My First Business, with Naeem Parvez

“𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲…𝗺𝗲?” So, I’m sitting in my office (okay, fine, my kitchen). I’ve got my coffee, my laptop, and this weird thought: “𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆?” That question hits differently when it’s about you. On paper, I’ve got the perfect resume. Visionary. Strategic thinker. Decent at remembering birthdays. But culture fit? That’s where it gets tricky. When you’re starting out, you’re the company’s vibe. Your quirks = the company’s quirks. But when you’re growing? Your team’s vibe starts becoming the vibe. They’re the ones setting the culture now (because there’s more of them than you). And if you’re not living up to the values you set? You might just be the culture problem. Let me say it louder: 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱. So now, every month, I ask myself this: “Would I still hire me?” Am I living the values I preach? Am I vibing with the culture my team is building? Am I even fun to work with? Because if the answer is no… It’s not my team that needs to change. It’s me. P.S. Good news—I passed this month. Barely. — Alright, enough lurking. My podcast is calling, and it’s way more fun than this feed. Link in bio!

Imagine building a business with someone you’ve looked up to your whole life. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆, 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀. The calls become shorter. The conversations, colder. And one day, you realize: “This isn’t my dad anymore. This is just…my business partner.” It’s so easy to get caught up in the grind—targets, deadlines, deals. But what’s the point if you’re losing the people who matter most? Your calls are like: “Hey, I’m calling about that new deal”. When they could be like: “Hey Dad, I’m just calling to let you know that I love you.” That’s it. That’s the call. Because no business is worth losing the people you love. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Make the call today. — Alright, enough lurking. My podcast is calling, and it’s way more fun than this feed. Link in bio!

Senator, we’re not just running ads—we’re running the 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸! When we first got into performance marketing, we thought it was simple: ↳ Run killer ads. ↳ Track conversions. ↳ Make clients happy. Easy, right? Wrong. Because every client has the same question: “𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝟱𝟬𝙓 𝙍𝙊𝘼𝙎 𝙛𝙤𝙧 $𝟱 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙮?” And, well, “because we’re amazing” isn’t exactly a business strategy. So, we had to step up our game. We realized something: 𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼. Here’s what we do differently: 𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘀; 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. Got retention problems? We’re on it. Sales funnels leaking? Hand me the wrench! 𝗪𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲—𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘆. Weekly check-ins, custom dashboards, and making sure the client never feels like they’re talking to a robot. 𝗪𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱. If your competitors are playing checkers, we’re out here playing 4D chess. Why? Because marketing is just a teeny bit more than pretty ads or low CPLs. While the results come in over time, we need to fill the gap with confidence. The pep talks. The high-fives. The feeling that someone actually gives a damn. And when you do that? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆. Because we’re not j

Charging more saved our business—and our sanity We used to feel guilty about raising prices… What if we lost clients.. What if people thought we were greedy… What if we’re not worth it… But, staying cheap was 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. We couldn’t afford to hire the right people. We couldn’t upgrade our tools. We couldn’t plan for the future. Every month felt like survival mode. So, we raised our prices. Because I wanted more money…WAIT, that sounds greedy… We raised our prices because 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄. And guess what? We still win new business. Clients who saw our value have stayed. I could finally pay my team what they deserved. And I stopped waking up at 3 a.m., panicked about cash flow. Charging more isn’t greed. It’s the only way to build something sustainable. If you believe in the future of your business, charge like it. 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: What’s holding you back from believing in your worth?

Have you lost someone, before you had the chance to lose your ego? A fight? A misunderstanding? A stubborn silence that lasts far too long? You tell yourself, “They should call me first.” So, you wait. And wait. You build up stories in your head of why you’re right, and they’re wrong. Yes - I’m here to lecture you: put your ego aside, and pick up the phone. Because when they’re gone, all you’ll want is one more call. Question: Who do you need to call today?

The fastest way to kill your business? Undercut your prices. When you undercut, you’re telling the world: ↳“I’m only worth what you can haggle me down to.” Cheap clients don’t stick around. They drain your energy, demand the world, and bounce at the first sign of a better deal. I learned this the hard way. Be patient. The right clients take time. Be confident. Believe in your product/service, even when others don’t yet. Charge what you’re worth. And let your quality justify the price. You’re not a price tag. ↳You’re a solution. Believe it, or no one else will. What’s your take—have you ever fallen into the undercutting trap? How’d you get out?

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄? That’s what my guest Divakar Vijayasarathy boldly claimed on my podcast. And the way he broke it down? Hard to argue. 𝗔 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰… Over half the population is under 30. That’s not a stat. That’s a fiery engine. Energy. Innovation. Ideas unrestricted by tradition. And they’ve got less patience. 𝗔 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿… A collective will, a belief that tomorrow can be built—not inherited. You can feel it - in metros - in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities - everywhere. It’s palpable. And it’s powerful. 𝗥𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱… For too long, India was underestimated. Cheap labor. Low-quality products. “Not quite ready.” That’s changed. Now it’s fuel. To redefine “Made in India.” 𝗥𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗼… Stagnation? Corruption? Inefficiency? They’ve had enough. Every startup challenging old business models. Every entrepreneur refusing outdated norms. Every investor betting on disruption. It’s all part of the bigger story. 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻. Where else will you find this level of energy? Hunger? Momentum? Maybe it’s time to place your bets. Or at least, hear the full story (Podcast link below!) P.S.: This is not a political post. Please don’t drown me in your “growth at what cost” comments. If you liked this, imagine how good my podcast is. Go on, find out. Link in BIO #india #indianbusinessopportunity #dubaipodcast

There’s no wrong way to ‘entrepreneur’ There’s no right way to ‘entrepreneur’ either… Forget the polished stories and the “must-do” blueprints. What’s the point of following someone else’s map? Who are you? Who are you becoming? How will you spend your time? ↳These questions are better than “When do you get to $1m?” Found things you’re great at? ↳ Do more of that. Found things you dread? ↳Maybe they’re better off on the back burner. Not every effort is worth your hours or your energy. I’m not saying to avoid discomfort - just know YOUR OWN limit with the level of ‘suck’ you want to endure. You (and not Hormozi) define YOUR OWN boundaries. You (and only you) define YOUR WAY of ‘doing business’.

You can’t teach someone to be a good human being. Period. That reality hit @upsyyy hard, who used to hire based purely on hard skills. Big mistake. Here’s what she learnt: ↳ You can teach skills. ↳ You can’t teach integrity. ↳ You can train talent. ↳ You can’t train empathy. Before: hiring top talent that lacked basic decency. Now: She hires good humans first, skills second. Stop chasing résumés. Start chasing character. Because skills get the job done, but character builds a culture. -- P.S. @evolvebraintraining is now in Abu Dhabi!

“You gotta let some fires burn, man.” 🔥 If you work for yourself, you feel like you need to fix every problem, and fix it now! Not every fire is worth putting out, as my buddy Nishan has pointed out. 🧑‍🚒 Most fires will burn themselves out. Forget the tiny ones. Greg McKeown says it best in Essentialism— Your job is to focus on the “vital few”, not the “trivial many.” So stop trying to solve everything. 80/20 baby! OK OK OK, yes yes - sometimes it does hit the fan… For the problems that matter - don’t rush in, take a step back. Play chess, not checkers. What’s the high-leverage move that shifts things in your favor? LASTLY - Trust your team. You hired them for a reason. Equip them, guide them, then let them take on the fires. Letting some fires burn isn’t neglect—it’s business. P.S. If you haven’t checked out my podcast yet... you’re missing out. Don’t make me send in the podcast spies. 😉

“I’m done waiting for sunsets. Now, I’m chasing sunrises.” —Rajesh Sajnani When Rajesh said this to me, 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕. Around the time he was 50 years old, he realized that he spent much of his life believing in the idea of “sunset years”—the time to retire, slow down, and hand everything over to the next generation. Chill out, right? But then, he realized: Why stop now, when there’s still so much life to live, and so much to give? His energy is contagious... this isn’t a man winding down; this is someone revving up. How many of you are living as if you’re waiting for the sun to set on our dreams? “𝑴𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 - 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒘...” How many of you think it’s too late to start something new, to chase a new passion, or to find a new purpose? The sun is always rising somewhere... To all the sunrise chasers out there: Keep going. Your best days are waiting ahead. :sunrise: “Most people die at 25 and aren’t buried until they’re 75.” —Benjamin Franklin (possibly) 𝑷.𝑺. 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒐𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 75.

Keep it simple, 𝗦𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗬. Yes, I’m talking to you. 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀? Confession: I do it too. I’m a bit of a process nerd—sometimes to my own detriment. I’ve tried elaborate, multi-step, “failure-proof” systems. Guess what? They usually fail. Why? Because the more complex a system, the more vulnerable it is. Even the slightest hiccup can make the whole thing crumble. And it’s not just you - your employees are frustrated, your customers are confused. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗦𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗬. Ever 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 a hotel room online? It’s a smooth, seamless experience. Now, think about 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 at the hotel. You see the receptionist furiously typing, clicking, calling someone, then typing and clicking again, and eventually asking a colleague for help. Exhausting, right? 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦? One that drains the joy out of work for employees and turns a simple task into a hassle for customers? If you’re knee-deep in building some elaborate “system” in the name of efficiency, take a step back. Keep it simple. And listen to Maureen (video below) for a fresh perspective.