready to listen or because they have built a foundation worth scaling yet.

The Foundation: Are You "System-Ready"?

Being "ready" for high-level coaching means you have a foundation. You can’t build a skyscraper on a swamp.

Before I even consider working with someone deeply, I want to know about their systems. Not just their CRM or their marketing tech stack, but their personal operating system.

1. The Morning Routine

Winning the day starts with managing mindset first and foremost. My clients know that discipline is the prerequisite for freedom. If you can't manage your first two hours of the day, how on earth are you going to manage a scaling organisation?

2. The 7-Goal-Setting Process

I’m a fanatic about goal setting. But not the vague "I want to be rich" nonsense. I use a specific 7-goal-setting process that covers every area of life: Business, Finance, Health, Relationships, Learning, Giving, and fun.

If you don't have a target, you’ll hit nothing every single time. My coaching is about alignment. If your business is thriving but your health is in the bin and your relationships are failing, you aren't successful: you’re just a high-earning wreck.

Why I Choose the 20%

The 20% I do work with? They are the good fit, coachable maniacs who get that being an entrepreneur is a lifestyle in itself not the vehicle to the lifestyle. They are the ones who realise that the ultimate currency isn't GBP or USD: it’s choice .

They want to work towards the privilege of building a legacy whilst still having the time to be with their families, whilst creating something that actually outlasts them. They understand core values aren't just something you print on a poster; they are the DNA of the company.

When I find a founder who has that spark, who is disciplined, and who is ready to be challenged, we do incredible things. We don't just "grow" the business; we transform it.

How to Know If You’re Ready

So, are you part of the 80% or the 20%? Ask yourself these questions:

Am I looking for a mentor or a babysitter? (If you need someone to remind you to do your basic tasks, you need a virtual assistant, not a coach.)
Am I willing to be told I’m wrong? (If your ego is too fragile to hear that your "brilliant" idea is actually a bottleneck, don't call me.)
Do I have a baseline of discipline? (Have you mastered your morning? Have you tried to implement a system like the 7-goals-poster ?)
Is my business "coachable"? (Do you have a product or service that actually provides value, or are you just "grinding" for the sake of it?)

If you can answer those honestly and still feel like you’re ready to level up, then maybe we should talk.

Don't Guess. Test.

I don’t expect you to take my word for it. Most founders think they are ready, but they haven't actually looked at the data.

Before you even think about applying for entrepreneur coaching , take the strengths test . See where you actually stand.

I’m not interested in working with the version of yourself you project on LinkedIn. I’m interested in the version of you that shows up when things are falling apart and the pressure is on.

The Bottom Line

I turn down 80% of requests because I value my time, and I value yours. There is no point in me taking your money if you aren't in a position to execute the strategies I give you. It’s bad for my brand, and it’s a waste of your capital.

But for the 20% who are ready... for the founders who have the foundation, the spark, and the absolute refusal to settle for a "normal" life... the results are nothing short of life changing (you see why I love my job!).

Success isn't about working harder; it's about working with the right people, with the right systems, at the right time.

Stop being "curious" and start being committed.

If you think you're ready to be one of the few, get in touch . But don't be surprised if I tell you you’re not there yet. I’d rather tell you the truth today than watch you fail tomorrow.

To your success,

Grant

Are You Actually Ready to Be an Entrepreneur? I Mean Really Ready!

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:40:25 GMT

Let me guess: you've been scrolling through Instagram, watching people your age sipping cocktails on a beach at 2PM on a Tuesday, captioning it "living the laptop lifestyle" or "escaped the 9-5 grind."

You've seen the Lamborghinis, the "passive income," the overnight success stories. And you're thinking, "Yeah, I could do that. I'll work hard, hustle a bit, post some motivational quotes, and boom, financial freedom."

Right?

Wrong .

Listen, I've coached over 300 startups through their early days, and I need to tell you something that the Instagram gurus won't: most people who start businesses fail. And I don't mean they fail spectacularly in some heroic blaze of glory. I mean they quietly earn less than they did in their job, work twice the hours, and eventually slink back to employment with their tail between their legs.

Sound harsh? Good. Because if that scares you off, you've just saved yourself years of pain and a hefty chunk of money.

The Numbers Don't Lie (Even When We Want Them To)

Let's talk facts, because I'm not here to blow sunshine up your backside.

" Only 4% of startups ever hit £1 million in turnover." Four percent. That's 96 out of every 100 businesses never getting anywhere near that magical seven-figure mark that sounds so good on a podcast.

And for those lucky few who do? It takes an average of 2.5 to 3 years minimum. Many don't see it within 5 years. That's three years of grinding, pivoting, barely paying yourself, and wondering if you've made a massive mistake.

Here's the kicker: " 41% of small business owners earn less than they did in their previous 9-5 job ." Less. After all that risk, all that stress, all those 60-hour weeks, they'd have been better off financially staying put.

Over 20% of businesses fail within their first year. Nearly half don't make it to year five. And of those solo entrepreneurs dreaming of building a team and "scaling"? Only 3-17% ever grow to hire employees and become actual employer firms.

These aren't stats I'm pulling from some doom-and-gloom think piece. This is reality. This is what happens when passion meets market forces, when optimism crashes into cash flow problems, when "I have a great idea" meets "the customer doesn't actually care."

So Why Am I Telling You This?

Am I trying to put you off? Kill your dreams before they start?

Absolutely not.

I'm trying to save you from being another statistic. Another person who quit their job on a wing and a prayer, burned through their savings in 18 months, and had to explain to their family why they're moving back in at 34.

The issue isn't that entrepreneurship is hard, we all know it's hard. The issue is that most people think they're ready when they're absolutely not. They confuse excitement with preparation. They mistake motivation for capability.

After working with hundreds of founders, I can tell you this: " Entrepreneurship isn't about the destination, it's about whether you've got the foundations to survive the journey."

The lifestyle you see on social media? That's year 7, not year 1. And most people never make it past year 2.

The Unsexy Truth About What It Actually Takes

Here's what nobody posts on Instagram:

You're going to work more hours than you ever did in your job. Your first year? Think 50-60 hours a week, minimum. Weekends included. No, you can't outsource everything on day one, you haven't got the money.

You're going to earn less. Probably for at least the first year, maybe longer. Can you handle that? Can your family? Your mortgage lender?

You're going to question yourself constantly. Every day you'll wonder if you're deluded. Every setback will feel personal because it is personal, this is your baby.

You need to actually know how to run a business. Not just do the thing you're good at, marketing, design, whatever, but understand P&Ls, cash flow, break-even points, customer acquisition costs. When's the last time you read a balance sheet? Do you know what gross margin means? These aren't optional extras. They're the difference between profit and bankruptcy.

You need support systems. Mentors who've been there. A partner who understands why you're stressed. Friends who won't roll their eyes when you cancel drinks for the third week running. Family who won't tell you to "just get a real job" the first time things get tough.

Before You Quit Your Job, Answer These

I've developed a framework over the years for assessing readiness. Not readiness to have an idea, everyone's got ideas. Readiness to actually build a business that doesn't destroy your life.

Can you honestly answer yes to these?

- Have you done the research and actually understand the market?

- Do you have 6-12 months of living expenses saved (not just "some savings")?

- Have you created a proper business plan with realistic financial projections?

- Do you know your break-even point and startup costs down to the pound?

- Can you identify your exact target customer and why they'll buy from you instead of your competitors?

- Are you prepared to potentially earn less for the next 2-3 years?

- Does your family support this decision, or are you going to be fighting battles on two fronts?

If you're hedging on more than two of these, you're not ready. And that's okay, better to know now than after you've burned your bridges.

It's About the Foundations, Not the Flash

Look, I'm not trying to crush your entrepreneurial spirit. I've built businesses. I've helped 300+ companies get off the ground. I believe in entrepreneurship, done right.

But "done right" means building proper foundations before you start stacking up floors. It means developing the skills, knowledge, and mindset that separate the 4% from the 96%.

The entrepreneurs who make it aren't necessarily the most talented or the ones with the best ideas. They're the ones who prepared properly. Who learned the fundamentals. Who built systems instead of winging it. Who understood that success is about doing boring things consistently, not having one viral moment.

They're the ones who treated entrepreneurship as a serious professional decision, not an escape plan from a job they didn't like.

The Real Question

So here's what I want you to ask yourself: are you running toward something, or running away from something?

If you hate your job and think starting a business will be easier, I've got bad news. It won't. It'll be harder in ways you can't imagine.

But if you're genuinely prepared to work harder than you've ever worked, to learn things that don't come naturally, to sacrifice lifestyle in the short term for a potential long-term payoff, and you've got the foundations in place, the knowledge, the savings, the support, the actual plan, then maybe, just maybe, you're ready.

And if you're not ready yet? That's brilliant. Because now you know what you need to work on before you take the leap.

The wannabe entrepreneurs quit their jobs tomorrow and hope for the best.

The real entrepreneurs build their foundations first , develop their skills, understand the reality of what they're getting into, and then make their move from a position of strength, not desperation.

Which one are you going to be?

To your success,

Grant

7 Fatal Mistakes Solo Founders Make When Scaling (and the Foundation to Fix Them)

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 21:38:10 GMT

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I've worked with over 300 startups. And I can tell you this: solo founders who scale successfully are rare. Not because they lack talent or drive, but because they keep making the same seven mistakes over and over again.

Here's the thing: these aren't "whoops, my bad" mistakes. These are the career-limiting, business-killing, wake-up-at-3am mistakes that keep you stuck at the same revenue level for years.

And the worst part? Most founders don't even realise they're making them.

Let's fix that.

Mistake #1: The Ego Trap ("Nobody Can Do It As Well As Me")

You know what kills more businesses than bad products? Founders who won't delegate.

I get it. You built this thing from scratch. You know every detail, every customer, every line of code or every process. And yeah, maybe nobody *can* do it exactly like you.

But here's the uncomfortable truth: scaling requires letting go.

When you're stuck doing everything because "it's easier if I just do it myself," you've become the bottleneck. Your business can't grow beyond what your two hands can manage.

The fix? Start small. Delegate one task this week. Just one. Yes, they'll do it differently. Yes, it might take 80% as good as your version. But here's what else happens: you get 20% of your time back to focus on the stuff that actually moves the needle.

Mistake #2: Starting Your Day In Reaction Mode

How do most founders start their day? They roll out of bed, grab their phone, and dive straight into the chaos.

Emails. Slack messages. Customer complaints. Team questions.

By 9am, you've already lost the day.

This is part of what I call the Entrepreneurial Foundations : having a solid morning routine isn't some luxury for yoga enthusiasts. It's the difference between running your business and your business running you.

Your morning sets the tone for everything. If you start in reaction mode, you'll spend the entire day firefighting instead of building.

Block the first hour. No phone. No emails. Use it for strategic thinking, planning, or working on your most important task. Protect it like your business depends on it.

Because it does.

Mistake #3: Vague Goal Setting

"I want to grow the business" isn't a goal. It's a wish.

"I want to hit £100k revenue by December 31st" is a goal.

Most solo founders have this fuzzy idea of where they want to go, but no specific target. And when you're aiming at nothing, you'll hit it every time.

This is why I'm obsessive about the 7 Goals process . It forces you to get crystal clear on exactly what you're building towards across seven key areas of life and business.

Here's what happens when you set specific, measurable goals: your brain starts finding ways to achieve them. Vague goals? Your brain ignores them.

Write down seven specific goals. Put numbers and dates on them. Then break them down into quarterly milestones. This isn't optional if you want to scale: it's the foundation.

Mistake #4: Diary Chaos

Show me your calendar and I'll show you your priorities.

If your diary is a mess of back-to-back meetings with no structure, no thinking time, and no clear focus blocks: you're not managing a business. The business is managing you.

I see this constantly: founders who let everyone else dictate their schedule. Coffee meetings. "Quick calls." Emergency check-ins. Before you know it, you've spent the whole week in meetings and accomplished nothing meaningful.

Here's the rule: if you're not managing your diary, you're not managing your business.

Block time for deep work. Block time for strategy. Block time for sales activities. And here's the controversial bit: block time for nothing. Margin time. Space to think, breathe, and adjust.

Your calendar should reflect your goals, not everyone else's urgency.

Mistake #5: Trying To Be A Generalist

You can't be world-class at everything. Stop trying.

The fastest way to burn out as a solo founder is attempting to do every role yourself: sales, marketing, operations, finance, customer service, product development.

You know what happens? You become mediocre at everything instead of excellent at something.

Focus on your strengths. The stuff you're genuinely brilliant at. The activities that move the business forward when you do them. Then hire or outsource everything else.

I don't care if it feels uncomfortable to admit you're rubbish at bookkeeping or that sales calls drain your soul. Successful founders know their zone of genius and protect it fiercely.

Take the strengths assessment if you need clarity. Then build your team around your weaknesses, not your strengths.

Mistake #6: Lack Of Performance Management

You can't scale what you don't measure.

Yet most solo founders operate on feelings and gut instinct instead of actual data. They have no idea which activities drive revenue, which team members perform best, or where the bottlenecks are.

When you bring on your first team members (and you will if you want to scale), you need systems for tracking performance. Not micromanaging: measuring.

What gets measured gets managed. What gets managed gets improved.

This means:

- Clear KPIs for every role

- Regular check-ins (weekly minimum)

- Transparent metrics everyone can see

- Accountability frameworks

If this sounds like corporate BS, think again. The difference between a £100k business and a £1M business is systems. Performance management is one of those systems.

Mistake #7: Scaling A Mess

This is the big one. The killer.

You can't scale chaos. You can't scale disorganisation. You can't scale a business built on you winging it every day.

Most founders try to scale before they have the foundations in place. No core values. No clear processes. No systems. No routines. Just hustle and hope.

Here's what happens: you hire people into a chaotic environment, they don't know what's expected, there's no structure to follow, and everything falls apart faster than you can fix it.

Before you scale, you need foundations. Real ones. The boring, unsexy stuff that nobody talks about:

- Clear core values that guide decisions

- Documented processes for key activities

- Financial systems that actually work

- A leadership routine you follow consistently

- Strategic clarity on where you're going

This is why I built the Entrepreneurial Foundations System. Because I watched too many talented founders crash and burn trying to scale a business built on sand.

The Foundation To Fix All Of This

Look, I know this list feels overwhelming. Seven massive mistakes, and you're probably making at least four of them right now.

But here's the good news: every single one of these is fixable. And they all stem from the same root problem: lack of foundations.

You don't need more tactics. You don't need another marketing strategy or productivity hack. You need to build the foundations that support sustainable growth.

That means:

- Getting your personal routines sorted (morning, evening, weekly)

- Clarifying your goals with precision

- Building systems before you need them

- Learning to delegate effectively

- Managing your time like the scarce resource it is

The Entrepreneurial Foundations programme addresses all of this. But even if you never work with me, these principles remain true.

Want to know where you stand? Take the free assessment and get a clear picture of which foundations you have in place and which ones are missing. No sales pitch. Just honest feedback on where you are and what to fix first.

Because here's the reality: you can keep making these mistakes and wonder why scaling feels impossible. Or you can fix the foundations and build something that actually grows without breaking you in the process.

The choice is yours.

To your success,

Grant

It's None of Your Business What Other People Think

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 16:42:56 GMT

(And Why It's Actually Rude to Try and Guess)

This one is one of my favourite phrases I tell every entrepreneur I work with:

"It's none of your business what other people think."

Read that again.

Let it sink in.

Because if you're in business, especially if you're in sales, this single mindset shift will save you hours of wasted mental energy and a whole lot of unnecessary anxiety.

---

The Rabbit Hole Nobody Talks About

You've been there. I know you have.

You send a proposal. You make a pitch. You follow up with a prospect. And then... silence.

No reply. No feedback. Nothing.

And what do you do? You start spiralling.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Maybe they didn't like my pricing."

"Perhaps they think I'm too pushy."

"What if they're telling everyone I'm rubbish?"

Sound familiar?

This is the rabbit hole. And it's deep, dark, and completely unproductive.

You sit there trying to decode someone else's thoughts like you're some sort of mind reader. You replay conversations. You re-read emails looking for clues. You construct entire narratives about what this person *must* be thinking about you.

Here's the problem: **you have absolutely no idea what they're actually thinking.**

None.

---

The Truth: You're Not That Important

I don't mean that harshly. But it's true.

Your prospect isn't sitting at home, obsessing over you. They're not having long conversations with their partner about that email you sent. They're not losing sleep over your follow-up call.

They're busy.

They've got their own problems. Their own deadlines. Their own fires to put out.

Your product, your service, your pitch? It's one of about fifty things competing for their attention right now. Maybe a hundred.

That silence you're interpreting as rejection? It's probably just... life.

They got distracted. Something came up. They meant to reply but forgot. Their kid got sick. Their boss dumped a project on them. They went on holiday and your email got buried.

Their lack of response has nothing to do with what they think of you.

And even if it did, so what?

You can't control it. You can't change it by worrying about it. And you certainly can't read their mind to find out.

So stop trying.

---

Here's the Twist: It's Actually Quite Rude

Now, this is the bit that might surprise you.

Spending all that time guessing what someone else is thinking? It's not just unproductive, it's actually a bit rude.

Think about it.

When you assume you know what's going on in someone else's head, you're making their thoughts about you. You're projecting your insecurities onto them. You're essentially saying, "I know what you're thinking better than you do."

That's arrogant, isn't it?

You're not giving them the benefit of the doubt. You're not respecting that they're a complex human being with their own life, priorities, and thoughts that have absolutely nothing to do with you.

Instead, you're making yourself the centre of their universe.

Spoiler: you're not.

So next time you catch yourself trying to decode someone's silence or second-guess their opinion of you, remember this:

Their thoughts are their business. Not yours.

Stay in your lane. Focus on what you can control. And give them the respect of not assuming you know what's happening in their head.

---

Your Real Job: Do the Work

Right, so if you're not supposed to waste time mind-reading, what should you be doing instead?

Simple: the work.

Your job isn't to worry about what people think. Your job is to do enough consistent, quality work that you earn their attention.

Because here's the reality of sales and business:

- Most people won't respond to your first email

- Most prospects won't buy on the first call

- Most leads need multiple touchpoints before they take action

This isn't because they hate you. It's because they're busy and you haven't broken through the noise yet.

So instead of spiralling about one unanswered email, send another. And another. Follow up. Add value. Show up consistently.

Attention is earned through action, not anxiety.

The entrepreneurs who win aren't the ones who worry the least. They're the ones who work the most, despite the worry.

---

How to Apply This in Sales (Practically)

Let's get tactical. Here's how to use this mindset in your day-to-day sales activity:

1. Set a follow-up schedule and stick to it.

Don't let silence stop your process. If someone doesn't respond, follow up in 3 days. Then a week. Then two weeks. Have a system and execute it without emotional attachment.

2. Focus on volume, not individual outcomes.

One prospect ghosting you doesn't matter when you've got twenty others in your pipeline. The more conversations you're having, the less any single one affects your mental state.

3. Separate rejection from silence.

No response isn't rejection. It's just... no response. Until someone explicitly says "no," assume they're just busy. Because they probably are.

4. Track your activity, not just results.

You can't always control whether someone buys. But you can control how many calls you make, how many emails you send, how many follow-ups you complete. Focus on what you can measure.

5. Ask better questions.

If you're genuinely unsure where you stand with a prospect, ask them directly. "Hey, just checking in: are you still interested in moving forward, or should I close this off?" Clarity beats confusion every time.

---

The Freedom on the Other Side

When you truly embrace that it's none of your business what other people think, something shifts.

You stop seeking validation from every interaction.

You stop letting one bad conversation ruin your whole day.

You stop making excuses not to pick up the phone.

You start operating from a place of confidence instead of fear.

And confidence? That's magnetic. Prospects can feel it. Clients can sense it. It changes everything about how you show up.

The best salespeople I've ever worked with share this trait: they're not attached to any single outcome. They do the work, they make the asks, and they move on. They don't take silence personally. They don't construct stories about what prospects "must" be thinking.

They just keep going.

And that's exactly what you need to do.

---

Your Next Step

If you've been caught in the trap of overthinking what prospects, clients, or even your competitors think of you: it's time to break free.

Start today. Right now.

Send that follow-up you've been putting off. Make that call you've been avoiding. Stop waiting for permission or perfect conditions.

The only opinion that truly matters in your business is your own. And the only action that moves the needle is the one you actually take.

Need help building the mindset and systems to grow your business without the mental drama? Let's talk!

To your success,

Grant

5 Mistakes Most Founders Make - Let's Play Grant Stain Bingo

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 17:17:08 GMT

Are You Making These 5 Fatal Startup Mistakes? What 15 Years Coaching 300+ Companies Taught Me

After 15 years of coaching over 300 companies, I've developed what my clients affectionately call "Grant Stain Bingo."

It's not a game I invented on purpose. It's a collection of phrases I find myself repeating so often that entrepreneurs started ticking them off like squares on a bingo card.

Why do I repeat them? Because the same fatal mistakes keep showing up. Different businesses, different industries, different founders: same bloody problems.

The frustrating part? These aren't complex issues requiring an MBA to solve. They're foundational errors that get overlooked because everyone's too busy chasing the "sexy" stuff: the marketing hacks, the viral strategies, the growth shortcuts.

Here's the truth: your startup won't fail because you didn't find the perfect Instagram filter. It'll fail because you ignored the basics.

Let me walk you through the five mistakes I see destroying startups week after week: and the bingo phrases that'll help you remember how to fix them.

---

Mistake 1: Your Goals Are Wishy-Washy Nonsense

"I want to grow my business."

"I'd like to make more money this year."

"I want to be successful."

Brilliant. And I want to be taller. Neither of us has a plan.

Here's my first bingo phrase: Measure everything.

If you can't put a number on it, it's not a goal: it's a daydream. When entrepreneurs tell me they want to "grow," I ask them one simple question: by how much, by when?

The silence that follows tells me everything.

Proper goal setting means getting ruthlessly specific:

- "Wrong" - "I want more clients"

- "Right" - "I will acquire 15 new clients by March 31st, generating £45,000 in revenue"

- "Wrong" - "I need to improve my marketing"

- "Right" - "I will increase website enquiries from 20 to 50 per month within 90 days"

When you measure everything, you create accountability. You know exactly where you stand. You can course-correct before it's too late.

I've built an entire "7 Goals System" (https://www.grantstain.com/goal-setting-that-actually-works) around this principle because vague goals lead to vague results. And vague results lead to closed businesses.

Your action step: Take your top three business goals right now. Add a specific number and a deadline to each one. If you can't, they're not goals: they're wishes.

---

Mistake 2: You Haven't Built Your Mental Armour

Starting a business is a contact sport. You're going to get hit: by rejection, by failure, by people who don't believe in you, by your own self-doubt at 3am.

Most founders prep their business plan but completely neglect their mental game.

My second bingo phrase: Mindset moves mountains.

I've watched technically brilliant entrepreneurs crumble at the first sign of adversity. I've also watched average founders with bulletproof mindsets push through obstacles that would stop most people dead.

The difference? Preparation.

Your mindset isn't some woo-woo concept. It's a skill you develop through deliberate practice:

- Morning routines that prime you for action, not anxiety

- Core values that guide decisions when everything feels chaotic

- Self-talk patterns that build you up instead of tear you down

The entrepreneurs who survive the startup gauntlet aren't the ones who avoid problems. They're the ones who've trained themselves to see problems as puzzles to solve rather than reasons to quit.

If you haven't defined your " core values " and built a personal operating system, you're heading into battle without armour. Good luck with that.

Your action step: Write down three things that consistently derail your focus or confidence. For each one, create a specific response strategy you'll use next time it happens.

---

Mistake 3: You Think This Will Be Easy

Here's where I'm going to sound like your grumpy uncle at Christmas dinner.

You're probably underestimating how hard this is going to be. Significantly.

My third bingo phrase: Work like a maniac.

The statistics are brutal. Around 20% of startups fail in year one. By year five, that number climbs to roughly 50%. I've written about why startups fail before, and the reasons often come down to underestimating the sheer graft required.

Social media has given everyone a warped perception of entrepreneurship. You see the highlight reels: the wins, the launches, the champagne moments. You don't see the 80-hour weeks, the missed family dinners, the moments of genuine terror about making payroll.

I'm not saying this to scare you off. I'm saying it so you're not blindsided when it gets tough.

Because here's what happens when you expect it to be easy: the first real challenge feels like a sign you should quit. "Maybe I'm not cut out for this," you think. "Maybe this isn't meant to be."

Rubbish. It's meant to be hard. That's what filters out the competition.

Your action step: Audit your current work ethic honestly. Are you putting in the hours your ambitions require? If there's a gap, close it. Starting tomorrow.

---

Mistake 4: You Hate the Boring Bits (And It Shows)

Every entrepreneur loves the creative stuff. The brainstorming. The big picture thinking. The exciting new ideas.

You know what nobody loves? Following up on quotes. Updating the CRM. Sending that fifth email to a prospect who's gone quiet.

My fourth bingo phrase: Repetition builds reputation.

The unglamorous, repetitive tasks are where businesses are actually built. The entrepreneur who sends 50 prospecting emails every single day will outperform the "visionary" who only works when they feel inspired.

Every. Single. Time.

Discipline isn't about motivation. Motivation is fickle: it shows up when it fancies and disappears when you need it most. Discipline is about systems.

Build processes for the boring stuff:

- Block time in your diary for repetitive tasks (and treat it as non-negotiable)

- Create checklists so you don't have to think about what needs doing

- Track your consistency: remember, measure everything

The founders who get bored of the basics don't build businesses. They build expensive hobbies.

Your action step: Identify the one repetitive task you've been avoiding. Schedule it into your calendar for the same time every day this week. No excuses, no rescheduling.

---

Mistake 5: Your Pipeline Is a Trickle

Finally, the mistake that kills more businesses than any other.

Not enough prospecting.

My fifth bingo phrase, and possibly the most important: Sales cures all.

Cash flow problems? More sales fix that. Team morale issues? More sales fix that. Can't afford better marketing? More sales fix that.

Yet I meet entrepreneurs every week who spend 90% of their time on everything except finding new customers. They're perfecting their website, tweaking their logo, fiddling with their website or faffing about on social media thinking you doing work.

Meanwhile, their pipeline is bone dry.

Here's a hard truth: if you're not uncomfortable with how much prospecting you're doing, you're not doing enough.

The maths is simple. If you need 10 clients and your conversion rate is 10%, you need 100 conversations. Not 100 LinkedIn connections: 100 actual conversations with potential buyers.

Are you having those conversations? Or are you hiding behind "busy work" that feels productive but doesn't move the needle?

Your action step: Calculate how many sales conversations you need this month to hit your target. Divide by working days. That's your daily prospecting minimum. Non-negotiable.

---

The Foundation You're Missing

These five mistakes share a common thread: they're all foundational issues.

Goal setting. Mindset. Work ethic. Discipline. Sales activity.

None of them are glamorous. None of them will go viral on TikTok. But collectively, they form the entrepreneurial foundations that separate businesses that survive from businesses that become cautionary tales.

If you're reading this and recognising yourself in one or more of these mistakes, you're not alone. Every entrepreneur I've coached: every single one: has struggled with at least a couple of these.

The difference between success and failure isn't avoiding mistakes. It's recognising them quickly and having the discipline to correct course.

So here's your bingo card. Tick off the ones you're guilty of. Then do something about it.

Because knowing the problem without taking action is just procrastination with extra steps.

To your success,

Grant

Entrepreneurial Foundations

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 20:03:09 GMT

The Personal Operating System Most Entrepreneurs Ignore

Most people think starting a business is about ideas, tactics, or tools.

It isn’t.

Those things matter later, but they are not where success or failure is decided. What actually determines whether someone reaches their first £100k in business is far more basic and far more overlooked.

It’s how they operate.

After more than 20 years in business, and helping countless people go from zero to their first £100k, I’ve seen the same pattern repeat itself over and over again. People don’t fail because their idea was bad. They fail because their foundations were weak.

That’s why I built the Entrepreneurial Foundations System .

What Entrepreneurial Foundations Really Is

Entrepreneurial Foundations is a personal operating system .

It’s not a business plan.

It’s not a marketing framework.

It’s not motivation or mindset fluff.

It’s the structure that sits underneath your business and dictates how you think, decide, execute, and perform day to day.

Most budding entrepreneurs skip this entirely. They rush straight to websites, logos, ads, and offers, then wonder why everything feels chaotic, overwhelming, and fragile.

You cannot out-earn poor foundations.

Why This System Exists

The jump from employment to entrepreneurship, or from side hustle to serious business, is not a skills problem. It’s an operating problem.

Suddenly, you are responsible for:

Your own time
Your own standards
Your own energy
Your own discipline
Your own results

Without a personal operating system, most people default to panic, overwork, inconsistency, and self doubt.

Entrepreneurial Foundations fixes that first.

The Core Components of the Entrepreneurial Foundations System

This system is deliberately simple. Simple does not mean easy, it means effective.

1. Core Values Definition

Everything starts here.

If you do not define your non-negotiables, your business will constantly pull you out of alignment. Decisions become harder, guilt creeps in, and resentment builds.

Clear values create clear decisions.

2. The 7 Goal Setting System

This is the foundation of everything I do.

We do not set one goal. We set seven.

Health
Learning
Wealth
Relationships
Business
Giving
Fun

Each goal is defined by a clear what , why , and how . This creates balance, but more importantly, it creates clarity. Every business decision is filtered through these seven areas.

If your business grows but your health collapses, that is not success. This system prevents that mistake early.

3. Morning Routine

Not productivity theatre. Not Instagram nonsense.

A simple, repeatable routine that puts you in control of your day before the day takes control of you. The purpose is consistency, not perfection.

4. Diary Management

Time is not managed, it is protected.

This part of the system teaches you how to design your week intentionally, block time properly, and stop reacting to everything and everyone. If it’s not in the diary, it doesn’t happen.

5. A To Do List System That Actually Works

Most to do lists are stress generators.

This system focuses on priorities, outcomes, and daily execution. Less busywork, more progress. You learn how to decide what matters today and what can wait.

6. Know Yourself and Your Strengths

This is where most people go wrong.

They try to build businesses around things they are bad at, or hate doing. We identify strengths, weaknesses, and energy patterns so the business fits the person, not the other way around.

This alone saves people years of frustration.

7. Performance Management

Entrepreneurship requires standards.

This part of the system focuses on:

Discipline
Accountability
Consistency
Working hard when it matters, and recovering properly when it doesn’t

It’s about becoming a high performance individual, not a burnt out one.

Why This Comes Before Everything Else

People often ask me why I start here instead of tactics.

The answer is simple.

If you do not have:

Clear goals
Control of your time
Discipline in execution
Self awareness
Accountability

Then no strategy will save you.

Entrepreneurial Foundations is what allows strategies to work.

Who This Is For

This system is for professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs who are serious about building a business properly.

People who want structure, clarity, and momentum.

People who are willing to take responsibility.

People who want to reach their first £100k without chaos or burnout.

It is not for dabblers.

It is not for shortcuts.

It is not for people looking to be carried.

Final Thought

Business success is not built on motivation.

It is built on foundations.

Get the foundations right and everything becomes simpler, calmer, and more effective. Ignore them and you will spend years fixing problems that never needed to exist.

Entrepreneurial Foundations is where real business building starts.

To your success,

Grant

Why Goals Fail and Habits Win

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 16:19:24 GMT

Every January, people don’t fail because they lack motivation...

Every January, people don’t fail because they lack motivation. They fail because motivation is never the real problem.

The problem is psychology.

Most people set goals like wishes. They write them once, feel good for a few days, then wait for life to magically cooperate. When it doesn’t, they quietly drift back to old habits and call it a lack of discipline.

It isn’t.

It’s a lack of foundations.

As Brian Tracy (one of my favourite business gurus) has said for years, "Successful people think long term. They understand that results come from consistent behaviour, not bursts of enthusiasm."

Goals don’t fail. Systems do.

The Habit Gap Most People Ignore

One of the most honest truths in Atomic Habits (the awesome book by James Clear) is this. "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."

That sentence alone explains why most New Year’s resolutions are dead by February.

People set outcome goals, lose weight, earn more money, grow a business, but never change the daily behaviours required to make those outcomes inevitable.

They want the destination without committing to the journey.

Habits are the bridge between intention and achievement. No habit, no progress. Simple.

Letting Go of the Fantasy Version of Success

My good friend David Rahman talks powerfully about letting go. Not letting go of goals, but letting go of the illusion that success should feel easy, quick, or comfortable.

Most people secretly expect momentum to carry them. When it doesn’t, they assume something is wrong.

Nothing is wrong. This is the work.

Letting go of perfection. Letting go of motivation dependency. Letting go of the idea that missing a day means failure.

Consistency beats intensity every time.

Motivation Is Not Enough

The legendary Zig Ziggler famously said, People often say motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing, that’s why we recommend it daily.

That line gets laughs, but it’s deadly serious.

Motivation is maintenance. It needs structure to survive.

Without a daily process, motivation fades and habits collapse. With a daily process, even low motivation days still produce progress.

That’s the difference between amateurs and professionals.

Why Resolutions Collapse

Here’s the hard truth.

Most people fail because they never decide who they need to become to achieve the goal. They focus on what they want, not who they must be.

They don’t design their environment.

They don’t track behaviour.

They don’t build identity.

They don’t review daily actions.

They hope.

Hope is not a strategy.

The Fix, Process Over Emotion

This is why I’ve used the same 7-goal process for over a decade. Not because it’s clever, but because it forces consistency.

Seven clear goals. Written down. Reviewed daily.

Every single morning.

For each goal, you write one action that moves you closer. Not ten. One.

That’s it.

Download the 7 goals Poster here: https://www.blam.online/download-goals-poster

Some days the action is big. Some days it’s tiny. Both count. What matters is the habit of showing up.

Writing it down engages your brain. Repetition builds identity. Action compounds results.

This is how goals become habits.

This is how habits become outcomes.

This is how success stops being accidental.

Actions for goal-setting success

• Stop relying on motivation.

• Write your seven goals down every morning.

• Identify one action per goal that moves you forward today.

• Do the work, even when it feels boring or uncomfortable.

Success isn’t about dramatic breakthroughs. It’s about boring consistency done well.

Build the foundations. The results will follow.

To your success,

Grant

Goal Setting That Actually Works

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 16:20:41 GMT

Why Most People Get It Wrong, and How to Fix It

Every January, millions of people set goals. And by February, most of them have quietly given up.

That’s not because they’re lazy. It’s because they’re using the wrong system - it used to be me too.

But since I figured it out I’ve now been using the same goal setting process for over a decade, refining it year after year. It’s simple, it’s practical, and most importantly, it works when you actually commit to it. This isn’t about fluffy New Year’s resolutions. It’s about setting targets that move your life forward, then tracking them properly until they become reality.

Let me walk you through the thinking behind the process, and how to use the Goals Poster properly, so you can apply it to your own life and business.

Stop Calling Them Resolutions

The first mindset shift is this. These aren’t resolutions. They’re targets.

Resolutions are vague. Targets are specific.

“I want to be fitter” is a resolution.

“Hit X body fat, run X distance, or train X times per week” is a target.

If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. And if you can’t manage it, you’ll drift. Most people fail at goals simply because they never define what success actually looks like and measure it consistently.

Why Seven Goals, Not One

One of the biggest mistakes I made for years was focusing on just one area of life, for me it was business or money, and letting everything else slide.

That approach works short-term, but it rarely leads to fulfilment overall.

The seven-goal framework forces balance. It makes you think beyond just work and income, and consider the full picture of your life. Health, learning, wealth, relationships, business, giving, and fun.

You don’t need to obsess over all seven every day. But by setting one clear, measurable goal in each area for the year, you avoid winning in one area and losing everywhere else.

That balance is where long term success actually lives, and for me the definition of success is happiness.

The Goals Must Be Achievable, But Uncomfortable

Finding the sweet spot here is tricky…

If a goal is too easy, it won’t excite you or give you satisfaction when achieved.

If it’s completely unrealistic, you’ll give up too soon or feel deflated when you get nowhere near it.

The right goal sits in the middle. It feels achievable, but only if you show up consistently. Ideally, it should make you slightly nervous when you write it down.

And here’s something important. You don’t have to hit every goal for the system to work. I rarely do. But even missing a well set goal still moves you further forward than not setting one at all. And of course, failure is the best teacher and encourages you to go again next year.

Progress beats perfection every time.

The Two Most Important Words. Why and How

This is where most goal setting systems fall apart.

Every goal on the poster has two additional fields. Why and how.

The “how” is practical. What actions need to happen over the year, broken down into months, weeks, and daily habits.

The “why” is emotional. And it matters more than people realise.

When motivation dips, and it always does, logic won’t carry you through. Emotion will. If you haven’t spent time thinking about why a goal genuinely matters to you, you’ll walk away from it the moment things get hard.

This is why setting goals properly takes thought. Rushing this part is a mistake.

How to Use the Goals Poster Properly

The poster isn’t a one time exercise. It’s a visibility tool.

You fill it in once, but you use it daily.

The whole point is that your goals are visible. On your desk, by your bed, in your journal. Somewhere you physically see them every single day.

That daily exposure keeps your brain pointed in the right direction. It’s not magic. It’s focus. What you repeatedly look at, you move towards.

I also write my goals down every morning as part of my routine. That repetition builds momentum. It turns goals from ideas into habits.

Review, Reset, Go Again

At the end of the year, you review honestly.

What did you hit?

What did you miss?

What did you learn?

No excuses. No beating yourself up. Just responsibility.

Then you reset and go again.

This annual review is powerful because it creates continuity. Over time, you can see progress stacking up. Even imperfect years move you forward when you’re consistent with the process. To see my video of my annual review for 2025 click here.

Final Thought

Goal setting isn’t about predicting the future. It’s about giving yourself direction.

If you want different results next year, you need a better system, not more motivation or luck.

Download the Goals Poster. Set goals you can measure. Make them visible. Attach a strong why. Work backwards. Then take small steps every day.

That’s how real progress is made.

Here’s to setting goals properly, and actually sticking to them.

To your success,

Grant

Why Do So Many Startups Fail?

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:14:48 GMT

Breaking Down the Real Numbers and Hard Truths

Right, let's get one thing straight from the start – that "90% of startups fail" statistic you've heard a million times?

It's bollocks.

Well, not completely, but it's misleading enough that it's doing more harm than good. After 15 years of coaching entrepreneurs and watching hundreds of businesses either soar or crash, I'm here to give you the real numbers and the hard truths about why startups actually fail.

Because here's the thing – if you're going to start a business, you deserve to know what you're really up against. Not some scary statistic designed to grab headlines, but the actual data that'll help you avoid the landmines.

The 90% Myth: Why Everyone Gets This Wrong

The Bureau of Labour Statistics – you know, the people who actually track this stuff properly – tells us that 21.5% of businesses fail in their first year. Not 90%. Not even close.

But here's where it gets interesting. By year five, we're looking at about 50% failure rate. By year ten? That jumps to around 70%.

So where does the 90% figure come from? It's measuring something completely different – startups that fail to achieve massive growth or successful exits. That's like saying 90% of footballers fail because they don't make it to the Premier League.

The real story is that most businesses don't spectacularly implode in their first year. They gradually struggle, pivot unsuccessfully, or simply run out of steam over time. Much less dramatic, much more preventable.

What Actually Kills Startups (And It's Not What You Think)

After diving deep into the data and seeing this play out repeatedly with my clients, here are the real killers:

Product-Market Fit Problems (34% of Failures)

This is the big one. More than a third of failed startups built something nobody wanted.

I've watched brilliant entrepreneurs spend months perfecting a product, only to discover their target market couldn't care less. They fell in love with their solution before validating the problem.

Sound familiar? You're not alone.

Weak Marketing Strategy (22% of Failures)

Here's what blows my mind – you can have the best product in the world, but if nobody knows about it, you're screwed.

Twenty-two percent of startups fail because they never figured out how to effectively reach their customers. They built it, but nobody came because nobody knew it existed.

Team Dysfunction (18% of Failures)

This one hits hard because it's so preventable. Co-founder disputes, hiring the wrong people, toxic company culture – these human factors destroy nearly one in five startups.

I've seen partnerships that started as best mates turn into legal nightmares. Get your team dynamics right from day one, or they'll sink you later.

Cash Flow Catastrophes (16% of Failures)

Money runs out. It's that simple.

But here's the kicker – it's rarely because the business couldn't work. It's because founders didn't manage their cash flow properly or failed to secure adequate funding when they needed it.

The remaining failures? Tech problems (6%), operational issues (2%), and legal complications (2%). Notice how small these percentages are compared to the "big four" above.

Industry Matters More Than You Realise

Not all startups are created equal. Your industry choice dramatically affects your odds:

Highest Risk Industries:

Blockchain/Crypto: 95% failure rate
Healthcare Tech: 80% failure rate
E-commerce: 80% failure rate
Fintech: 75% failure rate

Lower Risk Options:

Agriculture, utilities, and traditional services maintain much lower failure rates

If you're jumping into crypto or healthcare tech, you'd better have your ducks in a row. These aren't casual weekend projects – they're high-stakes games where most players lose.

The Experience Factor: Why Second-Time Founders Win

Here's something that might sting a bit: first-time entrepreneurs have only an 18% success rate.

But – and this is crucial – entrepreneurs who've failed before jump to 20% success rate on their next venture. Those who've had a successful exit? They hit 30%.

Experience matters. Failure teaches. Success breeds success.

Don't let this discourage you if you're a first-timer. Just recognise that you're playing on hard mode, and act accordingly.

The Pre-Seed Reality Check

Even before you get to those year-by-year survival statistics, there's another brutal filter: 70% of startups fail at the pre-seed stage.

Think about that. Seven out of ten startups never even make it past their initial funding attempts. They can't convince anyone – not friends, family, or early investors – that their idea has legs.

This isn't necessarily bad news. It means the market is doing its job, filtering out ideas that weren't ready. Better to fail fast and cheap than slow and expensive.

What This Means for You

If you're sitting there thinking about starting a business, here's what you need to focus on:

Validate relentlessly. Before you build anything significant, prove that people actually want what you're planning to sell. Talk to customers. Test your assumptions. Be wrong early and cheaply.

Master your marketing. Having a great product means nothing if you can't effectively communicate its value to your target market. Figure out your marketing strategy before you launch, not after.

Choose your co-founders wisely. That mate from uni might not be the best business partner. Look for complementary skills, shared values, and the ability to handle stress without falling apart.

Manage your money like a hawk. Cash flow kills more businesses than bad products. Understand your numbers, plan for longer runways than you think you need, and don't spend money you don't have.

The Bottom Line

Startup failure isn't some mysterious force that randomly strikes entrepreneurs. It's usually the result of predictable, avoidable mistakes.

Yes, the odds are challenging. But they're nowhere near as hopeless as that 90% figure suggests. And more importantly, the main reasons for failure are within your control.

Focus on the fundamentals: validate your market, nail your marketing, build a solid team, and manage your cash. Do those four things well, and you'll already be ahead of the majority of failed startups.

The entrepreneurs who succeed aren't necessarily the smartest or most talented. They're the ones who understand these realities and plan accordingly.

Your startup doesn't have to become another statistic. But it's up to you to make sure it doesn't.

To your success,

Grant

Here's What 15 Years of Coaching Taught Me

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 18:13:59 GMT

Do You Really Need a Perfect Morning Routine?

Here's the uncomfortable truth: Most successful entrepreneurs I've worked with don't have "perfect" morning routines.

They have consistent ones.

After coaching hundreds of business owners over the past 15 years, I've watched people torture themselves trying to create the Instagram-worthy morning routine they saw on LinkedIn. Meanwhile, the ones actually building million-pound businesses? They're doing something completely different.

Let me save you years of frustration and show you what actually works.

The Perfection Trap That's Killing Your Progress

I've seen it countless times. A driven entrepreneur reads about some tech CEO's 5am meditation-cold shower-journaling-workout routine and thinks, "Right, that's what I need to succeed."

Three weeks later, they've given up entirely.

Here's what the research actually shows: structured mornings reduce stress hormones by up to 50% compared to chaotic wake-ups. But notice what it doesn't say: it doesn't mention anything about perfection.

The magic happens through consistency, not complexity.

Think about it logically. If your morning routine requires you to be perfect every single day, what happens when life inevitably gets in the way? You miss one day, feel like a failure, and abandon the whole thing.

Sound familiar?

What 15 Years of Real-World Coaching Actually Taught Me

Here's the data that matters: The behaviour typically takes about 66 days to become automatic. But here's the kicker: that range goes from 18 to 254 days depending on complexity.

Translation? The more complicated you make it, the longer it takes to stick.

The most successful clients I've worked with follow what I call the "30-Minute Rule." Research shows most people naturally gravitate toward about 30 minutes of morning activities. That's your sweet spot.

Not 2 hours. Not 30 seconds. About 30 minutes.

In that time, you're not trying to transform your entire life. You're doing three things:

Waking your brain up properly
Setting intention for the day
Creating momentum

That's it.

The Habits That Actually Move the Needle

Forget the exotic routines you see on social media. The most commonly practised morning habits are refreshingly simple:

• Brushing teeth (65% of people)
• Drinking water (60%)
• Making coffee (51%)

Notice what's not on that list? Ice baths, 45-minute meditation sessions, or writing in a gratitude journal while standing on one leg.

The fundamentals work because they're sustainable.

Here's what I've learned actually matters: exposure to morning light, moderate movement, hydration, and eating something. These aren't revolutionary concepts: they're basic human needs wrapped in a consistent package.

The science backs this up. Your brain thrives on predictability, not perfection. When you do the same basic things in roughly the same order, you're giving your nervous system what it needs to function optimally.

The Simple Framework That Works

After years of testing different approaches with clients, I've distilled this down to what I call the Power-Up Protocol:

Step 1: Visualisation of the day ahead (5 minutes)
I do this whilst still in bed. A visualisation of the day ahead if the best outcomes happen.

Step 2: Prime yourself (10 minutes)
This for me is freshly ground coffee and my supplements, including a pint of water.

Step 3: Review your golas (15 minutes)
My seven-step goal process is aimed at giving you a balanced overview of what you want to achieve. Then decide what from that list you will do today to get closer to each goal.

The key? These aren't rigid requirements. They're flexible guidelines that adapt to your life, not the other way around.

Why Starting Small Crushes Starting Perfect

Here's a coaching secret: I never start clients with their "ideal" routine. Ever.

I start them with something so simple they'd be embarrassed not to do it.

Want to start exercising in the morning? We begin with a walk or maybe some press-ups straight after cleaning their teeth. We call this habit stacking a powerful tool.

Want to begin writing goals? We start with buying a journal notepad and putting it somewhere you will see in the morning.

This isn't because I think you're incapable of more. It's because your brain needs to trust the new habit before it invests energy in it.

The "After [current habit], I will [new habit]" method works because you're anchoring new behaviours to things you already do automatically. After I brush my teeth, I'll exercise. After I make coffee, I'll write down my goals.

Simple. Stackable. Sustainable.

The Real Question You Should Be Asking

Instead of "What's the perfect morning routine?" ask yourself this: "What's the simplest thing I can do consistently that will give me momentum for the day?"

Because here's what the data shows: 37% of people can tell within 10 minutes of waking whether their day will be good or bad.

That's not about having the perfect routine. That's about having any routine that helps you start with intention rather than reaction.

The entrepreneurs who succeed long-term aren't the ones with the most sophisticated systems. They're the ones who show up consistently, even when they don't feel like it.

Especially when they don't feel like it.

Your Next Move

Stop trying to build the perfect morning routine. Start building a consistent one.

Pick three simple things you can do in 30 minutes or less. Do them for 66 days. Then: and only then: consider adding complexity.

Your future self will thank you for choosing consistency over perfection every single time.

If you're serious about building the kind of consistency that actually drives business results, I've created a framework that takes the guesswork out of goal-setting and habit formation. It's called the 7 Goals System, and you can download the poster here to see how successful entrepreneurs structure their priorities.

Because at the end of the day, success isn't about having the perfect routine.

It's about having a routine you can perfect through repetition.

To your success,

Grant

Entrepreneurial Foundations: The Real Work Behind Every Successful Business

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 17:36:24 GMT

Most people think entrepreneurship is about the big ideas, the brand, the logo, the pitch. It is not. Those things are surface-level. The real work, the stuff that makes your business durable and worth something, happens underneath. It is the foundations. And if you get these right, everything else becomes easier, faster and more profitable.

This is the part nobody glamorises, yet it is exactly what separates the people who build something meaningful from the people who stay stuck in project mode, earning bits here and there and wondering why nothing ever scales.

So let us break down the fundamentals that give you stability, clarity and momentum.

Diary management: control your time or your time controls you

Successful entrepreneurs act like architects. They design their days with intention. They do not wake up and hope the day behaves. They decide what gets their focus and when. Your diary is not a list of tasks. It is the engine room of your entire business life.

Block your strategy time. Block your prospecting. Block your client delivery. Block your learning. If it is not in the diary, it does not happen, and if it does not happen, it does not grow. The entrepreneurs who win are the ones who learn to protect their time with discipline.

Core values: the guardrails that keep your business sane

Values are not fluffy statements. They are decision making tools. When your business grows, when you take on clients, when you hire, when the pressure turns up, you need a set of rules that guide your behaviour and keep you aligned.

Your values decide who you work with, how you show up, and what you refuse to tolerate. They stop you chasing the wrong clients and they keep your team rowing in the same direction. Get clear on your values and you instantly make your business easier to run.

SOPs: the unsexy secret of scalable entrepreneurship

Most small business owners run everything from their head. That is fine at the start, but it is a bottleneck once you have any traction. Standard Operating Procedures remove the chaos. They turn your daily work into a repeatable system.

Every repeat task needs a process.

Onboarding. Content creation. Lead follow up. Campaign setup. Reporting.

Document it, refine it, then follow it.

SOPs are how you scale without losing quality. They are how you stop firefighting. They are how you build a business that can run without you. Ignore them and you will stay trapped in the weeds forever.

Goal setting: clarity creates momentum

Most people drift. Entrepreneurs who succeed set targets and track them. You need clarity on what you want in ninety days, twelve months and three years. You do not need complicated frameworks. You need simple, measurable commitments that force progress.

More clients. More recurring revenue. A better offer. A stronger brand.

Whatever matters, write it down and make it visible. Momentum builds from clarity, not guesswork.

Measurement: the truth behind your decisions

If you are not measuring, you are guessing. Guessing is expensive. You need numbers to tell you what is working and what is not. Track your leads, conversions, revenue, retention and activity levels.

Data gives you calm, confidence and control. It helps you make tough calls without emotion. It stops you wasting money. It shows you where to focus.

Entrepreneurs who measure scale faster, because they can see the real story.

Habits: the compound interest of entrepreneurship

Your outcomes are the result of your habits, not your intentions.

The small behaviours you repeat daily create your identity as an entrepreneur.

Reading. Learning. Prospecting. Following up. Improving your offer.

Turn these into habits and your growth becomes automatic.

Habits build discipline and discipline builds freedom.

Resilience: the essential tool nobody teaches

You will get knocked about in business. That is guaranteed. The market does not care about your plans and your clients do not care about your excuses. Resilience is what keeps you moving when things take longer than expected.

The good news is that resilience is built through action.

Every time you face a challenge and push through it, you strengthen your foundation.

You become sharper, calmer and more relentless.

That is the real edge in entrepreneurship.

Build your foundations and everything else becomes easier

If you want to grow a digital agency or any small business, do not start with fancy tactics. Start with the basics. These are the pillars that support every high-performing entrepreneur.

Your diary gives you control.
Your values give you direction.
Your SOPs give you scale.
Your goals give you purpose.
Your measurements give you truth.
Your habits give you consistency.
Your resilience gives you staying power.

Get these foundations in place and you become unstoppable.

Skip them and you stay busy without progress.

Build properly and your business becomes a vehicle for freedom, not stress.

The early work feels tedious, but it sets you up for the long haul.

Master the fundamentals and everything you touch becomes easier, faster and more profitable.

To your success,

Grant

Your first £60k in business

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 16:06:51 GMT

Hitting £5k a month is the moment it all stops feeling like a hobby. It is the point where most digital agency owners finally breathe out and think, "this is working". You stop questioning whether you can call yourself an entrepreneur and you start acting like one. It is a serious milestone, and if you are building a service business based on recurring revenue, it is the first real sign that you have traction.

The good news is that £5k a month is not some mythical target. It is simple maths. A handful of recurring clients paying you between £250 and £1,500 a month. Five clients at £1,000 each. Ten clients at £500 each. Even twenty clients at £250 each if you are on the lower end of the pricing scale. The mix does not matter. What matters is that you reach that level where the monthly revenue covers your costs, covers your life, and gives you breathing space.

This is where the shift happens. You stop waking up worrying about whether you have enough work coming in. You stop second-guessing your value. Instead, you start thinking about systems, pricing, processes, team, scale. These are the thoughts of an entrepreneur, not a side gigger.

I've seen some people within the Blam Digital Partnership hit £5k a month fast. They drop into the market with confidence, momentum, and a network, and within a few months they are already there. Others take longer. They make mistakes, tweak their offer, adjust their message, learn how to speak to business owners properly, and build belief along the way. Both journeys are valid. Both still end at the same point, a sustainable £5k a month.

What makes this number important is not the money itself. It is the consistency. A run of monthly paying clients shows you are solving real problems and doing it well enough that people pay you again and again. That is the core of any successful digital agency. Predictability. Renewal. Retainers. Once you lock those in, you have a proper business model, not a series of random jobs.

At £5k a month you finally feel in control. You can reinvest. You can outsource the work you should not be doing. You can improve your fulfilment. You can spend more time selling. You can upgrade your tools. You can raise your fees without blinking. All because you are now building from a place of strength, not scarcity.

The beauty is that from here, the path to £10k a month feels achievable. You have proof that everything you are doing works. You know how to sell. You know who you want as clients. You know what problems you solve. You know how to deliver. You are no longer guessing. You are scaling.

If you are not yet at this point, make it your first serious target. Get your recurring revenue up. Build trust with a small group of clients and deliver at a level that gives them zero reason to leave. Do the simple things well, talk to more people, make more offers, follow up relentlessly, and give every client a great experience.

Your first £60k year is the bridge between wanting to be an entrepreneur and actually being one. Once you cross it, everything changes. You stop playing small. You stop apologising for your ambition. You stop wondering if this is ever going to work.

Because you now have proof that it already is.

To your success,

Grant

How Agencies Manage Client Expectations

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 17:38:59 GMT

We live in a world where it’s easier than ever to set yourself up in business and call yourself a digital marketing consultant. You can build a website, attend a couple of networking events, post a couple of dubious case studies and suddenly you’re “open for business.”

I see this all the time.

Newbies, that have limited experience in digital marketing, throwing themselves into the deep end. Often, the first thing many new consultants learn is how to sell, which is fine, because sales drive everything, but not so good if there's no robust delivery system, onboarding process and capacity for more clients as well.

So the real test comes after the sale. That’s when you discover whether you can really build a sustainable business or not.

Having learnt this the hard way, I can tell you that managing clients is a cross between a science and an art (much like marketing itself!). It’s the difference between running a business that grows through referrals from happy customers, and one that constantly churns clients who “didn’t get what they expected.”

The biggest problem I see is overpromising - being a dancing pony, "yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir", which seems the natural thing to do. It usually comes from good intentions. You want to win the deal, impress the client, or prove yourself and say the customer (or prospect) is always right. But if you’re not brutally honest about what’s achievable, manage the prospect's expectations and control the process, you set yourself up for headaches down the line.

Expectation management starts at the very first conversation.

You need to tell the client what digital marketing can do for them, not what they hope it’ll do. Your job as a consultant is not to paint the best possible outcome, it's to explain the variables. For example, SEO doesn’t deliver results overnight. Paid ads can work fast, but only if the client is willing to spend enough and give you time to optimise. Social media isn’t a silver bullet, it takes consistency and work on both sides.

The right clients respect honesty more than hype. In fact, they’ll trust you far more when you’re upfront about limitations and challenges, and trust is something you want to keep.

So, to manage expectations, be clear about responsibility. If a client doesn’t send you content, approve ad copy, or engage with leads, they’re part of the problem. It’s your job to set those expectations early and document them. A good onboarding process should spell out exactly what both sides are responsible for and where your role specifically starts and stops.

Finally, communicate regularly. Most client relationships go sour not because of poor results, but because of poor communication. Keep them updated, even if progress is slow. They’ll appreciate transparency far more than silence. Many is the time that great communication has improved a relationship with an average achievement far better than a great result that isn't communicated!

So on your entrepreneurial journey as an agency owner, don’t just be a great salesperson, be a great partner. Selling the dream is easy, delivering reality is where the great business owners earn their stripes.

To your success,

Grant

Why Getting a Mentor Is the Smartest Move You’ll Ever Make in Business

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 22:36:52 GMT

If there’s one thing that can truly fast-track your success in business, it’s having a mentor. Not just any mentor, but the right one. Someone who’s been through the battles, made the mistakes, picked themselves up, and come back stronger.

Sometimes, it only takes one piece of advice from the right person to completely change the direction of your business. One comment that makes you rethink your entire approach. One story that makes you realise you’re not the only one feeling overwhelmed. That’s the value of having a trusted advisor by your side.

A mentor isn’t there to do it for you. They’re there to help you see things more clearly, to help you avoid the traps they fell into, and to make sure you’re not getting in your own way. And let’s be honest, most entrepreneurs are guilty of that. We’re driven, we’re determined, and sometimes that determination can make us blind to what’s right in front of us.

The right mentor has a knack for cutting through the noise. They’ll tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. They’ll hold up a mirror and show you the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. And that’s where real growth happens, when you start to see yourself and your business honestly.

But here’s something that’s often misunderstood: your mentor doesn’t have to be from your industry. In fact, sometimes it’s better if they’re not. Business principles are universal: leadership, discipline, time management, sales, mindset, and accountability; they all apply no matter what you sell. Someone from outside your world can offer a fresh perspective you might never have considered. They’ll ask questions that make you think differently and challenge assumptions you’ve carried for years.

I’ve been lucky enough to have a few great mentors in my life. People who’ve helped me see the wood for the trees when I was buried in the weeds. People who didn’t sugar-coat things, who gave me that one bit of sage advice that shifted everything. Looking back, those conversations were some of the most valuable moments in my entire career.

If you’re serious about growing, really growing, get yourself a mentor. It doesn’t need to be a lifelong arrangement or a formal coaching contract. It might be a mastermind group, a seasoned entrepreneur you admire, or even someone you meet once every few months for a chat and a coffee. The point is, you’re putting yourself in front of wisdom and experience.

The best entrepreneurs are lifelong learners. They know they don’t have all the answers. They stay curious, open-minded, and humble enough to listen to those who’ve been there before them.

So if you’re at that stage where things feel uncertain, or you’re trying to make the next big leap, find someone who’s done it. Ask questions. Listen. Learn.

Because sometimes, that one conversation with the right mentor can save you years of trial and error, and a lot of unnecessary pain along the way.

To your success

Grant

Time Management for Entrepreneurs: How to Let Go of Guilt and Take Control

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 15:20:10 GMT

Let me ask you something. Hand on heart, do you control your time,or does your time control you?

Because here’s the thing, f you don’t feel in control of your time, chances are you also don’t feel fully in control of your business, your habits, or your results. And when that happens, it’s far too easy to fall into the trap of making excuses.

“I didn’t have time.”

“I’ll get to it tomorrow.”

“I was just too busy.”

Sound familiar?

We’ve all been there. But the difference between those who build successful businesses and those who stay stuck in the land of ‘nearly made it’ is this: responsibility .

Your Calendar Is Your Boss

If you read last week’s blog, you’ll know that I treat my diary like a non-negotiable tool. Everything goes in it. Workouts, calls, strategy sessions, family time, even sleep. Because when it’s in the calendar, it’s real. And if it’s not in there, it doesn’t happen.

This isn’t about being rigid or robotic; it’s about making sure your day doesn’t get hijacked by other people’s priorities. It’s about designing your life rather than reacting to it.

When you get serious about controlling your time, something magical happens, you stop giving yourself excuses. You can’t kid yourself anymore, because you know where your time went. You planned it. You owned it.

And with that comes power.

Control Your Systems, Control Your Sanity

It’s not just time we need to get a grip on. Systems and processes matter too. If you’re still doing things manually that could be automated, if you’re winging your to-do list every day, or if you’ve got information scattered across 15 different apps, then your business isn’t running efficiently,you are.

And that’s exhausting.

Systems are what allow you to grow. Processes are what allow you to sleep. When your business is built on foundations that are repeatable, scalable, and easy to follow, you’re free to focus on the big stuff, the needle movers, the creative ideas, the exciting conversations.

Let Go of Guilt, Take Hold of Results

Now here’s the part most people miss. When you take true control of your time, when you commit to planning it, owning it, and tracking it, you also give yourself the freedom to forgive yourself.

Why? Because you’re no longer working off guesswork. If something didn’t get done, it wasn’t because you were lazy or flaky or useless. It was because something else genuinely took priority. And you can see that on your calendar.

That means no guilt, no excuses, no tossing and turning at 2am wondering where the day went.

You did your job. You made your choices consciously. And that’s a big win in itself.

So… Are You in Control?

If you’re still firefighting every day, still blaming ‘busyness’ for lack of progress, then it might be time to take a step back and ask yourself: Am I truly in control of my time, my systems, and my outcomes?

Because if the answer is no, that’s OK, as long as you do something about it.

Start small. Plan tomorrow, today. Block time for the things that matter most. Set up one new process that saves you even ten minutes a day.

Because those small wins add up.

And when you control your time, you take control of your life. No more guilt. No more excuses. Just steady, confident progress.

You’ve got this.

To your success,

Grant

How to avoid burnout

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 20:46:17 GMT

Burnout for entrepreneurs is a real thing, and if you’re lucky enough to have ever experienced it, then congratulations!

I say this because if you’ve got to the point where you simply have to take a duvet day due to sheer exhaustion from burning the midnight oil to get your business moving forward, then you’re one of the true entrepreneurs. The ones who are driven by success and will quite literally walk through fire to get there. It’s a sure sign of the right mindset and, believe it or not, a great indicator that entrepreneurial success is in your future.

Now, if you haven’t experienced burnout (and I mean true exhaustion, not just feeling a bit worn out, didums!), then take this as your warning shot. It’s not sustainable, and it’s certainly not healthy. So, how can you avoid it when every waking thought is consumed by your next move, your next idea, your next opportunity, and you simply can’t bear the thought of slowing down?

The trick is control. Specifically, controlling your time .

This is easier said than done when you don’t have a boss or a management structure breathing down your neck. When you’re your own boss, you’re also your own worst manager. You’ll need a few tools and habits to keep you from drifting into burnout territory.

Step 1: Make Your Calendar Your Boss

Your calendar is your new line manager. Everything, and I mean everything, needs to be diarised.

When you eat, when you exercise, when you sleep, when you strategise, when you chill. Obviously, schedule your work appointments and meetings, but also block out time for the important stuff you usually “fit in” around work. Because let’s be honest, if you don’t schedule it, it won’t happen.

This is about controlling your time with intention rather than reacting to whatever the day throws at you. When you do this consistently, you’ll start to see patterns, times of day when you’re at your best, moments when you need rest, and how much balance you actually have (or don’t have).

Step 2: Prioritise

I use a simple but powerful framework: Health, Family, Business, in that order.

Each gets my full attention, but if a choice has to be made, that’s how I prioritise. It’s a principle that keeps me sane and stops me tipping over the edge. If you want a deeper dive into that philosophy, check out my previous blog, “Health, Family, Business - Getting Your Priorities Straight.”

When you get this right, burnout becomes less likely because your time starts to serve you rather than the other way round. You stop running on adrenaline and start operating with rhythm and purpose.

Entrepreneurship isn’t a sprint, it’s a long game. The goal isn’t to see how fast you can go before you crash, it’s to build something meaningful without burning out in the process.

So, control your time, protect your energy, and remember, even the best entrepreneurs need a duvet day now and again.

To your success

Grant

The No Arsehole Rule

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 16:36:53 GMT

Having been in business for nearly 25 years, I’ve come across all sorts of entrepreneurs. Go-getters, grafters, geniuses, dreamers, dumb-dumbs, maniacs, and very occasionally… arseholes!

The truth is, despite what the media or certain politicians might have you believe, most entrepreneurs are actually brilliant people with big, generous hearts. They’re driven by passion, purpose, and a genuine desire to create something meaningful, not by greed or ego.

The stereotype of the ruthless boss barking “you’re fired!” might make good TV, but it’s miles away from the reality of the small business owners I’ve met. Sure, we all lose our patience from time to time, and occasionally frustration gets the better of us, but underneath it all, the vast majority of entrepreneurs I know want to do right by their team, their customers, and their community.

My mastermind group is a perfect example. I couldn’t ask for a better bunch of people. Every one of them is dedicated to customer satisfaction, team development, and constant improvement. They’re not just building businesses, they’re building legacies, and they genuinely care.

However, every now and then, someone pops up who does fit that nasty stereotype. The kind of person who thinks business is about taking advantage, cutting corners, or trampling others on the way up. And sometimes, just to make it interesting, they’ll even want to do business with me!

That’s when I bring out one of my most important personal values, what I call The No Arsehole Rule.

It’s simple: if someone lies, cheats, manipulates, or behaves unethically in any way, they’re out. No second chances. No “maybe they didn’t mean it.” Just a firm no thanks.

I’ve learned that ignoring this rule never ends well. Sure, it can be tempting to do a deal when there’s money on the table. You tell yourself you can handle it, that it’s just business. But deep down, you know how it’ll play out. It always ends in tears, stress, and sleepless nights.

So I don’t bend the rule. Ever.

Because at the end of the day, business should be enjoyable. It should be about working with people who energise you, inspire you, and make you better. Life’s too short to share your time, energy, or reputation with anyone who doesn’t operate with integrity.

And that’s why The No Arsehole Rule isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s non-negotiable.

To your success,

Grant

Health, Family, Business - Getting Your Priorities Straight

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 16:01:28 GMT

If you’re anything like I used to be, you’ll know how easy it is to get caught up in the whirlwind of running a business. The endless emails, the meetings that run over, the ideas that keep you awake at night, it all becomes a challenge to manage. And before you know it, you’ve missed a workout, eaten something quick and dirty, and told yourself you’ll make it up to the family next week. Sound familiar?

A few yers back I came up with a system that has been a huge help and comfort to me by prioritising my decisions in a specific way and accepting the consequences with a clear head because I know the order of priority is the right thing to do.

1st Health, 2nd Family and 3rd Business.

I like to think of life as a three-legged stool. Each leg supports the other. If one becomes wobbly or neglected, the whole thing starts to tip over. And in business, when you fall, it’s rarely just you that hits the ground. Your team, your customers, and your loved ones all feel the impact too.

Health Comes First

It might sound selfish to put yourself first, but it’s actually the opposite. You can’t lead a business, inspire a team, or be present for your family if you’re running on fumes. Your body and mind are the engines that power everything else.

I learned this firsthand. For years, I’d tell myself I was too busy for the gym, that I’d eat better next week, that success came before sleep. But what I didn’t realise was that success needs sleep. It needs energy, focus, and resilience, and all of that starts with taking care of yourself.

So now, my workouts and health routines are in the diary, just like a meeting. They’re non-negotiable. That hour in the gym or the daily walk isn’t time lost, it’s time invested. It’s the reset button that keeps me performing at my best.

And let’s be honest, when you feel good physically, you make better decisions, you communicate better, and you simply show up as a better version of yourself.

Then Comes Family

Once health is in check, family comes next, because what’s the point of all the business success if you’ve got no one to share it with?

It’s far too easy to fall into the trap of thinking, “I’ll slow down once things settle.” But business never really settles, does it? There’s always another project, another target, another opportunity. If you keep waiting for the perfect time to prioritise family, you’ll be waiting forever.

I’ve made a habit of putting family time in the calendar just like any business meeting, dinner, a walk, a weekend away. That might sound overly structured, but it works. It ensures that family doesn’t get whatever’s left over after the business takes its share. They get proper, intentional time.

The best bit? When you truly switch off and give your full attention to those closest to you, it’s amazing how much clarity and creativity return when you go back to work. Family time isn’t a distraction from success, it’s part of what fuels it.

Then Comes Business

Finally, there’s business, the thing that gets entrepreneurs out of bed in the morning. The thing we’re passionate about, proud of, and constantly trying to improve. But here’s the catch: business thrives best when it’s built on a strong foundation of health and family.

When your mind is sharp and your relationships are solid, you make better business decisions. You think long term. You handle setbacks with perspective instead of panic.

It’s not about working less, it’s about working smarter, with clearer priorities. Knowing when to shut the laptop and when to give your all. Business will always demand more of you than you can give, so you have to set the boundaries yourself.

The Simple Mantra

So, my mantra is simple: Health first, then family, then business.

It’s not a fancy formula, but it’s one that keeps everything in balance. And when life throws the inevitable curveballs, a tough month, a personal setback, a surprise opportunity, it gives you a compass to steer by.

When you’re healthy, you can handle the storms. When your family is strong, you’ve got a reason to keep going. And when your business grows from that solid foundation, it’s sustainable, not just successful.

So, take a moment to look at your diary this week. Are your priorities reflected in your schedule? If not, start small. Book that workout, plan that dinner, then give your business the best version of you.

You’ll be amazed at how much smoother everything feels when you get those three words in the right order.

Health. Family. Business. In that order, always.

To your success,

Grant

Will AI Destroy Digital Marketing?

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 15:55:15 GMT

Far From It. It’s Just Getting Started.

Every so often someone asks me: “Is AI going to kill digital marketing?” My take? It’s not going to destroy it. It’s going to help it.

Marketers will use AI to push creativity, innovation, and impact even further. The race is still to the top, just with new tools, higher stakes, and more exciting possibilities.

⸻

Why the Fear Exists

It’s natural. AI seems capable of everything from writing articles to designing images, analysing mountains of data, optimising ad spend, managing campaigns almost automatically. If you look at some of the popular media narratives, AI can replace jobs, take over repetitive tasks, make decisions. The question is: what part of marketing is replaceable, and what part will always need the human spark?

⸻

What the Data Tells Us

Instead of doom-scrolling about AI, let’s look at what the numbers show, and they point very strongly in the opposite direction.

• Adoption is widespread. Around 94% of organisations now use AI in preparing or executing marketing operations.

• Marketers are embedding AI fast. 69% had already integrated AI into their marketing ops in 2025.

• Growth projections are huge. The AI in marketing market is valued at about US $47.3 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 36.6% to more than $100 billion by 2028.

• Generative AI is on the rise. Many marketing teams are using generative AI tools, for content, design, targeting, and 78% of those users report a positive impact.

• Small businesses are getting in on it. Over half of small businesses use AI for marketing; many cite time savings and improved content creation as the biggest benefits.

• Efficiency/cost savings + creative. For example, Klarna reported that by using generative AI & AI tools for image generation, they cut image-production costs by about $6 million per year, slashed lead times (six weeks → seven days for certain image assets), and increased campaign throughput.

These stats don’t show decline; they show transformation. They show more people using, investing, benefiting. They show marketers having more freedom to experiment (once the boring, repetitive stuff is handled by machines, there’s more headspace for daring ideas).

⸻

What Will Always Need the Human Marketer

To be clear: not everything in marketing is automatable. Some things will always need humans:

• Vision, strategy, and brand soul. Deciding why you do something, what story you tell, what values you hold, how you connect emotionally with people, that’s not just a process.

• Creativity and originality. AI can remix, but the real breakthroughs come when humans imagine something weird, unexpected, and disruptive.

• Judgement, ethics, nuance. Biases, cultural sensitivity, trust, and authenticity, in many cases, AI doesn’t automatically know ethics. Humans must guide, check, and correct.

• Relationships & context. Deep customer insight, understanding changing social norms, adapting when markets shift, this stays human.

Humans + AI is the combo. AI does what it does best: processing, automating, scaling, exploring variants. Humans do what they do best: meaning, intuition, innovation, pushing the limits.

⸻

Why AI Will Propel Digital Marketing Forward

Putting it all together, here’s how I see AI driving digital marketing into its next phase:

1. Better personalisation at scale

AI lets you tailor messages, creatives, offers, and timing based on data that humans alone couldn’t tease out. That means more relevant, more resonant campaigns.

2. Faster experimentation

If we want to test 50 ad creatives instead of five? If we want to try new formats (video, interactive, AR/VR) without massive cost penalties? That’s more possible now.

3. More creativity, less repetition

The repetitive tasks (data crunching, scheduling, formatting) get off-loaded, leaving marketers freer to think, design, and experiment.

4. Insight-driven decisions

Predictive analytics, trend detection, response modelling, AI gives more visibility into what’s likely to work (or not), which reduces risk and wasted money.

5. Higher ROI, lower costs (ideally)

Companies like Klarna have shown that using AI reduces costs significantly, speeds production, allows more campaigns. That increases the leverage you get from each marketing dollar. Efficiency freed up = budget & time for more bold moves.

6. New kinds of marketing & channels

Generative content, interactive experiences, real-time personalisation, dynamic creative optimisation, all these become more accessible. What felt futuristic five years ago is becoming standard.

⸻

What Needs Doing to Get It Right

Of course, the upside isn’t automatic. To make the most of AI in digital marketing:

• Invest in skills & culture: marketers need to learn how to work with AI (not fear it).

• Maintain human oversight to catch biases, ensure originality, and preserve brand voice.

• Prioritise ethics, transparency, data privacy, consumers increasingly care about how their data is used, and brands that screw up here lose trust fast.

• Use AI strategically, not as a gimmick. It’s tempting to chase tools, but what matters is aligning with your brand, audience, and long-term goals.

• Keep experimenting. What works today will evolve. Early adopters who experiment responsibly will lead.

⸻

So, Will AI Destroy Digital Marketing?

In short: no. If anything, AI will strengthen digital marketing. It will force us to be better, more creative, more thoughtful, more human in what truly matters. It will shift the work, but not erase the value. It will open up new possibilities for those willing to lean in.

⸻

Conclusion: There’s Never Been a Better Time to Be in Digital Marketing

If you’re a wannabe marketer, a small business owner, or someone sitting on the fence thinking, “Should I invest in digital marketing, build these skills, work in this field?”, this is a great moment.

AI isn’t a threat; it’s a superpower. If you combine your human instincts, taste, creativity, and empathy with smart AI tools, you’ll be doing things no one’s seen before. You’ll deliver more value, reach more people, tell stories in fresher ways.

So: if you’ve ever thought of stepping into digital marketing, now is your moment. The tools are getting better, the playing field is expanding, the rewards for creativity & strategy are soaring.

Don’t wait. Start learning, experimenting, failing, refining. Because the future of digital marketing isn’t being destroyed, it’s just beginning.

To your success

Grant

Do You Have What It Takes to Be Successful?

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 20:20:41 GMT

Do You Have What It Takes to Be Successful?

Here’s the truth about success that most people don’t want to hear. It’s not about luck. It’s not about being in the right place at the right time. It’s not even about working crazy hours.

The real test is consistency.

Most people massively underestimate just how much consistency it takes to be successful. They imagine success is about big wins, lightning-bolt ideas, or sudden breakthroughs. But in reality, it’s about turning up every single day and doing the work, even when you don’t feel like it.

Anyone can be motivated for a week. Most people can stay enthusiastic for a month. But what about the grind over a year? Two years? Five years? That’s where the difference is made.

The gap between the successful and the unsuccessful is rarely a matter of talent or opportunity; it’s about who kept going when others stopped.

Here’s the challenge:

• Can you show up when the results are invisible?

• Can you stay disciplined when no one is watching?

• Can you keep going when it feels like nothing’s happening?

That’s what it takes.

It’s not glamorous, it’s not exciting, and sometimes it feels painfully slow. But consistency compounds. The tiny actions you repeat daily become habits, the habits build momentum, and the momentum creates results.

And once you build that rhythm, that’s when people on the outside suddenly say you’re “lucky” or “an overnight success”. But you and I know, it’s years of consistency paying off.

So, do you have what it takes to be successful? Not just the big idea or the burst of motivation, but the discipline to keep going long after the excitement fades?

If the answer is yes, then success isn’t just possible, it’s inevitable.

To your success,

Grant

Are Your Goals Big Enough?

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 13:05:43 GMT

Set the goal then figure out how

When it comes to building a business, a philosophy that I'm a huge fan of is Grant Cardone’s 10x Rule. It’s a simple concept. Set your goal first, then set about figuring out how you’re going to get there. I love this idea because I have seen too many people get stuck in the weeds of logistics and planning, and before they know it, the ambition has fizzled out and they massively underachieve.

Here’s how the 10x principle works: set what you think is an achievable goal, then 10x it. Whatever target you’ve got in mind, multiply it by ten and then sit with the uncomfortable question, “If I had a gun to my head and I absolutely had to achieve this, what would I have to do differently?”

That’s when your brain shifts into creative mode. Suddenly, you’re not thinking about incremental steps or easy wins, you’re thinking bold, decisive, and creative. You start to uncover possibilities and strategies that you’d never have considered if the target felt “safe” or “achievable.”

Now, deadlines can be useful, but let me share something I’ve learned the hard way. A deadline missed can feel like a punch in the gut, and if you’re not careful, it chips away at your confidence. I’ve been there. The truth is, while timeframes can help with urgency, they’re not the be-all and end-all. The focus on the goal itself, keeping it in sharp sight every single day, and getting there no matter what, as fast as possible, regardless of the deadline.

Here’s how I approach it:

Set the achievable goal, then 10x it.
Don’t worry if the “how” looks impossible right now.
Keep the goal front of mind daily, and get creative, almost obsessively, to figure out what needs to happen to achieve it.
Take massive action that matches the size of the goal and make sure your team are on the same page!

It’s amazing what starts to happen when your actions are aligned with something bigger than you. Even if you don’t hit the exact figure, you’ll be so much higher than you would have with the original “realistic” target.

So this week, I challenge you: take your goal, then multiply it by ten. Ask yourself, if everything depended on me achieving this, what would I do? The answers might surprise you, and they might just unlock the level of success you’ve been aiming for all along.

To your success,

Grant

Are YounLooking To Up Your Average?

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 15:30:50 GMT

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.” And when you stop to think about it, it makes a lot of sense.

We’re all shaped, consciously and unconsciously, by the environments we place ourselves in. From the way we were brought up, to the foods we enjoy, to the way we speak and even the way we think about money or success — so much of it comes down to repetition and influence.

The thing is, we don’t always notice how much our surroundings affect us. Which is why making a conscious effort to improve your environment, and more importantly, the people you share it with, is absolutely vital if you want to improve your mindset and ultimately the results you achieve in life.

That’s why, just recently, I made the decision to “up my average” in a very deliberate way. I joined a Supercar driving tour with a fantastic group of people, most of whom were entrepreneurs, and most of whom were further up the ladder of success than me.

It was three days of fine dining, beautiful hotels, winding roads through stunning scenery, and of course, the thrill of incredible cars. On the surface, it was indulgent. But the reality is, it was an investment — not just in the experience itself, but in my mindset.

Because here’s the truth: the conversations I had on that trip were inspiring. The people I spent time with were energising. And even when I wasn’t consciously trying to learn, I know my unconscious mind was soaking it all in, like a sponge. It was the kind of environment that forces you to think bigger, raise your standards, and stretch your vision of what’s possible.

Now, let me be honest. Deciding to go wasn’t easy. Events like this don’t come cheap. I knew it could be an amazing opportunity, but there was always the risk that it might just be a flashy indulgence. Thankfully, I made the right call. Not every experience like this will pay off directly in business connections or deals, but from a mindset perspective, the value is huge.

Sometimes, the best investments we make aren’t in tools, or ads, or systems, but in the way we think.

So, how can you “up your average” without necessarily jumping into a Supercar? Here are a few simple ways:

• Seek out entrepreneurial communities. Join masterminds, networking groups, or online communities where ambitious people are sharing ideas and wins.

• Spend time with people further up the ladder. Whether it’s grabbing a coffee with someone you admire, attending an industry event, or even listening to a podcast, put yourself in the company of those who’ve achieved what you’re aiming for.

• Audit your current circle. Ask yourself honestly: are the people I spend most of my time with pushing me forward, or pulling me back?

• Invest in experiences. Sometimes it’s a course, sometimes it’s an event, sometimes it’s just saying yes to something that stretches your comfort zone.

Remember, you are the average of the people you surround yourself with. So if you want to change your results, start by changing your environment.

After all, the higher you raise your average, the higher you’ll rise with it.

How are you doing?

grant@blam.online (Blam Websites) — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 09:50:06 GMT

So, how are you doing? Is your answer usually one of the following?

Okay, Alright, Not bad, Pretty good, Fine, Meh, So so

If so, I have a tip for you that could literally change your life!

Instead of the default answer being one of the above, try one of the following:

Awesome

Fantastic

Amazing

Brilliant

Couldn’t be better

Topper

Incredible

If you make a habit of telling the world and yourself several times a day that you are “not bad”, your subconscious mind will be providing you with thoughts that you are “not bad” - is that want you want?

Words really are that powerful, and this isn’t woo woo, this is proven by the science.

With this one simple change to your vocabulary, you will find that your mindset will become more positive and you will start to feel a lot more amazing than when you kept telling yourself you were “okay”!

You’ll be amazed at how people react to you when you first start doing this. People will say, “What’s got into you?” and will wonder if you’ve gone a bit mad. This will reveal to you just how negative most people are about how they feel, they wear their “I’m not great” message like a badge of honour and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Screw that!

In my view it is all of our responsibility to be frickin’ awesome nearly all of the time, that should be the default. That way when we really do have something to complain about we’ll get the concern we need from people who know us when we answer “not bad”.

The knock-on effect is you will actually make other people think about feeling awesome too, and you will notice the positive effect you can have on other people by just using simple words.

So, how are you “really” doing? Because if the answer isn’t awesome, you’ve probably been saying “not bad” far too much!

To your success

Grant

One thing that is going to make you successful

grant@blam.online (Blam Websites) — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 20:41:14 GMT

The one common trait of all successful people!

Is it dreaming about success that keeps you awake at night? If so, you’re just like me and every other true entrepreneur. The business ideas, the lifestyle dreams, the people you could help, the lives you can change. Having the ideas and the vision is only the beginning, but a vital part of the process. So how do you take those dreams and make them a reality?

"The million dollar question, literally!"

There have been so many books, films, courses, systems and groups dedicated to the theory of success and I have studied many of them. And yet, despite a good proportion of this material having valuable content, the percentage of people that consume it and then achieve success, is small.

Why do you think this is, and has this happened to you?

Some will argue that time is the issue, some will make other excuses like money or lack of support, some will even blame the government or their family!

Well, there is one fact in my observations, that will be the foundation of your success. It will underpin every decision you make, every action or non-action. Without it, there is NO CHANCE of success.

"Responsibility."

Taking full responsibility for everything that happens to you and all of life’s situations. If you do this, you will know that your actions influence your outcome and even when things that happen appear to be beyond your control, taking responsibility is key.

This may sound counter intuitive as “taking the blame” for your situation can be hard and if you’re not ready to accept it, can cause you all sorts of issues. However, when you are ready to embrace the fact that everything that happens to you is either directly or indirectly your doing, then you can begin to pivot with speed and keep your course to success on track.

The alternative is to blame others, host your own “pity party” (thanks to Zig Ziggler for that little gem) and never take the steps needed to increase your chances of success.

This is explained in detail in chapter 6 of The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone. “Successful people accept very high levels of accountability” and then goes on to say, “Those who give their control over to another for their success, or lack of success, will never be in control of their lives or their futures”, wise words in my view.

So ask yourself this. Have you ever blamed your circumstances or someone else for the undesirable situation you find yourself in? When you can adjust your thinking and accept responsibility, you’ll be amazed at how much more action you can take and finally you’ll have the foundational thinking in place to achieve your dreams. Then the really hard work begins!

Corporate vs Entrepreneur

grant@blam.online (Blam Websites) — Sun, 08 Nov 2020 20:21:24 GMT

Is becoming an entrepreneur a choice?

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing entrepreneur, Rob Pendleton from Pendleton Global, whom I found fascinating as he has seen both sides of the business spectrum. His early career was as a high flyer with PWC where he developed his in-depth knowledge of business growth and helped HUGE businesses all over the world build refine and build their systems for growth.

Fast forward to today and Rob is now the founder of Pendleton Global, the business growth experts who help small businesses scale and achieve their potential using the principles honed in the corporate world.

The part that really interests me is that Rob gave up an extremely well paid corporate job, in favour of starting his own small business in, initially, the travel and tourism industry. Getting to the bottom of “why” he did this is pretty complex as it is for most entrepreneurs, but ultimately it comes down to this.

"If you’re an entrepreneur at heart, working for someone else will NEVER satisfy you, no matter how much you get paid."

A quote that sums that up for me is thanks to one of my entrepreneurial hero’s Grant Cardone:

“ As long as you are alive you will either live to accomplish your own goals and dreams or you will be used as a resource to accomplish someone else’s goals and dreams. ” Grant Cardone, 10X Rules.

Rob’s dream was always to run his own global coaching network, using his patented system “The Business Waterwheel™” but he knew to be credible he needed to run and sell a couple of small businesses himself. The big goal was always in his mind and when he had finally had the experience of building and exiting his own creation he knew he was ready.

Due to this mindset, I asked Rob about this and he gave some really insightful responses that you can see by watching the full interview here .

If you are thinking of starting your own business, I’ve also recorded a 10 min video for you showing the three main secrets you should know if you are thinking of trig the plunge and beginning your entrepreneurial journey. Although, as per the sub-title, my experience tells me if you are still reading this, you probably already are, you just haven't started yet.

Lockdown, ups and downs!

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 20:13:40 GMT

Is now the right time to start a business?

As I write this we’ve just been told that here in the England, we are following our Welsh and Irish cousins and are going into another lockdown in a few days.

Bloody hell!

My first thought is for all of the business owners that are affected by this. Talk about being kicked whilst you are down. In particular, the leisure and tourism industry around the globe has been one of the worst hit from an economic standpoint and this could be the final death blow for a lot of them.

Thinking back on my own business history, how lucky I am that I no longer have a pub, brewery or supercar experience business, two industries that have been devastated by the effects of the pandemic.

And so, it is with a sense of immense gratitude that I find myself once more in the position of benefiting from the awful economic effects of Covid. All of the team at Blam will now go into overdrive to provide our digital marketing services to small businesses that now have no choice but to improve their online experience. I’m sure the UK won’t be the only country to go back to lockdown restrictions and as we now work in nine countries, there’s only more to come!

However, we are all confident that we will be able to help a multitude of small businesses survive again whatever is to come and are delighted to be doing our bit for these guys. In these unprecedented times for business, having a digital strategy is the highest priority and it’s such a privilege to be able to do our bit and provide them strategies for growth.

Throughout history entrepreneurial spirit has conquered adversity , and I have no doubt whatsoever that these difficult times will produce some amazing business people. Starting a business in the midst of such turbulent times can often make for robust and hardy founders. Innovating in the midst of diversity sets solid foundations, and I can’t wait to work with the next cohort of Blam Partners who have seen that now is the time to embrace the digital evolution, and use our model to do good in the small business world.

So, in my view, now more than ever is the time to start your entrepreneurial journey, so what are you waiting for!

The Secret to Success (Really!)

Sun, 23 Jun 2019 20:19:12 GMT

What helping over 300 business start ups has taught me

Over the last few years I've helped hundreds of people through the early stages of starting a business, and I'd like to share an observation with you that I know will be of interest if you are thinking of taking the plunge.

Firstly, hats off to anyone who pulls the trigger on starting a new business. It's still an immensely inspiring conversation to have the first time I speak to a brand new business owner, usually, the enthusiasm is palpable along with a good dose of nervousness and optimism.

In this first few weeks of trading I've noticed some commonalities between people that never end up making a success and those that smash it. So if you are thinking of taking the plunge and beginning the life of an entrepreneur, I'd pay attention to this.

Procrastination.

We all procrastinate to some extent, the key is realising this. Procrastination comes in many forms and just because you are busy, it doesn't mean you aren't procrastinating.

All too often, with the new start ups I work with, they keep busy with tasks that they kid themselves into thinking are what they should be doing. However, just because they are doing "stuff" it doesn't mean it's the right "stuff".

An example would be spending too much time trying to think of every eventuality that could come up in a sales presentation instead of booking the presentations in the first place. I see this one a lot. The fear of feeling embarrassed in front of a prospect because there are questions that they may not be able to answer stops them from taking the action required.

So instead of taking meaningful action there's more learning, training, faffing about with systems, etc etc, instead of the work that is actually going to make them money.

Successful entrepreneurs however don't wait, they throw themselves in and figure it out as they go. They still have the fear but they use it to educate themselves whilst they are learning how to make money too.

So what is the solution to helping more entrepreneurs be like the action taking group?

I've thought about this A LOT and that's why at BLAM! we've built a system that means that our partners follow a path to making their business successful. This stops the excuses a tracks the actions.

It focusses around these three stages:

1. We have a certified training course that needs to be completed in an agreed amount of time.

2. Next we have an accountability system that tracks actions that lead to success.

3. Then we have ongoing support, mentoring and training through our entrepreneurial community.

So, the key to avoiding procrastination (which really is the key to success)? Accountability to your actions , it's simple but effective.

If you want to learn more from entrepreneurial advice be sure you've signed up to BLAM! Academy here , it's FREE and a great resource for budding entrepreneurs or business owners alike.

The Art of Saving Money

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 09:21:52 GMT

Why Most Entrepreneurs Can't Save Money

Most Sunday mornings I have a ritual of sitting downstairs on the sofa before the rest of the family is up and running through my personal finances. Sometimes it’s a great thing to do, other times not so good! Either way it helps me plan for the family treats, holidays, future investments and ongoing expenses.

Why do I do this? Here’s my theory…

Over the years I’ve had many ups and downs in business with impacts hitting my personal finances often. This is because as an entrepreneur I’ve used my own wealth to fund my business adventures which has sometimes left the well dry, and other times given me spare to play with. Over all those years my attention to my own money hasn’t always been the priority. Being an entrepreneur is often curse, getting so entwined in the business that risks are taken with your own personal finances, sometimes leading to scarcity, other times leading to abundance!

It’s a common thread. Many entrepreneurs I have interviewed and mentored will have a similar story. Part of the DNA of an entrepreneur is that “risk taking” gene, the gambler within, that sees the big win at the end of the game.

"Part of the DNA of an entrepreneur is that 'risk taking' gene"

Looking back over my life, I notice that when I pay more attention to my own money, even when things aren’t going so well, it pays off. A big influence in this thinking for me (I wish I’d read it in my youth!) is a book called “The Richest Man in Babylon”. In it the author, George S. Clason, describes a theory for personal wealth that is as true today as it was centuries ago when the system was first defined.

In brief the system shows how, by putting away at least 20% of what you earn every month (as well as paying your taxes), without exception, the money will grow quicker than you might imagine. It then goes on describe how you manage that money and use it to make even more. This saving system may sound obvious! However, although I’ve done this for many years, the trick is not to use the money you’ve saved on a project where you could loose it all or end up using it for day to day living as you haven’t been paid (guess who’s done this a few times!).

I now work with entrepreneurs most days, from start ups to successful $1m+ t/o business owners and it’s a subject I focus on often. It is very common for entrepreneurs to prioritise their own money last, as they are looking at the bigger picture of when they are smashing it with their new super successful business! There is a school of thought that says in business “pay yourself first”. I would add that when you do, put your 20% away 2nd and in the long run the wealth will come, slowly but surely.

There is definitely an art to this, some master it sooner than others, I’ll let you know when I do!

ENTREPRENEUR OR BUSINESS PERSON?

grant@blam.online (Blam Websites) — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 15:53:51 GMT

Sounds like an odd questions, where do you fall?

Are you an entrepreneur or a business person? Entrepreneur is such a commonly used word these days that it's now typically used for anyone who starts a business. The difference between the two is that a business person can take an unoriginal idea and run a successful business with it, an entrepreneur invents the idea, investing time energy and money into a startup in the hope of huge success.

Entrepreneurs typically take big scary risks and seek to change the world with their ideas, often leaving the idea of making money far down the list. Whilst a business person focuses on the process of running an efficient business, minimising risks and focusing on sales, operations and profits.

There is no doubt in my mind where I fall in this question of entrepreneur or businessman. My very soul drives me to pursue massive goals and sometimes unrealistic dreams, and if I end up disappointed, I simply try again. Understanding this side of my personality (and believe me I've learnt the hard way!) has helped me to become more of a businessman, something that is essential for any small business owner. Learning the fundamentals of running a business is key to the foundation of any business owner, and yet often I find that people starting out in business for the first time seem reluctant to apply themselves to some of these basics.

"There is no doubt in my mind where I fall"

In the BLAM office we've been working on some great training courses to help our partners learn some of the skills we've applied to build our businesses over the years. However, there are loads of resources available to small business owners out there that can help turn people with a desire to be successful into genuine business people!

A willingness to learn and an ability to put into practice what has been taught are essential abilities for the (percentage wise) few of us that actually end up running a successful business for the long term. Make no mistake, these skills are not easy and it takes passion, drive and perseverance to apply them, and that's before you even start improving the product or service that is specific to the business!

Where to start in finding help? To help find the right resources that fit with the skills you need to learn, one of the best places to start is the Chamber of Commerce. I've been a member of the chamber for 15 years now and still access their resource on occasion that comes for free as a member. Not only that, they run networking groups, events and training sessions on all manner of subjects from book keeping and IT to sales and marketing.

Next, most mainstream banks offer plenty of support to new business owners both online and through their business managers. The quality does seem to vary and I personally haven't got a lot of faith in most of them, but over the years I have worked with a few people in my bank who have been really helpful in accessing resources that they offer. Barclays have recently been running some free seminars with some great entrepreneur guest speakers along with lots of links to useful resources in your local area.

There are plenty of other organisations out there that offer all sorts of benefits to new business owners. I would encourage you to ask around at networking events and talk to people that you know in business to see which are the ones that fit with your personal business situation.

In order to continue with our own resource development we are about to launch an app on Apple and Google app stores, for partners, that has a large resource that will be helpful for your business. Within this is a quiz section that will test your business acumen on the basics, through to the more complicated areas that we cover in the knowledge base.

So, if the answer to my first question was "entrepreneur", make sure you have the skills to be a business person too, otherwise your business journey could be short lived!

Yours,

Grant

5 tips for start ups you won't find anywhere else on the web!

grant@blam.online (Blam Websites) — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 15:53:51 GMT

Because I wrote them myself!

Running Blam partners gives me the privilege of meeting lots of people running a business for the first time. This can be a daunting prospect for them and, let's face it, it's not for the faint hearted!

We provide plenty of resources to help these first timers, but with this article I wanted to reveal some of the less conventional tips that I've seen used to great effect. They may not be for you, but that's what makes life interesting, it takes all sorts!

1. Develop morning routines - This may seem a fairly ordinary tip, but that does very much depend on the routine! Having a sequence of practices that are geared around your businesses performance from the moment you wake up, puts you in the right mindset as the day begins. I know of some entrepreneurs that get up at 4am to get their work done whilst there are no distractions at all, so after their first stint of work they can fit in a gym session at 6.30 then a family fix around 8am, then they finally go into work.

2. Affirmations - Writing down a statement of intent and then repeating it out loud several times a day may sound a bit crazy but thousands of successful millionaires do this, as described by Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich. There are numerous variations on this practice and it’s not for those that feel self conscious when caught doing it. I’ve had many a weird stare from other drivers when they catch me talking to myself on my morning commute!

3. Meditation - Meditation can help you focus on your goals, define your purpose and relax your mind when the stress of running a business gets to you.It is becoming a more conventional tool these days and there are plenty of apps that will help you begin your journey to reaching mindfulness nirvana. How much meditation you undertake though is down to you, but it's all too easy to say "I'm too busy to meditate”. I’ve even gone as far as getting a meditation teacher in to the office to educate the my team on how to get the most out of your meditation.

4. Talk to your pet - I recently read an interesting article from a fantastically wealthy entrepreneur who gauged his motivational talks by how long he could keep his pet great dane sat paying attention to him. If the dog lay down whilst he was practising he would assume it wasn’t good enough and adjust it until he held his attention for the full speech. So I am now suggesting that we all practice our pitches on our pets, if we can’t hold their attention, what chance do we have with prospects?

5. Dress to impress - Think about what you wear and the way you look every single day because like it or not you are judged by the way you look. Unless you are a Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg (who are on another level entirely) looking as good as you can, appropriate to the business you are in, can give you the edge. If you are the best dressed person in the business meeting you are already making a good impression and for the right reasons.

If you find these tips interesting and want to find out more about how we help our BLAM Partners achieve success check out one of our webinars that we run every week, available to all here .

Have a great week.

Grant